Understanding the College
Admission Process
WHS College Night
October 7, 2010
Alyson Leatherman, Christine Lindberg and Lyndi Tucker
Evening Agenda
Welcome
Admissions Timeline
Finalizing List of Schools
College Admission Process
Family Connection Demo
Question & Answer
Admissions Timeline
Admissions Timeline
 Junior Year
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Generate list of schools that you would like to investigate
PSAT in October
Attend the NACAC College Fair in Portland on Saturday, November 13
Prepare and take SAT or ACT in the spring
Visit with college representatives when they visit WHS
Begin campus visits (perhaps during spring break?)
Prepare for AP exams
Meet with your school counselor to review your transcript
 Summer after Junior Year
• Register for NCAA Clearinghouse if you plan to pursue college athletics
• Campus visits!
• Take advantage of a great summer opportunity (internship, job,
program)
Admissions Timeline, cont.
 Senior Year- Fall
• Narrow and finalize a list of colleges that you will apply to and review
application requirements by the end of October
• Be aware of application timelines for each college you will be applying
to. You need to start the application process at least 4 weeks prior to
the deadline
• If necessary, take or re-take SAT and/or ACT no later than December
• If you have an application deadline in early to mid-January, be sure to
contact your school counselor before the holiday break!
Admissions Timeline, cont.
 Senior Year- Winter
• Financial Aid- the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is
available in January 2011
 What you can do now:
• FAFSA4caster: Provide you with the experience of completing the
FAFSA and also give you an early estimate of eligibility
• www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov/
• Research scholarships on Family Connection
• Attend WHS Financial Aid Night on Thursday, November 18
• College Goal Oregon offers “FAFSA Fridays”- Webinars on the last
Friday of each month beginning in October
• Webinars include an overview of the FAFSA and an application
demonstration and Q & A
Admissions Timeline, cont.
 Senior Year- Spring
• Scholarship search
• Make final decision by May 1st and send in deposit to secure your spot
• Be aware of housing application and housing deposit deadlines
 Summer before College
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Take any required placement exams
Send a final transcript
Send AP scores and CCC transcript
Have a financial plan– will you have enough spending money next year?
Attend summer orientation for freshman
Finalizing Your List of Schools
Finalizing Your List of Schools
First, decide if you will apply only to four
year institutions or will you also consider
community college
Second, categorize your schools as Reach,
Good Fit and Safe
Finalizing Your List of Schools
Community College Options:
• Transfer Degree (to a 4 Year College/University)
• Associates Degree (2 Year)
• Certificate Program (1 Year)
Community College Event in May
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Spring application timeline
Application
Placement Tests
Advising Session
Finalizing Your List of Schools
Things to Consider:
• Compatibility of your academic profile with each of
the schools
• Location and size
• Academic majors or programs offered
• Costs and financial aid
• College affiliation and accreditation
• Campus activities
• Support services
• Housing options
Assessing Majors and Educational
Programs
 Consult publications such as U.S. News and
World Report, Peterson’s, Princeton Review and
Barron’s for published ratings
 Investigate the college or university
What courses are required for specific majors
Number of professors with highest degree in field
Research institution vs. teaching institution
Number of students seeking higher education,
securing jobs, etc. after graduation
• Attend a class
• Meet with a professor in that major or program
• Meet with a current student in that major or program
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Unsure About a Major?
It’s common for students to be unsure
about their major
Inquire about freshman course of studies
Inquire about when you have to declare a
major
Consider a liberal arts college
Talk with your school counselor
Use CIS career exploration
Resources to Help Finalize Your List
WHS College Visits
• Admission counselors visit WHS regularly and meet
in the College & Career Center
• Calendar of visits available on Family Connection and
on the Counseling Calendar
• Sign up through Family Connection or see Mrs.
Tucker!
Oregon University System College Night
• Monday, October 18th at 7:00 pm
• The Pointe
Resources to Help Finalize Your List
Campus Visits/Preview Days
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Meet with an Admission Counselor
Take a campus tour
Attend a class
Eat in campus dining hall
Talk with students and faculty
Overnight visit (if offered)
Resources to Help Finalize Your List
College webpage for prospective students
Facebook, Twitter, Blogs
WHS College & Career Center
• College catalogs and bulletins
• Guide books: The College Handbook, Barron’s,
Peterson’s, etc.
Parents, students, and alumni
Your school counselor
College Admission Process
Most Common Application Requirements
Four-year Colleges or Universities
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Application and Fees
Transcript (Coursework, GPA and Class Rank)
Test Scores (SAT and/or ACT)
Letters of Recommendation
Essay
Student Activity Profile/Resume
Interview
College Application Deadlines
Regular Decision:
is the most common application
process. A student sends in their application by a regular
deadline which is typically in early winter.
Early Action:
is a non-binding early application
process. A student sends in their application by a specific
early deadline and will receive their decision earlier than
regular decision, usually before the end of December.
Early Decision:
process.
is a binding early application
Family Connection: New Best Friend
 http://connection.naviance.com/wilsonville or
 WHS Website/College & Career/Family Connection
 Personal online college planning and management
software
 Students will use Family Connection to communicate
where they are applying; to request transcripts; and to
request teacher recommendations
 Students can also use Family Connection for the
following services:
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Research colleges
Create activity resumes
Access the WHS scholarship database
Sign-up for college visits
Access college data regarding 2006-2010 WHS graduates
Application
School Specific Online Application
Common Application
• Over 400 colleges and universities will accept the
common application
• Great way to apply to multiple colleges with one
application
Student Activity Profile
Essay
Fees
Application, cont.
 Family Connection Demo
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Log-in to Family Connection
Complete FERPA Waiver
Add colleges to “Colleges I’m Applying to”
Click the box for “Request Transcript”
Request Teacher Recommendation
 Student sends application directly to school
electronically
 For Common App, students must complete
application before WHS can send supporting
documents i.e. transcript and recommendations
Transcript
 The official transcript includes completed
coursework, GPA (weighted and unweighted)
and class rank
 A School Profile will be provided with each
transcript to help the college better understand
WHS and our community
 All Transcript Requests must be made through
Family Connection
 When adding colleges to “Colleges I’m Applying
to”, click the box for “Request Transcript”
 No fee this year 
Letters of Recommendation
 Find out how many you need and who needs to
write them- only ask for and submit what is asked
for
 All Teacher Recommendation requests must be
made through Family Connection
 For Teacher Recommendations, the student
provides each teacher with:
• Online request through Family Connection
• Senior autobiography (see WHS college/career website)
• At least THREE weeks notice
 For Counselor Recommendations, the student
provides the counselor with:
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Senior autobiography (see WHS college/career website)
At least THREE weeks notice
 Remember: Thank you notes are appropriate
Standardized Tests
 The SAT Reasoning Test or the ACT should be taken as
early as March of the junior year and no later than
December of the senior year
 It is important to have your scores sent directly from
collegeboard.com or actstudent.org to the schools that
you are interested in applying to
 Schools will generally take your best combined score, so
it is advisable to take the exam more than once
 SAT= Verbal, Math, Writing
• High score = 2400
 ACT= English, Reading, Math, Science, Writing
• High score = 36
SAT vs. ACT
SAT
ACT
ACT Difference
Writing
Writing (optional)
The ACT essay is always the
last section; the SAT essay is
always the first section.
Math
Math
Covers math through
trigonometry, whereas the
SAT does not.
Critical Reading
Reading
Tests similar reading skills.
No vocabulary oriented
Sentence Completions.
N/A
Science
No science section on the
SAT. Measures
interpretation and analysis.
Deduction for incorrect
multiple choice problems
No deduction for incorrect
answers
Raw Score
200-800 scale
1-36 scale
Scaled Score
Scores from all test
Students can choose to not
administrations included on send scores from specific
scores reports to colleges
administrations to colleges
The Interview
 Although optional, many colleges and universities
recommend a meeting with a member of the admission
counseling staff
 During this meeting, you may discuss your academic
background, high school activities, special interests, and
options for financing your education
 The interview may be individual or group, and could last
between 30 minutes to 1 hour
 Parents are often invited
 Remember: the interview is your opportunity to ask
questions, so be prepared
 Remember: the interview is only one piece of the
admission decision
How do Colleges Make Admission
Decisions?
 Since each institution is different, if you are
curious, it is important to inquire with individual
schools about their decision making process
 Typically, most colleges and universities consider:
• Courses taken in 9-11th grades, the grades earned in
those courses, and the strength of senior schedule
• Test Scores
• Extra-curricular Activities
• Essay
• Letters of Recommendation
How do Colleges Make Admission
Decisions?
 Automatic Admit vs. Comprehensive Review
 OUS Recommended GPAs
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U of O – 3.4
OSU – 3.0
PSU – 3.0
OIT – 3.0
Eastern, Western, Southern – 2.75
 Academic Units
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English- 4 years
Math- 3 years
Science- 2 years (2 years must be lab science)
Social Studies- 3 years
World Language- 2 years of same language
Helpful Websites
WHS:
 www.wvhs.wlwv.k12.or/college-career.htm
 www.connection.naviance.com/wilsonville
SAT and ACT:
 www.collegeboard.com
 www.actstudent.org
Financial Aid and Scholarships:
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www.fafsa.ed.gov/
www.getcollegefunds.org
www.fastweb.com
www.scholarships.com
www.collegegoaloregon.org
NCAA Clearing House:
 www.ncaaclearinghouse.org
Helpful College Websites
College Search:
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Family Connection: www.connection.naviance.com/wilsonville
CollegeBoard: www.collegeboard.com
US News Best Colleges: www.usnews.com/rankings
Colleges That Change Lives: www.ctcl.com
Community and Two Year Colleges: www.community-college.org
U. S. Department of Education Information Site for Students and
Institutions: www.students.gov
Career:
 Oregon Career Information System (CIS): oregoncis.uoregon.edu/home/
Question & Answer
Thank You for Coming!
 Please fill out our evaluation before leaving
this evening
 Our next College Night is the Oregon
University System Night on Monday, October
18th at 7:00 pm. in the WHS Pointe
 The following College Night is the Financial
Aid Night on Thursday, November 18 at 6:30
pm