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

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

3. 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.

4. Naviance Family Connection www. stratfordk12
Naviance Family Connection - 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 would be johnsmit97
Password - student id number

5. College Representative Visits
Admissions representatives visit daily through October
All visits are listed in Naviance – check daily for updates
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.

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

7. 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.

8. 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

9. 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!

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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.

13. 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

14. 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 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.

15. Common App Matching with Naviance
HOW TO MATCH THE COMMON APP WITH NAVIANCE
Create a Common App account at
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 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

16. 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.

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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!

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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.

24. Questions

25. Contact information
Andrea Brace –
Patty Costa –
Amanda Cotela -
Carrie Gettings –
Susan Unrad –