College Information for Seniors

El Modena Class of 2013  UCLA  UC Santa Cruz  UC Davis  University of the Pacific  Duke  Arizona State  UC San Diego  Texas Christian  Cal Poly San Luis Obispo  UC Irvine  New York University  University of Arizona  American Ballet Theatre  USC  Chapman University  UC Santa Barbara  CSU Long Beach  CSU Fullerton  BYU  Whitworth University  University of San Francisco  Syracuse University  University of Oregon

Application Dates/Deadlines  CSU (California State Universities)  Apply at csumentor.edu  October 1 - November 30  $55 application fee per campus  UC (University of California)  Apply at universityofcalifornia.edu  November 1 – November 30  $70 application fee per campus  Common Application (private universities)  Check each school’s application window. Deadlines differ!

Testing Dates/Deadlines  CSU/UC – accepts either the SAT or ACT  Private universities – check to see which they prefer  Community colleges- do not require the ACT or SAT  ACT – register at act.org ($35 - $50)  October 26 (register by September 27)  SAT – register at collegeboard.org (Fee - $50)  November 2 (register by October 3)

Letters of Recommendation  CSU/UC – Not required  Community colleges – Not required  Common Application – REQUIRED!

Letters of Rec. continued  Ask Early!  2 weeks minimum notice - Remember your recommenders have many letters to write.  Include College Information Sheet  Available in front office - see Mrs. Lamb  Turn in to your counselor when you request your letter  Provide Detailed Instructions  Include due date, location letter is to be sent, stamped & addressed envelope if necessary (most letters of recommendation are submitted online)

Common Application Process  Apply at commonapp.org  Enter counselor information correctly  Apply early – allow 2 weeks minimum for your counselor to complete your application. Counselors are not available during school vacations.

Common App. Process Cont.  You must request your transcript through Parchment.com BEFORE your counselor can submit your application.  Send transcript to “Common Application”, NOT to the college. (this is the most common mistake)  Mrs. Stringfellow, school registrar (who processes your transcript request), is not available during school vacations.  Keep your counselor informed of your application deadlines including the mid-year report (some schools require, not all)

Transcripts  Transcripts for ALL colleges must be sent via Parchment.com  See Mrs. Stringfellow, school registrar (front office), for more information.

Early Decision – be 100% sure that the college is the best choice for you. Pros  Acceptance rate is usually higher than regular admissions  Students who aren’t accepted early are still considered with the regular applicant pool  Students are usually notified by December = less stress!  Students can still apply to other colleges for regular decision Cons  Early decision is binding. If admitted, a student must attend or else lose a sizable enrollment deposit  A student may apply to only one college early  If accepted, a student must withdraw all other college applications  A student accepted early must decide to attend before receiving a financial aid package (note that inadequate financial aid is the one allowable reason for breaking an early decision contract)

Early Action - not offered by many colleges  In general, early action is a much more attractive option than early decision. Here’s why:  Acceptance rate is usually higher for early action than for regular decision  Students who are not accepted early are still considered for admission with the regular decision pool  Early action is not binding – students are free to apply to other colleges  Students can apply early to other colleges  Although students receive early notification of acceptance, they do not need to make a decision until the usual May 1 deadline. This allows time to figure out financial aid.  If accepted early at a college, the spring semester of a student’s senior year will be far less stressful.  Even if accepted early, a student can choose to go to a different college with no penalty.

Financial Aid  Attend a Financial Aid Workshop!  FAFSA workshop at El Modena, January 2014  Check with local community colleges  Ways to pay  Grants (free money!)  Scholarships (free money!)  Work-study or student employment programs (work = $)  Loans (must pay back with interest)  FAFSA.ed.gov – Free Application for Federal Student Aid  Do not use any other site or pay money for this application  Application opens January 1  The early bird gets the dough! The later you apply, the less money available.

Scholarships  Start your search with a free web site such as  You should never have to pay to apply for a scholarship or receive one  Follow the instructions exactly  Get help if necessary  Dedicate yourself – it will take a lot of your free time!