You know how everyone says applying to college just isn't the same as it was when your parents applied twenty-five years ago? Well, it's true... Two mothers of high school juniors put together some facts about what happened!?! on their blog, Grown and Flown. Check it out here.
You should be actively working on your preliminary list of colleges -- the fifteen to twenty schools that have caught your eye as you have begun your research. Remember the goal is to create a list of schools that will provide you with good choices in your senior year. Each college should be a "first choice" -- campuses with compelling reasons for you to attend. Your list should not consist entirely of highly selective schools or only those colleges with names most familiar to you. There are more than 2,600 four-year colleges and universities, after all. While whittling that number down into the fifteen or twenty that work for you sounds like a big task, it's actually not that hard once you have given some thought to what you want and what the colleges offer. And it can be a lot of fun.
For more information on creating a preliminary list of colleges including tips on research and achieving a list that balances admissibility and cost, see Chapter 8, "Creating an Initial List of Colleges," in College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step.
University of California has made available a great step-by-step video covering the filing of the FAFSA. Check it out here. Hat tip: Independent counselor Todd Weaver.
The Midyear Report covers a student's grades, courses, and activities, as well as any disciplinary or criminal history. It is usually completed by the high school college counselor or guidance counselor. Students should request their counselor send this report to ALL colleges to which they are applying. Check the websites of the colleges to which you are applying for the deadline for submission of this report and follow up to make sure the report was sent and the college received it.
The winter testing dates for the ACT and SAT are coming up soon: the SAT will be administered on January 26th and the ACT on February 9th. For many students, practice can improve scores. But if you're listening to your iPod or not taking a timed practice test, you probably won't experience that improvement. Here's how to practice so it means something:
Practice under actual test conditions. Both tests require students to perform in a fixed amount of time. Sit down in your kitchen with a test book and your No. 2 pencils and have a family member time you.
Make sure you practice with real tests. The test services call these materials "disclosed" tests -- actual ACT and SAT tests from prior dates. Such tests are available free from the College Board and ACT, Inc. online and in the registration books. If you use a guide from the bookstore or local library, make sure it contains "disclosed" tests.
Timing matters. Preparation is more effective closer to the test date so right now is perfect timing. Don't wait for the days right before you walk into the test center.
Juniors, as you continue to give your best effort in the classroom, create a file for saving examples of your finest work in the classroom, such as graded papers, lab work or tests with teacher comments. Some colleges may require submission of examples of your classroom work. Or if you apply to a test-optional school, you may be required to submit a graded writing sample or other additional work. Lastly, when you are requesting letters of recommendation at the end of this year, it can be helpful to provide your teachers -- and they may request it -- a graded paper as part of the information they will use to do their job well.
On Tuesday, January 29th, Christine VanDeVelde is excited to be conducting a live one-hour video chat with the High School Ambassadors of Her Campus. Her Campus is the #1 online community for college women. The Her Campus High School Ambassadors are a group of 100 high school girls from around the country and abroad with a passion for media. Every week, they learn a new skill that's crucial to making it in the communications industry -- then they put it into practice. During any given week, they may be writing articles and blog posts; spreading the word about Her Campus via creative projects, contests, and campaigns; and serving as consultants to the Her Campus Team on high school trends and hot topics. Can't wait to see what questions they have in store for us and to see what is on the minds of these juniors and seniors. Thank you, HerCampus.com.
Jim Montague is Director of Guidance and Support Services at Boston Latin School in Boston, Massachusetts, a public college preparatory school serving an urban, culturally and socioeconomically diverse student population in grades 7 to 12. Helen Montague is Director of College Counseling at Lincoln School in Providence, Rhode Island, an urban independent college preparatory school for girls from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. We are pleased to feature this husband and wife team as our counselors of the month for January in the new year of 2013. Twice the advice from a duo of counselors who approach our questions from the vantage points of two distinguished educational institutions.
Boston Latin is this country’s oldest school, founded in 1635, with 2,414 students among whom today more than 40 languages are represented. Latin admission is based on a secondary school exam and a strong academic record. “We think of them as the best and brightest in the city of Boston,” says Jim Montague.
College application deadlines generally cluster around the same time, depending on the type of school and the decision plan a student has selected. Hopefully by now you have checked the website of every college to which you are applying, since deadlines can vary from school to school and may be confusing. For example, some colleges have a supplement deadline prior to their Common Application deadline.
Our best advice? Do not wait until the last minute to submit your forms. Many colleges shut down completely between Christmas and New Year’s. If you run into problems, the admission office will not be open to advise you. So plan accordingly.
And if you insist on taking it down to the wire, be aware that on the Common Application, all time stamps are in the United States Eastern time zone, which is where Common Application offices are located. Also, all deadlines are automatically set as 11:59 p.m. This means that if you are filing from Seattle on January 1, with a January 1 deadline, you will need to submit your application no later than 8:59 p.m. Pacific time. Colleges do have the latitude to extend their deadlines to their own local time, and many do. (If you are using another form or electronic provider, check to see how they time- stamp their applications.) Your safest bet is to use U.S. Eastern time as your standard.
Actually, your safest bet is to submit each of your applications well before the clock strikes midnight on the due date.
It's decision time for students who have applied early action (EA), early decision (ED) or restrictive early action (REA) with the news soon to arrive via email or snail mail. Once you receive your notification, there are still some steps to be taken. We've outlined these next steps for students under every scenario -- acceptance, deferral or denial.
Students admitted under early decision (ED), early action (EA), or restrictive early action (REA):
Congratulations! First let us say we're so happy you will have one more thing to celebrate over the holiday break! Once you catch your breath, here are some steps to take:
Early Action and Restrictive Early Action
EA and REA programs are nonbinding and students have until May 1 to inform the college whether they will enroll.
Early Decision
ED programs are binding and students must enroll if accepted.
