How Class Rank is Calculated

1) Every semester 6 classes, and 6 classes only, will be counted towards your class rank. Therefore, the max number of rank points you can obtain in a semester is 30.

2) In Honors: A=5, B=4, C=3, etc. In Regular: A=4, B=3, etc.

3) IMPORTANT: The order in which classes are counted for rank points: Honors Core, Regular Core, Honors Elective, Regular Elective
[[Therefore, if you are taking a regular science class and an honors music class zero hour, your regular science class will be counted (4 rank points) before your honors music class (5 rank points)]]

4) IMPORTANT: Students who have taken high school math classes, and gotten an A, before entering high school (H. Geometry or H. Algebra 3-4) will have those classes as "extra credit" on their record.
[[Therefore, if they take less than 6 honors core classes, or get less than an A, their previous math credit (5 rank points) will be used for rank calculations, instead of whatever class they took during the year.]]
**This only applies to students who went to a middle school in the Kyrene or Tempe district

EX1: A freshman takes 5 honors core classes and Concert Band. They also took Geometry in middle school and got an A. At the end of the 1st semester, they have gotten all A's.
To calculate their rank, their 5 honors core classes will be used first (25 rank points total) and then one semester of their Geometry credit will be used in place of Concert Band (5 rank points). That way, though they have not taken all honors classes, their rank is still 30 out of 30!

EX2: A freshman takes 5 honors core classes and AP Music Theory. They also took Geometry in middle school and got an A. At the end of the 1st semester, they have gotten all A's.
To calculate their rank, their 5 honors core classes will be used first (25 rank points total). But because AP Music Theory is an elective, their Geometry credit (5 rank points) will be counted in place of AP Music Theory, even though it is an honors class!

......I personally never really understood how the class rank system worked until going in to talk to a counselor, so hopefully, if anyone else was confused, this should clear it up! =] If you have any additional or specific questions, please post a comment and I'll try to answer it for you!

-Audrey

General Scheduling Advice

As the scheduling season rolls around, here are some general tips to consider when selecting your classes for next year:

1. Summer school is a great way of getting credits out of the way that interest you less (e.g. physical education, health, and computer application); thus, take the classes you don't care for over the summer, not the ones which you are passionate about.

2. Be sure to take into account your projected level of involvement in extracurricular activities (everything outside of school) next year. At the same time, however, don’t take an overly easy schedule simply out of a fear that you will be overly committed next year; the key is to strike a balance.

3. Don’t drop a class simply because you have heard that a particular teacher is difficult; be willing to try the class out for yourself, confidently and open-mindedly.

Above all, make sure that you have a parent signature on the form by the deadline. Failing to do so may force you to take classes that you don't want to take.

-Kunal

College Photos Update

Photos of USC (University of Southern California) and Boston University were added to the dvsageclub photobucket album today. Click on the following links to see the new photos:

USC Photos
http://s260.photobucket.com/albums/ii34/dvsageclub/USC/?albumview=grid

Boston University Photos
http://s260.photobucket.com/albums/ii34/dvsageclub/Boston%20University/?albumview=grid

A Sampling of Summer Programs

Believe it or not, NOW is the time to start researching and applying to summer programs, especially the more competitive ones. The following is a sampling of some programs, broken down by category. If anything, check out the link at the very bottom of the post; it is extremely helpful.

Competitive Academic Programs
Duke TIP Summer Studies Program
http://www.tip.duke.edu/summer_programs/

Harvard SSP (Secondary School Program)
http://www.summer.harvard.edu/2008/programs/ssp/

EPGY (Education Program for Gifted Youth) at Stanford
http://epgy.stanford.edu/summer/index.html

Programs in Arizona
Curry Summer Music Camp at NAU
https://www4.nau.edu/finearts/musiccamp/campinfo.asp

YAWP (Young Adult Writing Program) at ASU
http://www.asu.edu/clas/english/yawp/news.html

Summer of Excellence at the U of A
http://www.soe.honors.arizona.edu/

Summer Internship Program: High School Biotechnology at ASU
http://www.biodesign.asu.edu/outreach/internship/

Biology/Medicine Programs
National Institute of Health Summer Internship in Biomedical Research
http://www.training.nih.gov/student/sip/index.asp
*Participants receive a stipend

Bio@TECH: Biology at Georgia Tech University
http://www.biology.gatech.edu/biotech.php

Links to Lists of Other Programs
http://www.ams.org/employment/mathcamps.html
A long list of math camps around the country

http://www.cogito.org/Programs/programslist.aspx?summerprograms
One of the best resources available for finding summer programs

Update on "theU" Videos

The post entitled "Informational Videos about Your Favorite Universities" has been recently updated (on 1/21/08). Revisit it to see a link to a complete list of colleges and universities for which these videos have been made. In addition, a description of these videos by the Princeton Review has been added to the post.

How to Use This Blog Effectively

Here are some tips to make the most of your experience at this blog:

1. Check out the links on the right (under the heading "Information by Topic") to view only the posts that contain information germane to a certain topic. This way you can find the information you are looking for more quickly and effectively.

2. Comment! Ask questions, add any relevant information you may have, or simply let us know what you think of our posts. In this way, we will be able to tailor our posts more effectively to your needs. The more everyone contributes to the blog, the more everyone will gain.

3. Be sure to check the blog at least once a week for updates; we will be posting continually.

As usual, if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, feel free to send them to us at dvsageclub.com@gmail.com.

CSS Profile

The CSS Profile is an application that is similar to the FAFSA that is produced by the College Board. The major differences:

1. FAFSA is free. The CSS Profile is not.
2. The CSS Profile is more detailed, which is why some colleges request it.
3. The FAFSA must be filled out after January 1st, while the CSS Profile can be submitted before then. (This point, however, is presently irrelevant.

You can complete the CSS Profile online at https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/index.jsp.