Welcome to your Senior Brown Bag

1. Welcome to your SeniorBrown Bag Mrs. Bredenberg A-L Mrs. Jaramillo M-Z

2. Emails Crucial to have email and phone numbers updated with Mrs. Vliet! • College visits • Important Deadlines • Scholarships • Check the list and make sure we have your correct and updated information.

3. DSA Website • The website is a great resource with almost all the information you need! http://dsapresents.org/counseling/ • Forms located on the Seniors Tab • Senior timeline • NEW Naviance tab

4. Naviance • This is your own responsibility to do! • Links • https://connection.naviance.com/family-connection/auth/login/?hsid=dsarts • ID and password • Requirements and Deadlines • Listed with detailed instructions in folder • Links to instructions under Naviance tab on the website User: student ID Pass: 6 digit DOB

5. ACT and SAT • What if you want your new score sent to a college instead of your old score? • What if the application was already due but you want new scores in your application? • Dates included in packets. Make sure to register on time to avoid late fees.

6. Early Decision and Early Action • Early Decision vs. Early Action • Many ED applications are due November 1-15 and in December. • Where are you at with your application?

7. COLLEGE • This semester the focus should be on college applications. • Next semester the focus needs to be on scholarships. • Common app and regular app. • https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/Members.aspx • DSA’s goal for you: Every college application submitted by Thanksgiving Break!

8. College Visits • You can find out about college visits several ways: • Counseling Website • Naviance • Counseling Center • Announcements • Email blasts • How to sign up and get out of class: • Have your parent call the main office and excuse you from that period.

9. College Fairs • Out of State College FairThursday, October 10, 2013John F. Kennedy High School6:30 pm – 8:30 pm • Out of State College FairSaturday, October 5, 2013Colorado Convention Center1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

10. DSA College Application Process

11. Everything is done through NAVIANCE • This makes it easier and faster for all parties involved! • Logging onto Naviance will always be your first step. • Go to the DSA Website Students Counseling Department Naviance Click on the blue link • Username: you student ID # • Password: your six digit birthday (mmddyy)

12. How to request a transcript to be sent: 1) On Naviance under the “colleges” tab click “Colleges I’m Applying To”

13. 2) Click “add to this list”, then click “lookup”, find the college and click the link with the college name. Transcripts cannot be ordered if the college is not on your list.

14. 3) Notice the “delivery type” logo to the right of the college name. • Red Stamp Icon ( ) : Paper transcript must be mailed to college • Blue computer icon ( ) : Electronic transcript (eDoc) must be sent through Naviance • Blue computer icon with CA ( ): Common Application school with electronic transcript must be sent through Naviance. • (Exception: If you are applying to only one Common App school---just use the school’s unique application, not the Common Application.)

15. 4) Complete a “Transcript Request Record” form from the DSA Counseling office. The colleges on this form MUST match the “Colleges I’m Applying To” in Naviance.

16. For all schools requiring paper transcripts: You must drop off the following items to the DSA Counseling Office: 1) 3, 9x12 inch manila envelopes per college with: • The college or scholarships’ full and complete address • DSA’s return address in the upper left hand corner • At least three first-class stamps in the upper right-hand corner 2) Any forms which are supplied by the college or scholarship to be completed by your counselor. These forms are often referred to as “Secondary School Report (SSR)” and usually have sections that must first be completed by you (Name, Address, Social Security Number, Signature, bar code perhaps.) An incomplete SSR may delay the mailing of your application or the college’s decision regarding your acceptance. Therefore, it is very important that you review your SSR or equivalent form prior to giving it to your counselor. Note—The SSR for Common Application schools is filled out by your counselor through Naviance. You do not need to bring a paper form in for any Common Application schools. Note: Please place all of the envelopes/forms in a folder with the due date for each college on the outside of the folder. It is most helpful if the deadlines are listed in chronological order and must be hand deliver to Mrs. Vliet.

17. For all schools with eDocs: Check online to see if transcripts have been submitted. Make sure that if there are miscellaneous SSR or Teacher Forms that need to be filled out, that you print them off of the application and bring to teacher/counselor OR select option to email request to teacher/counselor if applicable.

18. For all Common App schools: You must complete the “FERPA” notice on the Common Application by checking “Yes, I waive my rights to access…” But in order to fill out the privacy box, you FIRST need to set up your Common Application account and choose a user name and password. The FERPA agreement is found under the “Assign Recommender” tab. Please Note: Common App requires that all pieces of the application be sent together—transcript, teacher recommendation, and the Secondary School Report (counselor form that includes the counselor letter of recommendation.)

19. Letter of Recommendation Process: Important first steps before logging onto Naviance: • Pick up a pink letter of recommendation request form from the counseling office and fill out the form. • Go to your teacher/counselor in person and ask if they would write you a letter of recommendation. Hand them a copy of the pink form and thank them!Make sure you are asking a month in advance of when your letter is due!

20. 3) On Naviance under the “colleges” tab, click “Colleges I’m Applying To”

21. 4) Under “Teacher Recommendations” then click “Add/Cancel requests”. Choose a teacher from the dropdown list. You can choose up to four teachers to send a request to. You may also choose different teachers for different colleges.

22. 5) Enter a personal note stating when your letter is due to the college, what colleges you are using their letter for, and any special instructions. 6) Click the “Update Requests” to complete the request. An email will be sent to your teacher notifying them of your request.

23. Letters of Rec for Common App users: • You must sign the FERPA Release Authorization as a first priority. We cannot link your Naviance to your Common Application without you signing this. This is located in the Common Application under the “Assign Recommenders” tab. You must be in a specific college’s application in order to see this tab (NOT the general Common Application page). • In the Common Application go to “Assign Recommenders” and request your recommenders. Again, you must be in a specific college’s application in order to see this tab. Make sure to correctly enter the email address of your counselor/teachers. • Go to Naviance and under the “colleges” tab click on “colleges I’m applying to”. Enter your Common Application email address in order to match your Common Application Account with your Naviance account. • The counselor/teacher will fill out these evaluation forms on Naviance and they will be submitted with all your other additional application materials (transcript, etc) through Naviance.

24. REMINDERS: • Notice the “delivery type” logo to the right of the college name. • Red Stamp Icon ( ) : Paper recommendation must be mailed to college. Provide an addressed envelope and stamp to your recommender. • Blue computer icon ( ) : Electronic recommendation ( eDoc) must be sent through Naviance • Blue computer icon with CA ( ): Common Application school with electronic teacher evaluation must be sent through Naviance. • (Exception: If you are applying to only one Common App school---just use the school’s unique application, not the Common Application.)

25. Test Scores • YOU MUST GO DIRECTLY TO THE ACT OR SAT WEBSITE AND HAVE YOUR SCORES SENT OFFICIALLY TO THE COLLEGE!!!

26. Deadline Reminders • Pay close attention to all deadlines. • Some schools have separate deadlines for auditions, financial aid, and scholarships.

27. Phew! That’s a lot of different deadlines!

29. ORGANIZATION!

30. Financial Aid • CSS Profiler • What is this? • List of schools that use the CSS profile: https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/index.jsp • Why do I have to do this in addition to the FAFSA? • FAFSA workshop February 4th @ 6pm

31. DSF Support • DSF is here to help. They will be at DSA the following dates: •    Oct 16 •    Nov 20 •    Dec 18 •    Jan 15 •    Feb 19 • Mar 26 •    Apr 16 • Scholarship checklist • Scholarship search form

32. Scholarship Checklist • Refer to folder for detailed timeline • Websites to check for scholarships listed • 90% of the scholarship money you will be given comes from the college itself! • The Counseling office gets new scholarships sent to them daily. Check in the scholarship file folder weekly!

33. Project 12.5 MILL • Class of 2013--- almost 12 million in scholarships • Mr. Kohut’s challenge to the class of 2014--- • Don’t forget to update counseling office each time you are offered a scholarship, whether you accept it or not! $12,500,000.00!

34. PowerPoint A copy of this PowerPoint can be emailed to you if you request it.

35. We are excited to work with you! Mrs. Bredenberg & Mrs. Jaramillo