Rootstown High School
The College Application
Process
Information for Seniors
RHS Guidance Department
Miss Basquin
325-4108
basquin@rootstown.sparcc.org
Mrs. Walker, Guidance Secretary
325-4108
dowalker@rootstown.sparcc.org
www.rootstown.sparcc.org
Rootstown High School
College Planning Timeline
for Seniors and their Parents
SEPTEMBER – DECEMBER
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Go online to the college websites to complete college applications. Students send ACT/SAT scores to
colleges via the testing companies. We encourage students to submit all applications and transcript requests
by mid-November.
Follow each application’s directions carefully and completely. It is the student’s responsibility to keep track of
deadlines and to submit applications material requests to the Guidance Office two weeks before due dates.
Ask teachers in person first to request letters of recommendation.
Retake the SAT or ACT in the fall if you are trying to raise your scores. Check requirements of the colleges
on your list. Selective colleges may require or recommend SAT II Subject Tests.
Have your essays proofread and revised. Essays should demonstrate your very best efforts and should be
error and typo free.
Attend college representative presentations at RHS. Various colleges visit our high school each year. Check
on the Guidance Webpage often for dates and sign up on at least a day in advance to attend.
Make a list of questions to ask your counselor during your Senior Appointment in September. Counselors will
meet with each senior individually to review post high school plans and the college application process.
Visit serious college choices that you may not have already seen. Take a tour, attend a class, and stay
overnight in a dorm if possible.
A strong first semester is vital. Some schools will withhold acceptance until completion of the first semester.
This is the year to show real leadership in extracurricular activities.
Go online to view the FAFSA (federal financial aid form) in December and begin to gather preliminary data.
Remember to thank teachers who have written recommendation letters for you.
JANUARY – MARCH
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Complete and submit your FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1 st.
Expect to be contacted for an alumni interview by some colleges.
Apply for local scholarships in February/March. A list will be posted online for all seniors.
APRIL – MAY
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Review all your acceptances and financial aid awards.
By May 1st, notify all colleges who have accepted you that you will or will not be enrolling. Your enrollment
deposit must be paid by May 1st to the college you plan to attend.
GOOD LUCK!
Remember that your counselor understands that this is a big decision for everyone
involved. I am here to assist both students and parents.
RHS College Planning “TO DO LIST” for SENIORS
1. Register/take the SAT and ACT if you would like to try to raise scores:
- If you intend to apply to highly-selective colleges, check the websites of the colleges you are considering
to determine if they require/recommend SATII Subject Tests.
- STUDENTS, SEND YOUR TEST SCORES from the testing companies to the colleges to which you are
applying. Use your ACT and/or SAT accounts online to complete this process.
TEST DATES FOR 2014-2015 School Year
ACT: www.actstudent.org
Test Date
Register by:
September 13
August 8
October 25
September 19
December 13
November 7
February 7
January 9
April 18
March13
June 13
May 8
SAT I & SAT II: www.collegeboard.org
Test Date
Register by:
October 11
September 12
November 8
October 9
December 6
November 6
January 24
December 29
March 14*
February 13
May 2
April 6
June 6
May 8
Note: No SAT IIs in March
2. Submit all required forms: Be sure to complete your section of the forms and follow all directions/guidelines
before giving the forms to the teacher or Guidance Office:
- Complete/submit the “STUDENT/PARENT QUESTIONNAIRES”
- Ask teachers in person if they can write your rec letters. Also give them a copy of your transcript and
resume and your list of prospective colleges.
3. Apply to colleges or other post-secondary choices:
- If you have not yet determined the list of colleges to which you will apply visit “Downloadable Resources”
on the guidance website for more information.
- Use the Guidance Webpage to find information on college representative visits to RHS, and sign up on at
least one day before the visit to attend their presentations in the fall of your senior year.
- During your senior appointment in September, your counselor will discuss with you your specific college
planning process and give you information about how to submit your applications.
- Visit college campuses: Before you make a final decision on the college you will attend, you should visit
the campus. Go on the college websites and find the “tour/visit campus” icon. May 1 st is the nationally
recognized deadline to make your college decision.
4. Explore Financial Aid Resources:
- Local scholarship opportunities will be posted on our website for all seniors in February.
- Use the Guidance webpage for more financial aid resources.
- Attend the FASFA presentation in December at RHS.
5. Continue to strive for your academic best :
- College admissions initially look for three main factors: GPA, curriculum and ACT/SAT scores.
- Be sure to earn solid grades in the senior year and take a core course load. Colleges will request midyear and final grades in the senior year which could change admission decisions.
Rootstown High School Seniors
Applying to College!
1. Complete each college application on the college website or
www.commonapp.org.
2. Log on to your www.actstudent.org and/or www.collegeboard.org
accounts to have your ACT and/or SAT scores sent the colleges to which
you have applied.
REMEMBER:
- You MUST complete your college application on the college website or Common Application
website.
- You must complete the FERPA waiver on the colleges I’m applying to page and the Common App
information that you’ve already created on commonapp.org before you can begin requesting
transcripts.
- If you need to send documentation to the NCAA Eligibility Center, you must first register on the
NCAA website and request transcript through that website. You will be asked to sign electronically.
- Always allow two weeks for processing of materials before a deadline.
Rootstown High School Seniors
Requesting Recommendation Letters
1. Determine how many (if any) recommendation letters you need based on the colleges
to which you are applying.
2. Talk with your teachers IN PERSON to ask if they would write a recommendation letter
for you.
a. Complete Recommendation Letter Request Form (print from Guidance website)
b. Give teachers a copy of the request form, your transcript, and resume.
c. If the college indicates that a hard copy must be mailed, give the teacher an
addressed, stamped envelope.
3. Remember to write the teachers thank you notes after they have completed this
information for you!
NOTES:
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Many colleges do not require any recommendation letters, and two is usually the most that are
required. Please do not request more recommendation letters than are needed!
RHS does not release recommendation letters to students.
RHS Guidance Office
Request for Recommendation Letter
Student _______________________________
Date of Request _____________
Letter requested from: _________________________________________________
Letter needed by this date: ____________
Other letter if needed will be requested from: __________________________________________
DO NOT request more than two letters from SHS faculty.
Student is applying to these colleges:
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
STUDENTS: IMPORTANT GUIDELINES
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Please be aware that many colleges DO NOT require recommendation letters such as OU, Kent, BGSU, Akron,
Toledo, Indiana. Do not request a letter if your colleges do not ask for a letter. DO NOT request more than two
letters from RHS faculty. (A third may be written by your counselor upon college request.)
Give the recommender a copy of your resume and transcript along with this form.
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TEACHERS: IMPORTANT GUIDELINES
 Be sure the student has submitted to you his/her resume and transcript with this form.
 Address all letters to “To Whom It May Concern.”
 Use RHS letterhead for recommendation letters.
DO NOT release any recommendation letters to students in the fall. If needed for scholarships, you may choose (or not) to
provide the student the letter in second semester. The counselor WILL NOT release any teacher letters to students at any
time.
Where Will Your Scores Take You?
Average SAT and ACT scores (25%–75%); only a guide; not cut-off scores for any of the colleges listed.
School Name
American University, DC
Amherst College, MA
Arizona State University, AZ
Bard College, NY
Barnard College, NY
Bates College, ME
Baylor University, TX
Boston College, MA
Boston University, MA
Bowdoin College, ME
Brandeis University, MA
Brigham Young University, UT
Brown University, RI
Bryn Mawr College, PA
Bucknell University, PA
California Institute of Tech, CA
Carleton College, MN
Carnegie Mellon University, PA
Case Western Reserve Univ, OH
Colby College, ME
Colgate University, NY
College of the Holy Cross, MA
College of William and Mary, VA
Colorado College, CO
Colorado State University, CO
Columbia University, NY
Connecticut College, CT
Cornell University, NY
Dartmouth College, NH
Davidson College, NC
Denison University, OH
DePaul University, IL
Dickinson College, PA
Drexel University, PA
Duke University, NC
Emory University, GA
Fairfield University, CT
Florida State University, FL
Fordham University, NY
George Mason University, VA
Georgetown University, DC
Georgia Institute of Technology, GA
Gettysburg College, PA
Gonzaga University, WA
Grinnell College, IA
Hamilton College, NY
Harvard College, MA
Haverford College, PA
Hofstra University, NY
Howard University, DC
Indiana University—Bloomington, IN
Indiana U of Pennsylvania, PA
Ithaca College, NY
James Madison University, VA
Johns Hopkins University, MD
Kenyon College, OH
Lafayette College, PA
SAT MATH
570-670
660-760
480-610
650-690
620-700
630-700
560-660
640-730
590-690
650-750
650-730
570-680
670-780
580-680
630-710
770-800
650-740
670-780
620-720
640-710
640-730
600-680
620-710
610-700
510-620
680-780
600-690
670-770
670-780
640-730
570-680
510-620
590-690
560-670
690-800
670-760
540-630
560-650
560-660
520-610
660-750
650-730
610-670
550-650
620-710
650-720
700-780
640-740
550-630
440-650
530-640
440-540
550-640
540-630
660-770
630-690
610-700
SAT Critical Reading
580-700
660-760
470-600
680-740
640-740
635-710
540-650
610-700
580-680
650-760
640-720
550-660
650-760
620-730
600-680
700-760
660-750
620-720
590-690
640-720
630-730
580-670
630-730
620-700
500-610
680-760
600-700
630-730
660-770
630-730
580-690
520-630
600-700
530-630
690-770
640-740
520-610
550-640
570-670
500-600
650-740
600-690
610-690
540-630
615-740
650-730
690-800
650-740
540-630
460-660
510-620
440-540
540-640
520-620
630-740
630-730
580-670
SAT Writing
580-680
660-760
NR
NR
650-730
NR
530-630
620-710
590-670
660-750
640-730
NR
660-770
620-720
610-700
690-770
650-750
620-710
580-680
630-710
NR
NR
610-720
620-700
480-590
670-760
620-710
NR
660-770
630-730
NR
527.5-622.5
NR
NR
NR
650-740
540-630
NR
560-660
NR
NR
590-680
NR
NR
NR
NR
690-790
660-750
NR
410-650
NR
430-520
540-640
520-620
640-740
630-710
590-680
ACT
25-30
29-33
20-26
NR
29-31
NR
23-28
28-32
25-30
29-33
29-32
25-30
28-33
27-31
27-31
33-35
29-33
29-33
26-32
28-31
29-32
NR
27-32
28-32
22-26
28-33
25-30
29-33
29-34
28-32
25-30
22-27
26-31
23-28
29-34
30-33
23-27
24-28
25-29
22-26
26-33
27-31
NR
24-29
28-32
NR
31-35
NR
23-27
20-28
23-29
NR
NR
22-26
29-33
28-32
26-30
School Name
Lawrence University, WI
Lehigh University, PA
Lewis-Clark State College, OR
Louisiana State University, LA
Loyola College in Maryland, MD
Loyola Marymount University, CA
Loyola University of Chicago, IL
Marquette University, WI
Massachusetts Institute of Tech, MA
Miami University, OH
Michigan State University, MI
New College of Florida, FL
New York University, NY
North Carolina State University, NC
Northeastern University, MA
Northwestern University, IL
Oberlin College, OH
Occidental College, CA
Penn State--University Park, PA
Pepperdine University, CA
Pomona College, CA
Princeton University, NJ
Providence College, RI
Reed College, OR
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Rice University, TX
Rochester Institute of Tech, NY
Rutgers--New Brunswick, NJ
Skidmore College, NY
Stanford University, CA
State University NY at Albany
Swarthmore College, PA
Syracuse University, NY
Temple University, PA
The George Washington U, DC
Tufts University, MA
Tulane University, LA
UC Los Angeles, CA
UC San Diego, CA
University of Chicago, IL
University of Delaware, DE
University of Florida, FL
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
University of Miami, FL
University of Michigan--Ann Arbor, MI
UNC at Chapel Hill, NC
University of Pennsylvania, PA
University of Richmond, VA
University of Southern California, CA
University of Utah, UT
University of Vermont, VT
University of Virginia, VA
University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI
Vanderbilt University, TN
Vassar College, NY
Wake Forest University, NC
Washington and Lee University, VA
Washington University in St. Louis, MO
Wesleyan College, CT
Williams College, MA
Yale University, CT
SAT MATH
610-720
640-720
440-550
550-650
560-650
540-640
530-640
540-650
720-800
560-650
540-660
590-670
630-720
560-660
610-690
690-780
620-710
600-690
570-670
570-680
690-780
700-790
540-640
630-710
650-730
680-780
560-670
560-680
590-670
680-780
520-610
680-760
550-650
510-610
600-690
670-750
620-700
600-730
600-710
650-760
570-660
590-700
600-700
610-710
640-740
620-700
680-780
590-680
650-750
500-635
550-650
620-730
620-730
680-760
650-720
630-710
650-730
700-780
460-600
660-760
700-790
SAT Critical Reading
590-720
590-680
420-520
520-630
540-630
530-630
540-648
520-630
660-760
540-640
480-620
630-730
620-720
520-620
570-660
670-750
640-740
590-700
530-630
560-670
700-780
690-790
530-630
660-760
600-690
650-760
540-630
530-630
580-680
650-760
490-580
680-780
520-620
500-600
600-690
670-750
630-720
570-680
540-660
660-770
550-640
570-680
570-680
580-680
580-690
590-690
650-740
580-680
620-720
490-610
540-640
600-710
540-670
652-740
670-750
610-690
660-730
680-760
500-610
660-760
700-800
SAT Writing
610-690
NR
NR
490-600
550-650
NR
540-630
530-630
660-750
NR
480-610
600-690
620-720
510-610
NR
670-750
640-730
590-690
NR
560-670
680-770
690-780
550-650
650-740
580-680
640-740
520-610
540-640
590-690
670-760
NR
680-760
530-630
490-590
600-690
670-760
640-720
580-700
560-670
NR
560-650
NR
NR
580-670
590-700
590-690
670-760
590-690
640-730
470-610
540-640
610-720
570-670
650-730
660-750
NR
NR
NR
480-630
NR
700-790
ACT
27-31
NR
17-23
23-28
24-28
NR
24-29
24-29
31-34
24-29
23-27
27-31
28-31
22-27
26-30
NR
27-32
26-30
NR
24-29
30-34
31-34
23-28
29-32
24-29
30-34
24-29
NR
26-29
30-34
22-26
27-33
23-28
21-26
26-29
30-33
29-32
25-31
24-30
28-33
25-28
25-30
NR
27-31
27-31
26-31
30-33
26-30
28-33
21-27
23-28
27-32
26-30
30-33
29-33
27-31
28-31
31-34
20-28
29-33
30-34