1st Quarter
- Seniors see counselors individually in the month of September
- Seniors begin college application process
Welcome to senior year! This will be a very busy year for your son and hopefully a happy, productive one. Along with school, activities, work and senior project, he will also be going through the college application process.
Ideally at this point your son has completed phase one of the process - identifying and researching schools that meet his interests and needs. With this done, he should be able to identify the colleges he plans to apply to - usually 4-5 schools. Getting applications, completing them on time, visiting schools and continuing research are the main activities of the first semester.
First Semester Appointment
During September your son needs to make an appointment to see his counselor. During this meeting we will discuss the progress your son is making-schools he wishes to apply to, standardized testing (SAT, ACT, SAT II), the schools he has visited or plans to visit, and how to go through the application procedure. This initial meeting is mandatory for all seniors. Any further meetings must be initiated by the student.
College Applications and The Whole Process
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do I get applications?
Most colleges mail applications to students who are on their mailing list. The application is usually found in the viewbook. If you have not received an application by the end of September, call the college to request one. You will get the application quicker if you call rather than write.
What do I do when I receive an application?
First, look at it to find the application deadline. These deadlines should be put on a calendar to allow you to complete them in time.
Second, look at the application to see what supporting materials are necessary. Do you need to write an essay? If the college wants one, there is usually a separate form but a few schools include the question in the body of the application. Compare the essay questions from all the applications to determine if you can write one essay that will answer several questions. Be sure you show rough drafts of all essays to your counselor before writing the final draft. Third, determine if you need recommendations? If recommendations are required there will be separate forms for the counselor recommendation and in some cases teacher recommendations. Be sure you discuss with your counselor which teachers you are thinking of asking to write your recommendation.
What do I do with counselor and teacher recommendation forms?
All recommendation forms are turned into Mrs. Berger with your application. She will then give the recommendation form to the teacher and counselor. When the teacher has written the recommendation they will give it to the counselor to be mailed with the application.
Should I print or type the application?
Printing neatly is perfectly acceptable. It is difficult to get many applications in a typewriter. All essays should be typed.
What do I do when I have completed my section of the application?
The application is turned into Mrs. Berger in the Counseling Center. Be sure the application fee is stapled to the application form. The first application does not have a processing fee. There is a $3 processing fee for the next seven applications after the first one. This fee is paid when applications are turned in. All subsequent applications after the eighth one, have a $10.00 processing fee. Turn in all recommendation forms with the completed application. Make sure you have signed the application.
How far in advance of the deadline should I turn the application in?
All applications must be turned in 15 school days prior to the deadline. This is the minimum amount of time teachers and counselors must have to write their recommendation. The counselor will mail the application when it is complete. Applications turned in to the Guidance and Counseling Office with less than fifteen (15) schools days before the due date have a $20.00 processing fee.
How will I know when the application was mailed?
When you turn the application into the office, you will complete a Transcript Request Form. When the application is mailed the date will be noted on the form as well as all materials that were mailed. The application will include a post card which the college will mail to the school noting the date the application was received. A copy of the Transcript Request Form will then be sent to the student in his homeroom. Please keep this copy as your receipt of what was mailed and when it was mailed.
What is the Common Application?
A group of 205 schools have agreed to accept the same application. A list of the schools that accept the form is in your College Planning Handbook. If you are applying to 3 or more schools that accept the Common Application, we strongly encourage you to use this form. You can pick one up in the Counseling Center or borrow an IBM or Macintosh diskette to use on your computer. After completing the application make enough copies for all the schools you are applying to. Turn in a copy for each college you are applying to, plus teacher and counselor recommendation forms.
Should I use electronic application services if they are available?
If you would like to apply electronically, please feel free to. Some colleges and universities will waive the application fee if you apply electronically. Please understand that you if you apply electronically, you will still need to come to the counseling office and complete a transcript request form. While applying electronically may be easier for you, it does not allow us to send all of the supporting documentation--transcript, recommendations, school profile, post card. The college will have an incomplete application until this is sent. Rembember, this requires follow-up on your part!
What do I do with scholarship applications?
Follow the same procedure as admissions applications.
Timetable
Timing is the most critical factor in this whole process. If students will follow all deadlines at each individual school, the whole process should go smoothly. The students who have the most difficulty with the application process are those that do not meet deadlines or are not aware of them.
College Representatives
Each fall approximately 120 colleges send representatives to the high school to talk with students. These are excellent opportunities for seniors to ask questions about information they have not been able to get from the literature or just to pick up an application or other information. We would strongly advise seniors to meet with admissions representatives from each school they plan to apply to. In most cases, this representative is the one who will read his admissions folder and decide whether he should be admitted or not! On days when there is an Activity Period the meetings are scheduled during this time. When there is no Activity Period, they are scheduled during class time.
A schedule of the college visits is published in the Prep News each week.
Many colleges also hold evening or weekend meetings at a local hotel or other meeting place. These sessions are excellent opportunities for parents and students to get information. They are usually more extensive and informative than the high school visit. If your son is on the college's mailing list, you will receive notification of these meetings.
Hints to Senior Parents
- Be optimistic. Be excited. Suppress your own anxieties about college admissions and help relieve the emotional and psychological pressures on your son.
- Create a calm, happy, pressure-free home atmosphere as much as possible.
- Learn as much about the colleges by reading their view books and catalogues. Trade personal reactions with your child.
- Learn about the application process yourself. Remember the high school college guidance counselor will assist your child, but it is up to you to support your child and continue giving safe parental advice.
- Help your child to fill out the endless forms and applications for various entrance tests and college applications by providing your child with data he might not have at hand.
- Discuss what each college is looking for with your child.
- Help your child focus on his strengths and weaknesses.
- Assist your child in creating a total package which accurately reflects who he or she really is.
- Talk about the essay question. Encourage your child to choose a topic that best reflects the real person. Explain the importance of the essay as his only opportunity to tell the admissions committee what they should know about him.
- Let your child make the final choice of colleges. He will be attending one of those colleges for the next four years, not us. We only have to pay for it!
First Quarter Checklist for Seniors
- Schedule a conference with your counselor if not already done so to discuss final college plans.
- Obtain admissions applications - noting application deadlines. Review applications as soon as you receive them noting essay questions and recommendations needed.
- Visit with college representatives who come to school or attend evening meetings.
If you have questions at any time, please call us.
