Preparing for College - The Application Process Upper Merion Area High School Guidance Department May 16, 2012

Agenda Words of Wisdom The College Search Scholarships and the Reality of College Costs Parent Tips Next Steps Nut and Bolts Other

What information do college admission officers review? Strength of high school curriculum taken Grades / Overall GPA Class rank Admission Test Score Essay Teacher and counselor recommendations Student’s demonstrated interest Personal accomplishments Personality characteristics Courses in progress Junior and Senior year

About College Admission Tests ACT – Consists of four tests: English, Math, Reading, Science, and Writing – Writing component is optional – Top composite score is 36 SAT – Consists of three tests: Verbal, Math, Writing – Each test is scored on a scale of SAT II – Twenty different subject tests – Check individual school to see if any are required for admission

College Application Parts & Policies Part 1 – Demographic Information Part 2 – Academics, Activities, Major, Employment, Resume Part 3 – Essays Part 4 – Recommendations/Evaluations Part 5 – Payment/Fees Other – Portfolio’s, CD’s, Financial Forms, Audition information, Graded Papers, Supplemental Forms ****Be Aware of Deadlines, Admission Type (Regular, Rolling, EA, ED 1, ED 2, Open), Tests Required, Interviews, etc…

Paperwork and Process What forms do I need to be aware of? ◦Purple Signature Acknowledgement Form ◦Teacher/Guidance Counselor Recommendations ◦Transcript Request Form ◦College Application Components & Policies ◦Financial Aid Forms ◦Rejection, Wait-List and Acceptance Letters ◦Other

Signature Acknowledgement Form (Purple Form) This form outlines the timeline and process the Guidance Office will follow in regards to sending out high school transcripts and supporting documentation. This form, when completed, allows students to submit request individual transcripts without authorization by their parents.

Recommendation Letters Students must complete the Request for Teacher/Counselor Recommendation Form and submit the original to Mr. Enters. Students must personally ask the teacher they would like to receive a letter from and provide them with the necessary forms or links to complete. Students must give the teacher ample time to complete the evaluation. Teachers will submit the completed evaluation to Mr. Enters for inclusion in their transcript package. Evaluations are confidential! Teacher’s may choose to share their letters with students on their own but student’s cannot see the letters once they are submitted to the Guidance Office. Limit the number of letters requested to no more than 4.

Transcript Request Form The transcript request form is required to be submitted for every college that a student applies to. More details are preferred. Be accurate when requesting what needs to be sent. (letters, forms, resume’s, portfolios, articles, headshots, etc…) Forms should be submitted to Mr. Enters or Mrs. Berman in the HUB in a timely fashion and include any supplemental forms or information that the student wants sent to each school. Students must allow for a 15 working- day period. Be aware of application deadlines and plan accordingly. Transcript Request Forms are available in the HUB and online at the Guidance Website.

Financial Aid Forms Institutional Forms CSS/Financial Aid Profile FAFSA - Financial Aid Package Scholarship Offers Athletic Scholarships/Letter of Intent Scholarship Applications – School based and external

Acceptance, Wait-List, & Rejection Letters The Thin Envelope – Letter Size The Bit Thicker Envelope – Letter Size The Thick Envelope – 8 ½ by 11 size The Notification by – your child is crying or smiling bigger than you’ve ever seen when you get home experience The Wrong Letter “Let Me See It In Writing!!”

Other 1 st Quarter/Mid-Year/3 rd MP Grade requests Departmental Acceptances Apply to Program/Specific Colleges of the University Auditions/Portfolio Review, Writing Samples Interviews NCAA Clearinghouse – Division 1 and 2 Conditional Acceptances – Special Programs, Summer/Spring Offers, etc… The Un-Expected!!

Next Steps for Juniors In School Stay focused on academics Meet with your school counselor Stay involved in school activities Do not lighten your academic load for senior year Standardized Testing Prepare for and register for ACT / SAT tests (minimum two times this year) Register for AP tests as appropriate College Process Explore colleges on the Web Visit colleges if you can Meet with college admissions representatives that visit Upper Merion Attend college fairs Draw up your list of potential colleges to which you will apply Complete Applications – Meet Deadlines, Apply Early

Accessing College Information collegeboard.com – SAT information and college search program Educationplanner.org – College search program powered by College Board Cappex.com - College search made simple. Your first stop to kick-start your college and scholarship search actstudent.org - Information about the ACT test nacacnet.org - National Association for College Admission Counseling. Offers national college fair information and articles about the college process

Scholarship Resources Fastweb.com - Private scholarships fafsa.ed.gov - Free Application for Federal Student Aid Studentaid.ed.gov - The federal government’s website about paying for college MeritAid.com - $11 billion in merit scholarships Cappex.com - Scholarship matching finaid.org - Free student resource for learning about all types of financial aid

When you have questions along the way Upper Merion Area High School Counseling Department Patricia Brower Kim Jackson Lauryn Roth Deborah Greenstein Erik Enters Elaine Berman (Guidance Technician) Diane Coxe (Guidance Clerk/HUB)