The College Application Process

1. The College Application Process Information for I.B. Students and their Parents May 21, 2014 MVHS By PresenterMedia.com

2. Summertime Suggestions Relax and have fun, but do some preparation, too! • Continue your college research • Continue to develop your list of possible schools • Rule of Thumb: 2 Safety Schools, 3-5 Match Schools, and 2 Reach Schools • If possible, visit some campuses this summer.

3. Admissions Profile Information For UC schools, listed numbers are for CA residents only. SAT/ACT scores differ by school and choice of major.

4. Summertime Suggestions Get Organized! • Set up a crate or file system for the colleges on your list. • Create a file for each college. • Create a file for Financial Aid and Scholarship material, too. • While you are getting organized, apply for your FAFSA PINS. Parent and student each need his/her own PIN. • Reflect on all of your activities, awards, and accomplishments from the past 3 years. Get it all on paper. Please fill-out the MVHS Letter or Recommendation form and update your resume.

5. Summertime Suggestions Get a head start on essays/personal statement • The UC and most private institutions require a written statement/essay. (See hand-outs) • Do pre-writing activities to get your ideas flowing. • Write a rough draft. • Ms. Inouye will help you with this. Have your rough draft ready to go by the beginning of school.

6. Summertime Suggestions Clean up your online identity and image! • Your online image should match the image of yourself that you want the admissions officers to see. • Be careful of any pictures, posts, or tweets on FB and Twitter. • Adjust your Privacy Settings. • Establish an email account that you will use for all of your college applications and correspondence. Make sure the address is professional i.e. IBNighthawk@gmail.com. • Important! Continue to monitor and use email!

7. Summertime Suggestions Make time for Test Prep! • Prepare for SAT and/or ACT exams which you will take in early Fall. SAT 10/11, 11/08, and 12/6 ACT 9/13, 10/25, and 12/13 Need Help Preparing? • SHMOOP (Free on MVHS website) • Be College Wise • Princeton Review • University of San Diego • Kaplan • College Board and ACT websites

8. Late Summer and Fall Activities Back to School already???? • Sign up to take your SAT/ACT exams. All testing done by Dec! • Write final draft of your personal statement and essays. • Ask for letters of recommendation. Provide the MV Letter or Recommendation Form. If letter is to be mailed, provide stamped, addressed envelope. • Finalize your list of colleges to which you will apply. • New this year! UC application opens August 1st! Start working on it!

9. October and November! Priority Filing Months in California! • CSU: October 1 – November 30! • Apply online at www.csumentor.edu • UC: November 1 – November 30! • Apply online at admissions.universityofcalifornia.edu/ • Private Schools: Some have their own application but many use Common App at www.commonapp.org/ • Keep an eye on all application deadlines!

10. Winter Activities $$$$$Financial Aid and Scholarship Time$$$$$ • Complete the FAFSA: First day to submit is January 1, 2015. • Don’t put off submitting, even if you haven’t filed your taxes. You can use estimated income information and correct later. • MVHS will electronically submit your Cal Grant GPA Verification for you in February. Deadline for FAFSA and Cal Grant is 3/2. • The Murrieta Dollars for Scholars application will be available online in December. Two letters of rec are required. Check the MVHS Counseling website for more scholarships as well as sites like FASTWEB and Cappex.com.

11. Late Winter and Early Spring The fun begins! • Check your email regularly! Keep a look-out for the postman, too. College acceptances often arrive during this time. • Keep your grades up! • When you do receive your acceptances (And You Will!) make sure to provide all required information and again, WATCH YOUR DEADLINES! • Continue to study hard and prepare for your IB exams. • Whew! That wasn’t so bad, was it?