Canyon Crest Academy 2014-2015 12 th Grade Student Presentation

1. Canyon Crest Academy2014-201512th Grade Student Presentation Navigating the College Admission Process a.k.a.

2. 2014-2015 Counseling Department Ashley Bahner Student Last Names A - EL   Rebecca Vincent Student Last Names EM - LA Melissa Sage Student Last Names LE - RH Sarah Djernes Student Last Names RI - Z   Please contact your alpha-counselor if you have any questions. Darlene BurtonCollege & Career Center Coordinator Mon.-Thurs. 11:05 am - 3:15 pm, Fri. 11:05 am - 2:00 pm Andy Shephard CCA Registrar

3. Agenda • Overview of College Application Process • Staying Informed & Upcoming Events • Community College Admission • CSU/UC Admission • Private & Out-of-State University Admission • College Entrance Testing • Creating a College List • Naviance • Letter of Recommendation Procedures • Official Transcripts • College Application Tips and Advice

4. The College Application Process & “Rejection” • In most cases, there is no formula which will guarantee admission and there will be some uncertainty in the process. • No single factor is the reason why a particular student is selected or not selected for admission. The college is looking to fit its own criteria each year. • Colleges receive more applications than available spaces so even qualified applicants will not be selected. Not being admitted is not a reflection of an applicant’s worth nor is it a prediction of a student’s future success. It only reflects lack of space to accommodate every student who seeks admission. • Suggestions to minimize stress and increase successful outcomes: • Apply to colleges that are a good fit in multiple ways & make a compelling case by emphasizing your preparation, motivation and fit with the college • Plan ahead, prioritize, be proactive and stay organized • Use a calendar to set goals and alerts for deadlines • Utilize the many resources available to you • Maintain perspective and take good care of yourself – take breaks, don’t compare yourself to friends, and remember that your parents want the best for you  • Ask questions if you need help or are unsure

5. Resources & Staying Informed • 12th Grade Monthly Counseling Calendar • Naviance • College Application Guide by Application Type • Four-Year College Checklist • Two-Year College Checklist • Counseling, College & Career Center Newsletter • Aeries (monitor your grades & graduation status) • Daily Bulletin • CCA website & CCA Calendar

6. Upcoming Events • UC Application Workshop Oct. 15 8:00 am CCA Proscenium Theater • CSU Application Workshop Oct. 15 9:45 am CCA Proscenium Theater • Counselor Q & A Sessions Oct. 29, Nov. 4, Nov. 18 2-3 pm, College & Career Center • FAFSA Financial Aid Night Jan. 21 CCA Proscenium Theater • College Representative visits to the College & Career Center are on-going and can be found in Naviance & Daily Bulletin

7. Community College • Students may enroll at a California community college if they earn a high school diploma. There are no specific requirements for entrance but rigorous classes help to prepare students. SAT/ACT are not required. • The benefits of community college include smaller class sizes and lower costs. It may be a good fit for students who aren’t sure what they want to study or who want to prepare for a career like culinary arts, cosmetology or audio tech. • Students can earn professional certificates, associate degrees and/or participate in transfer programs. • Students who are not admitted to their first choice college or do not receive sufficient financial aid may attend and transfer with higher acceptance rates. • Complete Mira Costa College application & attend Matriculation Day in spring term. • Visit the CCA Community College page

8. Cal State Universities (CSU) Admission • Fulfill the minimum A-G subject requirements • Submit scores for ACT or SAT Reasoning (CSU does not require the Writing score from t SAT or ACT for admission). Use SAT code 3594 to send scores to all CSUs OR send official ACT to one CSU and use CSU Mentor to share with other campuses. • Determined by an eligibility index CSU Application Tips • 23 CSU campuses- apply broadly! • Application open October 1 – November 30, follow the instructions carefully and attend the 10/15 CSU application workshop at CCA to confirm and ask questions before submitting. • Use the transcript to enter onlycollege prep courses and grades without plus/minus. Each CCA grade on the transcript is the equivalent of a semester (fall/spring) grade. Don’t forget to enter all 12th grade classes. • The CA Statewide ID is in Naviance and in Aeries Student Data/Demographics and further info can be found on CSU Mentor under EPT & ELM links.

9. University of California (UC) Admission • Fulfill the minimum A-G subject requirements • Submit scores for SAT Reasoning or ACT with Writing. If official SAT or ACT scores are sent to one UC campus, it will share with other campuses to which you apply. • SAT Subject exams are notrequired but may be submitted if they add value. Visit the UC website for more information. Determined by Admission Index& Comprehensive Review. All campuses use the same 14 factors to evaluate applications but may apply them differently and make admission decisions independently. Be sure to review the process of each campus. UC Application Tips • 9 UC campuses- apply broadly and confirm major choices. • Application opens October 1, submission Nov 1- 30, follow the instructions carefully and attend the 10/15 UC application workshop at CCA to confirm and ask questions before submitting. • Use the transcript to enter onlycollege prep courses and grades without plus/minus on application. Each CCA grade on transcript is the equivalent of a semester(fall/spring) grade. Don’t forget to enter all 12th grade classes. • Complete the scholarship information within the UC application.

10. Private & Out-of-State University Admission • Requirements vary so students must review each college, including whether they require SAT Subject exams, letters of rec. and transcripts. • Many use Committee Selection where the student is reviewed in the context of the entire application. Extracurricular activities, portfolios, auditions and recommendations may play a more significant role. COMMON APPLICATION Students can apply to many colleges using this one application. CCA uses Naviance to interface with Common App.org for all required school materials. REQUIREDCommon Application Materials • COUNSELOR- Secondary School Report, Letter and Transcript required for all students You must check each college for number & type of recommendations • Academic Teachers - evaluation & letter will be submitted via Naviance • ART & MUSIC teachers and any other (coach, employer, etc.) recommendersmust be invited via Common App. and will submit their recs. directly to Common App., not through Naviance. You will use Naviance for academic teachers only for Common App. • List CCA classes as semester courses/credits; use the College App FAQ and Common App Key in the College App Guide to assist you. • Personal essays and often additional supplemental*materials *Supplements - please follow the instructions for each college as these supplemental Common App. materials cannot be submitted via Naviance.

11. College Entrance Testing Remaining Test Dates for 2014 • SAT Reasoning & SAT Subject Exams November 8 (Registration deadline is October 9) December 6 (Registration deadline is November 6) • ACT October 25 (Late registration deadline is October 3) December 13 (Registration deadline is November 7) December test administrations are the last dates accepted by most colleges; October for early applications. • Register and send scores at www.collegeboard.org for the SAT and www.act.org for the ACT. AP, SAT and ACT scores cannot be posted to the CCA transcript and must be ordered directly from College Board and ACT. • www.fairtest.org: A resource with a list of colleges and universities that do not require the ACT or SAT for admission.

12. Creating & Finalizing a College List Use multiple factors - consider majors, cost, type of college/school mission, location, admission rates, size, student life – to find a good fit for you. Your college list should include a broad range of schools, mostly • “Safety” Schools– preparation well exceeds admission requirements & costs • “Match” Schools– preparation meets or exceeds admission requirements & costs And a few… • “Reach” Schools- admission is very competitive regardless of student preparation (historically low admission rates); student does not meet or exceed requirements, or the school’s cost exceeds your college budget • Use college websites and Naviance* to research admission criteria and acceptance rates to compare your qualifications with those of students who have been admitted in the past. *Your best source is always the college. • Keep your list manageable and the focus on what is right for you. Applications involve many steps and each item must be done carefully. Fees range from $45-$90 and applying to a large number of schools can be time-consuming and expensive.

13. Costs & Financial Aid • FAFSA • CSS Profile • College Financial Aid Offices & Applications • Private Scholarships (in Naviance) Resources – including net costs and calculators • College Board • College Navigator

14. Application Types & Deadlines Regular DecisionApplications are due to most colleges between 11/30 and 2/1. Most students apply under Regular Decision. Early ActionApplications are due earlier than Regular Decision and students may receive admission decision sooner under EA.* Single-Choice/Restrictive Early ActionStudents may apply early to one college only (typically students may not apply to other schools using Early Action or Early Decision).* Early DecisionED is binding. Students may apply ED only to one college and must commit to attend that college if accepted. Typically students can apply to other colleges through early action and regular admission, but students accepted under ED must withdraw all other applications.* Priority Deadline earlier than regular, can be required for scholarships. Rolling Admission colleges accept applications throughout the year *Read all details of the different application types prior to selecting. Application deadlines are firm and colleges will not accept late materials.

15. What will be done in Naviance? • If you haven’t already, research colleges using College Search & Match, Scattergrams and acceptance history with admission statistics available for CCA Classes of 2008-2014. • Sign up for college rep. visits to the College & Career Center • Receive reminders and updates from the Counseling Dept. throughout the application process • Finalize your “Colleges I’m Applying to” list • Complete the Brag Packet if applying to colleges that require letters of recommendation • Coordinate school forms and letters of recommendation from counselor and academic teachers • Search for scholarships

16. Sign in with your e-mail address and password. If you forgot your log in information, use the “forgot password” link or contact Mrs. Burton in the College and Career Center. Student account – if you never registered, use your student ID number as the registration code. Parent account - parents who have never registered should use the student ID number with a letter p (ex.123456p) as the registration code.

17. If you don’t have a college list yet, use the “College Research” features and add colleges from there.

18. Data indicates the averages of CCA accepted applicants.Each school determines which GPA it uses for admission. The GPA used in Naviance is the Total Weighted 9-12. Research requirements, overall admission statistics, financial aid/costs, majors, student life and links to the college website. After you have compared yourself to the average admitted student, decide if you want to add this college to your list.

19. Use the “Compare Me” feature to determine competitiveness for admission to all the colleges in your list. When a college is added, it goes into the“Colleges I’m Thinking About” list.

21. Application types/deadlines for each college will appear here. After completing your research, move colleges to the final “Colleges I’m Applying To” list by clicking “Move to Application List” AND…

22. After you add the college to “Colleges I’m applying to,” select the APPLICATION TYPE (i.e. Regular Decision, Early Decision, Restrictive Early Action, etc.) and “Add Applications.” Note: Even though all application types are listed, you should only choose application types that are actually offered by the college to ensure correct deadlines are shown.

23. Students applying using the Common Application must complete the “Common App FERPA Waiver & Authorization” within the Common App and then enter the Common App email address in Naviance to match accounts. Students who will NOT apply to any colleges via Common App can skip this box. Having difficulties matching your account? Click here to view a tutorial about matching accounts.

24. Indicate if “Applying via Common App.” The Common App FERPA & Waiver must have been completed with the same email as Common App to accurately match materials electronically. Don’t leave any ‘unknown.’ If you selected the correct available application type for each college, the deadline will appear. This assists you and your teachers & counselor with due dates. Don’t leave any blank or incorrect. If you need to change any information for a college in this list, click on the pencil to edit.

25. Make sure that all columns of the final “colleges I’m applying to” list are accurate. Your counselor and teacher(s) will use this list for recommendations, college visits, reminders, scholarships and all deadlines. If you add, delete or change deadlines we are not notified so you’ll need to communicate directly if you do so after submitting your FERPA.

26. Evaluations/Letters of Recommendations Evaluations may be required for private universities, out-of-state colleges, scholarships or special programs/majors. • Letters of recommendation are not required or accepted for CSU or UC. • Colleges may state that they prefer teachers from specific disciplines or grade levels; read the instructions for each college carefully. Letters for COMMON APPLICATION Colleges • COUNSELOR written evaluation with a Secondary School Report and Official Transcript is required • ACADEMIC TEACHERS Check each college in Common App for specific requirements about the number of letters required or accepted. Most require at least 1 academic teacher evaluation. If a school only accepts 1 letter, you want to assure that only 1 academic teacher submits a letter. • NOTE: ART & MUSIC teachers and any other (coach, employer, etc.) recommenders must be invited via Common App. and will submit their recs. directly to Common App., not through Naviance. • For Common App, you will use Naviance for counselor and academic teachers only. 4 Steps to Requesting a Letter 1. Ask in person first. 2. Complete the Brag Packet in Naviance. 3. Add counselor/academic teachers to Recommendations under “Colleges I’m Applying To” in Naviance. 4. Turn in a completed CCA FERPA form and any additional paper materials. *The deadline to request a letter of recommendation for early application deadlines is 10/3 and for regular admission deadlines is 11/3.

27. Brag Packet is under “about me”

28. AFTER completing the Brag Packet, use the “Teacher Recommendations” feature at the bottom of the “colleges I’m applying to” page to add counselor & academic teacher(s).

29. Select the counselor & academic teacher(s) from the pull down menu and write a note in the space(s) provided. Click “update requests” to send an email.

30. No teacher or counselor can write a letter without a CCA FERPA agreement. Download and read it carefully! Complete the CCA FERPA and give it toeach recommender with any other required materials (forms, envelopes, etc.).

31. CCA FERPA guidelines: Confirm that the colleges to which you are applying REQUIRE/ACCEPT letters of recommendation. Complete the Brag Packet and finalize the college list before turning in the CCA FERPA. Check specific recommendation requirements per college. If requesting that a teacher only send a LOR to a specific (not all) colleges in the Naviance list, write only those colleges & HIGHLIGHT on the FERPA. List starting with earliest college deadline which should match Naviance deadline column. Complete your name, staff name and signatures in pen. The deadline to request a letter & turn in CCA FERPA for early application deadlines is 10/3 and for regular admission it is 11/3.

32. Do Colleges Care About Senior Classes and Grades? • Absolutely! They expect to see performance that indicates students are ready to succeed in college-level coursework. • Students will include all 12th grade courses (1st and 2nd term) in applications. Colleges do not have a preference related to terms. • Some colleges will also require mid-year reports and transcripts at the end of first term. • A college can withdraw an offer of admission when courses change or grades drop significantly over the course of the senior year. For many colleges this includes a D or F grade in any course. • If classes change after an application is submitted a student must notify the college(s). We recommend contacting colleges directly before changing courses.

33. Official Transcripts • Review the transcript to confirm that all information is accurate including legal name and birth date. • UC and CSU do not usually require transcripts at the time of application unless a campus or program specifically requests it.Read all instructions and emails. • Common Application Only Initial and mid-year transcripts can be sent electronically through Naviance by your counselor if you completed the waiver correctly and your college list is accurate. • For all other transcripts, students can order official transcripts from the CCA Registrar. Allow 24-48 hours processing time. • For a transcript only (no form, letter or other materials) for a non-Common App college, you can also order online via Parchment. • Off campus courses must have an Off Campus Course form on file with the registrar and be completed by May 20, 2015 to be posted to the 12th grade transcript. For off campus classes that are not posted to the CCA transcript, you must contact the other school to have a transcript sent to colleges. All final transcripts in June must be ordered from the CCA Registrar to be mailed.

34. Transcript p= college prep/CSU-UC a-g Note: Each college determines which GPA to use for admission and it is the student’s responsibility to use the appropriate GPA per the application instructions. GPA is on a 4.0 scale. SDUHSD does not rankstudents. Total GPA 9 -12: Includes every course taken in grades 9-12. Acad. GPA 9-12: Includes all courses taken in 9-12, except PE, Teacher Aide and courses graded with a Pass/Fail. Acad. GPA 10-12: Includes all courses taken in 10 -12, except PE, Teacher Aide and courses graded with a Pass/Fail. Cumulative GPA means 9-12 GPA at the time of application.

35. College Application Tips Stay informed and organized – use a calendar with goals and deadlines. Be proactive and take one step at a time. Avoid procrastinating or completing application materials at the last minute. Use an email account specifically for college applications and make sure the address is appropriate. Create folders in your inbox for each college, read everything thoroughly and save!Save all application usernames and passwords. Personal statements should be crafted in the students’ own voice, using concrete examples to support the points made. The statement is presenting an overall picture that can’t be found elsewhere in the application. Save all work & ask someone to proofread. General information like CCA’s address, phone, fax, CEEB/School Code, staff extensions, etc. are on the website and school profile. Give teachers and counselor adequate time to complete a letter of recommendation. If you feel stressed out, take time to participate in one of your favorite activities, take a break, or ask for help. Students with questions can come to a Counselor Q & A or come in during Counseling walk-in periods (before/after school, lunch) every day.

36. Questions? 