2. Options in your college search
Out-of-State Colleges= 3,400 Colleges
Only 23 universities in Colorado for you to consider
Different sizes
Different locations
Costs
Increase search= find match and right fit

3. Take time to Learn about yourself
Some questions to consider:
Do I like the city or country?
Individual attention vs. work well on my own
Do I like a lot of activity?
What environments challenge and excite me?
Academically:
What is your GPA?
What are your test scores?
How many honors/Aps have you taken?
What are your extracurricular activities?
Class rank

4. Know the college The academic profile Class size
Student to teacher ratio
School population
Majors
Extracurricular activities
Campus and surroundings

5. College search timeline
Sophomore Year
Start your college search
Junior Year
Make a college list
Standardized tests
Go to college fairs and speak with representatives visiting your school
Visit colleges
Senior Year
Complete admission and scholarship applications
Submit financial aid forms

6. Types of Admissions Plans
Rolling
Early Action (EA)
Restrictive Early Action(REA)
Early Decision (ED)
Regular Decision (RG)
Talk about common app vs. school specific app

7. Who Reads your application?
Who will be reading your application for admission? What matters most in your application?

8. Your Application
Transcript
Testing
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Essays
Interview
Demonstrated Interest

9. Transcript
Strength of curriculum
Classroom performance
Number of solid courses taken- especially senior year
Reviewed within context of the school a student attends

10. ACT vs. SAT SAT Subject Tests Test Optional Superscore
Standardized Testing
ACT vs. SAT
SAT Subject Tests
Test Optional
Superscore

11. Teacher and Counselor Recommendations
Ask far in advance to give the teacher and counselor plenty of time to write a thoughtful recommendation
Ask a teacher who knows you well and can speak about your strengths and weaknesses
Teacher recommendation should be an academic teacher from junior or senior year
Spend time talking with your counselor about your accomplishments and plans.
Teacher who gave you an “A” isn’t always the best choice

12. Extracurricular Activities
How important is your involvement outside of the classroom? Looking for quality, not quantity!

13. Let your personality come through in the essay!
Essays
Let your personality come through in the essay!
The essay provides insight into who you are
Demonstration of your writing abilities

14. Interview You are more than just a GPA and test score!
If offered, take advantage of the opportunity to interview
Tips for a great admissions interview
Bring questions with you
Do your research on the college before your interview
Practice interviewing

15. Sample interview questions
Why are you interested in X College and why do you feel you are a good fit?
What classes have you enjoyed most in high school?
What do you want to major in?
Tell me about the extracurricular activities you’ve been involved with.
What has been your proudest achievement so far?
How would you describe yourself?
What do you do in the summertime?
What about you is unique?

16. Demonstrated Interest
Campus Visit
Admissions Interview
College Fair
High School Visit
Who should I contact with questions?

17. Making the most of your college visit
Do as much as that college/university will allow during your visit!
Things to consider:
Campus tour
Observing a class
Chatting with a professor in your academic area of interest
Having lunch in the cafeteria with current students
Meeting with the President of a club or organization in which you are interested
Meeting with an athletic coach
Meeting with a financial aid counselor
Interview with an admissions counselor
Overnight visit

18. Aspen University
Profile: AU was founded in The campus is located thirty minutes from Denver, CO. Students pursue a wide range of internship opportunities in the Denver area. Recognizing AU’s excellence in education, U.S.News and World Report has ranked AU consistently among the "top national universities" in its annual publications, and named the University a "best value" in its 2010 rankings. Nearly 75 percent of AU undergraduates study abroad during their time at the University. Students participate in 15 division III sports, as well as many club s and organizations. 96% of the faculty at AU holds a Ph.D or equivalent. Student Body= 2,300 Freshman Class Profile Admit rate= 44% Average GPA= 3.7 Mid 50% ACT composite= Mid 50% SAT composite (without writing)= Admission Factors: Holistic review process where we evaluate the strength of curriculum and grades, recommendations, strength of writing and extracurricular involvement. Admission interviews are highly recommended; strongly value the fit between you and the College. Institutional Priorities for this year: Admit more students with strong science and math background. Our theater program needs more talented students to be a part of productions. More national diversity.

19. Student: David Smith (Chicago, IL) Liberty High School High School Profile: 65% attend 4-year colleges, public high school serving 2,000 students. AP Courses offered: 14 9th Grade Grade 10th Grade Grade English 9 C English 10 B Geometry B+ Pre-Calc honors A Spanish 1 C Chemistry honors B World Geography B Spanish 2 C Biology A World Politics B GPA= 2.86 GPA= th Grade Grade 12th Grade* Grade English 11 honors B AP English Lit B AP Calc AB A AP Calc BC A AP Env. Science A AP Physics A Spanish 3 B Government B US History C Economics C GPA= 3.2 *1st quarter grades Cumulative GPA= 3.02 Activities: Was involved with baseball until sophomore year. No involvement since quitting baseball. No interview or engagement with the admissions office ACT English- 30 Math- 34 Reading- 30 Science- 34 Composite= 32

20. Student: Kristen Bell (Seattle, WA) Mountain Academy Profile: An independent secondary school. 100% of graduates attend 4-year colleges or universities. Regular classes on a 4.0 scale and AP classes are weighted on a 5.0 scale. 9th Grade Grade 10th Grade Grade English 9 honors A Spanish 3 C Geometry honors B World History Honors C Biology honors A English 10 Honors C Spanish 2 A AP Biology C GPA= 3.75 GPA= 2.0 (UW) 2.25 (W) 11th Grade Grade 12th Grade* Grade US History A AP Macroecon A AP Psychology A AP Gov’t/Pol A AP English Language A AP English A Pre-Calc/ Trig B AP Calculus AB B Chemistry honors A Physics Honors A Media Production B *1st quarter grades GPA= 3.67 (UW) 4.0 (W) Cumulative GPA = 3.74(weighted) 3.36 (unweighted) ACT= English- 25 Math- 25 Reading- 26 Science- 24 Composite= 25 Involvement: President of NHS, Captain of volleyball team, completed 100 hours of community service, volunteers at a local hospital in her community Visited campus in the fall and had a fantastic interview with an admissions counselor. The counselor found that Kristen had a clear rational for applying the College, mature personality and would contribute immensely to the community with her commitment to service. Important to note that she became extremely ill during her sophomore year and missed a lot of school. We will see a dip in her grades this year.

21. Student: Susan Young (Denver, CO) Dakota Prep Profile: An independent school with 700 students. 92% attend a four-year college or university. All courses are considered honors level. No AP courses are offered. 9th Grade Grade 10th Grade Grade 9th English A 10th English A 9th History A 10th History A Algebra 2 A Geometry B French 2 A Biology 1 A Beginning Drama A French 3 B GPA= 4.0 Intermediate Drama A GPA= th Grade Grade 12th Grade Grade Adv. Composition A Irish Literature A Shakespeare Comedies A Society and Self Lit A US History A Intro to World CinemaA Trigonometry B Statistics B Chemistry 1 B Chemistry 2 A French 4 A French 5 B Theater Arts 3 A Art 1 A GPA= 3.71 *1st semester grades Cumulative GPA= 3.77 ACT: English-28 Math- 26 Reading- 27 Science- 26 Composite= 27 Activities: Theater (school and community), School newspaper (Editor-in-chief), 3 week summer program in Cambridge Came to presentation at Dakota Prep by admissions representative.

22. Contact Information
Jennifer Motzer Lake Forest College Associate Director of Admissions Regionally Based in Denver