The College Application– What Should I Know?

FAST FACT  Higher education attainment in young adults, ages 25-34, is associated with higher median earnings.  Source – U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2012)  Reported Average Earnings for Young Adults in Year 2010  Bachelor’s Degree = $45,000  Associate’s Degree = $37,000  High School Diploma = $29,900  No HS Diploma or equivalent = $21,000

Where Do I Begin?  Much of the college application process is in the planning. The first step is for parents and students to talk about what the expectations and the possibilities are.

What do colleges expect?  Challenging course work  A good GPA/test score combination  A strong senior year  Community involvement  Leadership skills  Special skills or talents  An interest in their institutions

Do your research!  What are your career goals?  Go to sites like to do a college search.  If you can, visit the colleges that interest you – at least a virtual tour.  If you plan to major in performance arts, start thinking about auditions or portfolios.  If you’re interested in participating in college sports, be sure to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center in the spring of your junior year.

College Admission Tests  After you have done your research and you know admission requirements for your college/university you have to decide which entrance exam you should take- SAT or ACT.

Admission Options Four year institutions generally offer the following admission options:  Early Admission – A student of superior ability is admitted into college courses and programs before completing high school.  Early Decision – A student declares a first-choice college, requests that the college they’ve decided on ensures his/her acceptance early, and then s/he agrees to enroll if accepted. This is a binding contract! Students must rescind other offers!  Early Action – Similar to Early Decision, but if a student is accepted, he or she has until the regular admission deadline to decide whether or not to attend.  Regular Admission – This is the most common option offered to students. A deadline is set when all applications must be received, and all notifications are sent out at the same time.

Now you are ready to do your College Applications  Texas Common Application –use this application to apply to all Texas public colleges and universities –  The Common Application – use this application to apply to over 302 selective colleges and universities (including Austin College, SMU, Southwestern, TCU, Trinity and Rice) –  Less than 2% of colleges use paper applications, if yours is one of them then download the application.

Parts of the Application  Student Section  School Section  Teacher Recommendation Section  Mid-Year Report Note: Not all applications will have ALL of these sections

Application Components Required Items  Application  Fee - FEE WAIVERS  SAT/ACT Scores  Official Transcript Additional Items  Essay  Letters of Recommendation  Updated Resume  Portfolio  Interview

Some Helpful Hints  Make a copy of the application and do a draft  Apply on-line if possible  Explain your activities  Neatness counts  Ask someone to proofread – spelling, grammar, etc.  Take your time – this is important!!  Meet all deadlines!

The Student Section  Personal Data  Family Information  Educational Data  Test Information  Senior Year Courses  Activities/Awards  Essays  Resume

The School Section  Transcript  School Report/Counselor Section -- Rank/GPA -- Rating of Curriculum -- If Required: Recommendation -- Mid-Year Report – Not required by all schools

Teacher Section  Background Information/Context  Recommendation (academic and personal characteristics, motivation, self-confidence, independence, written expression of ideas, work habits, potential for growth)  Remember to give your teachers/counselors three weeks to write a letter of recommendation  Give the request directly to the person, do not put in their mailbox or leave on their desk.

Application Fees  These range in cost from institution to institution  If you have qualified for an SAT/ACT waiver, you will qualify for an application waiver as well. Check with your college & career counselor or check with the institution that you are applying to- sometimes they have their own application fee waiver forms.

Once complete  Make a copy for your records  If submitting a paper copy, mail application and application fee  Be sure to have test scores sent to the college from the testing agency ACT – SAT – Allow 4-6 weeks before the deadline for scores to reach the colleges

Again – Deadlines MATTER!! Postmark Received by In Our office by High School deadlines Watch holiday times both for your high school and the colleges your are applying to !!!!

Now Wait for the Decision..  Decisions may be based on things you can’t control: o Gender o Ethnicity o Region o Other characteristics that create diversity o Another big part of their decision is based on what YOU can control o Major o Essays o Activities o High school course selection o Grades GPA and test scores

Continue with your high academic endeavors… because your future looks bright! Good Luck!

QUESTIONS?