Test Scores Released

As of today, all students who took AP or IB tests over the spring can now access your test results on the AP/ IB websites. I know that you had studied hard and prepared well for the assessments so I hope that you are happy with the results that you find!

Just a reminder, if you were a student who took AP English Language last year and are planning to take CC+ Comp or CC+ Literature this year, double check that your scores and the classes you had signed up for make sense. (So, for example, if you assumed you would get a 3 on the AP Lang test and so you didn't sign up for Comp 1, but you only scored a 2, you need to let us know so that we can adjust your course requests to put you into Comp 1. Or, on the other hand, if you decided to put down Comp 1 in your course requests just to be safe and you scored a 3 or higher on the AP Lang test, you need to let us know so that we can adjust your schedule as you don't need to repeat Comp 1 again.) You also need to be sure that you send those test results to CSCC so that they have the documentation needed for you to skip Comp 1.

Sending AP Scores

Seniors, now that you know where you will be attending college in the future, it is important to remember that if you have taken an AP exam, you will also need to send those official scores to your intended college.

As you are likely aware, colleges each get to set their own protocol for what AP tests they will accept and what scores will result in earning credits at their school.  You can check out the AP Credit Policy using the search on CollegeBoard's website here: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/getting-credit-placement/search-policies

One great aspect about sending the AP Scores is that they will send your current and past scores to the college with one report so if you have taken 5 AP tests, you don't have to pay to send 5 different scores.  

Here is the page that explains everything you need to know about sending your AP Scores: https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/sending-scores

I would also like to wish a very Happy Mother's Day to all of the WKHS moms!  I hope your sons/ daughters expressed their appreciation for all the big and little things that you do to help them, but never doubt that you ARE making a difference in their lives each and every day!  Thank you for allowing me to share in your children's lives as well!

AP & IB Exams

IB Exams have already started and over the next two weeks many WKHS students will continue with IB exams and others will be taking Advanced Placement Exams. The AP and IB exams are held on designated days and will be in designated locations throughout the district (most taking place at WEC).  I know that many of you have been spending an extraordinary amount of time studying to prepare for the exams. Good Luck!  You will do great!  Remember, you have spent the whole year learning all of the content that you need to know in order to take the tests to hopefully earn the college credit. Stop by sometime and let me know how you felt after the tests.

ACT/ SAT Test Prep

Juniors, now that you have received your scores back from the school administration of the SAT it is time to come up with a plan for what comes next.  

Some of you may be perfectly content with your scores and not need to do anything else, but for many of you, I know that you are focused on improving your scores.  Statistically, many students are able to improve their scores when they repeat the tests because you are now familiar with the pace required to complete each section and what to expect from the tests.   As a result, I encourage you to consider signing up to take another college admission test this spring or summer.  You can take either the ACT or the SAT (or both).  If you're not sure which test you did better on and want to focus on re-taking, you can use the Concordance Table to compare your scores. Don't forget, while there are some test dates in the fall, you need to watch your timing so that you can get the tests completed before your earliest college application deadlines. Remember, a test prep plan is going to be important if you are applying to colleges that are no longer test-optional.

To register for the tests, please visit their websites.

ACT: www.act.org

SAT: www.collegeboard.com

And, yes, sorry, there are fees for the rest of the times you take the college admissions tests.  However, if you are a student who qualifies for free or reduced lunch, please stop to see me as I am able to help give you a fee waiver that can cover the cost of a test.

The other point we need to talk about is what you are going to DO between now and when you retake the test to help improve your scores.  There are a wide range of options that students can do to help improve their scores, but generally speaking if you don't do something different, you will typically not see a significant change in scores.  This list is in no way fully inclusive of all of your options, but it can help get you started on ideas...

- Look at your test and reflect back on what you remember from the test and review the areas that are weakest for you.

- Take free practice tests online.

- Use question of the day practice opportunities to regularly get adjusted to the types of questions you will see on the ACT/ SAT.

- Work with an individual tutor or sign up for a course.  These options will have a range of costs associated with them and so it is important to know that ACT and SAT will say that the best preparation is a rigorous curriculum.  However, many students have found that having someone that they are meeting with and having an appointment to work on preparing for the tests helps to hold them accountable so that they can master the strategies and truly show what they know when they take the tests.  We have many tutor resources available on the Counselor Website if you are interested and I also have business cards in my office from some of the tutors/ companies.

- Make use of websites such as Khan Academy that have free test prep sections.  The ACT and SAT websites also have resources and materials available for students to help prepare for their tests.

- Get one of the books with practice tests (you might even be able to find them at the library, but many students prefer to buy them so that they can write in the books).  

And that actually brings me to a key point that I hit on a little earlier - I can mention lots of different ideas and strategies, but these tests are so easy to procrastinate on and think "I'll work on that later..." but so often "later" becomes "never."  I know because I have been there.  So try to figure out what you are realistically going to be able to set up for yourself as a plan and then stick with it.  Have someone help hold you accountable and don't stop until you have reached your goals.

Good luck on your test preparation.  Most of all, don't stress about it - that will never help your scores, but do the best you can and it will pay off in the long run!

Government End of Course Testing

Just a quick reminder that all students who are currently enrolled in a Government class (which includes regular Government, AP Government and CC+ Government), you will be taking the Government End of Course test tomorrow morning starting at 8:40am. Most students will be testing in the Main Gym. There will be a QR code posted in the hallway when you enter to check to see if you have an alternative testing location. Good luck on the test!

SAT Scores

Juniors, your SAT scores from the March 11th testing day have been released. Hopefully you have already received an email directly from CollegeBoard to share this news. But you can now log into your CollegeBoard account to see your scores. 

I do also have access to your scores, but I can just see the number whereas when you go into your CollegeBoard account it will give you a greater breakdown of how you did to help you determine where you might want to focus for future testing opportunities.

Remember, statistically speaking, students who repeat the tests perform better on them. So if you're not thrilled with your scores, you may want to go ahead and sign up now for an upcoming ACT or SAT test date. We saw issues last year where students had to drive to areas pretty far outside of central Ohio in order to be able to get a testing seat because they waited too long in order to register to test. We have been hearing some reports from other students that this is happening already again this year. So if you want to take a spring or summer ACT or SAT, I strongly encourage you to register for the test as soon as possible.

OSU Testing

The Ohio State University announced today that they will now be requiring students to submit ACT or SAT scores as a component of their applications for current juniors (class of 2026) and beyond. They have also decided that they will superscore the ACT and SAT results. Which means that they will take your highest scores from various sections of the tests to calculate an overall highest composite score. Superscoring is nice because it takes away the pressure of trying to score your best in a single test session, but it does add to the appeal of taking the tests multiple times to try to get the highest scores possible.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the other Ohio colleges, but I suspect that many of them will follow OSU's lead and soon announce their own testing policy with a return to requiring the college admissions tests as a component of their applications.

Juniors, I know you just took the SAT yesterday, but if you were unsure if you wanted to take the ACT or repeat the SAT again, this news might help you make that decision.

Tomorrow's SAT Schedule

Tomorrow we are on a VERY different bell schedule!

Freshmen, Sophomores and Seniors - you will be functioning on a late-start schedule tomorrow.  This means that you get to sleep in and relax a little bit in the morning.  If you ride a bus, your bus will pick you up  90 minutes later than normal.  If you walk or drive to school, you can determine what time you want to arrive just be sure to make it to school in enough time to be able to get to your 5th period class at 12:25pm.  As I mentioned, with late start buses running 1.5 hours later than normal, this means that if you ride a bus that will likely mean you will arrive to school around 10:10am and you'll have that time until the start of classes to study, eat lunch, and hang out in the Aux Gym.

Juniors - you will ride the bus at the normal time and arrive to school like every other day.  You will then report to your assigned testing location by 8:40am so that you can begin taking the SAT right away.  The test will conclude in time for you to have a break for lunch before the start of classes.

And then everyone (9th through 12th grade) will proceed to afternoon classes with the following bell schedule:

• 5th Period - 12:25 - 1:05
• 6th Period - 1:10 - 1:50
• 7th Period - 1:55 - 2:35
• 8th Period - 2:40 - 3:20

I also have a few SAT Testing reminders for the juniors:  This test is an official SAT so you are strictly bound to all of the restrictions and requirements set forth by SAT.  Testing will begin promptly at 8:40am so you will need to report to your assigned rooms (check your email for location assignment).  Please be sure to bring your district issued chromebook (fully charged!), your Student ID card, and, if you want, a calculator.  And I would also suggest that you bring a watch.  Cell phones are NOT allowed to be on in the testing room at all.  You should have already completed the pre-registration steps so that you're all set to test. Good luck tomorrow!  You will do great!

Scam Alert

We recently learned about a scam that is impacting families across the country. In this particular scam, which you can read about in this article, someone calls and tells families that their child signed up for free test prep resources, but they need their credit card number for a deposit on the materials and that it will be refunded after the student is done with and returns the supplies. Obviously there are scammers across the country who know that junior students are all in the phase where they are taking the SAT or ACT and so this is a scam that seems easy to see why someone would fall for it. Just be aware that there are no sign up options for anything like this for the WKHS students so if someone reaches out to you, it is definitely a scam.

Pre-ACT Results

Your Pre-ACT scores are back!  Your scores are available for pick up in the Counseling Center.  You can pick up your score sheets during your lunch periods or before or after school from any of the secretaries at the front of the counseling center. 

One nice feature of the PreACT is that you will get your test booklet and the score summary written report.  You can use this information to help you determine what you did well on and what you want to improve on in the future.

Don't forget, these are just practice tests so they are giving you an indication of where you might expect to score on the actual ACT and you can use your results to help guide you in preparing to achieve college readiness.

I hope your scores were what you were expecting (or perhaps even better).  If you have any questions don't hesitate to stop by and see me.

Pre-ACT Reminders

If you are taking the Pre-ACT tomorrow, you will report directly to the gymnasium when you arrive to school in the morning. You will need to have your student ID with you in order to check in. You will also need a number 2 pencil (no mechanical pencils allowed), a calculator, and I would recommend a watch. 

The test will begin promptly by 8:40 and you will most likely finish testing during 5th period.  (If you have lunch 4th period we will be sure you have time to eat and give you pass to go to 5th period.)

I was very happy to see so many of my students signed up to be taking the practice test for the ACT and I wish you all good luck!  I hope it will be a meaningful practice opportunity for you in preparation for future college admissions tests. Good luck on the Pre-ACT!

PSAT Scores & Reminders

CollegeBoard has released your PSAT scores today.  Your scores are available electronically.  This means that you will log into your CollegeBoard account to view and download your scores.  (Which is what you will do in the future when you take your SAT as well.)  CollegeBoard has a BigFuture mobile app that you can use for accessing your scores or you can use their website.

If you submitted your email account when completing your answer sheet then you should have received an e-mail from CollegeBoard notifying you that your scores are accessible. Even if you didn't receive an e-mail from CollegeBoard you can still access your scores.

One of the best parts about the PSAT is that CollegeBoard has partnered with Khan Academy to use your scores to make a personalized practice plan.  This is a fantastic option and I strongly encourage you to use it.  If you have questions about this FREE option you can visit the Khan Academy website at: https://www.khanacademy.org/sat

Once you have your scores, you may be wondering what they mean.  The score sheets from PSAT provides a wealth of information so it can take some time to digest it all, but if interested, please know that the counselor website can help give you additional information, tips and links to better understand your scores.   http://www.wkhscounselors.com/. 

Don't forget, this is just a practice test so it is giving you an indication of where you might expect to score on your college admissions tests and you can use your results to help guide you in preparing to achieve college readiness.

A few other reminders:

Keeping with the testing theme, remember that tomorrow is the last day to register for the PreACT on November 7th.  Cost is $15 and is payable through the MyPaymentsPlus system and you need to pay along with sign up on the google form that is linked on the WKHS Counselor website.

And then sophomores, don't forget that the deadline to participate in the field trip to the Delaware Area Career Center which includes completing the google registration form and returning the signed field trip permission slip to the counseling center is also tomorrow (Friday, October 25th).  You must do both steps by the end of the day tomorrow to participate in the DACC field trip next month.

AP Exam Registration

By now, all students should have “joined” the AP course online at the beginning of the year to access resources from the CollegeBoard throughout the year.  You will need your CollegeBoard account information to login and join the AP classes you are taking.  (If you have taken the PSAT, SAT, or AP Exams in the past then you already have a CollegeBoard Account.)

If you have a CollegeBoard account, it is important to use that account (and not to create a new one) as your scores from previous CollegeBoard assessments (PSAT, SAT, AP exams) are linked to your account.  If you already have established a CollegeBoard account, please visit myap.collegeboard.org and make certain that you can log in. If you have forgotten your password, you may call 1-888-225-5427 or email apstudents@info.collegeboard.org for assistance. 

If you have not already established a CollegeBoard student account, please sign up by going to myap.collegeboard.org. Make sure you write down and save your log-in information for future reference.  Remember, when you are setting up your CollegeBoard account, you do NOT want to use your school email account as your wscloud account cannot accept emails from outside of the district.

If you have questions, about establishing your account or linking it to the AP resources, please contact College Board at 1-888-225-5427 or email apstudents@info.collegeboard.org.

In addition to joining the class through CollegeBoard, students who are planning to take the AP test will need to sign up and pay for the test through the MyPaymentsPlus system. The cost of the test is $100 if students register prior to November 1st. After November 1st there is a $40 late fee up through February 21st. There are no options for ordering tests after the February 21st late registration deadline. Please also note that for students who qualify for free/ reduced lunch, you still need to register through the MyPaymentsPlus system, but it will automatically show your fee as $0 instead of $100.

AP Exams will take place at WKHS from May 5-16, 2025.

Here is a link to the information that was sent home to all students/ parents who are currently enrolled in an AP class.

And here is a link to the district website with additional information and details related to AP testing.

Please don't miss the chance to register as a way to help earn free college credit!

ACT/ SAT Score Submissions

I feel like this week has been filled with conversations about testing... even the blog has highlighted PSAT and Pre-ACT this week.  So I am just embracing the theme and continuing it tonight.

Seniors, if you are planning on applying to colleges and having them consider your test scores from the ACT or SAT, it is important that you have sent your scores directly from the testing agencies to your colleges.  This is a step that can be done far in advance, but because there isn't a key timeline for getting it done ahead of the deadline, it can be a step that inadvertently gets forgotten and then causes problems with applications being marked as complete so that they can be processed.

Your test scores are NOT on your transcript so the only way that the colleges will have access to your scores is if you arrange for them to be sent from the testing agency directly.  You received the option to send your scores to 4 colleges free of charge when you signed up to take the test.  There is an additional charge for any additional tests beyond those 4 that you want to send your scores to for consideration.  

You can log into the ACT and SAT websites to review your scores including where they have already been sent and make sure that every college you are considering that you want to see your scores has received a copy of your test results.  And, it is also directly on the ACT and SAT websites that you will pay to have your scores sent to any additional colleges.

I do strongly encourage you to just get this step taken care of and crossed off your list so that you're not scrambling at the last minute or missing the early action deadlines because you didn't send in your scores in time.

Pre-ACT

Congratulations to all of the students who successfully completed the PSAT today!  I realize that thinking about even more testing right after you took the PSAT isn't always the top of your priority list, but I wanted to make sure that you (and your parents) knew that registration for the Pre-ACT is now open!

There are a few things to know that might help you decide if you are interested in taking the Pre-ACT or not.

1. The test is open to sophomores and juniors only.

2. There is a cost to sign up for the Pre-ACT.  The charge is $15.

3. The Pre-ACT is the practice test for the ACT.  (This year, Juniors will be taking the SAT at WKHS for free in March.  If you decide you want to take the ACT instead, you will have to sign up and take that on a Saturday national test date instead.)

4. The Pre-ACT is a paper/ pencil test.  (The actual ACT is offered both paper/ pencil or digitally, but more students and more national testing sites administer it as a paper/ pencil test so that is what we are doing for the practice test too.)

5. Taking the PSAT and the Pre-ACT is a great way for students to experience both tests and be able to compare them to see which one you like better.  If you know which test you feel more comfortable with (and which one you scored better on for the practice tests) that can help you decide which one you would want to focus your test prep on for the actual ACT/ SAT admissions tests.

6. The Pre-ACT will be offered to Kilbourne students on Thursday, November 7th.

7. The PreACT also includes a career component to help students identify career interests and potential career fields to explore.

8. There is a LIMIT to the number of students who can take the Pre-ACT at Kilbourne on November 7th!  Space will be limited to the first 200 registrants.  (This is important because, for comparison sake, we had over 400 students take the PSAT today.  So, we have half of the number of seats available for the Pre-ACT which means if you are interested in signing up you will want to register soon.)

9. Registration is a 2-step process.  You will need to complete the registration google doc which is linked on the Counselor Website - www.wkhscounselors.com - and then log into your MyPaymentsPlus account to pay the $15 test registration fee.

If you have any questions or need any help getting signed up for the Pre-ACT, don't hesitate to stop by and see me!

PSAT Reminder

Don't forget - tomorrow is the day when many Kilbourne sophomores and juniors will take the PSAT.  

If you are one of the students who will be taking the PSAT, you will report directly to your testing location at your designated testing time.  (For most students, that will be the gym in the morning- 8:30 check in for an 8:40 start.  Juniors will primarily be in the main gym and sophomores will primarily be in the aux gym.)  You will need to bring your student id with you in order to check in.  One of my most important reminders is do NOT forget your FULLY CHARGED district issued chromebook!  If you haven't already opened and launched BlueBook to make sure that it is updated and working properly, I strongly encourage you to do that tonight before you get to testing tomorrow. 

As with every standardized test, you will not be allowed to have your cell phone or smart watch on you at any time during testing.  With the test being digital, I would still encourage you to bring a calculator if you like using a traditional calculator better than the digital one online, a writing utensil to use with the scratch paper you will be given, and I would recommend a normal watch if you prefer to track timing on your own. 

You will be able to have water and a snack under your table for easy access during breaks, but you cannot eat or drink at all during the test.  As you know, the temperature in the building varies greatly.  So because we don't know what to expect in the gym, I strongly encourage that you dress in layers so that you can add a sweatshirt or take it off depending on how hot or cold you might be during testing.  As with normal school days, you are not allowed to put up a hood during testing - this is a school rule, but more importantly, it is also a testing rule you must follow.  Also, PSAT does NOT permit you to wear ballcaps so those hats will also need to be removed.

If you haven't already watched this short (less than 3 minute) video about the digital PSAT, I would strongly recommend that you review it.  Knowing ways that you can flag a question, eliminate options, etc will only help you tomorrow when you are testing.

As a reminder for all of the other students - I will be helping to administer the PSAT tomorrow, so I will not be available to meet with you until later in the afternoon.  Sorry.  To those of you who will be testing, get a good night's sleep, be sure to eat breakfast and good luck testing tomorrow!

Parent Lunch & Learn

Parents, the WKHS Counselors will be kicking off our monthly Lunch & Learn series this Friday over zoom and we hope you will join us!  

For each Lunch & Learn session we will share information about a specific topic for 15-20 minutes and allow 10-15 minutes to address any questions you have about the topic so that in just 30 short minutes of your time, parents/ guardians will walk away more aware about that topic and hope it impacts their kids.

Each lunch and learn session will run from 12-12:30pm over zoom so that parents can grab their lunch to eat while tuning in to learn about the topic of the month.  We will post the zoom link on the Counselor website the day of the workshop and it will also be emailed to all WKHS parents.

This Friday's topic is focused on the College Admissions tests.  This will be a chance for us to talk about the ACT/ SAT along with the PSAT and Pre-ACT and a test prep plan.  (This is also a reminder that registration for sophomore and juniors to sign up to take the PSAT for free is happening now.)

I hope to see you online Friday, September 6th at noon for this year's series kick-off.

ACT/ SAT Registration Reminders

Many seniors plan on taking the ACT or the SAT again this fall.  If you are planning on taking one of these college admissions tests, it is important to register online prior to the designated deadlines.  For your convenience, here are the upcoming test dates and deadlines for each test:

ACT:
- September 14th - Register by August 9th
- October 26th - Register by September 20th

SAT:
- August 24th - Late Registration by August 9th
- October 5th - Register by September 20th
- November 2nd - Register by October 18th (may be beyond your deadlines)

Don't forget, you will need to register for the tests online at the individual testing company websites.

ACT - www.actstudent.org

SAT - www.collegeboard.org

AP/ IB Test Results

Scores for those students who took one (or more) of the Advanced Placement Tests in May should be available online today. Many students assume that we know your scores in the counseling office, but we do not receive that information until much later.  To access your scores log in using your college board account information.  

If you are curious about the policy that colleges have on how they grant credit for AP Scores, the CollegeBoard (who run AP tests) maintains a searchable list for the college's policies. Here is the link.

Many WKHS students who took AP Lang were hoping to be able to use their scores to move directly to English 2367 (Comp 2) with CSCC next school year.  Please make sure you have scored a 3 or higher on the AP Lang test in order for this to be an option.  If I need to adjust your schedule to add you into Composition 1 because you didn't get the 3 as you had anticipated, or if you put Comp 1 into your schedule "just in case" and you earned the 3, please let me know so that I can adjust your schedule and remove the class you no longer need.  Also, don't forget that you need to send your test results directly to the CSCC CC+ office so that they know you have met the prerequisites to jump directly to Composition 2.

And, in addition to the AP test scores being available, the IB test scores have also been released over the last few days and so you can access those results as well! 

No matter which tests you took, I hope you are happy with your test results!

Exams & Test Anxiety

How are you feeling about final exams starting tomorrow?  It’s normal to feel a little bit nervous before and during a test. What is important is to learn how to deal with those anxieties so that they do not become overwhelming. Below are a few key strategies for managing test anxiety that might be helpful to you during exams. If this is something that you struggle with, please feel free to stop in and see me so that we can discuss additional ways to help manage your test anxieties now and in the future.

- Study. Being prepared is the single most effective way to help manage test anxiety. If you are confident that you know the material and have put forth your best effort to be prepared for the test, then you can relax and do the best you can.

o Learn from past quizzes and tests

o Ask the teacher for suggestions on how to best prepare for the upcoming test

o Don’t cram – that only adds to the stress and pressure of trying to “squeeze” everything in

o There are lots of study strategies available that can help students and I have a variety of ideas, so if you are interested, stop by and see me and we can talk about different techniques you can try to implement for various classes.  There are also tips featured on the WKHS Counselor website.

- Stay Positive. Being confident and entering the test with a positive attitude will help you to achieve success. There are lots of strategies people use to help maintain a positive outlook –visualization (imaging yourself doing well on the test) and positive self-talk (we all talk to ourselves so instead of thinking that you are going to fail the test replace that self-talk with positive comments such as “I am prepared” or “this test will allow me to show how much I have learned”). Sometimes it is important to stay away from other people who tend to express their negative outlooks and opinions going into a test… those people who will just stress you out more with their panic about the test.

- Take care of yourself. I *know* that you hate hearing things like this (and yes, I acknowledge that at times this can be a hypocritical statement for me to make), but it is important to take care of yourself. Get plenty of sleep so that you are well rested and mentally alert for the test. Eat a healthy meal (breakfast/ lunch) because you don’t want to be sitting in class focusing on food or listening to your stomach growl and you also don’t want to be coming down off a sugar or caffeine high and be dragging the rest of the testing period. Allowing yourself time to exercise is also important as it is a physical release of stress and can reinvigorate you for studying as you prepare for the test.

- Be a “smart” test taker. Don’t panic! Read the directions carefully. Take a deep breath to relax. Answer the questions to the best of your ability and if you don’t know an answer, skip the question to return to it later and continue on to other questions that you are more confident in answering. Budget your time, but don’t rush to be the first finished – this is not a race. Stay focused. (Focus on answering the question – don’t allow yourself to get off track and worry about your grade or how others are doing – just continue to refocus on answering the next question.) If you start to become overwhelmed with anxiety during the test, take a few slow deep breaths, relax your muscles and remember that you are in control of dealing with these feelings so just take it one step at a time.

- After you are finished, give yourself a short break from thinking about the test, but also don’t forget to consider what worked well and what could have gone better and then make changes accordingly for the future. If you were able to manage your anxiety effectively then you can continue practicing these skills for future tests. If some of the strategies were not effective, then you can try to adjust and adopt new strategies to help manage the anxiety.

Remember, it is also important to keep the test in perspective. It is actually quite rare that a single test will make or break you. (And yes, this even includes the End of Course Exams/ SAT/ ACT tests because you can always repeat these tests again in the future.) Good luck on your exams!

Don't forget - tomorrow you have 1st, 4th, and 7th period exams.