Freshman year planning:

• Create a four-year high school plan.  Think about what you’d like to accomplish in the next four years.   Make sure you know which high school courses are required by colleges, and that you’re taking the right classes as early as the ninth grade. You can ask your counselor about what those “right” classes are.   Get to know the levels of courses offered by your school.

• Start thinking about your life after school, including the types of jobs that might interest you. Of course, these will change often but it’s good to start thinking about the possibilities.  Identify your interests, likes and dislikes, not just in classes but also in every area. This will help you focus on your goals.  Talk to other people, such as your school counselor, teachers, recent college graduates who are working, professionals in the community, etc., about careers you might find interesting.

• Meet with your high school counselor. Your counselor knows how to help you get the most out of high school. Be sure to take some time during registration to discuss post-high-school plans and what courses you need to take in your sophomore year.

• Participate in extracurricular activities. Academics aren’t everything. Explore your interest in a sport, school club, music or drama group, or community volunteer activity.  Remember that colleges would rather see real involvement in one activity instead of a loose connection to several.  

• If you’re interested in playing sports in college, research the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) eligibility requirements. The NCAA requires completion of certain core courses; you can find the specifics at ncaaclearinghouse.net.

• Save for college. It’s not too late to put money aside for college. Every little bit helps! Learning about financial aid early on can also help you down the road.

• Explore summer opportunities. Look for a job, internship, or volunteer position that will help you learn about a field of interest.

• Get familiar with the PSAT/Pre-ACT-related assessments and SAT/ACT . Most four-year colleges consider applicants’ scores on college admission test.​

9th grade frequently asked questions:

How do I get promoted from the 9th grade to the 10th grade? 

To be promoted from the 9th to the 10th grade, students must earn six (6) credits in any courses they take.

What is the difference between weighted and unweighted GPA? Which one does a college look at? What is class rank?

All classes count in high school – you will earn a credit for each class you take. Every final grade a student earns in a course is assigned a quality point based on the chart below. Your grade point average is a cumulative average of all of the quality points you have earned in high school.

Number Grade      Standard    Honors      AP

    90-100                       4              4.5             5

    80-89                         3              3.5             4

    70-79                          2              2.5            3

    60-69                         1               1.5            2

     0-59                          0               0               0

Weighted GPA takes into account weighted grades that are awarded in Honors and AP level courses. An unweighted GPA is calculated as if Honors and AP courses do not receive any extra quality points (all classes on a 0-4 scale). Most colleges will look at your weighted GPA first, and weighted GPA is used to determine class rank. Class rank compares your weighted GPA to that of everyone else’s in your graduating class. GPA and rank are re-calculated twice a year, near the beginning of fall semester and at the end of the school year. 

I took Spanish/Math I/French I in middle school. Does that count as a credit?

Yes. If you took a high school course for credit in 8th grade, it fulfills that graduation requirement and counts as one high school credit. However, those grades do not get calculated into high school GPA.

I thought world languages were required to graduate?

Students are not required to take two units of a world language to graduate from high school. However, most colleges and universities, including all UNC system schools, do require two units of a world language to be considered for admission, so we recommend that students who are interested in college take at least two world language credits.

What are the requirements to get into XXX college/university?

Any student who is given a NC high school diploma will have met the minimum course requirements for the UNC system public colleges. It is very important that as you begin to explore other schools, you pay attention to their admission requirements and plan accordingly throughout high school. All states have different requirements, as do many private universities.

What is Naviance? How to do I get in to it? How should I use it as a freshman?

Naviance (https://connection.naviance.com/family-connection/) is a career and college planning website that is available to all CMS students.  It allows to you research colleges and universities across the country, and also has some other great features like career searches and resume builders. All freshman should have access to Naviance, if you can’t access your account, email your counselor and they can help you out.

Some good things to look at during 9th grade are:

• Resume Builder (can be saved and added to throughout high school). Find it in the About Me tab

• Cluster Finder and Career Interest Profiler (to help search potential careers). Find them in the Careers tab.

• College Research (get an idea of what certain schools require for admission, so that you can plan ahead). Multiple tools for this can be found in the Colleges tab.

What do colleges look at besides grades?

Each college has their own admissions process, but many consider (in no particular order): strength of schedule, grades earned, GPA, class rank, extracurricular activities, community service, standardized test scores, letters of recommendation, and student essays.

Is the SAT or ACT more important?

All colleges or universities will accept either SAT or ACT scores. The tests are organized and formatted differently, and many students do better on one than they do on the other. We recommend taking each test at least once, determining which one you did better on, and re-taking that test at least one more time. You will take the Pre-Act and the Pre-SAT at school during your 10th grade year, and if you take those tests seriously, they can give you a good indication of what skills you need to brush up on and which test you may be strong at. All students in North Carolina are administered the ACT during March of their junior year for free at school. All other SAT or ACT tests need to be scheduled individually by the student.

When is a good time to come see my counselor?

If you stop by Student Services before school, during your lunch, or after school, your counselor will let you know what a good time is. Counselors have morning and lunch duties, so they might not always be in their office. You can also email them to schedule an appointment. If it is an emergency, you can come see your counselor at any time.

How do I join a club? Do I have to join a club?

There is not a club membership requirement for high school graduation. We encourage students to get involved in extracurricular activities like volunteering, joining a club, or playing a sport during high school because students who are involved in their school and local community tend to be more successful in high school! Here is the link to all our current club listings: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rvVKbVJEtuC2IDe0c9JDC-mQDt1ADEKONvTv5QP-CxA/edit?usp=sharing