Senior Year The College Application Process

Questions to Consider  Have you discussed your post-graduation plans with your family in depth?  Did you follow up with counselor recommendations that took place at the Junior planning conference last spring?  Have you visited college campuses?  Have you identified your reach, target, and safety schools?

Reach, Target, Safety Schools  Reach Schools (1-2): These are colleges that present an admissions challenge because the admissions criteria are competitive and a small percentage of applicants are admitted.  Target Schools (2-4): These are colleges where student qualifications closely match those of the average student.  Safety Schools (1-2): These are colleges where the students’ academic profile exceeds the academic profile of the students accepted at the college.

Have You Requested Letters of Recommendation?  You should request 2 teacher letters of recommendation.  You may also want to consider coaches, employers and/or community leaders as character references.  Counselors write letters of recommendation for all students

Have You Prepared The College Essay?  The college application asks ONE basic thing- who are you and what makes you different from all those other qualified applicants? How you answer these questions sheds light on your values, opinions and talents. Write from “the heart”. Speak in your own voice using your own vocabulary.  English classes/counselor review

 Have you developed your activity sheet?  If you are an athlete seeking a Division I or Division II scholarship, have you registered with the NCAA Clearinghouse? If not, see your counselor immediately!  If you are planning on pursuing a course of study in the Arts, have you inquired about the requirements for admission? You may be required to present a portfolio or audition.

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU MEET ALL DEADLINES!!!! IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU MEET ALL DEADLINES!!!!

The deadline to submit college application receipt forms to the guidance department for colleges with a January 1, 2013 deadline is November 2, 2012 The deadline to submit college application receipt forms to the guidance department for colleges with a January 1, 2013 deadline is November 2, 2012

Early Action vs. Early Decision  Both require that applications are sent early, usually by November 1 or November 15-YOU MUST HAVE YOUR APPLICATION AND/OR RECEIPT FORM IN GUIDANCE 10 WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE BY MID OCTOBER  Early Decision: allows you to apply early and get an admission decision from the college well in advance of the usual notification date. It is BINDING-you are agreeing to attend the college if you’re accepted and if you receive an adequate financial aid package. You can only apply to one college early decision. You may apply to other colleges under regular admission.  Early Action: Similar to early decision, but it’s NOT binding. You can apply to multiple colleges in this way and compare offers of admission and financial aid.

 Submit completed College Application Receipt Forms to the appropriate secretary in guidance  College Application Receipt Forms will be accepted between 7:30 a.m. and 3:00 P.M. each school day  Students are assigned by counselor to the following secretaries in guidance: Ms. DeMarco: Ms. Ibarra (Ms. Molof) Ms. DeMarco: Ms. Ibarra (Ms. Molof) Mr. Paranandi, Ms. Rosenblum Mr. Paranandi, Ms. Rosenblum Ms. Kupfer: Ms. Felber, Ms. Hannon, Mr. Purcell, Ms. Velez Ms. Kupfer: Ms. Felber, Ms. Hannon, Mr. Purcell, Ms. Velez

Checklist Colleges will not consider your application “complete” without recommendations, activity sheets, essays, SAT/ACT scores, and other special information.

A Completed Application Includes  Teacher letters of recommendation  Counselor letter of recommendation  High school transcript  Senior program of classes  Hicksville High School Profile  Schools require that test scores are sent directly by the College Board and/or ACT—most schools will not accept our photocopies as official score reports

The Common Application  Common Application—apply and pay on-line-nearly 500 schools  When applying electronically-MUST INFORM GUIDANCE BY COMPLETING THE COLLEGE APPLICATION RECEIPT FORMS FOR EVERY COLLEGE TO WHICH YOU HAVE APPLIED  Nassau Community College: Health/Immunization records required with application—NCC.EDU

 SAT Examination--take at least twice  Highest scores will be combined  SAT Reasoning Test/Subject Tests: October 6 November 3 (HHS) December 1 December 1 January 26 (HHS) January 26 (HHS) March 9 March 9 May 4 (HHS) May 4 (HHS) June 1 (HHS) June 1 (HHS)  Competitive colleges typically require 2 subject area tests

ACT October 22 December 8 April 14 June 8

On Site Admissions & College Information Sessions  On-Site Admissions- submit applications 10 working days prior to the on site and meet with an admissions counselor in the guidance office. Application fees are waived, decisions are rendered and sometimes scholarships are awarded on the spot! C.W. Post University C.W. Post University St. Joseph’s College New York Institute of Technology New York Institute of Technology St. John’s University Adelphi University Adelphi University Molloy College Molloy College  20 representatives will be visiting and meeting with students prior to November 16, 2012 to provide college information

Researching Colleges and Careers  The Collegeboard website is a comprehensive site for exploring colleges and careers. All students and parents should familiarize themselves with this site as a primary tool for use in your research.  Career Zone is a New York State funded website designed to help you discover your interests and abilities, research potential careers, and even explore colleges within New York State that coincide with your interests  The “Planning Your Future” booklet is a comprehensive guide to assist in planning for college and the world of work. This booklet will be distributed at our individual planning meetings in February.

Financial Aid  FAFSA – (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the required form for any financial aid. File between January 1 st and February 15 th of senior year File between January 1 st and February 15 th of senior year  CSS Profile – This is an additional financial aid form required by some schools. Check with colleges for verification of required forms. A link for this form can be found at

Scholarships  Fastweb – This is a comprehensive scholarship database to which all students should subscribe  Monthly scholarship bulletins are distributed via English classes throughout the school year  The local scholarship directory is distributed to each senior student in the spring.

Events to Remember  The College Fair: Monday, September 24 th  Financial Aid Night- December 6, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. Learn all about the financial aid process and have your questions answered by a representative from a college financial aid office.

 All of the information presented can be found on the district website.  Please visit the website frequently since information is updated regularly. Thank you! Thank you!