Charting the College
Application Process
A TESTIMONY AGAINST PROCRASTINATION
Applying to College Can Be a 2 Part Process
 August- December: College Applications
 January-March: Financial Aid
 Overview Timeline
 Q&A Session
So You Want to Go to College
 Apply to more than one school
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Safety
Reach
 Be aware of Application Options
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Early Decision-Early decision plans are binding. You get
accepted around December.
Early Action-Early action plans are similar to early
decision plans, but are not binding. You get accepted
around December
Regular Decision- Apply to multiple colleges and then
select by May 1st.
 Due dates for early action or early decision differ from
regular admissions
Update for 2011 Applicants
Early Action
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Harvard
Princeton
Stanford
Yale
Early Decision
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Penn
Cornell
Organization is Important
 Establish a list of colleges you plan to apply to
 The longer the list, the better your chances
 I applied to ten and was accepted to nine
 Create a calendar or buy a planner just for college
planning
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Applications
Research target application due dates (preferred by colleges)
 Absolute deadlines
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Financial Aid
FAFSA
 Possible college equivalent financial form
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Where to Begin
 The earlier you start, the easier the year.
 Compile a list of the colleges/programs you are
interested in
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http://collegesearch.collegeboard.com/search/index.jsp
 Make a list of achievements and accolades
 Know testing deadlines and the latest you can take
an exam for each school
 Draft a curriculum vitae or CV (academic résumé)
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Include sports, clubs, leadership positions, and volunteer
hours
My Testing Deadlines
 August-September: began apps
 October-took ACT (1st time)
 November- retook SAT (2nd time)
 December- retook ACT (2nd time)
 December- SAT II’s Literature Exam
 December-submitted all apps
 January- SAT (3rd time)
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I highly recommend you to take SAT II’s immediately after an
AP exam corresponding to that subject
The CV: Curriculum Vitae
 Definitely an integral part of the application
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Makes the Common App easier (section on activities)
 Make yourself stand out
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Find internships
Law offices
 Special Fields
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Special programs
Congressional Academy for American History and Civics (US Dept. of
Edu.)
 Seminar for Tomorrow’s Leaders (Rotary International)
 H.O.R. or Senate Page Program
 Local Volunteer Work
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Quality vs. Quantity
The College List-Who makes the Cut?
 Applications are EXPENSIVE—choose wisely
 Common App/Reach Schools
Brown- $75
 Columbia- $80
 Princeton- $65
 NYU- $70
 Yale- $75
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 Safety Schools
Ashland- FREE
 FSU- $30
 Rutgers- $65
 Tulane- FREE
 UF-$30
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Other Fees
 SAT Scores- 4 free per test, additional $10 per school
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Score Choice- choose your best sitting
SAT= $47
Includes SAT IIs- ($21** may include an extra $10 charge)
 Advanced Placement Scores- $15 per college
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Sends all scores from school year
 ACT Scores- $10 per test date per school
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Always take ACT + Writing; many colleges only accept this score
Costs more ($48 instead of $33)
 College Transcripts- SFCC is $5 per out-of-state school
The Common App
 What it is- a streamlined website to make applying
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easier
Advantages-finish all work and save it to the same
location
Expedites payment process
Only way to apply for some schools
Not every school uses the Common App
www.commonapp.org
Know Your Chances
 Out-of-state schools may be harder to get into
 Be aware of admissions rates but don’t be deterred
http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2011-admissiondecisions-chart/?ref=edlife
Working on the Application
 Longest part of the process
 Take your time
 Proofread—get third party opinions
 Sell Yourself
 Be Original
 Consider the reader- young demographic
Components of the Common Application
 Consists of general application
 Future Plans
 Applicant Data
 Demographics
 Family Education
 Academics
 Activities
 Writing- 1 short answer, 150 words or fewer, about an
extracurricular and THE PERSOANL ESSAY (250 minimum)
 Specific Supplements for each college
Components of the Common App
 Future Plans- admissions route (early or regular)
 Applicant Info-name, address, telephone
 *Demographics- You can opt out of this
 Family Info-profession, sibling info
 Education-input CEEB code (there is a search box)
 Academics-rank, AP scores, SAT scores, current year
courses
 Activities-report extracurricular activities
 Writing-essay
 Supplement- varies
Personal Essay
 Trip Gabriel’s article, “The Almighty Essay,”
discusses the importance of this essay
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“The personal essay, they (admissions counselors) all said,
growing soft and fuzzy, is the one element where a student’s
own voice can be heard through the fog of quantitative data.”
 Essay can be like a tie-breaker
How To Write an Effective Personal Essay
 Think positively—You can do this!
 Discuss something you feel strongly about or an
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experience that changed you
Vary your writing style and make your topic sound
interesting
Be yourself and use your voice
Don’t repeat something already stated in your
application
Grab the reader’s attention right away
Sleep with a notebook next to your nightstand—
sometimes creativity strikes at the strangest times
Personal Essay Topics
 The Common App’s questions were the following:
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Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken,
or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international
concern and its importance to you.
Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and
describe that influence.
Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work
(as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and
explain that influence.
A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life
experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal
background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would
bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that
demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
Topic of your choice.
Therefore…
 There really are no wrong answers
 But there are poorly written essays
 The staff of Stevenson University in Maryland was
moved by a student’s memories of being a Big
Brother, even though he repeatedly spelled it “Big
Bother.” Barnard College was puzzled by an
applicant who kept referring to her enthusiasm for
the “Peace Core.”
--The Choice
The Good, the Bad, and the Weird
(U.V.A. essays)
John Lennon’s song ‘Imagine’ was
sung by Fox’s new show, ‘Glee.’ In
one particular episode, a deaf glee
club performed this song. I heard
it before when John Lennon sang
it: unfortunately I did not care
much for it. When I watched this
episode while the deaf adolescents
were singing it, and soon joined by
another glee club, it surprisingly
affected me…
John Lennon sang it like a
professional, but what he did not
have was the emotion behind the
words. He sang it more staccato
than legato. He sang it like it was
his job, and nothing more. These
singers from Glee sang with
powerful emotions. …
I strode in front of 400 frenzied eighth
graders with my arm slung over my
Fender Stratocaster guitar — it actually
belonged to my mother — and launched
into the first few chords of Nirvana’s
‘Lithium.’ My hair dangled so low over
my face that I couldn’t see the crowd in
front of me as I shouted ‘yeah, yeah’ in
my squeaky teenage voice. I had almost
forgotten that less than a year ago I had
been a kid whose excitement came from
waiting for the next History Channel
documentary.
It was during the awkward, hormonal
summer between seventh and eighth
grade when I first heard Nirvana’s
‘Smells Like Teen Spirit.’ The song
shocked my senses — until that point
my musical cosmos consisted mainly of
my father’s Beatles CDs.
Supplements
 Each school will ask for different components
 Some require extended essays (Brown and
Princeton)
 Some require short answers (NYU, Columbia, Yale)
 Spend an equal amount of time on supplements as
on the personal essay
 Research the school thoroughly if the question calls
for it
Additional Requirements
 Send OFFICIAL (sealed) transcripts to each school
 Provide Mrs. Carlisle with enough time and correct
undergraduate office addresses
 Counselor must fill out Secondary, Midyear, and Final Report
on class ranking, etc.
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Forms available at commonapp.org
 Two letters of Recommendation from teachers, 1
from Counselor
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Choose teachers who know you and can write an excellent
letter about your awesome traits
When the Application is Complete…
 You are halfway there.
 Submit apps before winter break
 Create domains on school websites to track your
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application and documentation received
Call undergraduate offices if necessary; it’s their job
to help you
Make copies of all receipts and of your Applications
Keep all correspondence with schools
Take a short break because…
Financial Aid is A Bear
 Two types: need-based and merit based
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Need-based
under $60,000 household= full ride
 Everyone else usually has to contribute something
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Merit based
Academic standing
 National Merit Scholar-PSAT results
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 If you need to apply for financial aid, have your parents
file their taxes AS SOON AS THEY CAN
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FAFSA operates on first come, first serve as it is federal student aid
You may not qualify for anything but loans—this happened to me
Research qualifications for Pell grants
 Out-of-State schools may still be in reach!
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The Ivies, especially, have their own system of awarding financial aid
Supplemental Financial Aid Forms
 CSS Profile
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Collegeboard application
At least 100 very personal questions, if not more
 “Enter the total amount you expect to receive from your relatives
and all other sources.”
Be careful of the information you disclose—the more money colleges
think you have, the less they give
Underestimate rather than overestimate
 Know when the CSS is due for each school
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I was late on Princeton’s and Brown’s (Feb. 1)
Yale and Columbia were due March 1
 You pay to send the CSS profile ($9 application fee + $16 per
school)
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https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/index.jsp
Tuition Rates
 Ivies- flat tuition rate (only need-based awards
offered)
 Ivies are expensive
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Princeton is the least expensive ($49,069 per year)
Columbia is the most expensive ($56,684 per year)
 State schools and some private universities have
lower rates for residents
 Estimating family contribution:
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Financial aid calculators available on school websites
https://sweb2.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/FinAid/finaid_form.pl
I Paid How Much?!?
 If paying for apps, testing, and other fees is a
concern, the Sebring High guidance office can assist
with fee waivers to those who qualify.
 “Fee waivers are not available through the College
Board.”
--http://sat.collegeboard.com/register/sat-fee-waivers
My Pre-College “Investment”
$975
Some Colleges have their own Financial Aid Forms
 Princeton’s PFAA is a separate form
 Gave me full tuition while FAFSA gave me nothing
Be Proactive
 Look for scholarships on your own
 www.fastweb.com
 www.questbridge.org (need-based)
 http://www.whitepicketcollege.com/tag/college-
scholarships/ **Non-need based
 www.scholarships.com **
Helpful Sites and Links
 The Times education blog “The Choice” provides
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insight into the entire process and has interviews
with students in the process of applying **
http://www.admissionsadvice.com/
Common App’s FAQ section
Collegeboard.com
Act.org
www.collegeconfidential.com **
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Helpful discussion boards on almost every college topic
Talking About College is the Easy Part
 Senior year was my most stressful year
 Choosing a college is one of the single most
important decisions in your life
 Easy to lose sight of goal
 Incredible amounts of stress require allocated breaks
 Remember that after Mid-March, everything else is
cake
The Ideal Junior Timeline: College Applications
 Sophomore Fall- PSAT
 Summer-Visit Prospective
Colleges
 Junior Fall- PSAT (NMSQT)
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August:
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Begin Common App
Work on CV (academic
résumé)
Find clubs and activities
September:
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Practice for SAT
Refine College List
Research College
Requirements/Deadlines
Consider Letters of
Recommendation
Take ACT+Writing
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October:
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November:
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Take SAT (10.01) or SAT II
PSAT (10.12)
Continue Common App
Refine Essays
Ask for Letters of Rec.
Research scholarships
December:
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Request transcripts
Send app
Prep for interviews
Continue with scholarship
search
Organize for FAFSA/CSS
Take ACT/SAT for the last time
the college allows
The Ideal Timeline Cont.: Financial Aid
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January:
Submit FAFSA
 Submit CSS
 Continue Scholarship
search
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February:
CSS due for some colleges
 Scholarships
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March:
Decisions
 School Visits
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May:
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Choose a college by 05.01
REMEMBER!
 Admissions officers are basing their selection on 9-
11th grade progress.
 Only the first semester of the senior year is sent
before decisions.
 Shine early on; don’t try to have a “miracle
comeback”
 If offered, do an interview!
In Case of Emergency or Just to Say, “Hello.”
sbeiner23@gmail.com