College Planning

During their time at FTCHS, students will have the opportunity to use Naviance and work with their counselors to help navigate the postsecondary planning process.  Please continue reading below for information on Testing, and Helpful Resources related to your future planning process.

Helpful Resources

Step Up to College is Philadelphia's Guide to the College Preparation, Application, Admission & Financial Aid Processes. Please visit Heights Step Up To College website to download a copy of the College Guide. This guide includes information on preparing, searching, applying and paying for college. It also contains a variety of checklists, tips and additional helpful resources.

Virtual College Tours- Visiting colleges and universities is an important part of the post-secondary planning process. With our busy lives, sometimes getting on to a particular campus is difficult, or not possible due to travel limitations and distance. Students and parents who want to learn more about a college/university can get started with a virtual college tour. YouVisit.com has compiled tours of many colleges and universities. Follow this link to get started.

At the bottom of this page, there are a variety of downloadable and printable resources that will help in the Future Planning process. Please reach out to Ms. Kaisinger if you have any questions, and continue below for information related to testing.

What Does Test Optional Mean? How Is It Different From Other Test Policies? - The vast majority of the colleges popular with our students are test optional.

First things first, what does it mean to be test optional? If a school is test optional, that means you get to decide if you want to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you submit them, they'll be reviewed as part of your application, but if you don't, you won't be at any disadvantage compared to applicants who did submit test scores.

How is that possible? If you don't submit test scores, test optional schools will simply make each of your other application components (such as GPA, class rank, extracurriculars, etc.) more important to make up for the lack of test scores. For example, a person who submits test scores to a school would have their application evaluated in say, six categories, and one who didn't would have their application evaluated in five categories, each worth a bit more than the six categories of the first student.

SAT/ACT Testing  - that being said, applying to a competitive college or selective major, may make testing required or beneficial.

Student's can register for an SAT at : https://www.collegeboard.org/

Student's can register for an ACT at: https://www.act.org/content/act/en.html

Upcoming SAT Dates & Deadlines


Upcoming ACT Dates & Deadlines