- KINGS PARK HIGH SCHOOL
- PARENT UNIVERSITY
- OCTOBER 26, 2016
- MR. LINO E. BRACCO MR. ANDREW AKAPNITIS
- PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
- AKAPNITISA@KPCSD.ORG
- 631-269-3345
Tonight’s Agenda - The college application process
- Application timeline
- Two vs Four year institutions
- The “college list”
- Letters of recommendation
- Early Action vs Early Decision
- Brief overview of scholarships & financial aid
- What do you have for me?
Applying to College Can Be a 2 Part Process - August- December: College Applications
- Paper applications
- Online applications/Naviance
- On-site admissions
- January-March: Financial Aid
So You Want to Go to College - Apply to more than one school
- Be aware of Application Options
- Early Decision-Early decision plans are binding. You get accepted around December.
- Early Action-Early action plans are similar to early decision plans, but are not binding. You get accepted around December
- Regular Decision- Apply to multiple colleges and then select by May 1st.
- Due dates for early action or early decision differ from regular admissions
Organization is Important - Establish a list of colleges you plan to apply to
- The longer the list, the better your chances
- I applied to eleven and was accepted to ten
- Create a calendar or buy a planner just for college planning
- Applications
- Research target application due dates (preferred by colleges)
- Absolute deadlines
- Financial Aid
Where to Begin - The earlier you start, the easier the year.
- Compile a list of the colleges/programs you are interested in
- http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/index.jsp
- Make a list of achievements and accolades
- Know testing deadlines and the latest you can take an exam for each school
- Draft an academic resume)
- Include sports, clubs, leadership positions, and volunteer hours
- August-September: began apps
- October - ACT
- November - SAT
- December - ACT
- December- SAT II
- December - submitted all apps?
- January - SAT
- I highly recommend you to take SAT II’s immediately after an AP exam corresponding to that subject
The NEW SAT - SAT - Coming in March 2016
- Important:
- Hey, Seniors
- You’ll probably take the test before March 2016, which means you’ll take the current SAT.
- Your first chance to take the new SAT is March 5.
- You Changed What?
- You might be surprised by everything that’s new about the new SAT:
- All-new essay — and it’s optional
- No penalty for guessing
- No vocab that you’ll never use again
- Know what to expect: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/inside-the-test
- Quick Facts
- 4 parts: Reading, Writing and Language, Math, and the optional SAT Essay
- 400–1600 score scale
- 3 hours and 50 minutes with the SAT Essay — or 3 hours without it
- 4 answer choices
- 4 college application fee waivers for every student who uses an SAT fee waiver
Student Resume - Definitely an integral part of the application
- Makes the Common App easier (section on activities)
- Make yourself stand out
- Find internships
- Special programs
- Quality vs. Quantity
- Name and contact information
- Objective or summary statement
- Work experience
- Volunteer and extracurricular experience
- Education
- Skills
The College List-Who makes the Cut? - Applications are EXPENSIVE—choose wisely
- Common App/Reach Schools
- Brown- $75
- Columbia- $80
- Princeton- $65
- NYU- $70
- Yale- $75
- Other Schools
- Siena - $50
- FSU- $30
- Rutgers- $65
- Tulane- FREE
- LIU - $50
Other Fees - SAT Scores- 4 free per test, additional $10 per school
- Score Choice- choose your best sitting
- SAT= $47
- Includes SAT IIs- ($21** may include an extra $10 charge)
- Advanced Placement Scores- $15 per college
- Sends all scores from school year
- ACT Scores- $10 per test date per school
- Always take ACT + Writing; many colleges only accept this score
- Costs more ($48 instead of $33)
My Pre-College “Investment” The Common App - What it is- a streamlined website to make applying easier
- Advantages-finish all work and save it to the same location
- Expedites payment process
- Only way to apply for some schools
- Not every school uses the Common App
- www.commonapp.org
Know Your Chances - Out-of-state schools may be harder to get into
- Be aware of admissions rates but don’t be deterred
- http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/15/colleges-report-2013-acceptance-rates/
Working on the Application - Longest part of the process
- Take your time
- Proofread—get third party opinions
- Sell Yourself
- Be Original
- Consider the reader- young demographic
Components of the Common Application - Consists of general application
- Future Plans
- Applicant Data
- Demographics
- Family Education
- Academics
- Activities
- Writing- 1 short answer, 150 words or fewer, about an extracurricular and THE PERSOANL ESSAY (250 minimum)
- Specific Supplements for each college
Components of the Common App - Future Plans- admissions route (early or regular)
- Applicant Info-name, address, telephone
- *Demographics- You can opt out of this
- Family Info-profession, sibling info
- Education-input CEEB code (there is a search box)
- Academics-rank, AP scores, SAT scores, current year courses
- Activities-report extracurricular activities
- Writing-essay
- Supplement- varies
Personal Essay - Trip Gabriel’s article, “The Almighty Essay,” discusses the importance of this essay
- “The personal essay, they (admissions counselors) all said, growing soft and fuzzy, is the one element where a student’s own voice can be heard through the fog of quantitative data.”
- Essay can be like a tie-breaker
How To Write an Effective Personal Essay - Think positively—You can do this!
- Discuss something you feel strongly about or an experience that changed you
- Vary your writing style and make your topic sound interesting
- Be yourself and use your voice
- Don’t repeat something already stated in your application
- Grab the reader’s attention right away
- Sleep with a notebook next to your nightstand—sometimes creativity strikes at the strangest times
Personal Essay Topics - The Common App’s questions were the following:
- https://appsupport.commonapp.org/link/portal/33011/33013/Article/1694/What-are-the-2015-16-Common-Application-Essay-Prompts
Therefore… - There really are no wrong answers
- But there are poorly written essays
- The staff of Stevenson University in Maryland was moved by a student’s memories of being a Big Brother, even though he repeatedly spelled it “Big Bother.” Barnard College was puzzled by an applicant who kept referring to her enthusiasm for the “Peace Core.”
- --The Choice
Supplements - Each school will ask for different components
- Some require extended essays (Brown and Princeton)
- Some require short answers (NYU, Columbia, Yale)
- Spend an equal amount of time on supplements as on the personal essay
- Research the school thoroughly if the question calls for it
Additional Requirements - Send OFFICIAL (sealed) transcripts to each school
- Provide Guidance with enough time – ask for a 2-week processing window
- Naviance is your best friend!
- Be aware of schools that do not accept electronic doc’s
- Counselor must fill out Secondary, Midyear, and Final Report on class ranking, etc.
- Forms available at commonapp.org
- Two letters of Recommendation from teachers, 1 from Counselor
- Choose teachers who know you and can write an excellent letter about your awesome traits
When the Application is Complete… - You are halfway there.
- Submit apps before winter break
- Create domains on school websites to track your application and documentation received
- Call undergraduate offices if necessary; it’s their job to help you
- Make copies of all receipts and of your Applications
- Keep all correspondence with schools
- Take a short break because…
Financial Aid is Intimidating but “do-able” - Two types: need-based and merit based
- Need-based
- under $60,000 household= lots of aid (hopefully!)
- Everyone else usually has to contribute something
- Merit based
- Academic standing
- National Merit Scholar-PSAT results
- If you need to apply for financial aid, have your parents file their taxes AS SOON AS THEY CAN
- FAFSA operates on first come, first serve as it is federal student aid
- You may not qualify for anything but loans—this happened to me
- Research qualifications for Pell grants
- Out-of-State schools may still be in reach!
- The Ivies, especially, have their own system of awarding financial aid
Be Proactive - Look for scholarships on your own
- www.fastweb.com
- www.questbridge.org (need-based)
- http://www.whitepicketcollege.com/tag/college-scholarships/ **Non-need based
- www.scholarships.com **
Helpful Sites and Links - The Times education blog “The Choice” provides insight into the entire process and has interviews with students in the process of applying **
- http://www.admissionsadvice.com/
- Common App’s FAQ section
- Collegeboard.com
- Act.org
- NACAC Guide to the College Process
- www.collegeconfidential.com **
- Helpful discussion boards on almost every college topic
Talking About College is the Easy Part - Senior year was my most stressful year
- Choosing a college is one of the single most important decisions in your life
- Easy to lose sight of goal
- Incredible amounts of stress require allocated breaks
- Remember that after Mid-March, everything else is cake
The Ideal Junior Timeline: College Applications - Sophomore Fall- PSAT
- Summer-Visit Prospective Colleges
- Junior Fall- PSAT (NMSQT)
- August:
- Begin Common App
- Work on CV (academic résumé)
- Find clubs and activities
- September:
- Practice for SAT
- Refine College List
- Research College Requirements/Deadlines
- Consider Letters of Recommendation
- Take ACT+Writing
- October:
- Take SAT or SAT II
- PSAT
- Continue Common App
- November:
- Refine Essays
- Ask for Letters of Rec.
- Research scholarships
- December:
- Request transcripts
- Send app
- Prep for interviews
- Continue with scholarship search
- Organize for FAFSA/CSS
- Take ACT/SAT for the last time the college allows
The Ideal Timeline Cont.: Financial Aid - January:
- Submit FAFSA
- Submit CSS
- Continue Scholarship search
- February:
- CSS due for some colleges
- Scholarships
- March:
- May:
- Choose a college by 05.01
REMEMBER! - Admissions officers are basing their selection on 9-11th grade progress.
- Only the first semester of the senior year is sent before decisions.
- Shine early on; don’t try to have a “miracle comeback”
- If offered, do an interview!
In Case of Emergency or Just to Say, “Hello.” - akapnitis@kpcsd.org
- 631-269-3394
- REMIND ME
- To receive message updates and important reminders via text,
- text @kpguidance to 81010.
- You can opt-out of messages at anytime by replying,
- 'unsubscribe @kpguidance'
Insiders Guide to Admission - https://youtu.be/kKARNadxshU
How to Write a Letter of Recommendation - https://youtu.be/DpZI8GQVOlo
What is my Childs Digital Profile? - https://youtu.be/_JAhq-DP6FE
Share with your friends: |