FACING THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS Community College Career and Technical Schools California State University California State University University of California Private Colleges Out of State Colleges Naviance Financial Aid Presented by LCHS Counseling, Sept 2015

YOUR TRANSCRIPT Review your credits Review your GPA Alert your counselor if you find any errors Keep this unofficial copy on file for use in the college application process

1. Strengths Explorer 2. Resume in Naviance 3. Counselor Recommendation Form in Naviance 4. Personal Statement draft 5. Add at least 5 colleges to the “Colleges I’m Thinking About” section of Naviance. 6. Read your THE COLLEGE PROJECT (JUNIOR YEAR)

Finalize college selection Ask Teachers to Write Letters of Rec Update “Colleges I’m Thinking About” list in Naviance (counselor will activate the “final” list) Complete Naviance tasks and make appt. with counselor Indicate whether applying EA, ED, Regular Decision or Rolling during your meeting Order Initial Transcripts ACT/SAT Test Scores Write Personal Statements/Supplements Submit Applications Mid-Year Transcripts (January) Notifications of Admission Status (spring) Visit Colleges (ongoing) Statement of Intent to Register (May 1 st ) Request Final Transcript for One College (May) and NCAA Clearing House (if playing sports) COLLEGE APPLICATION TIMELINE

COLLEGE TYPES “There is no magic number, but five to eight applications are usually enough to ensure that a student is accepted into a suitable institution (depending, of course, on the individual student's record and circumstances). This number should be made up of a combination of “safety,” “probable” and “reach” colleges.” –Collegeboard

CAREER AND TECHNICAL SCHOOLS Advantages Entry level job preparation Length of courses varies from a few weeks to two years Job specific training Disadvantages: Cost varies from $ to $$$$ Not all programs are accredited Check Community Colleges for similar programs To Apply: Use Naviance to research programs andNaviance admissions requirements Talk to your counselor

COMMUNITY COLLEGE Requirements Diploma or GED or 18 Online application Online orientation Online placement tests Advantages Cost Associate Degrees (AA) Certificate Programs Great CSU/UC transfer rates No essays or test scores required PCC Ranks Number One In Associate Degree For Transfers Awarded PCC Pathways Disadvantages Lack of campus housing Can be hard to get classes Explore transfer pathways on or

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY Minimum Requirements C or better in A-G coursesA-G courses ACT or SAT Reasoning CSU Mentor Code for SAT: 3594 ACT Score Manager Self report your grades NO essays or letters of rec ADVANTAGES 23 campuses Strong undergrad programs Hands-on learning opportunities CSUN eligibility area; CSUCI open to all CA students who meet min. requirements DISADVANTAGES  Budget cuts  Impacted campuses  Impacted classes  Limited research opportunities APPLY ONLINE October 1 to November 30 $55.00 per campus Research all 23 campuses using Naviance!! More CSU Info: Campus FAQ's Campus WebsitesCampus FAQ'sCampus Websites

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Minimum Requirements  3.0 GPA or higher in A-G courses  SAT Reasoning or ACT w/ Writing  Send official SAT/ACT scores to one campus for all to retrieve  Self report your grades  Personal Statement  NO letters of rec Advantages  9 campuses  Research opportunities  Nationally ranked “World Class” education  ELC status for students in top 9% of class ELC  Comprehensive review Disadvantages  Budget cuts  Impacted campuses  Some campuses are highly selective Apply Broadly!   November 1-30 (accessible Sept. 1)  $70.00 per campus Research all 9 campuses using Naviance! Personal Statement Tips: UC YouTube Channel Personal Statement HandoutUC YouTube ChannelPersonal Statement Handout

PRIVATE/OUT OF STATE COLLEGES Apply Apply directly through each institution Apply to Common App member schools at: Request Teacher Letters of Rec, if required Meet with counselor to request Secondary School Report (aka COUNSELOR LETTER OF REC ) and transcripts Advantages Small class sizes Full-time professors Schools who are members of Common App share one common application Scholarships available Disadvantages Out-of-State tuition Requirements/Costs vary NavianceNaviance is your one stop shop for college research!

Student Responsibility: Sign the FERPA Match your account to Naviance Write Personal Statements and/or Supplements Complete & Submit Applications When Your Part is Done Send SAT / ACT Scores Request Transcripts Check daily Counselor Role: Secondary School Report (SSR) Letter of Recommendation Transcripts Midyear report Final Report Teacher Role: Teacher Reports Letter of Recommendation COMMON APPLICATION

NAVIANCE MUST BE COMPLETE PRIOR TO YOUR COLLEGE COUNSELING APPOINTMENT Naviance tasks for requesting Counselor Letter of Rec (Secondary School Report): Print the checklist, forms and instructions Update account (Colleges, Careers, About Me tabs) Update Counselor Recommendation Form Finalize college list in the “Colleges I’m thinking About” section Complete Parent Brag sheet Review Scattergrams Perform College SuperMatch Print Transcript Request Form Sign the FERPA on commonapp.org (if applicable) Match Common App to Naviance (if applicable) Complete all items on the checklist Request counseling appointment Bring the checklist and all required documents to the meeting DOCUMENT LIBRARY: “COLLEGE FORMS”

All materials MUST BE SUBMITTED IN PERSON WHEN NAVIANCE IS COMPLETE (WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE “PRE/POST MEETINGS” ANY TIME AS QUESTIONS ARISE) Materials left in the counselors office without an appointment will be returned to the student. Deadline to see your counselor for letter of rec: Early Action/Early Decision: October 9 Regular Decision: November 6 Counselor Appointment Information The window for counselor meetings for letters of rec is Sept. 21 through Nov. 6. Make your appt. by signing up in the “Senior College Meeting” binder in the front office. ALL seniors will have a college counseling meeting prior to winter break.

SAT Reasoning Test ACT Exam with Writing SAT Subject Tests How do I send scores to colleges? Which scores should I send? COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS

IMPORTANT DATES  College App Process PARENT Presentation:  Thursday, September 6:00pm  St. Francis College Fair: Tuesday, September 7pm  Counselor-lead STEP: Begins Sept. 23  Requests for Counselor Letter of Rec completed by:  Early Action/Early Decision: Friday, October 9  Regular Decision: Friday, November 6  LCHS College Night: TBA  Financial Aid Night:  Session 1: November 2015  Session 2 to follow in January  Teacher Letter of Rec: Request sooner rather than later!

NAVIANCE Live Demonstration