1. Senior class 2016

2. College resource handbook College search Scholarships Financial aid College fairs College Admission Reps Schedule at Liberty

3. There will be several workshops for seniors/parents: 1. Financial Aid –keynote speaker: college financial aid representative 2. Scholarships 3. College application details 4. Admissions – public in-state college admissions counselor 5. Admissions – private out-of-state admissions counselor 6. College Q & A

4. If admission is competitive, the holistic review is often used. Factors they may consider: 1. Did student take challenging courses 2. Academically solid senior year courses 3. Did applicant meet or exceed CADR requirements. 4. GPA 5. SAT/ACT test scores 6. Thoughtful well written essay 7. Demonstrated special talent or experiences 8. Positive grade trends 9. Leadership, part-time job or family respon. 10. Overcoming personal adversity or disadvantage

5. To qualify for a baccalaureate college/university students need: 15 core courses by the end of their senior year Seniors must take a math-based quantitative course: math class or algebra-based science or AP Computer Science unless you have completed pre-calculus 2 years of lab science including either chemistry or physics 1 year of fine, visual or performing arts 2 years of the same world language

6. 1. Rolling admission: apps are read and decided on as they come in so apply early (WSU, CWU, EWU, etc.) 2. Pooled admission: the college looks at all apps at the same time so notification of admission is later in the year (UW) 3. Early decision: apply early, get accepted early; this is binding; student cannot wait to check financial aid pkg. from other schools & must withdraw other apps 4. Early action: apply early, get accepted early but it is not binding

7. 1. Completed application 2. SAT/ACT test score sent from the appropriate agency 3. Fee: in-state most are $35 - $70; out-of-state varies; a few colleges out of state offer free applications 4. Official transcript 5. Essay (if required) WA Universities with automatic admission: WSU – 3.5 GPA or higher with core requirements met WSU – 3.5 GPA or higher with core requirements met CWU – 3.4 GPA CWU – 3.4 GPA EWU – 3.3 GPA + 1100 on the SAT (Eng+math) EWU – 3.3 GPA + 1100 on the SAT (Eng+math)

8. Seniors will have both a weighted and un-weighted class rank You may report either the weighted or un-weighted rank on your college applications Your counselor will use your higher rank if asked to complete this data on your Common Application or other app. Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Class of 2016 will be determined by the weighted rank

9. 1. Recommend that you apply to at least 1 reach college, 2 or more likely colleges and 1 safe college 2. Complete applications online 3. Liberty’s CEEB/ACT code is: 480502 4. Follow directions and answer exactly what is asked for; include senior courses; do not type in “senior waiver” 5. Use “NA” if the question is not applicable to you 6. Submit all required documents: applic, transcript, fee, test scores and essays 7. Save a copy of application 8. Review everything before submission

10. Get help from: Your English teacher Career Center has college essay support via professional editors (College Corps) each Thursday during both lunches from Oct. 22 nd – Dec 17 th. You must sign up in advance to work with one of the editors. Write to the prompt: Find a topic Write a draft Revise and rewrite Get feedback; do final editing Proofread Watch the tone and voice of your essay Revise and rewrite Get feedback; do final editing Proofread Watch the tone and voice of your essay

11. Website: commonapp.org (over 500 colleges) Complete the application for any schools on list; many also require an additional supplement 1 or 2 teacher recommendation(s) are required Your counselor completes a school report and writes a letter of recommendation. Type in your teacher and counselor’s names/emails; CA will send an official notice to the writer(s); Make sure you spell their names correctly or they will not be notified

12. Waive your right to access the recommendation Some colleges in CA require a mid-year report Self report your test scores AND send official scores from the testing agency (College board and ACT) Don’t make your Common App essay college specific Note: your counselor cannot submit your school report until you have submitted your transcript.

13. 1. Students order all transcripts through Parchment. 2. First create an account on Parchment.com 3. You can send a transcript to the common app, individual colleges or to an individual via email. The first 5 are free 4. Use your common app ID when ordering a transcript to assure proper upload to the common app system. Under Institution type in “the common application” and select it. Do not sent your transcript to individual colleges you are applying to via the common app. 5. Request your final transcript by the last day of school to your selected university 6. See the counseling secretary if you have questions

14. Complete letter of recommendation form (Career Center website) or pick up a hard copy in the Counseling Office. The Common Application requires a counselor and at least 1 teacher recommendation Make an appointment with the writer; bring in your resume with your completed form Allow 3 weeks for them to write the letter Some letters sent via mail; majority are sent electronically Send the writer a thank you note!

15. 15 western states are members Students pay less out-of-state tuition: 150% of regular tuition rather than the normal out-of-state tuition (200%) Check the website for member states and colleges/universities within each state that participate Website: www.wiche.edu/wuewww.wiche.edu/wue

16. These are open enrollment colleges Requirement: HS grad or 18 years old or GED Get a student ID number Complete application online Watch deadlines for apps, scholarships and financial aid Visit the school Take the required placement test (English + math) Apply early as some programs may fill up; you may be put on a wait list Students who apply late will not receive any financial aid 1 st term so don’t forget to sign up for the FAFSA in Jan.

17. Attend the senior College Application & Financial Aid night. The Keynote Speaker’s topic is on financial aid that evening. There will be financial materials available Financial aid will be in the form of: Scholarships Work Study Student loans Grants Most colleges have both merit and need-based financial aid Website: www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov for a wealth of informationwww.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov Check out financial information on our Career Center website Read thoroughly about financial aid on the college of your choice websites

18. Starting Jan. 1 st class of 2016 seniors/parents complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Website: www.fafsa.ed.govwww.fafsa.ed.gov Submission deadlines are often the middle or the end of Feb. You will not receive any aid without submitting this document! Secure an electronic Pin early The Dept. of Educ. applies a formula with your FAFSA information to generate an SAR (Student Aid Report) The SAR is used to determine your financial aid package that will be offered to you by individual colleges Use www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov to estimate your finances (do before Jan.)www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov

19. Apply! Apply! Apply! There are scholarships based on: academics, leadership, financial need, career direction, athletics, music, art, community service and more… Attend the College Application & Financial Aid Night to get detailed information on scholarships. Our Career Center lists and updates scholarships throughout the year Remember: You should never pay money to apply for a scholarship. Never provide personal information (credit card, SSN, bank account #) to an unfamiliar person or organization Website: www.washboard.org Enter your profile to see a list of scholarships that match your situation!www.washboard.org

20. Senior Application/Financial Aid night: September 29 th at 6:00 pm Senior interviews: Oct. 20 th for Run. Start students & Oct. 28 th & Nov. 4 th for Liberty seniors Early action or early decision dates if applicable Priority application deadlines & priority college scholarship deadlines Honors Program: often has an earlier date than the app. FAFSA submission: Jan/Feb – the earlier the better! Local/national scholarship deadlines May 1 st : the usual notification deadline for accepting a college.

21. Organize yourself: keep a file on each college: what you need to do and when Present yourself in a professional manner on your apps and essays; clean up social web sites/email addresses Email or call the admissions office of the school when in doubt or need information but read their website first as most information is on their site Meet all deadlines Visit your top 2-3 schools before making the decision Study and prepare: do your homework, keep up your GPA, read the senior updates & listen to announcements Remember: low senior grades are grounds for a college to rescind your admission

22. The Career Center and the Counseling Office are here to support you. Let us know how we can help!