Foster HS College, Career, and Military
What is College, Career, and Military Readiness (CCMR)?
College Ready
A student who is college ready is prepared for any postsecondary goal without the need for college remediation. The student meets the minimum Texas Success Initiative scores through the SAT, ACT, or TSIA2, please see the scores that are required listed to the right to be exempt from remediation or developmental courses.
College remediation is when a student will need to enroll in additional developmental courses (English and Math) at a 2 or 4-year institution to prepare a student to complete standard college-level courses. These courses will not count towards the student's degree plan and must be taken prior to enrolling in standard college-level courses.
Career Ready
The student has completed or is working towards an industry certificate and has also met the TSIA2 benchmark through the SAT, ACT, or TSIA2.
Military Ready
The student has successfully completed the ASVAB exam and met the required score for a specific branch of the military. The student has completed and submitted enlistment documentation to the recruiter and high school.
College and Career Ready Testing Scores
Test | English Language Arts & Reading (ELAR) | Math |
SAT | 480+ | 530+ |
ACT | Prior to Feb 2023: Composite Score: 23 English Score: 19+ After Feb 2023: Combined English & Writing Score: 40 | Prior to Feb 2023: Composite Score: 23 Math Score: 19+ After Feb 2023: 22 |
TSIA2 | MC: 945 and Essay 5 OR MC: 910-944, Diag Level: 5-6, Essay 5-8 | MC: 950 OR MC 910-949, Diag Level: 6 |
Student Conference Policy
This year, all conferences will be by appointment only using Microsoft Bookings. Students have two options for conferences: during an off-period or during advisory. Students MUST have their teacher's permission to attend a conference during advisory before they attend the conference. If students attend the conference without their teacher's permission and the student is marked absent, it will be between the teacher and the student to reverse the absence.
Students will receive a confirmation email or text message (if they chose to opt-in for text message reminders) once they book the conference, students will need to use this confirmation email as a pass to the conference.
Students: Please be sure to save or make sure the email is easily accessible on the day of your conference. Appointment times can be changed or canceled with the confirmation email as well.
Book a Conference
Ask Your Question Here
College Planning Timeline
- Make a Four-Year Plan
- Focus on Getting Good Grades
- Get Involved
- Meet With Your School Counselor
- Take the PSAT 8/9 or PSAT/10
- Take the ASVAB to Explore Career Interests
- Start Thinking About Financial Aid
- Track Your Accomplishments
- Learn About Colleges Put Thought into Your Summer Work
- Chat With College Students Home for the Summer
9th & 10th Grade
11th Grade
- Meet With your School Counselor
- Take the ASVAB To Explore Career Interests
- Take the PSAT In October
- Start Reviewing Colleges
- Start Thinking About Financial Aid
- Take Part in Extracurricular Activities
- Start Visiting Local Colleges
- Take the ACT & SAT Test
- Explore Scholarship Opportunities
- Set Up Your Senior Class Schedule
- Reach Out to Recommendation Writers
- Put Thought into Your Summer Work
- Start Working on College Applications in July
12th Grade
- Continue Making Campus Visits
- Mark Your Calendar to Keep Track of Deadlines
- Meet With Your School Counselor & College and Career Facilitator
- Make a Final List of Your Top Colleges
- Consider Applying Early
- Complete Your College Essays
- Take The ACT/SAT
- Speak to Your Recommenders in Person
- Finish and Submit All of Your College Applications
- Apply for FAFSA or TASFA
- Pay Attention to University Scholarship Deadlines
- Submit Midyear Grade Reports (if needed)
- Evaluate Early Decision or Early Action Responses
- Check For Admission Decisions in the Mail & Online
- Compare the Different Financial Aid Packages
- Complete Housing Application
- Visit to Your Final College Before Accepting
- May 1st Is College Decision Day
- Request Final Transcripts in Schoollinks
- Say Thank You to Parents, Counselors, and Teachers
Submit Your Application
There are usually two or three options when it comes to submitting your application. You can:
- Apply directly to the school on their website
- Use ApplyTexas
- Use Common Application (Common App)
ApplyTexas and Common App allow the student to fill out their personal data only once and then fill out school-specific information.
ApplyTexas
Apply Texas is used for Texas public and private colleges and universities. The account is free to make and streamlines the application process to make it easier for students applying to multiple colleges and/or universities.
Common Application
Common Application (or Common App) is used for a wide range of public and private colleges and universities. The account is free to make and streamlines the application process to make it easier for students applying to multiple colleges and/or universities.
Requesting Your Transcript
Dual Credit Transcript Request
Lone Star College Systems
Lone Star College utilizes the National Student Clearinghouse, to process all official transcript requests. Official transcripts can be sent electronically through a secure means. PDF orders sent to students are unofficial. PDF's must be sent directly to the receiving party to be considered official.
Testing Information
SAT Test
College Board
The SAT is a standardized test that measures a student's skills in three core areas: Critical Reading, Math, and Writing. The purpose of the SAT is to measure a high school student's readiness for college, and provide colleges with one common data point that can be used to compare all applicants.
ACT Test
ACT Inc
The ACT contains four multiple-choice tests—English, mathematics, reading, and science—and an optional writing test. These tests are designed to measure skills that are most important for success in postsecondary education and that are acquired in secondary education.
TSIA2 Test
Acuplacer/College Board
The Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0 (TSIA2) is a series of placement tests for students enrolling in public colleges and universities in Texas. The tests help Texas schools determine whether you're ready for college-level courses in the areas of reading, writing, and math.
College Essays
There are many pieces that make up a college application, and the essay is one of those. A college essay is a chance to tell your story in ways that your application or test scores cannot. An effective college essay will help the person reading it get to know you more personally.
Every student's essay will be original and that is the point! Your essay should be unique to you.
Resources
Letters of Recommedation
How to: Request Letters of Recommendation
The request for letters of recommendation can be found in SchooLinks in the College Application Manager (see the following pages). You will have to add the application of the school you are applying to and then you will see the letter of recommendation requests section in the middle.
- Please make sure that you talk with the people whom you are requesting the recommendation(s) from before you request it, it is the kind and courteous thing to do, but it also lets them know to expect it! You need to give each recommender 10-15 school days (or 2-3 weeks) to complete the recommendation; meaning you need to ask them at least a month in advance!
- When you submit your request, send each person a follow-up email to let them know you submitted the request and attach a “student information sheet” highlighting your accomplishments.
- If you are requesting for your counselor to complete a letter of recommendation for you, you will need to submit them a “student information sheet” as well. Please send it to them via email. The counselor’s alpha-split is listed below.
Student Resume
Lekia Holden
R & 504
Djuna Pickens
Andrea White
Angela Criswell
College Visit Policy
- Pick up the College Visit Form (a minimum of 2 days in advance).
- Obtain all required signatures from the College and Career Facilitator, teachers, a principal, and parent.
- After your college visit, you MUST bring back an official letter from the college you were attending (on college letterhead) as proof of visit.
- This documentation MUST be turned in to the attendance office no later than 2 school days after your college visit. ONLY with this documentation will your college visit day be excused.
- Only when the form is turned in will your absence be excused. These documents MUST be turned in no later than 2 school days after your college visit!
Download a Form
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will open for completion in December (specific date is unknown at this time) for seniors planning to attend college/university/technical school in the Fall of 2025.
Please note if your student plans to attend college in the Fall of 2024 for the first time and you have already completed a FAFSA, you likely completed the FAFSA for the wrong school year. Please do not stress as this does not have a negative effect on your student. However, you will need to go in and complete the correct FAFSA for the correct school year.
You can get a head start on working on some things before the application opens:
- Gather the following items:
- Your Social Security Number
- Your Alien Registration Number (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
- Your federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.)
- Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
- Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
- An FSA ID to sign electronically.
- Create an FSA ID Here: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch
- Parents should create their own FSA ID using their own email/phone number and social security number
- Students should create their own FSA ID using their own email/phone number and social security number.
- Please be sure to keep this information in a safe place, as it will be used to complete the FAFSA for each school year the student plans to attend college/university/technical school.
FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid
Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA)
The TASFA (Texas Application for State Financial Aid) opens on October 1st each year for students to apply for financial aid for the following school year. Class of 2024 seniors will have updated information when it is available.
TASFA is Texas state financial aid for students who are not US Citizens or Permanent Residents. If you qualify for FAFSA then you do not qualify for TASFA. If you do not qualify for FAFSA then you qualify for TASFA.
TASFA is a PDF application that the student will fill out on the computer, print, sign, and mail to the college’s financial aid office or drive to the college’s financial aid office. The TASFA application does not go to any government agency, it only goes to the college’s financial aid office.
Step 1: Download the English or Spanish version of the 2023-2024 TASFA application available on Oct 1.
Step 2: Read all instruction pages before you begin the TASFA.
Step 3: Fill out the TASFA application on the computer. Save the completed form before you print. Print the completed form.
Step 4: If the parent(s) file US taxes, the parent will need to request a copy of the 2021 IRS tax transcript. Request a tax transcript: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript. If the parent does not file US taxes, skip steps 4 & 5.
Step 5: If receiving the tax transcript through the mail, make a couple of copies.
Step 6: Mail or drive the TASFA application and the tax transcript to the financial aid office of the colleges to which the student has applied. It is best practice to send all documents to the college’s financial aid office after the student has submitted the admissions application.