MPS District-Wide ACT at SWHS

Each year MPS offers one official, free ACT with Writing test to all 11th graders. This year the ACT with Writing for the Class of 2025 (current 11th graders) will take place at Southwest during the regularly scheduled school day on Thursday, April 18, 2024. 

Answers to some frequently asked questions:

• Registration not required. All MPS 11th graders are automatically "registered" for this administration of the ACT.

• This will be an online ACT test, but must be taken at school.

• No regularly-scheduled classes will take place on ACT day (April 18).

ACT Test Prep

• Southwest High School and Breakaway Test Prep, Minnesota’s premier test prep and tutoring organization, are pleased to host three, six-week ACT prep classes. These classes will provide an excellent introduction to the ACT and cover the four multiple choice sections of the test – English, math, reading and science. For full information about this test prep resource, please view details here.

• For additional information about other test prep options, please refer to this document.

Additional Information

Please review this ACT Frequently Asked Questions document.

First think back and try to remember if you were in class the week before that ACT that took place here at school when counselors visited English classes and walked everyone through setting up their online MyACT account.

• If you were there, you just need to sign in to your online ACT account to access your score. If you forgot your password or user name, you can click that button when trying to login on ACT's website and do a reset.

• If you weren’t there in class when counselors walked you through the online account set up, you need to contact ACT to get your ACT ID. Their phone number is 319-337-1270 or you can submit this contact form and wait for them to get back to you.

Once you know your ACT ID, you’ll follow the directions below:

• Go to act.org

• Click on MyACT Sign In (upper righthand corner of the screen)

• Click on Create MyACT account

• Click on I registered or tested before

• Click on I have never accessed my scores online

• Then proceed to enter in your information on the next screen and you should be able to set up your online ACT account in a way that it will properly link to the test you already took here at school so that you can access that score.

If you need any help with this, stop into the CCC and one of our CCC Coordinators can walk you through it.

We have a lot of information related to college and financial aid planning here. Please refer to the links below. Please also refer to the wealth of postsecondary planning information on the SWHS Career and College Center's (CCC's) website.

College Admissions Rep Visits (for students)

College Admissions Rep Visits (for College Admissions Reps)
College Application Tips

College Campus Visits

College Matriculation

The above financial aid link will take you to our CCC's website. You may also view financial aid information on the Counseling Department's 12th grade student page. Please be sure to click on the separate links under the Financial Aid dropdown options for more specific information about FAFSA, MN Dream Act, the CSS Profile, Scholarships, and Additional Financial Aid Forms

The above Non-College Postsecondary Options link will take you to our CCC's website. Please be sure to click on the separate links under the Paths After SWHS dropdown options for more specific information about Apprenticeships, Gap Year programs, Short-Term/Certificate Programs, Employment/Workforce options, and the Military.

Credit Recovery (or Credit Make Up)

When a student fails a course (earns an F letter grade or an NC/No Credit), they do not earn any credit for that course. There are certain courses (or credits) that are required for graduation. If a student fails to earn credit in one of these required courses, the student will need to make up that credit through one of the credit recovery options below:

• ALC (an online, after-school credit recovery program available during the school year)

• Summer School (an in-person school program that takes place over the summer months) 

• Winter or Spring Break Academies (typically in-person programs that may happen over Winter or Spring Breaks, may not be offered every school year)

Students (or parents) must submit this credit recovery registration form.

If you have further questions: 

• To determine if you need credit recovery: contact your School Counselor or IEP Case Manager (if you have an IEP your Case Manager works with your School Counselor and IEP team to determine graduation needs).

• To get help with the online credit recovery program, or to ask questions about how credit recovery works: contact the teacher of your credit recovery course.

  1. US History, Government, Geography: Mr. Linne

  2. World History, Economics: Ms. Jevne-See

  3. Science: Ms. Swanson

  4. English: Ms. Mohamud

  5. Math: Ms. Polanski

  6. Health, PE: Mr. Vang

All MPS students must complete the requirements outlined below to graduate and earn a diploma from MPS.

• MLP consists of multiple activities each year focused on preparing students for career and college readiness and for life after high school. Students must complete these activities to fulfill the MLP graduation requirement.

• For additional information, see MPS District Counseling's MLP website.

Credit Requirements

Earn a minimum of 21.5 credits and complete all required coursework.

• Refer to this document to see credit graduation requirements for the Class of 2023 and the Class of 2024.

• Refer to this document to see credit graduation requirements for the Class of 2025 and beyond.

It's also important to note that minimum high school graduation requirements (outlined in the document above) are not always the same as minimum postsecondary/college admissions requirements. Please refer to this document for further information on potential differences.

Southwest Mental Health Team

Mental Health Team website

• 3 School Counselors

• 4 School Social Workers

• 1 School Psychologist

• 1 School Nurse

• 1 District-partnering Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counselor (LADC)

At Southwest we are lucky to partner with our School Based Clinic to offer mental health support via therapy for our students. This partnering organization is comprised of independent therapist(s) and all work is bound by standard confidentiality as in any professional therapeutic setting. 

• School Based Clinic

If a child is in immediate danger of harming themself or others, call 911.

Mental Health Call Lines

• Hennepin County Child Crisis:  612-348-2233, trained mental health providers available by phone 24/7

• Hennepin County Adult Crisis: 612-596-1223, trained mental health providers available by phone 24/7

• The Bridge for Youth crisis text line:  Text “Help” 612-400-SAFE   24/7

• Crisis Text Line:   Text “MN” or “HOME” to 741741

• Hennepin County Medical Center (24/7 crisis intervention)

  • Suicidal: 612-873-2222

  • Consult: 612-873-3161

• COVID-19 Community Economic Relief Fund; 888-211-9966

• Caring Corner

• First Call for Help: 211 or 651-291-0211 (24/7 support in finding resources in your area)

• Shelter Hotline: 888-234-1329

• Youth Shelters and Services:

  • The Bridge for Youth: 612-377-8800

  • YouthLink: 612-252-1200

• Family Shelters:

• Hennepin County Shelter Team: 612-348-9410

• After-Hours Shelter Team: 651-291-0211

• Catholic Charities Opportunity Center: 612-204-8300, 740 E 17th St

  • Hours: Monday- Saturday: showers/laundry (8:00–10:30 am; get ticket for shower between 7-8 am); breakfast (7:00–8:00 am); lunch (11:30 am–12:30 pm)

• Sharing & Caring Hands: 612-338-4640, 525 N 7th St

  • Meals: Mon-Thurs 10:00 am, 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm; Sat–Sun 9:30 am and 11:00 am

  • Showers: Mon-Thurs 10:30–11:30 am and 1:30-2:30 pm

  • Dinner: Monday–Friday 5:30-6:30 pm

• Loaves & Fishes: 612-871-2981, 2123 Clinton Ave S

• House of Charity: 612-594-2000

• MN Domestic Violence Hotline: 612-348-3552

• Hennepin County Child Abuse Hotline (If a child is in immediate danger, call 911): 612-348-3552

Some students may choose to seek therapy/counseling services other than one of Southwest's two partner groups. Another resource option is this Google spreadsheet which provides access to the MN Mental Health Providers of Color Database. Note that this database is not owned, maintained, or updated by MPS or Southwest High School. 

• Access list here

What is Xello?

• Create a post-secondary plan

• Create an electronic portfolio

• Take inventories to increase self-awareness

• Research career opportunities

• Research college options

• Search our scholarship listings

• Review scheduled college representative visits

• Review GPA and test information

• Communicate with counselors

• Plan their coursework for their remaining years at SW

• And much more!

• Assist students with all of the above

• Easily track transcript requests

• Mass communicate with students through their MPS email accounts

• Mass communicate with families

• Relay information in a timely, efficient manner

• And much more!

How Do I Access Xello?

To access Xello go to the SWHS homepage – Students – Clever Login – Then select XELLO. Once you have logged into Xello  

Contact Ms. Hauschild in the CCC for help getting set up with and logged into your Xello account that links with your child(ren)'s Xello account(s). More information to come soon!

Welcome to Southwest!

We cordially invite you to take a virtual tour of Southwest and to refer to our Frequently Asked Questions document.

Further, get involved! The SWHS Athletics webpage has all the information you need to join a sport at Southwest. Please also visit the Activities webpage to learn about clubs and other activities.

We would love for you to come visit our school and check out all the wonderful things that students and staff are doing. Prospective families can schedule a tour of Southwest by filling out the following Google form. We look forward to meeting you!

The deadline to request elective schedule changes for semester 1 has passed. No more elective schedule changes may be requested at this time. Students considering a level change in a core class (leveling up or down) should reach out to their counselor.

Southwest Scheduling Process

Once students submit final course registration information in the spring, those requests are the primary source used for the upcoming academic year's budget, staffing, and are used to create the school's building course schedule. Thus, altering student schedules after the registration process is complete is challenging and limited.

Students who wish to change a class will have the opportunity to submit a formal schedule change request during the first week of the year and again at the start of second semester. Students must follow the Southwest schedule change request process and, by submitting a scheduling request, students agree to the student scheduling expectations and agreements that are outlined below. Schedule change requests may be submitted via a Google form only and may not be requested in person or via email or phone. That Google form will be linked on this website once the schedule change request window is open.

Student Scheduling Expectations & Agreements

• Students must follow the process and use the Google Form.

• Students are expected to always follow the official schedule in their Student Portal and attend all classes as such. Submitting a schedule change request does not mean the change will be possible to make, and therefore students are not to begin attending their new, preferred class unless they see a change to their schedule in Portal. Students cannot attend a class that is not on their schedule in Student Portal.

• Students should check Student Portal at least daily for any schedule change updates during the schedule change window.

• Agree/understand that release periods are available to seniors only, and seniors are only permitted one release period. Any request for a release period from a student in 9th-11th grade, or from a senior who already has a release period, will not be considered.

  • Release periods are only available during 1st or 6th period and students are expected to be out of the building during their release period.

• Agree/understand by submitting a schedule change request it may rearrange other course periods, lunch, and/or change teachers.

• Agree/understand all processed schedule changes are FINAL.

• Agree/understand that teacher and/or lunch and/or class period preference requests will not be processed.

• Understand schedule changes may impact graduation requirements and/or college admission opportunities. Reach out to your school counselor with any questions.

• Schedule change requests for students in any of the following programs may be delayed as these requests must first be reviewed and approved by the program coordinator or the student's case manager: IB Diploma candidates, IB Career-related Program candidates, AVID students, and students with IEPs.

• Seniors: if you have provided senior year course information on college applications and/or sent transcripts to colleges, it is the student's responsibility to communicate to all colleges any changes in class schedule.

• Not every student will receive the schedule change(s) requested due to various reasons, including but not limited to class size, class openings, prerequisites, conflicts in schedule, teacher preference request, lunch preference request, etc. Students also are not able to join a year-long class at the start of 2nd semester.

  • If your schedule was not changed, it was due to one of the reasons listed above. Continue to follow your schedule in Portal.

Standardized Testing for College Admissions

The purpose of standardized tests such as the ACT and SAT is to assess students' general educational development and preparedness for college-level coursework. Because these are national tests, colleges are able to compare scores from students around the country. These comparisons give colleges a better idea of what an applicant's grade point average (GPA) means in comparison to how their peers are doing locally and nationally.

Southwest's school code number to use when registering for testing is 241680.

Most 4-year colleges and universities required students to take and submit scores from one of the standardized tests (ACT or SAT). Some 4-year colleges and universities also recommended that students take one or more of the SAT II subject tests. There are always exceptions, however, so we encourage you to research the standardized testing admission requirements for the colleges you are interested in.

For the graduating class of 2021, almost all colleges and universities adopted a test optional admissions policy due to the interruptions to testing as a result of the pandemic. Some of those colleges have announced a permanent change and will remain test optional, while others have only committed to a temporary test optional admissions process. For the graduating class of 2022, many colleges and universities are continuing with a test optional admissions practices, but we again encourage you to research the standardized testing admission requirements for the colleges you are interested in.

Fairtest.org provides a list of schools that do not require standardized test scores for admission (i.e. Test Optional or Test Flexible schools). (Hover over the College Admissions tab and click on Optional List.)

No college or university prefers one test over the other (i.e. the ACT or the SAT), as either test is equally acceptable at every college and university in the country.

Typically, 2-year community and technical colleges do not require these assessments as part of their admission criteria, but they may administer a placement test (e.g. the Accuplacer) to determine appropriate class placement.