College Application Workshop

1. College Application Workshop Dr. Richard Collins Director of Colleges and Advancement

2. “Frank Bruni (BA, 1986, UNC Chapel Hill) examines the irrational trend of the last few decades that has driven up college applications and driven down the “elite” college acceptance rates. He debunks the notion that only “name brand” colleges can deliver an excellent education. Citing many real-life examples, he shows that there is no one recipe for success in life, which is rarely achieved as a “linear” trajectory. This book will calm your jitters, boost your confidence in the future, and help you to make rational decisions about where to go to college.” (from the suggested reading list on the NOCCA College Counseling web page.)

3. It’s all about preparation. Don’t miss the boat Here are some reminders.

4. Don’t be that kind of senior.

5. Some of what we will cover today • Choosing Schools • Applying to Schools • Common App • Naviance • Test Score Reports • Transcripts • Fee Waivers • Letters of Recommendation • The Personal Essay • Supplemental Questions • Portfolios and Auditions • Paying for College • Campus Visits • Offer Letters

6. Choosing Schools, Think Outside the Box

7. Some helpful websites and search criteria • NOCCA College Counseling • Alumni Factor • Colleges that Change Lives • Best Colleges for African-Americans, according to Essence • Test-Flex Colleges • Niche • College Confidential • College Board

8. Make Lists of What’s Important East Coast Close to Home? or Far away, please! $$$ West Coast Keep your priorities straight.

9. When you have your list, do more research What to look for: • Location (East Coast, West Coast, close to home, big city, small town….) • Type (comprehensive university, liberal arts college, conservatory…..) • Size (how anonymous do you want to be?) • Fit (ACT scores, GPA, acceptance rate, programs for your interests….) • Programs (what you want now--and what you might want later….) • Essential Extras (what can’t you live without?) • Cost: (this should be the LAST thing you consider…..more on this later)

10. NAVIANCE Allows the student to: • Organize the process • Research colleges • Research scholarships • Request transcripts • Request letters of recommendation • Sync with Common App account • Study for the ACT Allows the parent to: • Follow the student’s progress • Research colleges • Research scholarships • Breathe easier

11. Naviance Go to:http://succeed.naviance.com Use Naviance to list colleges, and to request transcripts and letters of recommendation. Some features are optional, but…. NAVIANCE IS REQUIRED FOR AS STUDENTS)

12. Once you’ve done your research and you’re ready to apply….

13. Common App Apply.commonapp.org New application cycle opens August 1, 2019 Add Prospective Schools (up to 20) FERPA Waiver Link with Naviance

14. Specific Application Requirements Be sure that you know the specific application requirements for your major. For example: http://apply.loyno.edu/cmfa-applicants Drill down: 1) University Requirements; 2) College Requirements to 3) Program Requirements. Pay attention to Auditions/Interviews, Demonstrated Interest, Portfolio and Artist Statement requirements, and to DEADLINES. Include these on your organization chart.

15. Transcript Requests • Most requests are made through Naviance • Be sure to request in plenty of time (weeks) • First request includes school profile, description of curriculum, and letters of recommendation • Dual enrollment transcripts must be requested directly from college (Nunez and/or UNO) • Half-day students request transcripts from me

16. Who do you call? For general information about choosing colleges to apply to? For advice on college programs at specific colleges? For advice on college applications, transcripts, etc.? For advice on financial aid? For the final decision about which college to attend?

17. Keep in touch with these people Your College Counselor. For AS students, that’s me, Dr. Collins. For half-day students, it’s your high school counselor. Your College Admissions Counselor. That’s your contact at the school, either in Admissions Office assigned to a geographical region, or in the school, college, or department of your major. Your Financial Aid Officer. That’s the one at the college; they are ready and willing to answer all questions.

18. Terminology about Deadlines Early Decision -- binds you to this school if they accept you. Good if you are certain of school and your ability to pay. Nov application / Dec offer / Instant decision. Early Action-- keeps your options open and gives you plenty of time to choose. Good if your portfolio is already strong. Nov application / Dec-Jan offer / May decision. Regular Decision -- puts you in largest pool. Gives you time to improve your ACT, transcript, etc. Jan or later application / April offer / May decision. (At Pomona College, for example, 20% of Early Decision were accepted of 1000; overall was 9%. But this is likely due to stronger applications in the ED group.)

19. Notes on Early Decision • The only acceptable way to decline an Early Decision offer is if the financial aid offer is much less than what the NPC and EFC estimated, OR if your financial situation has changed drastically since your application. Otherwise, your contract to accept the offer should be considered inviolable. • Many colleges share information about Early Decision candidates, offers, and declined offers, which would jeopardize your chances at similar colleges. • Therefore, don’t apply Early Decision unless you are confident of your financial situation and intend to honor the contract. Apply Early Action instead. • Many competitive colleges don’t offer Early Action but only Early Decision or Regular Decision.

20. Recommendation Letters • Ask someone who knows your work and can give positive feedback about your work ethic as well as accomplishments, especially if you have overcome difficulties • Remember: letters are written as a courtesy, so be courteous • Make requests a month in advance and in person (if possible) • If recommender doesn’t use Naviance, provide email address of college and/or SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope)

21. How can parents help? • Discuss, guide, assist. (Remember: the student is the applicant and should contact colleges--parents can get involved after acceptance, especially with financial aid) • Fill out the “Parent Brag Sheet.” This gives the counselor and teachers additional information and perspective, filling out the human qualities of the student for letters of recommendation • Students also have a Brag Sheet here.

22. ACT and SAT tests • Registration for ACT and SAT are your responsibility • Score reports can be sent at any time through the online test account • Many schools accept scores from NOCCA counselor • Some schools do not require ACT or SAT scores • Some schools use “superscoring” (list in Naviance) • Colleges publish averages and middle 50th percentile • Fee waivers are available

23. Realistic Fit, according to ACT scores alone ACT below 20 • In-state public universities • Community colleges ACT 20-26 • In-state publics, including flagships • TOPS in Louisiana • Some out-of-state publics • Small, less selective private colleges ACT 27-30 • In-state public honors programs • Out-of-state public colleges • Selective private colleges ACT 31-36 • In-state public honors programs • Some out-of-state publics • Most selective private colleges

24. Realistic fit is tempered by talent (merit) Mitigating Factors:: • Talent (and academic merit) scholarships are often based on portfolios, GPAs, and the college’s demographic or talent needs, not ACT scores • Increasingly, colleges allow you to apply “test-optional” if your score is low but your GPA and talent are high • Arts schools and conservatories are good choices when ACT score is low • Homeschooled students are sometimes required to submit scores

25. Fee Waivers for ACT, SAT, and applications Anyone qualifying for free or reduced lunch or other federal, state, or local aid programs also qualifies for fee waivers. See Dr. Collins if you are in doubt.

26. The Essay -- more important for some colleges than others “When we’ve looked at the quantitative measures, our real time and energy go to the qualitative measures. We’re really interested in how students introduce themselves to us.” Asst. Dean of Admissions, Stanford University “We’re looking for an authentic voice in an application essay.” Asst. Dean of Admissions, Georgetown University

27. What are Colleges Looking for? ANGULAR STUDENTS vs. ROUNDED STUDENTS

28. The Essay Colleges often provide specific prompts for the application essay. Explore prompts from Common App: Be concise: 250-650 words. The Writing Process Simplified • Brainstorm • Revise • Read aloud • Revise • Get critiques • Revise • Hear your voice • Is it you?

29. Supplemental Questions The most common supplemental question: What factors influenced your decision to apply to [This College] and why do you think what this college offers would be a good fit for you? Or, What excites you about [This College]? Other questions can be about just about anything: What movie would you star in and why? (Smith College) Design you own block course. (Colorado College) What speaker would you invite to Atheneum? (Claremont McKenna College)

30. Sample Essays & Advice Madeleine Bourgeois’ (NOCCA, 2018) Sample Essay: 2018 Essays featured in NY Times: Essay advice from University of Richmond:

31. Financial Aid Don’t assume that an expensive college is out of reach.

32. Quiz on Financial Aid -- Facts and Alternative Facts Public colleges are always cheaper than private colleges! There are tons of scholarships going unclaimed! Outside scholarships won’t affect your college funds. A full-ride is the same as a full-tuition scholarship. The richest, most selective colleges give the most merit aid. Almost all of a student’s funding will come from the college. Students perform better who have fewer loans.

33. Quiz on Financial Aid -- Facts and Alternative Facts Public colleges are always cheaper than private colleges. There are tons of scholarships going unclaimed. Outside scholarships won’t affect your college financial aid award. A full-ride is the same as a full-tuition scholarship. The richest, most selective colleges give the most merit aid. Almost all of a student’s funding will come from the college.. Students perform better who have fewer loans. FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE

34. How to estimate the real cost of college • Don’t be put off by a college’s “list price” • Use each college’s Net Price Calculator (NPC) to determine your Estimated Family Contribution or EFC) • Explore each college’s merit and talent scholarships • Take a look at Kiplinger’s Best College Values, especially "Average Debt at Graduation" statistics • You will only know for sure if you can afford a college once you have a letter of offer in hand

35. How to estimate the real cost of college (continued) • YEARS TO GRADUATION. How long will you be in college? This may vary, depending on program. Some programs may take longer, especially if you don’t take a full load every term. • AP and DUAL ENROLLMENT. You might get up to a year of credit for AP and/or Dual Enrollment credit. But check each college’s policy, since they vary widely. (See Northwestern State University, for example.)

36. Net Price Calculator For example, University of Denver Net Price Calculator

37. Financial Aid Forms • FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) • Make sure you visit this site: https://fafsa.ed.gov/ • Required for any federal awards. • Now based on “prior prior” year, i.e. 2017 Tax Return (Class of 2020’s prior year would be be 2019, so prior-prior year is 2018) • CSS (College Scholarship Service) https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/ • Financial Aid division of College Board, required by many private colleges to determine eligibility for non-government financial aid, such as the college’s own grants, loans, and scholarships • Institutional Aid Applications • Some colleges have their own, separate aid applications

38. Financial Aid Timelines • Completed FAFSA (and CSS) along with college application • Most colleges automatically determine eligibility for Merit and Talent Scholarships as part of admission process • After acceptance, “need-based” aid is determined • Financial Aid Award Letters are mailed early spring • Acceptance of the offer is expected as soon as possible so that money can be redistributed if not used

39. Determination of Award COA – EFC = Financial Need • COA (Cost of Attendance): tuition + fees + room & board + transportation, etc. estimated by college • EFC (ExpectedFamily Contribution): calculated from what you report on FAFSA

40. Types of Financial Aid in the Package • Grants (federal and state awards, Pell grants, and FESOG; college awards) -- based on FAFSA/CSS • Scholarships (merit-based and talent-based tuition discounts or other awards, including TOPS) • Loans (federally subsidized) -- based on FAFSA/CSS • Work-study (limited part-time paid work on campus or community service)

41. Remember to Update Financial Aid on: • Changes in employment status of parents (loss of job, reduction of salary, retirement, etc.) • New substantial medical expenses not covered by insurance • Change in parents’ (or your) marital status • Unusual dependent care expenses (children or elderly) • Disaster impacts (flood, storm, hurricane, etc.) • January 1 of new year (re-apply for aid each year)

42. External Scholarship Sites • NOCCA College Counseling • LELA Louisiana Education Loan Authority has a list of some dozen reputable FREE scholarship sites • Raise Memini-scholarships earned over time

43. When in doubt …. Ask the College Financial Aid Officer When in doubt, ask the college financial aid officer for more information. If you’ve been accepted, they want you to be able to afford to attend. They may not be able to fund everything, but they should be able to help. Also, the more well-endowed a college, the more free money they have, especially for need-based aid. So an “inexpensive” school is not always the least expensive alternative. Price tags can be deceptive.

44. Compare your financial aid packages • Big Future Comparison Tool • NOCCA Graduate’s Comparison Tool • Blank Award Comparison Tool

46. Meeting with Dr. Collins I’m always available to talk through the process with parents and students. Also, if you and your parents haven’t turned in a “Brag Sheet,” please do so. Your “brags” are crucial for our effective letters of recommendation. Stay organized with something like this CHART

47. Again, some of what you need to know • Choosing Schools • Common App • Naviance • Test Score Reports • Transcripts • Fee Waivers • Letters of Recommendation • The Personal Essay • Portfolios and Auditions • Financial Aid and FAFSA • Campus Visits • Offer Letters

48. Resources • Nocca.com → Academic Studio → College Counseling http://www.nocca.com/academic-studio/college-counseling/ • College Confidential forums http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/ • Dr. Richard Collins, Director of Colleges and Advancement rcollins@nocca.com 504-940-2823

49. Other Terminology about Applications Academic Common Market -- colleges that allow in-state tuition agreements for majors that your state does not have. For example, U Alabama offers Louisiana residents in-state tuition for majors like Musical Theatre, Music Admin, Music Therapy. And Eastern Carolina offers ACM for Physical Theatre. Demonstrated Interest -- A term college admissions counselors use for your college visit, your talk with rep at a college fair, interviews, correspondence with admissions or especially professors, summer program participation, early application, etc.

50. Boats not to miss • Sept 10: 6:30-8:30 pm. College Application Process for Parents Lupin Hall • Sept 15: 11 am - 3 pm. National Portfolio Day (att: Visual Arts) Solomon Hall • Sept 30. 3 - 5 pm. NOCCA College Fair with over 70 colleges in Solomon Hall • Oct 1. 9am-Noon and 6-8pm. NACAC College Fair, Pontchartrain Center • Oct 1. FAFSA Application Opens • Nov 15: Early Decision, Early Action, and many scholarship deadlines begin. • May 1: Final deadline for deciding on the college of your choice.