Private College Applications

1. Private College Applications September 15, 2015

2. Regular Decision Timetable Application in Fall Scholarship due date = application deadline Financial Aid Forms in January (FAFSA) Offers made only to those accepted to the college Scholarships in Spring May 1 = Decision Day Notify colleges you will not attend!

3. Applying to College APPLICATION TRANSCRIPT SAT/ACT

4. Apply Texaswww.applytexas.org Apply Texas, the site for Texas state school applications, now works for many Texas private colleges. If you are applying to public and private colleges, and all of them can be sent from Apply Texas, do that!

5. Private College Applications 1. Student Forms to complete • www . commonapp.org • Essays, resume • Scholarship Application • Recommendation Letter Survey

6. Private College Applications 2. Lamar forms to complete may be: Common App Secondary School Report School Report Counselor Recommendation Letter Transcript Teacher Recommendations Common App Midyear Report issent by the Advisor with fall grades.

7. Step One: Filling out Applications Check Scholarship and Admission Deadlines. Complete applications & essays If you are applying to Common App schools establish a login at www.commonapp.org and complete the application there. It will ultimately be submitted to every school to which you apply. Pay fees or get a fee waiver in the College Corner. Once the fee is paid or your fee waiver is activated your completed application will be sent to your potential colleges.

8. Application Essays Your best opportunity to make paper become a person. Be a storyteller. They have your resume already. Use your experiences to show how they influenced your outlook.

9. Step Two: Recommendations from Teachers • Make sure you are sending the recommendations that the college is requesting. Don’t send a counselor recommendation when they request a teacher recommendation or vice versa. • Which teacher has a story to tell about you? • Don’t give your resume or the Recommendation Survey for your advisor to your teacher. If a college requests both a teacher and counselor recommendation they need to be different. (Common App requires both!) • Ask your teachers well ahead of time and complete info they might request • Colleges usually prefer a teacher from 11th or 12th grade and in a field related to the major you are requesting.

10. Step Two: Recommendations from Advisors Email Letter of Recommendation Survey to your Advisor. Fill this out thoughtfully. Parent input section is important. -Find Survey on Naviancein Document Library tab. -If you don’t get a reply from your advisor, make an appointment. -PLAN AHEAD! You must give the advisor 2 weeks to complete your letter.

11. Step Two: Recommendations Checklist PERSONALLYask for the recommendation from your teachers and advisors. NEVER leave forms with a secretary or on the teacher’s desk. INCLUDE everything requested by your recommender.

12. Step Three: Naviance 1. Use it to request items you need 2. Links with your completed application on commonapp.org and sends your recommendations and transcripts electronically 3. You supply stamped, addressed envelopes for non-Common Application recommendations

13. Step Three: Naviance • Log into Family Connection: www.connection.naviance.com/hisd-lamar • Username: HISD student ID • Password: 8 digit date of birth in MMDDYYYY format with no slashes or dashes These are being reset September 15-17, so after the 17th everyone must login using the above information.

14. Step Three: Naviance • Parents have access to student accounts with personal code from the College Corner • Registered students who forgot their code need a reset from the College Corner • Email nalderet@houstonisd.org and in the subject line: Need Parent Naviance Code. Include student name and grade. For student reset: Need Naviance Reset. Include student name and grade

15. Step Three: Naviance Tell Naviance the “Colleges I’m Applying To”. Request Transcripts & Midyear Reports (if needed) on Naviance. See Document Library on Naviance for directions.

16. Avoid Naviance Problems Finish your COMMON APPLICATION on commonapp.org before advisors and teachers complete their recommendations

17. Avoid Naviance Problems If your advisor and teachers completes their letter before you complete your application, notify them when you have completed it. Your application materials can be sent again and matched with your application. • Add all colleges in Naviance under “Colleges I’m Applying To” • Check off your FERPA preference: waive or not waive your right to review recommendations

18. Resources Go to Naviance (Document Library)or the Lamar Website (College Corner) Letters of Recommendation Survey Applying to a Private College Applying to out of state public colleges Applying to Texas state colleges

19. Avoid Problems & Delays CHECK BACK on Naviance to see if everything was sent Expect 2 weeks for recommendations to be written CHECK WITH THE COLLEGE to see that they have received everything CHECK YOUR NAVIANCE MESSAGES to get scholarship information and important information from your advisors.

20. Non Common App Schools For schools NOT ACCEPTING THE COMMON APPLICATION: Check to see if there is an online application. You may have to give them your advisor’s contact information so that the advisor can submit their information electronically. For schools with the Orange Postage Stamp icon bring stamped, addressed envelopes to teachers and advisor for each recommendation & midyear report. • No return address on the envelopes

21. Requesting Transcripts October rank includes summer school grades. Drops no-shows and adds new seniors. When the new rank comes out in mid October, transcripts will no longer be available with the July rank.

22. Transcript Requests on Naviance When you request a transcript on Naviance you will see a list of your requested transcripts. Next to each transcript you will see one of three icons: An Orange Postage Stamp A Blank Computer Screen A Computer Screen with CA in the middle

23. Orange Postage Stamp An Orange Postage Stamp symbol means you have to pick up the transcript in the Registrar’s Office and mail it yourself. Keep in mind that deadlines are received in the office deadlines, not postmarked by deadlines. “SENT” in Naviance means the transcript is ready to pick up, not that it has been mailed. Lamar High School does not mail transcripts. Do not open a sealed transcript before you mail it. Once you break the seal it is no longer an official transcript. Your first five “snail mail” transcripts are free. After that it is a $2 charge per transcript.

24. Computer Screen with CA on it Transcript will be sent electronically ONLY if the Common Application School Report is complete. The Academic Advisor submits the School Report, Counselor Recommendation Letter, and Transcript electronically.

25. Blank Computer Screen Transcript will be sent electronically regardless of the application used.

26. SAT Subject Tests Take only if required; take more than minimum if you can do well! May take up to 3 at one administration Not all tests are available on each date ACT with writing may substitute

27. SAT Subject Tests Math has 2 options: • See www. collegeboard . com for samples and review materials • Your college may choose for you depending on the major

28. Colleges Visit Lamar Almost 200 colleges visit Lamar students each year Schedule on hallway TV monitors & on Naviance Show interest in them by completing contact cards

29. College Visits • Must be approved in advance of the visit • Send an email to jmcswain@houstonisd.org • 2 approved visit days count as extracurricular • No more than 5 extracurricular each semester More than 2 visit days could be excused absences with proper documentation

30. Early Decision vs. Early Action • Early Action is NOT binding. You are free to apply to other schools and compare offers. • Acceptance of an Early Action offer has a later deadline than Early Decision. • Early Decision may give you an advantage in the selection process.

31. Early Decision vs. Early Action • Application deadlines are earlier for both – usually October or November • Only one application may be sent for Early Decision • Early Decision is a binding agreement. Once accepted, you are expected to attend.

32. The Down Side of Early Decision • Binding Decision • No option to change your mind • No comparison shopping $$$ • Decisions made early in the year

33. $$$$$ Over 90% of the money given to students to go to school comes from the college they attend If your rank and SAT/ACT is higher than the average admitted student, your chances of getting $ increases

34. Financial Aid • PROFILE or FAFSA ? • FAFSA forms available in January • File online for best results • FAFSA forecaster at: www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov /

35. Scholarships • Some schools have a separate site and applications for scholarships • Watch Naviance for scholarships • Consider local scholarships for a smaller pool of applicants. Look seriously beginning in January

36. Upcoming Events September 15 6:00 Open House September 21 6:00 Public College Admissions Meeting September 30 6:00 College Night