1. College and Career Planning
Ms. Mullins, College and Career Counselor
James Bowie High School

2. Where Do I Start??

3. Finding A College Attend a College visit on campus
Visit a Campus – 2 excused absences per year
In State Colleges vs. Out of State
Super Match in Naviance
Big Future (
Finding A College

4. Beginning your Junior year, students have two excused absences per year to visit colleges
While on your visit, take a campus tour, look at the student facilities (book store, recreation centers), go through the buildings and make sure to stop by the admissions office to get more information.
Documentation Needed:
Yellow College Visit Form – Located in College and Career Center
Letter from College/University – Can be a receipt of registration for a campus tour, letter on letterhead stating the date you were visiting, etc. Anything to prove that you were there.
College Visits

5. The College Application Process

6. Exams to Get Into College
SAT
ACT
Exams to Get Into College
SAT subjects are Math and English
You want to take the SAT with Essay!
It is okay to guess! Better to guess than leave a question unanswered
To register and order your SAT scores, go to
For free online tutorials, go to
ACT subjects are Math, English AND Science
It is okay to guess! Better to guess than leave a question unanswered
To register and order ACT scores, go to
For free test prep materials, go to

7. Apply Texas – www. applytexas
Apply Texas – - Used for applications for public colleges and universities located in Texas. Letters of Recommendation are not required, however, are strongly encouraged to submit.
Common Application – - Used for out of state universities. This application also requires a Secondary School Report, Mid Year Report and 3 Letters of Recommendation as part of the application.
University Specific Application - Some colleges don’t use Apply Texas or Common App and will require you to apply using their own online application system.
How to Apply

8. Essays are probably the MOST important piece of your applications
Essays are probably the MOST important piece of your applications. This gives you a chance to let the colleges/universities you are applying to hear about YOU and if you would be a good fit. BRAG about yourself!!!
Think of the essay as an interview, but you are putting your answers down on a piece of paper. It should give the admissions officers insight as to who you are.
College essays should not exceed the specific word maximum given for your application. Please see guidelines in the application.
Have your essays edited!! Ask your teachers, peers or Ms. Mullins
You can modify your essays for scholarships you will be applying to as well.
College Essays

9. Letters of Recommendation
If you need letters of recommendation, you MUST follow the following processes:
Complete your Senior Brag Sheet located in Naviance
There is a red Letter of Recommendation Request Form that you must fill out to give to your teacher and/or Counselor
You must ask for your letter of recommendation IN PERSON
Please allow at least 2 weeks for your letters to be written. We have a LOT of seniors and it takes time to write these letters. Be patient.
Do NOT wait until the last minute to ask for a letter of recommendation.
Remember, teachers and counselors do NOT work over the summer. f your application requires a letter of recommendation, you must turn in your request form prior to May 19th for teachers or June 2nd for counselors.
After those dates, you will have to wait until next school year (August 14th for teachers and July 31st for counselors) to submit your request.
Letters of Recommendation

10. Letters of Recommendation Apply Texas Applications
If you are applying to colleges/universities using Apply Texas, here is how you submit your letters of recommendation:
Fill out and turn in the red Letter of Recommendation Request Form to your recommender (can be a teacher, counselor, coach, mentor, etc.)
Provide your recommender an envelope that is stamped and addressed to the undergraduate admissions office of the university you are applying to. Paper clip the envelope to the form
2-3 Letters of Recommendation are all that is needed, do not send in any more than that.
Make sure to send them prior to the application deadline date
If you are applying to UT Austin, you will need your recommenders address and they will upload your letter into your online account AFTER you submit your application and receive your UT EID #
If you are applying to Texas A&M, you can upload your letter of recommendation into the online system AFTER you submit your application and receive your AIS student number and account.
Letters of Recommendation Apply Texas Applications

11. Letters of Recommendation Common App Applications
If you are applying to your college/university using the Common App, please follow these instructions for your letters of recommendation:
Login to your Common App Account and match it with your Naviance account. Your letters of recommendation cannot be uploaded without you completing this step first!!!!
Complete the red Letter of Recommendation Request Form and turn one into your counselor and to your teachers. You will need one from your academic counselor and two from teachers.
Make sure that the “Colleges I’m Applying To” in Naviance is updated and correct
Once your Common App is matched with your Naviance account and you turn in your Letter of Recommendation Request forms, your counselor and teachers will upload and submit your letters through Naviance.
Letters of Recommendation Common App Applications

12. Ordering Your Bowie Transcript
ALL college applications will require you to order your transcript. Here is the process to order your transcript:
Login to your Naviance account
Go to the “Colleges” tab
Click on “Transcripts”
Then click on “Request Transcripts for my College Applications”
Enter in ALL of the colleges that you are applying to
When finished, click the submit button
Once you have ordered your transcripts online, please see your registrar immediately to confirm the order. Once you check in with them, they will send your transcript to your college/university.
If you are applying using the Common App, once you request your transcript, you will also need to see your Counselor immediately for next steps
Please allow 24 hours for transcripts to be processed
Ordering Your Bowie Transcript

13. Ordering Your ACC Transcript
If you have taken an ACC Dual Credit class, you will also need to order your ACC transcripts to be sent to the colleges/universities. Here is what you do:
Use the following link: and-services/services-for-students/order-an-acc- transcript
Use your ACCeID # to login.
Order your transcripts and have them sent directly to the college/university you are applying to.
Ordering Your ACC Transcript

14. College App Checklist
Complete online application (ApplyTexas, Common App, other)
Essays
Order Bowie Transcripts
Order SAT and/or ACT Scores from exam sites
Letters of Recommendation
Resume (if applicable)
Application Fee