1. A UGUST 18, 2015 C OLLEGE C ENTER WWW. TINYURL. COM / BHHSCOLLEGECENTER WWW. TINYURL. COM / BHHSCOLLEGECENTER C OUNSELORS WWW. TINYURL. COM / BHHSCOUNSELORS WWW. TINYURL. COM / BHHSCOUNSELORS Class of 2016 Kick Off to College Night

2. Agenda Kick Off to College Class of 2016 College guidance overview for Seniors  College systems and application types  Personal statements & essays What should I be doing now?  Requesting recommendation letters  Naviance & Brag Sheet for counselors  Common Application schools  Non-Common Application schools  Ordering transcripts: Parchment  College rep visits to BHHS & other upcoming events How to strengthen your college application

3. As Juniors… Kick Off to College Class of 2016 Theme: Investigation and Making Connections Goal: Start to define yourself as well as your post-secondary plans by investigating post- secondary options. Building upon the last two years, start to define your interests and engage deeper in extracurricular activities while taking leadership roles, prepare for rigorous classes in 12 th grade, learn college requirements in detail, engage in a meaningful college search to build an appropriate college list, take the SAT or ACT at least once by the end of the year, take SAT Subject tests if needed, brainstorm college essay ideas.

4. College Guidance Overview for Seniors Kick Off to College Class of 2016 Theme: Making Decisions & Doing the Work Goal: This is the year to put everything you learned about yourself and the college admissions process into action. It is time to apply to colleges, get admitted, and commit to the school of your choice. Along the way, use good decision making skills and always make decisions based on if it makes sense to you and your future, not what others think you should be doing. Finalize the college list, write college essays, complete and submit admission applications as well as financial aid applications, request counselor and teacher recommendation letters, seek appropriate help, celebrate your successes, thank those who helped you along the way.

5. College Guidance Activities for Seniors Kick Off to College Class of 2016 Individual meetings with counselors: starts in September College Monday Workshops: every Monday* during lunch (*few exceptions) College Monday Workshops College rep visits: begins September 1 College rep visits 1-on-1 Essay Review Sessions: sign ups available soon College Connections Fair: Monday, October 12 College Connections Fair  Seniors ONLY can enter at 6:30 p.m.  Financial Aid workshop at 7:30 p.m. College Day: Wednesday, October 14 Coffee with the Counselors (parents only): once a month ACT & SAT workshops & practice exams

6. College Systems & Application Types Kick Off to College Class of 2016 California Community College California State University (CSU) University of California (UC) Private colleges and universities  75+ in California  THOUSANDS in United States Out of state public colleges and universities Simple Guidelines for Applying to Colleges

7. College Systems & Application Types Kick Off to College Class of 2016 Simple Guidelines for Applying to Colleges

8. California Community College Kick Off to College Class of 2016 112 campuses in California 112 campuses Associate degrees (many lead to careers) Transfer to 4-year school (to obtain Bachelors degree)  CSU or UC: must complete 60 semester units or 90 quarter units (equivalent to 2 years of full time studies)  Most private schools: 30 semester units or 45 quarter units okay to transfer (check with each college and major) Articulation agreements or TAG are available for most schools- use www.assist.org Articulation agreementsTAGwww.assist.org VERY important to plan for transferring- it is NOT an automatic 2 year plan!- use UCTAPplanUCTAP Apply to community college by February/March of Senior year- use www.cccapply.org Applywww.cccapply.org

9. California State University Kick Off to College Class of 2016 23 campuses Bachelor and Master degrees First institution of higher education established by the State of California, originally created to train teachers To be eligible: 2.0 GPA, A-G courses, SAT or ACT (no Writing)eligible2.0 GPAA-G coursesSAT or ACT Not required/accepted: SAT Subject exams, essays, recommendation letters, transcripts Application filing period: Oct 1–Nov 30 To apply: www.csumentor.eduwww.csumentor.edu Many CSU’s are impacted and very difficult to get into! Like… Cal Poly SLO, San Diego State, Long Beach, San Francisco State

10. University of California Kick Off to College Class of 2016 10 campuses but San Francisco is graduate only 10 campuses Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate degrees Research & theory based curriculums Competitive admissions with many highly selective campuses To be eligible: 3.0 GPA, A-G courses, SAT or ACT with Writing, personal statements, list of activities & honorseligibleA-G coursesSAT or ACT with Writingpersonal statements Not required/accepted: SAT Subject exams (some majors “highly recommended”), recommendation letters, transcriptssome majors “highly recommended” Application filing period: Nov 1–Nov 30 (available Aug 1) To apply: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/applyapplywww.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply

11. Private Colleges & Universities Kick Off to College Class of 2016 75+ private colleges and universities in Californiaprivate colleges and universities in California 3,000+ in US (including public schools) All vary in admission requirements and application deadlines Application requirements: official transcript, official test scores, essays, activities & honors, recommendation letters, interview, portfolio/audition Use Common Application or Universal College ApplicationCommon ApplicationUniversal College Application Early Admission Plans: Early Decision vs. Early Action vs. Restrictive Early Action (more info click HERE) Early Admission PlansHERE National Candidates Reply Date: May 1 National Candidates Reply Date

12. Out of State Public Institutions Kick Off to College Class of 2016 3,000+ colleges and universities in US (including private schools) Many operate on rolling admissions plan (check Naviance for a list of popular schools)rolling admissions plan Many offer non-selective or slightly selective admissions with non-impacted majors Many have low out-of-state tuition Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE): tuition discount for California students Western Undergraduate ExchangeWUE Don’t forget about Honors programs/colleges at public schools; rigorous academics in large, research universities

13. Personal Statements & Essays Kick Off to College Class of 2016 One of the most important pieces of your application One of the only ways to show your true self and personality Follow instructions, spell check, have someone look it over Not a typical English paper Don’t procrastinate- doing so will send the message that you don’t care Do it YOURSELF- your essay must be authentically you Avoid clichés and controversial topics; you never know who will be reading your essay Write about WHY and HOW, and it should always be about YOU Check Naviance for list of Essays that WorkedEssays that Worked

14. What Should I Be Doing Now? Kick Off to College Class of 2016 College Counseling Timeline for Class of 2016 Get organized with application requirements, deadlines, interviews, portfolios/auditions, essays Request recommendation letters Complete Brag Sheet for Counselors Attend college related events on and off campus Attend College Monday Workshops Take/retake SAT or ACT (consider CSU apps!)SATACTCSU apps Complete applications and write essays Order transcripts

15. What Should I Be Doing Now? Kick Off to College Class of 2016 Stay connected to College CenterCollege Center emails via Jupiter Grades like on FacebookFacebook subscribe to Mrs. Chi’s pageMrs. Chi’s page

16. Requesting Recommendation Letters Kick Off to College Class of 2016 Required:  Counselor recommendation letter  Must complete Brag Sheet for Counselors in NavianceBrag Sheet for Counselors in Naviance  1-2 teacher recommendation letters from academic subjects (English, history, science, math, & foreign language)  Okay to include 1 additional letter from coach, employer, professor, club advisor, program director, etc UC* and CSU do not accept recommendation letters *unless they ask you for it after you submit your application Some schools do not require recommendation letters You may need letters for scholarships

17. Naviance Family Connection Kick Off to College Class of 2016 1. Log in: https://connection.naviance.com/bhhshttps://connection.naviance.com/bhhs  Username: 5-digit ID number  If you don’t remember your log in info, email your counselor 2. Update email address  Tip: use the same email address for all college applications  Make sure your email address is appropriate 3. Click on “about me” and complete the following tasks:  Under “surveys to take”  brag sheet for counselors (if you need a counselor rec letter)  parent brag sheet (one of your parents must do this)  Resume  Test scores

18. Naviance Family Connection Kick Off to College Class of 2016 4. Finalize your college list  Click on “colleges”  Click on “colleges I’m applying to”  Add colleges to this list  You can also move colleges from “colleges I’m thinking about” to “colleges I’m applying to”  Include all UC and CSU campuses you are applying to  Include SMC and other community colleges you are planning to enroll in 5. Contact your counselor for your senior meeting after completing the above steps

19. Kick Off to College Class of 2016

20. Here you can watch videos, review admission information, link to the school’s website, and even begin the application! If you are interested in a school, click here to add it to your colleges I’m thinking about list.

21. Kick Off to College Class of 2016 Here you can keep track of colleges you are interested in, rate your level of interest, view upcoming application deadlines, and transfer schools from colleges I’m thinking about, to colleges I’m applying to. You can also research other colleges and scholarship opportunities.

22. Help Us Help You… PLEASE Kick Off to College Class of 2016 Examples of NOT-SO-HELPFUL responses: Question: What sets you apart from your peers or makes you unique? Response: im unique. Question: What would you or your friends say are your three best qualities? Explain each or GIVE EXAMPLES of how you have demonstrated these qualities. Response: my passion and enthosuams.

23. Help Us Help You… PLEASE Kick Off to College Class of 2016 Example of HELPFUL responses: Question: What sets you apart from your peers or makes you unique? Response: I think my strong work ethic not only in academics but in other aspects of my life as well sets me apart from most of my peers.. it's easy to see based on my high academic achievement, but it's something that transfers to many other aspects of my life. My dedication to my internship and DECA are just two examples, where I've gone above and beyond not because it was necessary but because that is the kind of person I am. Settling for mediocrity is not something I find appealing, even if it means more time, effort, and work. Every opportunity I had during my internship I immediately took, working extra hours, projects and events, not for the benefit of a college application, or even a brag sheet, but because I felt passionate about what I was doing, and I wanted to soak up as much as I could. Many students don't take the initiative unless they see an immediate monetary return. Other the other hand I value the memories and exposure from every experience therefore I'm willing to take initiative to find my own internship, and work beyond what was expected. This is not something that can really be proved, or could really be explained on a college application, there for it's something that show my true motives; my constant desire to push myself.

24. Common ApplicationCommon Application: Inviting Recommenders Kick Off to College Class of 2016 Create an account: www.commonapp.orgwww.commonapp.org Save your Common App ID; you will need it to order transcripts from Parchment Create a college list using the “College Search” tab Your college list will appear on your “Dashboard” Add Beverly Hills High School to your Common App:  Click on “Common App” tab  Click on Education  Click on Find School then choose Beverly Hills High School  Complete this section of Common App

25. Common ApplicationCommon Application: Inviting Recommenders Kick Off to College Class of 2016 Click on “My Colleges” tab then choose one of the schools listed Click on Recommenders and FERPA and sign the FERPA Release Authorization You must waive your right to review all recommendations and supporting documents in order for your counselor and teachers to write your recommendation letters Click on Invite Counselor and enter the requested information to invite your counselor to be a recommender (click HERE for counselors’ email addresses)HERE

26. Common ApplicationCommon Application: Inviting Recommenders Kick Off to College Class of 2016 Click on Invite Teacher and enter the requested information to invite your teacher(s) to be a recommender You will need email addresses of your counselor and teachers Completing these steps will trigger an email to your invited recommenders with instructions on submitting their recommendation letters via the Common App Recommender website Confirm with your counselor and teacher(s) that they received the invitation

27. Non-Common Application Schools Kick Off to College Class of 2016 Complete online application on the school’s website Follow instructions specific to that college to request your counselor and/or teacher recommendations, if applicable (remember, not all schools want recommendation letters) If letters need to be snail-mailed, then let your counselor and/or teachers know in person and provide them with self-addressed and stamped envelopes

28. Requesting Recommendation Letters Kick Off to College Class of 2016 October 1: Deadline to ask your counselor and teacher(s) for recommendation letters for Early Action and Early Decision schools; also to notify your counselor if you are applying to schools with rolling admission deadlines November 1: Deadline to ask your counselor and teacher(s) for recommendation letters for regular decision schools

29. Ordering Transcripts Kick Off to College Class of 2016 Once you start your college applications, you must request that official transcripts be sent to ALL of the colleges to which you are applying All transcripts must be ordered through Parchment Send one to Common App (use your CA ID#) Get an unofficial copy and review it for accuracy before you send official transcripts to colleges UC & CSU campuses and the University of Washington do not want transcripts

30. Ordering Transcripts through ParchmentParchment Kick Off to College Class of 2016 1. Go to www.parchment.com or click on the link on the BHHS website or Naviancewww.parchment.comBHHS website 2. Click on “Order Transcript” and then “High School Transcript” 3. Register and complete your information. You do not need a code to register. Remember that you are entering college in 2016. 4. Once you are registered, click on “My Transcripts”  Search for and select Beverly Hills High School  Enter your earliest year of attendance (2012 if you entered BHHS as a 9 th grader)  Enter 2016 as your expected year of graduation

31. Ordering Transcripts through ParchmentParchment Kick Off to College Class of 2016 5. Complete the FERPA agreement and waive your right to review. Remember that your counselor and teacher(s) will not write recommendation letters if you do not waive your FERPA rights. 6. If you are applying to one or more Common App schools, then you must click on “The Common Application” tab and enter your Common App ID. This will generate a copy of your transcript for all Common App schools. 7. Search for other colleges to which your transcript should be sent

32. Ordering Transcripts through ParchmentParchment Kick Off to College Class of 2016 8. For other organizations such as scholarships and NCAA Eligibility Center, click the link under “Select Other Destinations” and enter the required information 9. Once you have added all of your schools/organizations, pay for your transcripts online 10. If you later add schools to your “colleges I’m applying to” list in Naviance, then be sure to order additional transcripts

33. College Rep Visits to BHHS Kick Off to College Class of 2016 Over 100 college and university reps visit our school each year Great way to get to know the school and the admission rep who will read your application Most updated list is in Naviance If you want to attend a college rep visit:  Sign up in Naviance  Get the gold permission slip signed by your teacher prior to the day of the visit  Gold forms available in House offices and College Center

34. Upcoming Events Kick Off to College Class of 2016 Individual meetings with counselors: starts in September College Monday Workshops: every Monday* during lunch (*few exceptions) College Monday Workshops College rep visits: begins September 1 College rep visits 1-on-1 Essay Review Sessions: sign ups available soon College Connections Fair: Monday, October 12 College Connections Fair  Seniors ONLY can enter at 6:30 p.m.  Financial Aid workshop at 7:30 p.m. College Day: Wednesday, October 14 Coffee with the Counselors (parents only): once a month ACT & SAT workshops & practice exams