1. COMMON APPLICATION TRANSFORMING THE WAY STUDENT’S APPLY TO COLLEGE

2. HOW DO WE GET THERE ? Student Success Planning(SSP) Early College Awareness Programs Naviance Evening Informational Programs Community Partnerships SAT/ACT Prep Opportunities Field Trips School To Career Program College Representative Visits Financial Aid/Scholarship Support & Opportunities Individual Planning Meetings Developmental Guidance Lessons www.commonapp.org

3. STUDENT SUCCESS PLANNING Vertical Plan for grades 6-12 Pilot Year 2012-13 Yearly Goals relating to: Academic, Career and Social/Emotional Well-being Electronic Portfolio Ensure that every student has a personalized Post Secondary Plan

4. EARLY COLLEGE AWARENESS College Trips to several State Schools Motivational Speakers Pay It Forward: Students>Students College Rep(s) Internship/Job shadow experiences

5. NAVIANCE Diagnostic Tool for College and Career Planning Each student has their own Password/Access Web-based for easy access Developmental Guidance/SSP Activities College Searches Career Interest Profiler Personality Profile (DWYA) Communication Tool College Visits Scholarship Information

6. SAT/ACT PREP Elective Class Offerings Practice Tests PSAT taken by all 10 th /11 th graders (Oct. 16) Programs: Revolution, Let’s Get Ready, Christian Action Network Fee-Waivers Referrals Test-Optional Info (fairtest.org)

7. SCHOOL TO CAREER Ms. Rivieccio: STC Counselor Partnership with Guidance Job Shadow Internship Employment E-Mail Blasts Unique Opportunities Career Fairs

8. FINANCIAL AID & SCHOLARSHIP Scholarship Program Naviance Seminars Ms. Laura Blackwell: Financial Aid Counselor Fee Waivers FAFSA Informational Sessions Advocacy

9. WHY The Common Application is designed to assist students with streamlining the process of applying to college.

10. COMMON APPLICATION STATISTICS Each year, nearly 1 million students file their applications using the Common Application. More than 500 colleges and universities utilize the common Application www.commonapp.org

11. STUDENT APPLICATION The application is the foundation of your admission file Your job is to make sure it is complete, accurate, and submitted on time The application must be the student’s own work. Completing the application is, in part, an exercise in following directions

12. COMMON APP This is the infrastructure of your application and includes six sections: 1.Profile 2.Family 3.Education 4.Testing 5.Activities 6.Writing

13. PROFILE (CONSISTS OF EIGHT SECTIONS: ) 1.Personal Information 2. Address 3. Contact Details 4. Demographics 5. Geography 6. Language 7. Citizenship 8. Common App Fee Waiver

14. FAMILY Background on your household, parents, or guardians Sibling Information Contact Information Marital Status Occupation Education

15. EDUCATION Information about high school attendance Additional school experiences Contact details for your guidance counselor Your current academic record: GPA, current courses, and honors Career interests

16. TESTING Information about college entrance testing SAT ACT Subject Tests AP TOEFL- English testing for non-native speakers

17. TESTING HOW ? On SAT/ACT testing, provide your highest scores in each area even if scores are from different test dates. Answer “Yes” if you have scheduled future testing so that the admission office can anticipate receiving further score reports. Test Optional

18. ACTIVITIES Brag Sheet List Activities Work experiences Depth of aforementioned(hours per week/year) Positions held Honors Plans to participate in these pursuits in college

19. WRITING There are three sections here: 1.The Personal Essay 2.Disciplinary History 3.Additional Information

20. COST STRUCTURE FOR COMMON APP The Common App is free. However, Colleges may require the submission of an application fee. Fee Waivers are eligible to students meeting eligibility requirements. Application Fees can range from no charge to upwards of $100 per college. Payment is made by using any major credit card or electronic check. Application fees are nonrefundable.

21. PERSONAL ESSAY Students can choose from five essay prompts Maximum word limit of 650 words Minimum word limit of 250 words The essay will go to all of the student’s colleges

22. MY COLLEGE TAB All colleges that accept the Common App require a supplement unique to their school Once student selects a school >the landing page for each school details:  Decision plans  Recommender requirements  Application fees

23. WRITING SUPPLEMENT Schools may require –or include as optional- writing supplement or additional short answers Often required by highly competitive colleges Pay attention to the word count

24. ADDITIONAL FORMS Early Decision Agreement Teacher Evaluations School Report Mid-Year Reports Final Report (Transcript)

25. ARTS STUDENTS Students with interest and talent in the arts Check to see if colleges require an arts supplement May be a separate form of through the Common App with Slideroom.com

26. SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS Some colleges encourage students to submit supplementary materials May include: a special project, an academic paper, a short story or a YouTube video Only submit if the school indicates that they welcome or require their submission Let your individuality show but… follow directions

27. DEADLINES Be aware of the college deadlines Can vary from school to school Check the web-site of every college to which you are applying Guidance may have specific timelines geared at benefiting students Merit $ Increase admissions opportunities

28. ROLE OF COUNSELOR- GRAPHIC Assist with identifying schools and post secondary plans Help with Diagnostic Tools Meet with stakeholders Help maintain emotional equilibrium Establish a plan/timeline(s) college reps/visits Explain process and monitor progress Assist with processing materials Letters of Recommendation Financial Aid/Scholarship support and information Standardized Testing Disseminate materials, resources and information Every student has a plan !

29. CONTACT INFO Dan Sullivan, Ed.D. Guidance Chairperson Norwalk High school sullivand@norwalkps.org (203) 838-4481 ext. 13272

30. THANK YOU Gloria Tenofsky, N.E.F. Dr. Manuel Rivera— Superintendent of Schools Norwalk Library www.commonapp.org