Advice for Seniors

Seniors: Make Sure Your Midyear Report Is Sent to Colleges

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.

For more guidance on the midyear report and other checklist items for seniors, check out the latest post from counselor John Carpenter here.

Seniors: Apply, apply, apply… for financial aid!

The single biggest mistake families make in the college application process is failing to apply for financial aid. So, apply! Even if you think you won't qualify, apply. You may be pleasantly surprised. And sometimes you need to apply for federal aid to receive state aid or merit scholarships.

How do you apply? The FAFSA is required for any student seeking federal and state financial aid, including grants and loans at all colleges in the country.   It can seem complicated, but there is help available -- and it's free.  One of the best resources is College Goal Sunday, an information program that brings together financial aid professionals from colleges and universities along with other volunteers to assist college-bound students and their families complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).  Calendars for their national programs, as well as state-by-state events can be found at their website here.

One More To-Do List for Seniors...

It's not over 'til it's over. Seniors, you may have submitted your applications and caught up on your sleep, but -- apologies! -- there are still some things you need to do. High school counselor and author John Carpenter joins us again this month with some helpful reminders.

 

January… For most seniors that means applications are finished. Submitted.  Done.

Right? 

Wrong.

 

Submitting your application is only one part of this process.  Most kids, I will admit, exhale a big sigh of relief after they've submitted their apps. They either celebrate that the deadline has been met or sleep for two weeks.  And while both options are perfectly acceptable, there’s still a little more to do.  It’s called follow-up.

 

Here’s a list of tasks to be sure to take care of AFTER you submit your applications:

 

Procrastinators: The Time is Now!

John Carpenter is back this month to commiserate with those students who are at heart procrastinators. In other words, those students who have not completed their applications yet. Read on to share the insights of a fellow travel in procrastination land and get inspired. Regardless of your disposition, the time is now!

It’s the holidays.  You’re on break.  Time to sleep in every single day if you want.  And if you’re like many high school students, you still have some work to do on finishing college applications.  I get it—I procrastinate, too, and it’s not as bad as everyone says it is.  But there are some real advantages to getting things done early, and of course, those of you who are FINISHED and have submitted applications know this already.  But this post is not for you. 

For you, those who get everything done ahead of time, congratulations.  We procrastinators wish we were more like you, but we’re not.  We try.  And sometimes we even get better, but the truth is that many of us will always put things off to the very end.

So, if you’re one of those finally getting around to getting your apps finished, good for you. 

Seniors: Do the Right Thing!

Seniors: Do the Right Thing!

For those of you who have applied under early action, rolling admission, or restrictive early action and been admitted -- Congratulations!

We now encourage you to do the right thing. If you know you will not enroll at some of the other colleges on your list, don’t apply to them. Go back through that original list and cross off those schools. Or, if you’ve already sent in your applications, let those colleges know your plans.

Don’t collect trophies in the form of admission letters from colleges you will never attend.

There are some exceptions to this rule. Some colleges very much want to make their case to you even if you have been admitted to another college under rolling admission, early action, or restrictive early action. If there are schools on your list you can still imagine you might attend, feel welcome to keep your options alive provided you are open to the case those colleges will make. And if you need to compare financial aid or merit scholarship awards, you will definitely want to proceed with applications to the other schools on your list.

As you can see, this isn’t simple. But matters of integrity rarely are. Think carefully, and for any school where you would just be collecting another acceptance letter, let that college know your decision as soon as possible so they can offer your seat to another student who wants to attend.

Early Notifications: What to do next if you're accepted, deferred or denied

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.  

Seniors: Questions You May Want to Ask in a College or Alumni Interview

Seniors, over the next weeks, you may be doing interviews at the colleges or, over the holidays, with local alumni. Remember, the interview is a conversation, not a test. But you should prepare. It is likely that at some point in any interview, you will be asked if you have any questions and the general rule is to ask questions that cannot be answered via advance homework -- for example, by perusing the FAQs page of the college's website. Here are some ideas for questions that you may want to ask:

What kinds of students are most successful at College X?

What do you like about College X?

Most colleges have a specific personality that goes beyond its academic offerings. How would you describe College X's personality?

Is there a type of student who is smart and well prepared but who would be happier at a different kind of place? Why or why not?

And, in addition, for alumni:

Why did you choose College X and what did you like about it? What would you have changed if you could have? What surprises did you experience? How has the campus changed?

 

Our Financial Aid Checklist -- Part II

Today, we're pleased to bring you Part II of a checklist of tasks you should be tackling right now to pay for college, courtesy of College Advisor Alice Kleeman. Admission deans, financial aid officers and college counselors agree that the single biggest mistake families make in the college application process is failing to apply for financial aid. So even if you think you won't qualify, apply. Use this checklist to make sure you are eligible for ALL the aid you may qualify for.

 

*          Most importantly, do apply for financial aid to be sure you are considered for all assistance available. You may be pleasantly surprised. And, sometimes, even though you don't qualify for federal aid, you need to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to be considered for merit scholarships, state aid and federal student loans.

*             Check with your high school counselor about financial aid workshops scheduled at your school or in the community and attend with your parents! 

Good Manners in College Admission

Manners count! Lisa Heffernan, from favorite blog Grown and Flown, has ten great reminders for why manners matter, especially for millennials. While she doesn't specifically address the etiquette of the college application process, students would do well to mind her advice. Remember to thank the school counselor and teachers who wrote your letters of recommendation. Be on time for appointments with college representatives and admission office interviews. Be courteous and kind to EVERYONE who works in a college admission office. When you receive your decisions, respond to all of the schools on your list to let them know your plans. We could go on, but our favorite takeaway from Heffernan's post should suffice as a "golden rule" during the application process: Manners are something that people will remember about you, even if they don’t remember what they remember. Manners make an impression and while someone may not recall why they thought well of you (or badly, if you have ignored this) it may have been your courtesy. Don’t take a risk, remember what you have been taught. Read the whole post here.

Seniors: Beware the Biggest Interview Faux Pas

Admission officers say that, by far, the most frequent interview faux pas are wardrobe malfunctions— blouses that pop open, spaghetti strap tops that are too skimpy, flies that are unzipped, workout clothes that look like you just
worked out, makeup more suited to a nightclub, and way, way too much perfume for the girls and aftershave for the boys. At any college interview, students should dress like they are being taken to lunch by their grandparents. Or, as Rick Diaz, regional admission director at SMU, advises: If you look in the mirror and think to yourself, “I look really good,” then change your clothes. You should not look that good. It’s an appointment, not a date. You should dress conservatively and look presentable, not “hot.”
 
For more information about interviews, including interview etiquette, online interviews, and questions students may want to ask, see Chapter 11, "College Interviews," in College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step.

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