College Readiness: Knowledge Check

What are some positive steps you could take on preparing for college as an 8th grader?

• none of the answer choices are correct

• attend school once a month for guaranteed success

• do absolutely nothing and wait for Harvard to give you a full scholarship

• visit a local college campus, contact a university for materials, get involved in extracurricular activities

What are the three areas that colleges use to determine if a high school student should be accepted or not?

• attendance, behavior, middle school grades

• high school grade point average, ACT score, extra-curricular activities

• how many backflips you can do

• GED test score, background check, employment history

What is a college major?

• none of these answer choices are correct

• the courses that your high school counselor chooses for you

• the amount of credits that you need to graduate with a degree

• a group of courses required by a college in order to earn a degree

What is the correct definition for a "likely" school?

• a target school is a university that a student meets most of the admissions requirements (ex. Arizona)

• schools that actually make students physically reach to receive their acceptance letter (ex. Duke)

• a college or university that has over a 75% acceptance rate (ex. Western Illinois University)

• a likely school is impossible to gain entrance to. Not a single person has ever been accepted.

What is the correct definition for a "target" school?

• none of the answer choices are target schools are literally impossible to be accepted to, literally, no one goes there

• a target school is a university with extremely high admissions standards (ex. Princeton)

• a target school is a university that a student meets most of the admissions requirements and has a 50-75% acceptance rate (ex. Ohio State)

• none of the answer choices are correct

What is the correct definition of a "reach" school?

• a college or university that has over a 75% acceptance rate (ex. Western Illinois University)

• reach schools are the easiest schools in America to enter (ex. Stanford)

• schools that actually make students physically reach to receive their acceptance letter (ex. Duke)

• a reach school is university that accepts a very small number of students (ex. Havard)

What is the difference between a scholarship and a student loan?

• both require a student to pay them back in full with no exceptions

• a scholarship is a donated financial award from an organization, a loan must be paid back

• a scholarship must be paid back in full to the United States government, a loan is free

• none of these answer choices are correct

What can all Rockford students now earn by graduating from high school with a 3.0 cumulative grade point average?

• placement in a leadership program at Rock Valley College

• a tuition-free scholarship to Northern Illinois University

• a high school diploma

• an opportunity to attend trade school

What is the difference between a scholarship and a student loan?

• a scholarship is a donated financial award from an organization, a loan must be paid back

• a scholarship must be paid back in full to the United States government, a loan is free

• both require a student to pay them back in full with no exceptions

• none of these answer choices are correct

Which of the following statements IS NOT TRUE about college scholarships?

• Most scholarships are designed to help students from families who cannot afford college.

• Scholarships are available to students of every race, religion, and gender.

• Only wealthy students with a 4.0-grade point average are able to earn scholarships.

• Through self-discipline, focus, and confidence, I can earn a college scholarship.