COLLEGE APPLICATION PRESENTATION

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SENIOR REMINDERS

• Check the Senior Letter all year for important senior dates and college application resources

• Admission criteria includes grades, test scores, and quality of senior year program Keep up your Senior year grades! Grades matter!

• Attend College Fall preview days

• Go on campus visits: fall, winter, and spring

• Apply Broadly

• Map out deadlines

• Set up a dedicated, professional email account

• Admissions may check your Facebook/social media pages

• NCAA requirements/process if you are a student athlete

SELECTING COLLEGES TO APPLY TO

• Apply broadly! Consider selectivity and cost• 1-2 “safe schools” – Sacramento State, University of Reno• 2-3 “realistic schools”• 1 “reach/wildcard school” impossible to predict admission outcome; highly-qualified

candidates denied

• Don’t rely on being able to transfer into impacted programs later

Notes:

• CSU campuses impacted in all majors: Cal Poly SLO, Fullerton, San Jose, San Diego, Long Beach

• Most competitive UC’s: UCLA, Berkeley, San Diego

• Consider private/independent/out-of-state schools as well as public; merit aid possible

CSU: $55 per campus

Fee Waiver – (CSU campuses if qualified via online prompts; only 1 attempt to qualify)

Complete online application and submit to one campus. You must submit individually to each campus.

UC: $70 per campus

Fee waivers (4 free UC)

Complete one online application, check total number of campuses, and submit once.

APPLICATION COST AND DETAILS

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR APPLICATIONS:

• Professional email that you check regularly

• All unofficial transcripts • FHS copy – given to you in your English classes

• Test scores (SAT/ACT)

• List of your school/community volunteer activties

• Family annual income (for optional fee waiver or EOP)

• Social security number-citizenship status

• California Statewide Student ID (State ID is printed on FHS transcript)

• Credit card

WHEN COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION :

• Repeated classes: CSU – Only list highest grades for repeated courses; UC – List all grades

• List courses exactly as they are listed on the original transcript

• Cal Poly, SLO: Requires declared major

• EOP – Educational Opportunity Program: socioeconomically disadvantaged; first generation college. Indicate interest in EOP

APPLICATION TIPS FROM UC ADMISSIONS

• Fill out all sections! Even the optional sections. This gives the admission officers more information

• Be Honest! It helps more than it hurts

• Two areas of additional comments on UC app: Academic History and Personal Statement

• Define Magnets, Academies, Special Programs which require an application or audition

• Elaborate on the school resources (Ex. Removal of AP curriculum)

• Academic Awards Section: Descriptions Matter, Clarity, Context, Selectivity

PERSONAL STATEMENT

Personal statements/essays are an important component of applying to UC and many private colleges

Instructions: Answer 2 mandatory prompts in a combined 1,000 words

It’s not an essay!Responses are not “graded”Sob stories do not guarantee admission

“I” and “my” statements are encouraged

This is the student’s interview with UC

Admission officers/”readers” READ ALL PERSONAL STATEMENTS

Avoid Acronyms, Quotes/Dialogue, Creative Writing, Story telling/scene setting, Repetition, Asking question, Inappropriate use of humor

http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/personal-statement/index.html

COMMON APP/SEND EDU

Over 500 independent/private colleges participating

Process overview: Give counselors and teachers plenty of time (minimum 4 weeks notice)

Adding counselor (title = “Counselor”)/teachers and assigning them to schools

Most students waive their right to access admission recommendations after admit decision

School Report by counselor includes letter of rec and transcript

 

SENDedu:

Similar to Common App, but sometimes offers students no-fee admissions app opportunity

Depending on school, counselor letter of rec is often still required; add counselor info online

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

• Not needed nor accepted by UC or CSU campuses (unless specifically required by a campus or major as part of a supplemental application review)

• Complete FHS Letter of Rec packet; submit to counselor by Oct 9, 2015!

• Can be downloaded off the FHS Counseling Website

Early decision (ED) programs are binding.

'Binding' means that the applicant promises from the start that they will attend the school if their application is accepted.

Early decision applicants are expected to submit only one early decision application to one school. They can submit applications to other schools under normal application procedures, but agree that they will withdraw all those applications if they are accepted to the early decision school.

Keep in mind that you're not just being asked to indicate a school preference; you're being asked to forego all other options and to commit yourself to spending four years (and tens of thousands of dollars) at a particular institution. That's a big decision for anyone to make. It should only be undertaken with the best possible information and advice, and without undue deadline pressure.

Early Action (Non Binding)

Early admissions programs which do not ask applicants to commit to attending if they are accepted are generally.

In our view, these are a better deal for most applicants. They give students the benefits of early notification without the obligations of early decision.

*more information on counseling website

EARLY ACTION AND EARLY DECISION ADMISSIONS

HELPFUL TIPS:

• Call admissions with questions or if you haven’t received an application acknowledgment

• If drop a course or earn below a C after app is submitted, notify – in writing – the admissions offices at all campuses to which you applied!

• All acceptance letters are CONDITIONAL; schools rescind admission offers every year!

• Senior grades count: many schools won’t accept any D or F grades, even in non-college prep courses

• No summer coursework after graduation allowed to complete eligibility requirements

AFTER YOU APPLY:

• Print app copy + write down ID/confirmation # for each submitted app!

• FAFSA/CSS Profile/Financial Aid- January• FHS Financial Aid Night Wednesday, Jan 27, 2015 @ 6:30 PM (FHS Theater)• Can’t determine if a campus is “affordable” until financial aid package

review• Submit FAFSA online shortly after Financial Aid Night! Deadline: March 2,

2015• All FHS GPAs will be automatically submitted electronically by registrar; no

form needed

• EPT/ELM for CSU campuses (can take at Sac State even if attending another campus in fall)

• Scholarships: fall through spring deadlines; check FHS Counseling web site regularly

• Housing: some begin in parallel with fall application process

COLLEGE APPLICATION WORKSHOPS

Who: Seniors that need assistance or want counselor overview

When: PAWS Thurs. Oct. 15; Nov. 5; Nov 19

Where: Folsom High School Library

NOTIFICATION FROM COLLEGES

• Generally January through April (March 1 – 30: UC notifications posted online)

• Rolling admissions versus spring notification

• Wait Lists: In Fall 2014, most UC’s could not accommodate wait-listed students

• Denials: appeals process differs by school; usually have two weeks to submit appeal; serious extenuating circumstances and/or new & compelling info only

• Intent to register by May 1; must commit to one campus

• Deposit required in spring at many campuses!

TRANSCRIPTS

• FHS Transcripts can be ordered by completing a request form in the counseling office; allow 24 hours

• Sign up for Final Transcripts in the counseling office in May

• Final transcripts are sent to your college in early June

• You will need to request a transcript from all schools if course work was completed at another school outside of FCUSD (ex. international or online school)

• Send transcripts ONLY when school requests (some CSU campuses are requesting mid-year)

• You do not need to request transcript for schools that use Common App or Send EDU

DEADLINES

• Final transcript due dates (July 1 for UC)

• Submit EARLY!

• CSU: Submit Oct. 1 – Nov. 30 (Cal Poly SLO Early Decision due by Oct. 31)

• UC: Opened Aug. 1; Submit Nov. 1 – 30

• Private universities: Deadlines vary starting in Dec.; Early Action or Decision is earlier

SENIOR CONFERENCES

If you have additional questions or want time with your counselor, schedule a senior conference in counseling office

• We will discuss majors, colleges, advice, test scores, review transcript

• When: Oct 7th and 8th Students only

• What to bring:

-questions

-letter of rec packet

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Visit www.fcusd.org/fhs/counseling for additional info/resources

• Additional Info on careers & majors: californiacolleges.edu and cacareercafe.com,

• Additional Info on colleges: californiacolleges.edu

• Personal Statement: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/how-to-apply/personal-statement/index.html

QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION

SAT/ACT TESTING

• Test results increasingly important for admissions

• Subject Tests not required by UC, but some campuses recommend for specific majors, especially for competitive majors like engineering; competitive private schools may require

• Take ACT Plus Writing for UC + some private schools

• Submitting official scores: Best practice to have score reports sent directly to all top-choice campuses

• CSU: SAT – Use 3594 (CSU Mentor Long Beach); ACT – Use ACT Scores Manager in CSUMentor

• UC: Have report sent to one campus and it will be shared with all campuses

• December is the last exam date for most campuses; most prefer/some require November

• Can submit application prior to receiving scores