1. College Application Process
O’Dea Counseling Department
9/17/2019
Tim for introductions
Erik to take over on this slide

2. Naviance Student
A link to Naviance Student is found on the top of the O’Dea website page
The student’s User name is their O’Dea and they use their O’Dea password
Naviance is a college search tool where students can research colleges, look at admissions data, find scholarships, and build their college list.
In order for any supporting documents to be sent to a college, the college must be added to the student’s college list in Naviance.
Parents have access to their own Naviance account as well. your student’s counselor if you are interested in opening your parent account.
Erik

3. College Visits
The list of colleges visiting O’Dea can be found on Naviance Student- Colleges Tab
The list is also in Daily Announcements, on the Monitors, on the O’Dea website’s College Counseling page, and in the Family Bulletin
Sign up for college visits in Naviance Student by the end of the day before the visit
Teacher Permission form must be signed by the end of the day before the visit and is brought by the student to the college visit.
Students are encouraged to attend. The college representative who comes here is often the person who reads their application when they apply.
Erik

4. College List
Student’s must fill out an Application Plan and bring it to their college counseling meeting. The Colleges I’m Applying To list on Naviance is created by giving the Application Plan to your counselor. If a student wants their transcripts or other supporting documents sent to any colleges, they must be added to their Naviance list.
Teacher and Counselor letters won’t be started until there is a list of colleges.
Privacy Statement: Students must check “I waive my rights to access letters of recommendation” and check “I authorize secondary schools to release requested records”. You must waive your rights for us to release transcripts and letters.
Kit
See handouts
Reg: Regular Decision (the normal deadline for the school is called regular decision). For UW, they only have one deadline: November 15th.
REA: Restrictive Early Action- you can only apply to one school early action. This isn’t binding, so a student could apply to other schools through regular deadlines. (Stanford, Notre Dame)
EA: Early Action- this is an early deadline, usually November 1st or November 15th. This tells the school you are very interested in this school. It is a top choice. Students hear a decision back earlier- admit, denied, or deferral to regular decision where they will review again with the regular decision pool of students.
ED: Early Decision. This is a binding contract. Your counselor should be well-aware that your student is applying ED to a school. If admitted, the student must rescind all other applications and plan to attend this school. (Upenn, Boston College, Boston U, Pomona, Vanderbuilt, Loyola Marymount, Santa Clara, Colorado College, Northwestern, UPS and Whitman).
Showing interest in the school, hearing back over Christmas Break as opposed to waiting until March. If you feel you app is ready and good, then you can complete this “stressful” process. The applicant pool varies by institution. Financial Aid packet usually comes a few weeks after decision and you can figure out finances early.
Moves up the whole process. I.e. Early admit to Gonzaga, you accept and send deposit, figure out housing, etc. earlier.
Drawback, you could be putting yourself in a smaller, more competitive pool of applicants. Won’t have fall grades as a GPA boost. SAT scores might not be ready.
CSS profile:

5. Common Application
Set up an account on the Common Application website:
As students complete the Common Application, they will see the FERPA waiver section. Once they complete this and waive their rights, students can log into their Colleges I’m Applying to section on Naviance and enter their O’Dea in order to match their accounts.
If you are applying using the Common Application, you must enter those colleges in both your Common Application and on Naviance.
Students must let their counselor know if they add any schools to their Colleges I’m Applying to List, otherwise we won’t know to send the transcripts and supporting documents.
Kit

6. Coalition Application
The Coalition Application was created by several highly selective colleges and universities to increase student access to higher education
Some schools are also members of the Common Application or have their own separate applications
Students may ONLY use the Coalition Application for colleges that have that as their only application
The UW and UW Bothell only use the Coalition Application
Kit

7. SAT/ACT Scores SAT: October 6th, November 3rd, December 1st
SAT/ACT Scores SAT: October 6th, November 3rd, December 1st ACT: October 27th & December 8th
Most colleges require official score reports from College Board or ACT
Students sign into their College Board or ACT account
Students must send scores directly to each college
Counselors cannot send scores to colleges
Test scores are not listed on a student’s O’Dea transcript
James
1. Everyone should have taken test or be registered for the next exam. 
2. Counselors cannot send test scores. Students must send their own test scores through agencies

8. Road to College Admissions Part II
Please read it and share it with other parents 
Academics Tab College Counseling
It covers all application procedures at O’Dea
James
1. Wealth of resources. Can be daunting. Probably almost any question that you have about college can be found there. 
2. If you could do us a favor if after you read it tell a friend and share it 

9. Teacher & COUNSELOR Recommendations
Students should have already completed a Teacher Recommendation Request Form listing one teacher (only highly selective schools require more than one teacher letter)
Students must complete a Teacher Questionnaire in Naviance for the teacher
Student must complete the College Questionnaire on Naviance before the counselor recommendation can be written
Parents are asked to complete the Parent Questionnaire on Naviance
Only accessible through the parent’s Naviance account
Lawrence

10. Important Dates/ Timeline
October 1st: FAFSA opens and can be submitted
O’Dea Financial Aid Night, Monday September 6pm
October 25th: Teacher Letters of Recommendation are completed
November 1st: Early Action Deadline for some schools
November 15th: UW Deadline and Early Action for some schools
November 30th: UC Schools Deadline
January 1st/15th: Many Private Regular Decision Deadlines
April 1st: Students have heard decisions from schools
May 1st: College Commitment Day
Lawrence

11. NCAA Clearing House Website – NCAA Eligibility Center (web3.ncaa.org)
You need to be certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center to compete in a Division I or II sport.
A student athlete must create a certification account from the NCAA Eligibility Center - $90.
A certification account allows a student athlete to make official visits to schools.
You must send in your test scores (ACT/SAT) from the testing website to the NCAA.

12. Questions????