College Search:
Where Do I Start?
David W. Butler High School
2014-2015
LINDA ELLIS
STUDENTS LAST NAME A-C
MICHAELA E. BOECHE
STUDENTS LAST NAME D-I
ELLEN MENNITT
STUDENTS LAST NAME J-MT
LES BROOKS
STUDENTS LAST NAME MU-SN
CYNTHIA SHEPARD
STUDENTS LAST NAME SO-Z
DEPARTMENT CHAIR
Agenda
 College Search
ME-search
 How to research/organize
 Collegeboard.org College Search Tool
 College visits
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 College Admissions
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Overview
 Choosing a Major
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Finding the balance of interest and attainability
College Search
College Search:
Researching Colleges
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Make a list of things you want/don’t want
Where would I want to spend 3 or 4 years
of my life?
Don’t go to a college just because you like
its image or its “name”.
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What will be realistically affordable for
you and your family based on your future
career and current finances?
Will you like the rural atmosphere/city
atmosphere?
Will you enjoy being at a huge school?
Match your GPA?
Do they accept AP credits?
Do they have your major?
Make sure its not all academics! A perfect
match includes not only your academic
goals but also your personal and social
goals.
• Very Small (500-2000)
• Wingate University, Presbyterian College,
Salem College, Queens College
• Small (2000-4000)
• Davison College, Washington & Lee, Roanoke
College, Oglethorpe University, UNC Ashville
• Medium (4500-12,000)
• Vanderbilt, Duke, College of Charleston, UNC
Wilmington
• Large ( 13,000-20,000)
• Northeastern University, Clemson, UNC
Chapel Hill, Appalachian State
• Extremely Large (20,000+)
• NC State, Georgia, UVA, VA Tech, UCONN,
University of South Carolina
• Extremely Selective (Duke, Harvard, Stanford, Vanderbilt)
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Far more qualified applicants than spots available
Admit less than 20% of all applicants
• Highly Selective (UNC, Emory, Davidson, NC State, Wake
Forest)
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Admit about a third of the applicant pool
• Moderately Selective (UNC Charlotte, Appalachian State,
Spelman, Morehouse)
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Admit a little less than half of the applicant pool
• Less Selective (UNC Pembroke, Winston-Salem State, NCCU,
Guilford College, Lenoir Rhyne)
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Admit about 75% of the applicant pool
• Open Enrollment (CPCC, King’s College)
College Search:
Specialty Colleges/Trade Schools
• Carolinas College of Health Sciences
• Cabarrus College of Health Science
• Southeastern Institute
• Aveda
• FIDM
• Art Institute
• ITT Tech
College Search:
Using College Board
College Search:
Using College Board
College Search:
Using College Board
College Search:
Using College Board
College Search:
Using College Board
 Before you search:
 SAT/ACT scores
 Major of Interest (or a general idea of what you’d like
to do in high school)
 Average GPA
 Location of Interest
 Etc.
Let’s try it out!
College Search:
Staying Organized
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Have one three-ring binder for all
paper materials
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Divide by colleges and all of their
requirements, information, mailings,
etc.
Tabs for SAT, ACT, AP,
recommendation letters, transcripts
Keep an excel spreadsheet of
deadlines, usernames/passwords,
scholarships
Create a professional email for
college communication
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Have emails/alerts come to phone!
Plan to spend 10 hours a week on
college stuff
Get everything done EARLY – do
NOT wait until the last minute!
College Search:
College Visits
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College visits are the BEST way
to see if campus is right for you
Schedule time that college
students will be around (not
spring/winter break)
Do an official tour
Make an appt. to speak with
admissions officer
Can miss 2 days of school
(excused absence) with approval
from Principal LeGrand
Open houses are great
opportunities
Virtual tours on many websites
For low-income students, some
schools may help with cost of
visiting
College Admissions:
Entrance Exams
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ACT
SAT
• You have already taken the ACT for free with your high school
• Recommend taking each test twice – each test tests different skills
• SAT – reasoning-based; ACT – content-based
• ACT has Science section and an OPTIONAL writing component
Schools will require one entrance exam, not both, better to take
both to see which test matches you best!
 TOEFL
 TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language.
 Designed to measure the English proficiency of non-English
speaking people and is divided into three sections.
College Admissions:
Fee Waiver Program
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Receive based on qualification
• Receive free/reduced lunch
• Financial qualification
• State Assistance qualification
Receive two SAT fee waivers, two ACT waivers, two SAT
subject test waivers, 4 college application fee waivers
If you think you may qualify, apply for free/reduced
lunch (do not actually need to receive lunch, just for
income verification process)
See school counselor for fee waiver and form
College Admissions:
SAT Subject Tests
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Good way to show off
knowledge not
demonstrated on SAT/ACT
Good way to “boost”
application
Some high-level admissions
schools (Ivy League, Duke)
require 1 or 2.
Take as soon as you can
after the class (i.e. U.S.
History)
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Dates
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Offered 6 times per year in
October, November,
December, January, May,
and June
Tests
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Literature, Biology,
Chemistry, Physics, U.S.
History, World History, Math
1, Math 2, French, German,
Spanish, Hebrew, Italian,
Latin
College Admissions:
Submitting Scores
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May have requested scores
be sent to certain schools
when you registered/or take
the tests
If you did not list school as a
recipient, contact
collegeboard.org for SAT
and actstudent.org for ACT
Will cost money to have
them sent after the test has
been taken
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Super Scoring
• Schools combine highest
score for each section of
SAT.
• Some schools do the same
for ACT, but not all.
College Admissions:
Qualitative Factors
 Extracurricular Activities
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Best to do one or two activities with larger, long-term commitments
than lots of “little” commitments
Something student is passionate about or related to academic/career
interest
Best to have a leadership position within an extracurricular activity
 Leadership Activities
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Think of all formal roles held – i.e. student government, captain of
sports team etc.
Other examples include:
Planning events (food drive? Clothing drive?)
 Heading up a committee
 Inside/outside of school
 Where did you make an impact on your community/school?
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College Admissions:
College Essays
 Not all colleges require and essay
 Only way to know the “real you”
 Start working on them far
in advance
 Can be deciding factor between
accept/reject/defer
 Great resource:
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https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-in/essays
 See your school counselor for additional resources
College Admissions:
Interviews
• Required for most early
decision applicants
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i.e. Wake Forest, Duke
• Generally in November
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or December
Usually takes place
locally, coffee shop, etc.
See Student Services to
prepare
Some done over Skype or
phone
College Admissions:
Transcripts
 The first transcript is free. After that, the cost
will be $5.00 each EXACT CASH ONLY
 Students will submit a transcript request in
Student Services through Mrs. Wheeler
 If you have requested a transcript, please allow
10 working days for Student Services to complete
your request
 Scholarship transcript requests are free. The final
transcript in the spring is free
College Admissions:
Recommendation Letters
• Can be from past or present teachers and counselors
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If past, from within the last 2 years
• Can be from coaches, pastors, youth leaders, etc.
• No family members!!
• Submit a resume with different characteristics,
achievements, extracurricular activities
• Give them at least two weeks to complete letters
• Seniors Only: You can start requesting ASAP
College Admissions:
Submitting an Application
 Submit application online and transcript
with cover letter by mail
 When you submit anything via paper, try to
get it together in a packet
 Allow two weeks for receipt of materials
 Check to see if materials were received
 Log into your admissions portal to check
status of sent items
College Application Day:
Seniors Only
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Occurs November 14th 7:30-10:30
Apply to multiple colleges for free using one
application on CFNC.org
Saves $50 per school on average!
Many private schools in N.C. waive their application
fees (not Davidson, Duke, Wake Forest).
Private schools offer more money, so it is worth it to
apply to some to see how much scholarship money you
can get.
Parents!
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Don’t be a micromanager
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Allow your student to have the independence that he/she needs
Provide them with resources they need for their application
process (i.e. $$, emotional support, help with organization)
Encourage them to make the best decision they can
Help them weigh the pros/cons, don’t make decisions for them
Remember that it is the student who will be spending 3 or 4
years at this place!
Support from a distance
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This will help the student to become more invested in his/her own
college experience 
Your To Do List
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Sign up for SAT or ACT
Check out practice essay prompts and do peer-editing
Make spreadsheet of scholarships
Check out school scholarships and documents required
Visit at least 2 schools
Complete the Self Evaluation and Parent Evaluation on
the school website for quality recommendation letters
Obtain a summer internship or volunteer experience
(don’t take this summer off of activities!)
Start to think about potential major
Investigate courses required for potential major
Think about job availability
QUESTIONS?