1. Senior Parent College Information Seminar

2. Agenda Welcome/Overview The List The Application Process
Nuts and Bolts
Financial Aid
Questions and discussion

3. Words of Advice Objectives: good fit & realistic list
Early Decision (ED) is binding – Early Action is confusing
Over 3,500 undergraduate colleges and universities in USA. There is a right fit for every student.
Enjoy your child’s senior year. Parents can set the tone and reduce stress.
Don’t compare your student to siblings or peers.
Don’t make colleges the only topic of conversation!
Not a prize to be won, but a match to be made.

4. Understanding Your Choices
Developing and refining “the list”
Resources
Types of applications

5. Naviance: “Reach” School

6. Naviance: “Target” School

7. Naviance: “Likely” School

8. Resources Naviance Online resources College Board / ACT
College website  very important! Every college’s requirements are different
Fiske Guide books in the guidance office
College visits/College fairs:
TEC Fair, 10/3 Waltham HS
NEACAC Fairs – various locations, see neacac.org for dates
College Confidential, Princeton Review
Add dates for Performing Arts, Canadian college fairs in 2018
Stress the College website, over 4000 colleges in the US, we don’t have everything memorized

9. Terminology Early Decision (ED) Early Decision 2 Early Action (EA)
Early Action Single Choice/Restricted EA
Rolling
Regular Decision
Decisions from Colleges (Defer, Waitlist)
ED 2, usually in January. (You can apply to one Early Decision, and any other schools, unless it’s restrictive early action) But if you get accepted, you need to pull your applications from those other schools
Can change from year to year.
Read the fine print
Accepted/Deferred/Rejected
Deferred to the regular decision/ can still get waitlisted

10. Nuts and Bolts
Types of applications: Common Application, Coalition, institution-specific
Activating the student’s application at WHS
The counselor’s packet
Teacher letters of recommendations
Standardized test scores

11. Activating Applications
In order to document and track the application process for our students, the Guidance department uses the following forms. Most are available on Guidance's Forms & Publications page on the high school website, under Academics.
The Application Checklist is a helpful tool to help your student stay on track.
Transcript Request Form (with the student transcript on the reverse)
Transcript Addendum
Guidance Letter Option
IEP & 504 Information Release Form
These forms are completed only once; students add to the transcript request form held by the counselor.
Counselors move applications from “prospective” to “active” in Naviance.

12. Naviance: Colleges I’m Thinking About

13. Link to Common App

14. Naviance: Active Applications

15. The Application Packet
Transcript
GPA Distribution Chart
Counselor Statement
Secondary School Report (Common App)
School Profile
Curriculum Notes

16. Sample Transcript

17. GPA Distribution Charts
These histograms represent the most recent distribution of grade point averages which includes all semester and year courses taken through the end of junior year. (See note below for detail.) The individual student’s weighted and unweighted GPAs are printed on the transcript. Only courses taken at Weston High School factor into the GPA. Weston High School does not rank students.
Profile for Class of 2017
at the end of grade 11.
Number in Class: 186
Number included in Chart: 180

18. Counselor Statement
Based on the counselor’s personal relationship with the student, as well as:
Introspective Survey
Resume/Activity list (important to be current!)
Parent Brag Sheet
Discuss concerns with counselor
Letter is holistic

19. Other Pieces Common Application SSR (or paper college form)
School Profile
Curriculum Notes

20. Teacher Recommendations
Generally one to two academic teachers from junior or senior year (check the college website/Common App)
Balanced: 1 humanities, 1 math/science
Engineering: 1 math and/or 1 science
Additional only if different “take” such as coach, theater, job
Letter is subject/academic or activity specific
Importance of advance notice
Protocol, including thank you and notification of decisions
Most teachers submitting electronically, some need to mail
Students are responsible for managing who sends where; they need to update teachers about additional schools

21. Financial Aid
Net price calculators are required on all college websites, which are useful for planning now
MEFA Financial Aid Night, Thursday 10/12, 7:00pm
FAFSA – now available to start in October using complete 2016 tax returns
CSS Profile
Financial aid “package”
Scholarships

22. Thank you… Keep lines of communication open
With your student
With the counselor
With teachers
Encourage your student to “stay the course” academically
Have fun!