1. College Information Night Welcome to Montini Catholic’s

2. What Factors Do Colleges Consider When Making Admission Decisions? Rigor of curriculum Grades in college prep courses Admission test scores like ACT and SAT Essay or writing sample (plan to include if optional) Teacher and counselor recommendations (plan to include if optional) Extracurricular activities and leadership Student’s demonstrated interest Interview

3. Keep Up Your Grades Continue getting strong grades Colleges will request senior year schedules Colleges will request 7 th semester grades

4. The College Application Process  Submit application Always apply electronically if you have that option. Materials will get to the college faster and it avoids items getting lost in the mail  Submit transcripts which are requested from counselor  Submit official test scores from ACT.org  Submit teacher and counselor recommendations as specified by the college  Submit any essays or writing samples

5. Applications  Applications will ask for personal information, academic performance, extra-curricular activities and any additional information you may want to tell the college  Over 500 colleges use the Common Application: Notre Dame, Northwestern, Dayton  The Common Application requires one main essay, but many schools will ask for supplemental essays  Many school have their own application: Michigan, Wisconsin, University of Illinois  Most of the more selective colleges with their own applications will require one or two essays

6. Should I apply ED or EA?  Many families are confused about the terms ED and EA.  ED means Early Decision: the student is required to attend that college if they are accepted. All other college applications must be withdrawn.  EA means Early Action: student is applying early and in most cases will receive a response earlier, but you do not have to attend if accepted

7. Requesting Transcripts  Students must SEE OR EMAIL their counselors to request transcripts and let the counselor know what documents each college needs to complete the application  Please allow 1 week lead time when requesting transcripts to be sent  When the student request transcripts to be send to a college, it is the student’s responsibility to know what supporting documents are required for that particular college. Does the college require a personal statement? Does the college require letters of recommendation? Does the College have a school specific counselor form that needs to be completed?

8. Testing If you need or want to re-take the ACT, please check registration dates and test dates Next test date is Sept 12, but registration is closed Registration deadline for the Oct 24 test date is September 18 Plan to take AP exams and SAT subject tests as needed Dates for all testing can be found on the College Board website

9. Requesting Teacher or Counselor Recommendations Requesting Teacher recommendations - Students MUST complete the personal profile before the teacher will write a recommendation - Please allow 4 weeks lead time for teacher to write and send recommendation Requesting Counselor recommendations - Students MUST complete the personal profile before the counselor will write a recommendation - Please allow 2-3 weeks lead time for teacher to write and send recommendation

10. Essays and Writing Samples Essays for college require brainstorming for ideas and writing multiple drafts Remember that college essays have to be written in a way that demonstrates why your student will be an asset to the college community. Admission reps tell us that they want to learn something about the student that they could not have learned from reading their application. Essay Review Please be respectful and allow enough time for person to review essay Mrs. Daluga will be available with help with essays (also counselors or English teachers)

11. Interview either on campus, or locally, if recommended by the college Follow up with the colleges to make sure all the components of the application have been received before deadline date Continue visiting colleges to determine the best fit. As seniors, Montini gives 2 official days off for college visits to be used by March 1 Set up overnight visits to the colleges you are most interested in

12. Scholarships & Financial Aid  Investigate scholarships that may be available at the colleges you are most interested in (academic, co-curricular, heritage, religious, etc.)  Many scholarship deadline dates are in November and December, so please check each college’s website  Check Montini’s website for more local scholarships  Investigate your place of employment or your student’s place of employment  Fill out additional forms or write additional essays as needed for scholarships  Fill out required financial assistance forms like FAFSA and/or CSS Profile after January 1 @FAFSA.org  Estimated EFC (expected family contribution) can be calculated on Finaid.org  Each college website is required by law to have a Net Price Calculator

13. Creating Your List REACH – schools that are extremely selective or that typically admit students with higher grades and test scores than you have MATCH – Schools that admit students with grades and scores that are about the same as yours SAFETY – Schools that typically admit schools with grades and scores that may be lower than yours

14. All Seniors MUST have 2 College Applications completed and sent by November 1

15. Please contact us with any additional questions Danielle Monroe – Director of Guidance Joan Zilkow – Guidance Counselor Joe Di Gregorio – Guidance Counselor Karen Daluga – College Advisor