NUTS AND BOLTS OF COLLEGE APPLICATION CLEMENTS COUNSELING
NUTS AND BOLTS OF COLLEGE APPLICATION! CLEMENTS COUNSELING
KEY POINTS • Top 10% rule in Texas • Some universities such as UT 8% or lower • Does not guarantee major • Holistic admissions in private college admissions • “ best fit” students
TEXAS HOUSE BILL 588 Texas House Bill 588, commonly referred to as the "Top 10% Rule", is a Texas law passed in 1997. The law guarantees Texas students who graduated in the top ten percent of their high school class automatic admission to all statefunded universities. The law only guarantees admission into university. Students must still find the means to pay, and may not achieve their desired choice of major.
HOLISTIC REVIEW • Class rank • Test scores • High School course work • Personal achievement • Written Essay • Activities information • Recommendation • Special circumstances
FACTORS IN COLLEGE ADMISSION • GPA : strength of curriculum • Rank • ACT/SAT score (https: //www. khanacademy. org/) • Essay • Extra curricular activities • Recommendations • Leadership position • Work • Extenuating factors • Commitment and dedication to an activity over four years
GPA How can you compare Cori‘s 3. 78 from her high school in a blue collar suburb of Ohio to Caitlyn‘s 3. 56 from a tony neighborhood of San Francisco? What is the formula for calculating GPA? Does class rank depend upon the overall GPA, or only the GPA in core academic classes? Does the GPA formula penalize students for taking extra un weighted electives? Which courses are weighted? How are grades in repeated courses, summer courses, and courses taken outside the high school treated? Is there a limit to the number of weighted courses that can be included in the GPA ?
6 POINT SCALE: CLASS OF 2016, 2017, 2018
RECOMMENDATIONS • Not always required • All common application schools require Secondary school report • Texas schools do not require • Teacher Recommendation: “spotlight” • Counselor recommendation: “ floodlight” • Always request beforehand • Provide resume • Counselor letter of recommendation packet
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES • Commitment and dedication to one activity over 4 years • Do these reflect personality and interest of the student? • Has the student demonstrated leadership? • Well rounded student
ROLLING ADMISSIONS Advantages • Expect to hear back in 4 to 8 weeks after submitting the application • If you apply late, you can potentially find a spot after all other deadlines have come and gone • Used correctly, can help you avoid competition (and stress) • Provide flexibility in options and results Disadvantages • Best used early in the admissions process • Sometimes, there are still deadlines in place • Can be highly competitive, at certain times of year • Can potentially lock you in to making decisions sooner than you would otherwise have to
REGULAR DECISION • Can apply Regular Decision to as many schools as they would like • Application submission deadlines will vary between institutions • Regular Decision deadlines typically fall in early January, and offers of admission are sent out in late March or early April. • These students will have until May 1 to either accept or decline their offers
EARLY ACTION (EA) • Non binding • Apply early. • Receive an admission decision early in the admission cycle (usually in January or February). • Consider acceptance offer; do not have to commit upon receipt. • Apply to other colleges under regular admission plans. • Give the college a decision no later than the May 1 national response date.
EARLY DECISION • Binding promise. • Students apply early (usually by November 1 or November 15, depending on the college), and will receive their admissions decisions early–usually by December 15. • The student, parents, and school counselor sign a pledge that, if accepted, they will attend that college. • The student agrees to withdraw all other applications, and not accept any other offers of admission. Apply early (usually in November) to first-choice college. • Agree to attend the college if accepted and offered a financial aid package that is considered adequate by the family. • Apply to only one college early decision. • Apply to other colleges under regular admission plans. • Withdraw all other applications if accepted by ED. • Send a nonrefundable deposit well in advance of May 1.
Are you prepared to apply early to college? If you are even considering the option of early decision or early action, here are the steps you need to take right now:
January– May–June Junior Year Take the SAT® and/or ACT Visit colleges during spring break Take SAT Subject Tests if required Work hard and keep up good grades (Note: Colleges only have your transcript through junior year)
September– October Work on and complete applications Get teachers to fill out recommendation forms File early decision or early action applications according to school deadlines and procedures Take SAT or ACT if necessary (Note: October is the last test date that will make scores available in time for early decision and early action programs) If necessary, register for CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® online or by using a form
November Continue filing early decision or early action applications according to specific school deadlines Follow up with teacher recommendations Work on regular-decision applications as a backup if you don't get in early decision or early action File the PROFILE form and any other college-based financial aid forms that may be required of early decision candidates
HOW TO PAY FOR COLLEGE Financial aid: • Financial aid is money lent or given to you to help you pay for college Grants and Scholarship: • You don’t have to pay back. That’s why they’re called gift aid. • Scholarships are merit based. • Awarded to students with certain qualities, such as proven academic or athletic ability. • Maintaining a certain GPA, for example — that you have to follow to continue receiving aid. • Most grants are need based
FAFSA • https: //fafsa. ed. gov/ • FAFSA is the application used by nearly all colleges and universities to determine eligibility for federal, state, and college-sponsored financial aid, including grants, educational loans, and work-study programs. • The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form used by the U. S. Department of Education to determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) by conducting a “need analysis” based on financial information, such as income, assets and other household information, which you (and your parents if you are a dependent student) will be asked to provide. • FAFSA Eligibility • FAFSA Deadlines: file FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1 st.
CSS/FINANCIAL AID PROFILE • Create a College Board online account. • online application that collects information used by almost 400 colleges and scholarship programs to award financial aid from sources outside of the federal government. After you fill out the application, the College Board sends it to the colleges and scholarship programs you have chosen. • register at CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE at least two weeks before the earliest college or scholarship priority filing date • Sending your PROFILE report to one college or scholarship program costs $25.
WHAT IF I DON'T THINK I QUALIFY FOR ASSISTANCE? • Even if you think your family earns too much to qualify for aid, or too little for the aid to make much of a difference, students are encouraged to complete and submit a FAFSA. • Regardless of income, most families are eligible for multiple types of aid, such as federal loans and students are frequently surprised by the amount of aid for which they qualify. Filing is free, and unless you apply, you'll never know how much assistance you may be eligible to receive.
GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS How to Apply for Grants and Scholarships? • Federal and state governments ( Pell Grants) • Individual colleges and universities • Community organizations • Parents' and students' employers
SCHOLARSHIPS • Scholarships typically do not have to be repaid. • extremely competitive, so start researching early. • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to give you an idea whether you are eligible for need-based financial aid. • Ask employers, clubs, associations, or other local groups if they offer scholarships. • Talk to the financial aid office at the college you plan to attend. • Talk to your high school counselor and find out if they know of any grants or scholarships. • Use the Internet to do a scholarship search. Review our list of financial aid resources for ideas about where to begin. • Beware of scholarship scams.
HOW TO APPLY FOR COLLEGES IN TEXAS? • https: //www. applytexas. org • Admission information for every Texas Public University, plus some private and two-year schools • Complete and submit your admission and scholarship applications online. • No need to start from scratch. Copy a completed application and use it to apply to another school • Apply. Texas Essay Prompts A, B and C
APPLY TEXAS ESSAY PROMPTS A, B AND C Essay A: What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person. Essay B: Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself. Essay C: You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there? Essay B: Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself. Essay C: You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?
THE COMMON APPLICATION • Undergraduate college admission application • Apply to any of 517 member colleges and universities in 47 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and United Kingdom. • Not-for-profit membership • Its mission is to encourage the use of "holistic admission" a process that includes subjective factors gleaned from essays and recommendations alongside more objective criteria such as class rank and standardized testing.
HTTPS: //WWW. COMMONAPP. ORG/LOGIN
2016 -2017 Essay Prompts 1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again? 4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. 5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
REQUIRES SECONDARY SCHOOL REPORT • Submit recommendation packet to counselor three weeks in advance • Requires Counselor recommendations • Pay attention to limit set for teacher recommendations • Do not wait till the last minute
SECONDARY SCHOOL REPORT
NEW COALITION APPLICATION • Increase college access to all student’s • Another way to apply • As a result of technological problems in submission process of common application • Virtual lockers • Early preparation • Private colleges must pledge to meet the demonstrated financial needs • Affordable tuition • Solid financial aid • Still work in progress!!!!
HOW TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTS Transcript
HOW TO COPE WITH COLLEGE REJECTION?
VARIABLE THAT INFLUENCE ADMISSION DECISIONS • Ever growing pool of applicants • Geographical diversity • Socio-economic status • Alumni affiliations • Artistic and athletic talents • Institutions own agenda and institutional priorities All factors not in your control!!!!!!
FACTORS IN YOUR CONTROL!!! • Coping is the key • Admission decisions do not define you! • Remember it is not personal • Focus on rewarding education and not the name if institutions • Take time to absorb the news • Have more than one option • Still have time to apply regular decision schools • Keep an open mind • Life goes on!!!
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