- How do I earn PE credit with a school sport?
- How do I calculate a fully-weighted GPA?
- When should I take the SAT/ACT?
- How many AP classes do colleges want me to take?
- Can I take two sciences classes in one year (i.e. Can I double up in any one discipline in the same year?)
- If I fail a class, retake it in summer school and earn a better grade, does the ‘F’ get removed from my transcript?
- What is a transcript?
- “How do I get my De Anza (community college) grades and credits on my high school transcript?”
- How do I make an appointment with my guidance counselor?
- Is community service required for graduation/college admission?
- What is a “good” SAT or ACT score?
1. How do I earn PE credit with a school sport?
For students who have not completed all of their required credits of PE (20 credits), they can earn PE credit with their participation in a school sport. Only sophomores, juniors, and seniors can earn PE credit with a sport. Students planning to earn PE credit should complete a PE/Competitive Sports Participation Agreement form during the course selection process and return it to their guidance counselor. In order for students to earn the full 5 credits per sport, students must be selected for the team and complete the entire season.
2. How do I calculate a fully-weighted GPA?
Students should convert every letter grade they have received to grade points. A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0. For honors and AP classes, you should give yourself one point for every semester of an honors or AP class that you have completed with C or better grade. You would then add up all the grade points and divide by the number of classes taken.
3. When should I take the SAT/ACT?
Students should consider taking the SAT or ACT in the second half of your junior year. Experience shows that students will do better on the tests the further along they are in high school, so it is typically not advisable to take the test much earlier. An exception to rule can be made for students who have completed the necessary math for the SAT subject test or have sufficient preparation for a language subject test.
4. How many AP classes do colleges want me to take?
Colleges do not require students to take AP classes. Only students who have two to three years of consistently high performance in a subject area (including honors coursework when possible) should consider taking an AP class. We believe that students should consider their past performance, overall course load, extracurricular commitments, and sanity when choosing their courses. Students should assess themselves carefully and choose an appropriate schedule based on their skills and motivation. Keep in mind that AP classes are considered college-level coursework and require good study habits and significant time commitments.
5. Can I take two sciences classes in one year (i.e. Can I double up in any one discipline in the same year?)
Due to budget restraints we can only guarantee students only one course in a subject area. Only when there is room available do we allow students to take a second course in a subject. All requests must be made during the course selection process or Course Available Lottery in order to get a second course.
6. If I fail a class, retake it in summer school and earn a better grade, does the ‘F’ get removed from my transcript?
When students repeat a class during the summer, it will not remove the ‘F’ grade from their transcripts. Students who repeat a class with a higher grade will earn a repeat (‘R’) next to their initial grade, but the grade will remain. However, the original grade will not be used to calculate your Grade Point Average (GPA) and will be replaced with the new grade.
7. What is a transcript?
Your transcript is record of academic course work completed in high school. It will record all courses taken, grades and credits earned, graduation status summary, and coursework in progress.
8. “How do I get my De Anza (community college) grades and credits on my high school transcript?”
Unless a student needs additional credits for graduation, we do not put college courses on your high school transcript. However, when you apply for college, you be asked to report or include any community course(s) taken during high. At some point in the process, you will be asked to send an official college transcript from all of the colleges you have attended.
9. How do I make an appointment with my guidance counselor?
Students do not need to make an appointment to see their guidance counselors. We are typically available before school, after-school, and during brunch and lunch. If we are unavailable, you can write your name on our signup sheets on the wall near our office and we can send you a pass when we are available.
10. Is community service required for graduation/college admission?
Community service is not a Fremont Union High School District graduation requirement. Community service is an opportunity to get involved and give back to your community. Although it is not a requirement, it may be advisable for students who are not involved in other extracurricular activities, such as sports, clubs, etc.
11. What is a “good” SAT or ACT score?
There is no simple way to answer this question since everyone has his or her own opinion about what qualifies as a “good” score. We do ask that you do some research to find out the average scores and/or score ranges for all interested colleges. Certainly, the more competitive the campus, the more likely that the average score for the school will be higher. We do suggest that you give your best effort and find colleges that fit your academic profile. If you are interested in learning how your scores compare to the national average, visit the link below.
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/scores/understanding/average.html
