College Application Procedures and Information September 24, 2018 Senior Parent Coffee College Application Procedures and Information September 24, 2018

Welcome The purpose of today’s meeting is to present you with the next steps in the college application process.

Finalizing the College List On average students typically apply to 4-6 colleges Ensure student’s list is balanced including targets and at least 2 “safety schools” that the student is willing to attend.

Naviance Family Connection www. stratfordk12 Naviance Family Connection www.stratfordk12.org/bunnellhigh - Under Quicklinks Used for online submission of all school materials. Transcript Secondary School Report Counselor Letter of Recommendation Teacher Letters or Recommendation Student Log in information: User name - first name, first 4 digits of last name, year of birth John Smith 1997 - would be johnsmit97 Password - student id number

College Representative Visits Admissions representatives visit daily through October All visits are listed in Naviance – check daily for updates Email is generated to student if they have a school listed in their “Colleges I’m Applying to” Colleges I’m Thinking about” lists in Naviance.

College Representative Visit Sign-up Instructions Sign into your Naviance Account

Components of a College Application Application, Essay and payment Test Scores School Materials (Transcript, secondary school report form, counselor Recommendation, school profile, 1st quarter Grades, midyear report and grades, final transcript) Teacher Recommendations If applicable, interview and supplemental materials.

Guidance Department Sends: Electronically through Who Sends What? Guidance Department Sends: Transcript School Profile Secondary School Report Counselor Recommendation 1st Quarter Grades Mid Year Grades Final Grades All Materials are sent Electronically through Naviance Student Sends: Application Application Fee Personal Essay SAT/ACT Scores Teacher Sends: Teacher Recommendation Sent Electronically Through Naviance College/University

Requesting Transcripts Complete the Pink Transcript Request Form Complete the Blue Records Release Form Complete the Student College Recommendation Questionnaire Complete Student Activity Sheet/Resume Complete Parent Brag Sheet Make an appointment with your school counselor!

Adding Additional Schools after initial transcript request Additional transcript requests can be made as late as 1 week prior to the deadline. A New Pink Transcript request form must be submitted each time you submit additional college applications * No other forms are necessary

Initial School Material Request Deadlines Application Deadline Initial Request Date October 15th Monday, October 1st November 1st Thursday, Oct. 18th November 15th Thursday, Nov. 1st December 1st Friday, Nov. 16th December 15th Friday, Nov. 30th January 1st Monday, Dec. 10th

Counselor Recommendations Part of the school materials initial transcript request packet Includes: Student College Recommendation Questionnaire Student Activity Sheet/Resume Parent Brag Sheet After a completed initial request has been submitted 10 school days prior to first application, the counselor writes a recommendation to accompany the transcript, secondary school report and school profile.

Teacher Recommendations What teachers need: A completed Teacher Recommendation Request Form An Activity Sheet/Resume An electronic invitation through Naviance. Thank you Note HOW TO REQUEST TEACHER LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION IN NAVIANCE Once you have created an account in Common App and signed the FERPA release log onto your Naviance Account to request letters. Go the Colleges tab Choose the letters of recommendation link On the recommendation request page, click on the blue Add Request button to choose teachers to submit. Select all current and future colleges for teachers to send letters to. You can monitor the status of your letter by following the bar at the top of the Letter Recommendation page. The status will either be requested, in progress or submitted

The Application Common Application – most used School Specific Application Paper Application – Yes, some colleges still use this Many colleges require their own specific supplements in the 2017-2018 version of the Common Application Additional essays for a given college may be located in the Supplemental Writing or Questions section required by that college.

Common App Matching with Naviance HOW TO MATCH THE COMMON APP WITH NAVIANCE Create a Common App account at www.commonapp.org Complete the Education Section in the Common App tab Add at least one college using the College Search tab. Sign the FERPA release authorization. This only needs to be done once. Go to the My Colleges tab Click on a college you have added Click on “Recommenders and FERPA” Sign the release authorization Log onto your Naviance Family Connection Account Go to the Colleges tab. Click on Match Accounts Click on Colleges I’m applying to. Enter your Common App email and date of birth in the Matching section Click match Any College that you have added to your Common App account should now appear in Naviance. Any College that you are applying to that does not use the Common App must be added into Naviance manually under Add Colleges to my list

What is a FERPA Waiver? Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act In college applications your child will be asked if they want to waive this right. Why should they do that Waiving your right lets colleges know that students do not intend to read their recommendations, which helps reassure colleges that the letters are credible, candid and truthful. Some recommenders may refuse to write a letter unless rights are waived.

Essay/Personal Statement and Interviews Needs to be in the voice of the student Students work on Essays in English classes Counselors are available to review Check with each school to determine if interviews are required/recommended Thank you notes to Interviewer

Standardized Tests – SAT/ACT Fall test dates still available Test date flyers in packet BHS does not send test scores! Student must send directly through SAT and ACT Follow score reporting requirements of each college located on school websites SAT Subject Tests – if required Test Optional Schools Fair Test www.fairtest.org

Application Follow-up It can take 2 – 4 weeks or longer for colleges to process application materials. If available, check student portals regularly. If no portal or you are alerted that something is missing, call the admissions office. See your counselor with any questions. * There is often a significant download time gap between materials uploaded by counselor and colleges downloading materials!

Financial Aid Night Financial Aid Night is Tuesday, Oct. 23rdth 6:30 pm in the Library FAFSA required by all colleges. Available October 1st CSS profile required by some private colleges in addition to the FAFSA Check individual college websites for their submission deadline Free and Reduced lunch students may see their counselor for college application and Standardized Test Fee Waivers

Scholarships A monthly Scholarship Bulletin is posted providing information on local, regional, national and college specific scholarships. E-blasted home to parents Naviance Posted in English Classes BHS school scholarship applications will be available to eligible students second semester

How can I help my child? Be the voice of reason and support Keep all of your child’s information private Complete the Parent Brag Sheet Help your child be organized Schedule college visits Keep track of deadlines Send test scores to colleges

What should my child be doing now? Make an appointment with you school counselor. Finalize your college list/finish visiting schools. Write your personal essay. Fill out recommendation questionnaires. Update Student Activities sheet/Resume. Fill out Common App/College applications. Match Common App with Naviance Request Teacher Letters of Recommendations. Finish taking SAT/ACT tests. Send Test scores to colleges. Fill out the FAFSA.

Questions

Contact information Andrea Brace – bracea@stratk12.org Patty Costa – costap@stratk12.org Amanda Cotela - cotelaa@stratk12.org Carrie Gettings – gettingsc@stratk12.org Susan Unrad – unrads@stratk12.org