Navigating the College Admissions Process-Preparing to Apply April 21 & 22

Agenda for Today

• Reminder on Upcoming Events

• Applying to College

• College Fit-Hit Activity

• College Essay Preparation

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Upcoming Events in the College Selection and Application

Process

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Upcoming Events

For all college related events: Do remember that you represent Saint Francis High School and your words and actions make an impression!

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Upcoming Events

If You Signed Up:

6:30: Sign In

8:30-9:30:College Fair

Be sure to read the

application packets

and bring packet with

you.

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Upcoming Events

San Francisco National College Fair-

Do Register If You Plan to Attend at: https://www.gotomyncf.com/Registration/EventSelectForState?stateName=All

Location: Cow Palace North Hall and Arena Floor 2600 Geneva Ave. Daly City, CA 94014 415/404-4100 Fair Hours: Saturday, May 2, 2015 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

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Upcoming Events

Thursday, May 7

Mission College Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Location: Gym

3000 Mission College Blvd. Santa Clara, CA 95054

If you plan to attend, do register in advance:

https://www.wacaccollegefair.com/Registration/EventSelectForState?stateName=All

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Check Family Connection for Colleges Coming to Saint Francis

Updated daily

with new

colleges

coming…

DEMONSTRATE

INTEREST!!!

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Applying to College

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Update College List in Family Connection

Spring 2015

DISCOVERY PHASE

Your first list in Colleges I’m Thinking About in

Family Connection

Summer 2015

PLANNING PHASE

Where will I actually apply?

Sort out Reach Target

Safety

Fall 2015

APPLICATION PHASE

Complete and submit applications

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Your First College Meeting in August/Sept.

Colleges I’m Thinking About (list)

Colleges I’m Applying To (list)

Research college website, take

virtual tour, take real tour,

attend college rep meeting,

college fair, case studies

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Prepare to Apply

Good decisions are made by gathering

good information and by being organized.

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College Application Review May Include:

College Application

Teacher(s) Rec

SAT/ACT

TRANSCRIPT

Counselor Rec

Secondary School Report

May include Activity Section,

Essay, or Personal Statement

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Example of Selective Private School Approach to Admissions

After review of all application documents student is given:

Academic Rating-comprised academic achievement within the high school +standardized testing.

Personal Rating-designed to provide a summary of the student’s high school and community involvement and potential for involvement on the college campus:

How has this student impacted his/her community?

Community includes family, classroom, grade, religious group, organization.

School Fit Rating-Gives a rating for how likely the applicant is to make a valuable contribution to the particular school or program to which he/she is applying.

Overall Rating: Summary of applicant’s likely outcome in the process and potential for scholarships consideration.

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Applications and Timing

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Apply for

Fall 2016

• Before filling out an application for any college, make sure you are selecting the right school year.

Apply for

2016-17

School Year

•You are applying for the 2016-2017 school year: Fall 2016.

Read the College Website

• Many colleges do not update applications until August or September of 2015.

Know The Admission Option for Your Colleges

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When To Consider EA or ED

ED EA

You have visited this college and are convinced it is your true love. (Would you marry someone you never met?)

You have researched this college and know it is a match.

Your 6th Semester Transcript represents your best performance, and your first semester senior year grades would not tip the academic scale in your favor.

Your 6th Semester Transcript represents your best performance, and your first semester senior year grades would not tip the academic scale in your favor.

ACT/SAT Testing Completed by Oct., 2015 ACT/SAT Testing Completed by Oct., 2015

You are willing to sign a contract that if admitted you will attend. You have researched the ED odds.

Understand the college’s policy on applying EA. Will it benefit you to apply early? Scholarship options?

Discuss with parents and counselor. Discuss with parents and counselor.

Prepared to present your strongest application by ED deadline.

Prepared to present your strongest application by EA deadline.

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University of California Application

Application Opens

August 1, 2015

File Application Between

November

1st-30th

• Use one application

for all campuses.

No Letters of Recommendation Accepted!!

You will fill out:

•Self-Reported Transcript

•Comprehensive Activity Section

•Personal Statement. 18

UC Admission Trends for Class of 2015

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Look Beyond UCB and UCLA!! •UC Santa Cruz? •UC Riverside? •UC Merced?

Apply to the California State Universities

Use CSU Mentor to apply.

One application can be sent to several campuses.

No letters-no essay!

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Application Opens

Must Be Submitted by

October 1st November 30th

Cal Poly SLO also has Early Decision option. Deadline for ED: October 31st.

Applying to CSU: Begin to Enter Courses and Grades

Prepare your

CSU application

by going to

CSUMentor.

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USE HIGH SCHOOL PLANNER TO ENTER COURSES

THE INFORMATION YOU ENTER WILL TRANSFER TO YOUR APPLICATION ON OCTOBER 1ST WHEN THE APPLICATION OPENS.

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Out of State Public Application Portals-Some Publics Do Use the Common App

If a College or University

does not use the Common

App, you will apply using the

application portal linked to

that college or university’s

website to complete and

submit your application.

Out of State Public Colleges and Universities

May Use Application Portal

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What to Know About the Common Application

Your Fall 2016 application will not be online until after August 1st.

The Common App essay questions are posted in the Class of 2016 Portal in Family Connection.

Do not try to set up an account on the Common Application before August 1st, as your account will be deleted.

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You can review the

Application

Requirements for the

Common App Colleges.

Use Common App-Application Requirements Grid to See What Colleges Want

Activity: Please go to this grid now.

• Take out iPad-Open browser.

• Go to www.commonapp.org

• On the top of the page locate the Member Colleges.

• Go to link to Application Requirements

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Candy Quiz

How many teacher letters does American University require?

What is the testing requirement for Boston College?

Does Santa Clara University have Early Action or Early Decision?

How many teacher letters are required by Colorado State?

What is the last date you could apply to University of San Francisco?

What is the last date to apply to San Francisco State?

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Planning Ahead-Where Are You?

Update

Resume

this

summer!

Connect with Teacher(s)

NOW!!

Email Counselor your

Questionnaire by May 26th

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Spring

SAT/ACT

Testing-

Are you

registered?

More Test Prep Over Summer??

Draft of College

Essay Due in English

course soon.

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Assessments

If you would like your counselor to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf:

1. You MUST have completed all assigned assessments in Family Connection including:

Strengths Explorer

MI Advantage

Do What You Are

2. Complete and submit the Counselor Recommendation Questionnaire and email to your counselor by May 26th.

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Activity-College Fit Hit

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Make sure to fill in as you

listen to other students in

your group.

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Instructions: In Groups of 4

Choose a college. Take about 5 minutes to prepare.

Take on the role of the admissions officer.

Present the highlights of this college to your peers.

As you listen to other presenters, fill in the college chart.

Each group choose one college to present to the entire class.

Collected and placed in file for meeting with your College Counselor.

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College Essay Preparation

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College Essay or Personal Statement

Review

Assessments and

your Resume before

deciding on essay.

Look for themes

and qualities in

yourself you would

like to share with

colleges.

•Who are you?

•What would you

like to become?

•What impact do

you want to

make?

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Example:

From “Do What You Are” descriptions:

•“People like you are independent, curious, and creative.

• You may have a passion for science or the arts and enjoy learning new things.

•Inventive and imaginative, you make quick and insightful connections, and enjoy coming up with original solutions to problems.”

UC Prompt for Personal Statement:

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you.

What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

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Point of College Essays: How Can You Show Your Traits Through Actions?

Adventurous/Risk taking

Leadership

Socially aware

Actively involved in a community

Intellectually immersed

Resourceful/inventive

Artistic/creative

Self aware

Check out this list of personal qualities:

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LIST: http://www.sc.edu/career/Pdf/identifypersonalqualities.pdf

New Prompts for Common App Essay

The Common App has changed the essay prompts:

2015-16 Common Application Essay Prompts

We are pleased to share the 2015-2016 Essay Prompts with you. New language appears in italics: 1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again? 4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. 5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

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Review the College Essay Resources

provided by the Counseling

Department and your English

teachers.

There are several presentations on College Essays in the Class of 2016

Portal!

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Extra Extra: Help is On the Way!!

Mandatory Senior College Workshop

• Sunday, August 23th

• Time: 1-4 pm

• Required attendance for all seniors.

• One parent will also be required to attend.

• More information will be sent to you in August.

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