Welcome Parents! October 1, 2014

CASELOADCOUNSELORWORK HOURSQ & A period A – HWILSON x.2254 Daily 8:50am – 4:00pm Daily 10 th period J – KPEDRICK x.2222 Daily 9:15am – 5:15pm n/a L – RWANG x Daily 8:40am – 3:50pm Daily 5 th period S – Z HUGHES x.2254 Daily 8:00am – 3:10pm Daily 1 st period We have walk-in question and answer sessions throughout the day. Students can ask questions of any one of us!

 Full assembly with senior class  Met with all the senior social studies classes  Welcomed 48 college admissions reps to Stuy  Began one-on-one college advisement w. seniors  Notified 119 seniors of their status as National Merit Semifinalists  Assisted 46 students in applying to Questbridge  Hosted a Questbridge presentation  And much more!

 Generally speaking, what are some differences:  enrollment  class size  research opportunities  facilities  data driven vs. holistic admissions approach  Public Colleges: out-of-state populations  U. Michigan: 40% of student body is from out-of state  U. Virginia: 31%  U. California, Berkeley: 20%  U. Wisconsin, Madison: 36%  U. Vermont: 74%  Notes:  Many publics have “Rolling Admissions” policies (apply early),  Tuition for out-of-state students can be 2 or 3 times greater than the college’s tuition for its in-state students

 Georgetown University is comprised of 4 colleges  College, Business, Nursing, Foreign Service  Cornell University is comprised of 7 colleges  Arts and Sciences, Engineering, ALS, Human Ecology, AAP, ILR, and Hotel Administration  Students should apply to the school that is the best MATCH for them  Academic program in which they are interested  Engineering: math and science!  Business: math and business/economics electives  Overall GPA is important, but it’s not always the most important factor  In some cases, difficulty of admission can be greater at one college than another college within the same university (ex: Stanford overall acceptance rate was 5.9% last year. Carnegie Mellon CS program: 5.8%)  Transferring within the University – possible, but not guaranteed  NOTE: some universities allow you to apply to more than one of their colleges – rank your order of preference (Carnegie Mellon, Cornell,...)

 moving towards a final list of colleges that is balanced:  “Reach”  “Possible”  “Target”  “Safety”  “Financial Safety” schools  Review Admissions Stats in Student Tools  Research provided on the schools’ websites

high test scores sustained commitment to activities quality of coursework leadership life goals demonstrated interest aspirations well-written essays talent curiosity service creativity intellectual passion enriching life experiences you interesting viewpoints academic success Our application review is holistic.

 Read the college applications VERY CAREFULLY.  Provide the colleges with everything they ask for, such as:  standardized tests: ACT, SAT, and SAT Subject Tests  Some colleges ask for specific SAT Subject Tests, such as MIT (one Math, one Science)  are you required to apply to a specific college within the larger university?  complete all required essays  Make use of Stuy’s Writing Center in Library  Supplemental essays  college interview  and, meet all of the colleges’ various deadlines: Admissions, Financial Aid, etc...

Deadlines for informing the college office: Applying Early Action/Decision If your child is applying to any college(s) ED or EA, or to a BA/MD program, they must list this school on Naviance by 10/27/14. Applying Rolling Admission If your child is applying to any college(s) that have rolling admissions, they must list this school on Naviance and then they must inform their college counselor after they have hit submit. Otherwise, we will not know to send their transcript/SSR. Applying Regular Decision For all other colleges for which your child is applying to, they must list these schools on Naviance by 1/04/15.

 (to name a few):  BA/MD programs – these often have early deadline dates.  U. of California – 11/30 (must self report grades)  Rutgers – application deadlines EA: 11/01 and regular: 12/1 (must self report grades)  CUNY Macaulay Honors College – application deadline December 1 6pm (remember to enter OSIS# on CUNY online application)  colleges in the UK/outside of the U.S. often have very early deadlines. (for UK colleges, visit and search “Non-UK Students”)  If applying to Oxford, student should inform Ms. Wilson by October 13 th  Some colleges, often large public colleges, have early “Priority” Application or Scholarship Deadlines (often in early – mid November).  MAIN POINT – stay on top of all deadlines and inform the College Office of any “unusual” deadlines.

 Online:  Invite the teacher from the Teacher dropdown list on Naviance.  Through the Mail:  provide teachers with stamped, addressed envelopes, with return address of Stuy 345 Chambers Street... and teacher’s name  give these envelopes to teachers several weeks before the colleges’ application due dates  be aware of deadlines; communicate them as soon as possible to teachers whether they are mailing the recommendations or submitting them online. PLEASE write a thank you note to Teachers and Guidance Counselors. They work extremely hard on recommendations.

~1 – 2 maximum ~Have to tell something different How do colleges feel about supplemental recs? Supplemental evaluations are also welcome — we simply ask that they provide different or additional context beyond the two we’ve already requested. Some examples of supplemental recommendations include coaches, employers, research advisors, and music teachers. Supplemental letters from a third academic teacher rarely provide additional helpful information. Most applicants, and most admitted students, submit no supplemental recommendations. Some applicants and admitted students submit one supplemental recommendation; a few submit two. Submitting more supplemental recommendations will not disqualify you, but it is rarely necessary.

 Check the “College Office” link frequently for the schedule of College Admissions Representatives visits to Stuyvesant.  These visits are also updated in Naviance  Also check the schedule posted at the entrance of the College Office  Student will pick up a pass from the College Office to attend the visit  Student will obtain permission from their teacher to attend the session  Student is responsible for any classwork/material that they miss when meeting with a rep.

 October: transcript, current schedule and SSR  February: First Term Final Grades (known as the “Mid-Year Report”) Standardized Test Scores to the colleges you’re applying to. Send scores through collegeboard.com and act.org. Supplementals to the applications All Financial Aid documents AP scores will only need to be sent to the ONE college your child chooses to attend

 The College Office does not need any of the colleges’ Secondary School Report forms or High School Counselor Recommendation forms.

  Financial Aid Forms (crucial to meet all fin aid deadlines):  FAFSA  CSS Profile  TAP (for NYS colleges)  Main Point – don’t let the sticker price of a certain college prevent you from applying there. Often, a great deal of financial aid is awarded to students. Still, make sure that you apply to some Financial Safety Schools.

 NY Times: “Help for the Not So Needy”  U.S. News & World Report   “Scholarship Search” 

Q & A