The College Application Process For State College Area High School Class of 2016 September 2015 Patty Devecka (A-K), Suzanne Lyke (L-Z), Susan Marshall, Karen Wolanski & Kathy Dodson

Provide details about the process of submitting college applications Provide preliminary information about applying for Financial Aid and Scholarships

YOU MUST CHECK YOUR SCASD FREQUENTLY !!!! THIS IS THE WAY WE WILL CONTACT YOU AND SHARE INFORMATION WITH YOU ABOUT COLLEGE APPLICATIONS, UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES, GRADUATION INFORMATION, ETC.

Are ultimately in charge of your college applications and making sure that you meet all of the requirements and due dates for each one. Communication, research, and following directions will be the key to success. GOOD LUCK!

Have you taken the SAT or ACT? (Check out for a list of over 850 schools that allow alternative options for acceptance, like graded work) Do you have a list of schools of interest? Have you visited some of the schools? Have you looked at their websites & researched their application procedures and deadlines? (are SAT Subject tests required, etc?)Do you fit their profile? Have you registered with the NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER and requested your transcript to be sent if you plan to play sports at the collegiate level? If you are completely overwhelmed by these questions, then read your College Planning Booklet and start with 1 application.

Penn State/Schreyer Honors College Common Application Other – SendEdu, PASSHE Schools, paper

Go to admissions.psu.edu – “Apply” Create a MyPennState Profile – if you already have a Penn State user id, use that Complete online application You must choose a major; or DUS Select Fall or Summer admission – check “yes” to accept summer admission if you don’t qualify for fall UP (after the Campus Choice screen) Choose a campus – only list an alternate if you are willing to attend that campus

Functions & Trig or higher required for Smeal, Eberly, IST, Engineering, E & MS, Advanced courses are equivalent to Honors Short personal statement and activities list strongly recommended Hit “Submit” after payment is made ($50) Print and bring Web Application Counselor Form to Mrs. Wolanski Sign a transcript request form

Complete application by October 31 st to be safe Make sure your SAT and/or ACT scores are sent directly to Penn State from the testing agency (it takes 2-3 weeks) Check your MyPennState account regularly – you will be notified there if anything is missing. Admissions decision will be made by January 31 st, if application is submitted by November 30.

Complete regular PSU application on-line Indicate that you want to complete the Schreyer on- line application when prompted Reminder: Have your counselor’s and teachers’ s handy for requesting recommendations. Recommendations need to be requested 3 working weeks before due date—Counselor Composite must be complete at that time for recommendation to be written by counselor. Complete Transcript Request form w/ Mrs. Dodson in the Counseling Office. This application is a tremendous amount of work. Here are the stats from 2014: 70 applied, 19 were offered acceptance and 13 are attending. That means 49 were rejected but 34 of those are still attending PSU. Two students withdrew due to early action at another university.

The “Common App” is an online college admissions application that may be used to apply to any of over 600 colleges in the US and around the world. Application information need only be completed once, then it is sent electronically to the schools you apply to. To complete the application you will need: copy of HS transcript; list of activities/sports/jobs/volunteer hours; test scores and dates; parent/guardian information; recommenders names and addresses Go to to beginwww.commonapp.org Read all directions regarding Common Application. Check for supplements your college(s) may require

Get teachers’ permission before submitting their names as recommenders. Invite your recommenders online (usually 1-2 teachers and a counselor) Waiving your right to read recommendations is strongly recommended. Print out a hard copy for your records. Complete a Transcript Request Form for each Common Application School – See Mrs Wolanski. Complete Counselor Composite information for counselors—must be in to Counseling office 3 working weeks before due date. We do not rank There are 534 students in the class of 2016; we have a 4.0 grading scale and always give your weighted GPA

SendEdu, PASSHE Schools (Lock Haven, Bloomsburg, etc.) and other online applications Paper Make sure you print out all forms for teachers and counselors and give them to the appropriate people. (Usually found under a “secondary forms” section on the application) Each application is a bit different, follow the directions carefully and take your time. If you bring in your entire application to be mailed you need to bring in a large envelope with 4 stamps and addressed to the college. Sign a Transcript Request form for each college! Flow charts available for each different “kind” of application.

If you receive free or reduced lunch, please see your counselor (or Mrs. Wolanski) for fee waivers for college applications, SAT’s, etc. For Penn State, stop and save your application when you get to the payment screen – see Mrs. Wolanski before submitting if you qualify for a fee waiver.

Many colleges require essay(s). You may want to seek help from your English teacher. Read the College Planning Book about the essay on pages or go to educationplanner.org or collegeboard.com or use resources in counseling office. Schreyer Honors College of PSU requires three essays - begin them now! Have at least one person proof your essay. Make sure that you are coming across the way you intended.

PSU does not require recommendations, with the exception of Schreyer Honors College. Teacher recommendation—any 9 th through 12 th grade teacher may write a recommendation. Teachers write about you in their classroom, counselors write a composite recommendation about you. Some colleges will require specific subject teachers. Counselor recommendation – Patty Devecka, Suzanne Lyke, Jill Campbell, Jen Rand (or any counselor/LE teacher you have been working with). If you need a Counselor letter of recommendation, you will need to fill out the Counselor Composite and complete the Evaluators Request Form.

Some colleges want to receive recommendations and transcripts together. If this is what the college requires, then all documents must be sent from the counseling office (you provide the 9x12 self- addressed stamped envelope with 4 stamps). Other colleges that require recommendations state that teachers and counselors may mail/upload recommendations separately. Waive your right to read the recommendation.

If you need a counselor recommendation for any college you are applying to, make sure that you have completed these forms at least 3 weeks before the recommendation is due College Application To-Do List Information For Letter Of Recommendation Evaluator’s Request Form

Apply online if possible. Apply to at least one “safety” school that is both academically and financially safe. Try to limit your applications to colleges. The average application fee is $50 per application Many colleges waive the application fee if you apply online or while visiting the school. Make a detailed checklist for each college application – this is critical to help keep track of deadlines and the various parts of each application. Make sure you meet all deadlines for maximum consideration.

Counseling Office Team * Treat them well *

You must complete a transcript request form for each college/institution that needs your transcript with Mrs. Wolanski in the North Counseling Office in order to have your transcript submitted. (transcripts are free for current students) THE ONLINE FORM IS ONLY FOR GRADUATES OF STATE HIGH. Do NOT use this online request form. Make sure your request is in at least 3 weeks before it is due.

Paper Applications 9x12 envelope, addressed with 4 stamps Transcript/Mid Year Report A regular legal size envelope, addressed with 1 stamp is required to send all transcripts unless it is being sent to PSU, for the Common App, or through SENDedu

Early Decision Agreement – you must clearly understand your obligations Mid Year Report School Report Forms (Counselor fills out) College Specific Financial Aid Forms Athletic Supplement Arts Supplement Final Report/Transcript

Rolling admission – decisions are made on a “rolling” basis as applications are received Early decision – if accepted, applicants are obligated to attend a school to which they apply under this plan. Decisions are made earlier than under other plans Early action – admission decisions are made early, but applicants are NOT obligated to attend Regular decision – there is a single deadline and all decisions are made at the same time

Note: For both transcripts and recommendations, make sure that you give the counseling office and your counselor at least 3 weeks notice. PSU App should be submitted by Oct. 31 st to be safe Early Decision and Early Action applications that are due November 1 st must be submitted to us by Oct. 10 th to be on time December 31 st or January 1 st due dates must be submitted to us by December 2 nd due to the holiday break. Jan. 15 th due dates must be submitted to us before the holiday break. Feb. 1 st due dates must be submitted by Jan. 9 th to our office.

You apply to a college and never come to the counseling office to request your transcript to be sent from our HS to the college. You apply to a college and forget to send your SAT/ACT scores to the college. You apply to college and forget to download all the necessary forms. You miss a deadline. You forget to ask for teacher and/or counselor recommendations. You forget to hit the submit button.

Become familiar with the financial aid process – review the Financial Aid section in the College Planning Guide pages Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) soon after Jan 1st, 2016 to apply for grants, loans and work/study. Create a FSA ID at out/fsaid Fill out CSS Financial Aid Profile if required by the college (many private colleges require this).

PSU students should complete their FAFSA on the web by March 1 st 2016 for maximum financial aid consideration. Make sure you meet deadlines for other schools Visit for a preliminary financial aid estimate. Use the Net Price Calculator for each school to estimate costs Attend financial aid nights: - Penn State Financial Aid Night – November 7pm - North Aud. - PHEAA Webinar – December 6 pm

Comprehensive Scholarship Information Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency State High Senior Scholarships –applications available online in March of 2016 Resources in North Counseling Office Employment/religious affiliations/military Many colleges award significant merit financial aid College specific scholarships can be found on the college websites sometime in mid-fall/early winter

Go to Go to the high school main page In the middle of the page (in maroon), click on “Headlines” Click on “College Visits” and/or “Scholarship Opportunities”

Please check your transcript in HAC to make sure that it is accurate and that you meet high school graduation requirements. It’s important to insure that transcripts are accurate before we send them out to colleges credits needed to graduate: - 4 credits in English and History - 3 credits in Science and Math credits in Phys. Ed credits in Health -.20 credits in Driver’s Ed credits in Electives - Graduation Project (pass/fail) - 20 Community Service Hours (pass/fail)