Navigating College
Admissions
Deer Park High School
Parent Presentation
2011-2012
Deer Park High School Guidance
Counselors
Kim Shafer last names A-K
Jan McNulty last names L-M
Student Responsibilities
 To research and to be personally
knowledgeable about all of the colleges to
which you will apply.
 You must complete all application materials
on or before deadlines and be the sole
author of your application.
 You should seek the assistance of your
counselor!
 Perform well in college!
A Note to Parents and
Students
Be Realistic About Your
Profile
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GPA
Test results
Curricular choices
Your special talents and
needs
“Lay all your cards on the
table” about:
 College cost vs. Family
income
 Student achievement
and progress at college
 Expected student
financial contributions
 Final choices-A family
decision
Post-Secondary Institutions
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Liberal Arts College
 Wilmington, Xavier, College of Mt. St. Joseph
University
 O.S.U., Miami U, U.C., Xavier
Technical/Community College
 Cincinnati State, Sinclair, Raymond Walters
Engineering or Technical Institute
 Cincinnati State, ITT, DeVry
Nursing School
 Good Samaritan, U.C., Cincinnati State, N.K.U., Xavier
Music, Drama, and Art
 Cincinnati Art Academy, Cincinnati Art Institute, U.C. (CCM,
DAAP)
What Admission
Committees Review
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The Objective
The Subjective
Curriculum choices
Standardized testing
Grade point average
Class rank
• Time commitments
outside of class
• Essays
• Letters of
recommendation
• Special talent, legacy,
diversity (of ALL
sorts)
• Degree of interest
A Good Application
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Rigorous curriculum
Broad range of extracurricular
activities, inside the high school and out
Strong GPA
Test Scores
Essays
Recommendations
Interest
Building the College List
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Size of student body
Geography
Social Life
Residential?
Reputation
Major
Athletics
Facilities
M/F Ratio
Study Abroad
Cost
• Class sizes
• Student Activities
• % of students
returning
• Selectivity
• Campus setting
• Greek Life
• Graduation rate
• Who Teaches?
• Dorm Life
• Diversity
Admission Plans
•Regular Decision
•Early Decision
•Early Action
•Rolling Admission
•Wait List
Early Decision (ED)
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You apply early and make a contract with the college
that if accepted you WILL attend their school.
Deadlines are usually October 15-December 1st.
If accepted ED you must withdraw your other
applications.
Be 100% SURE before you apply ED.
Colleges improve their yield by accepting students ED,
and thus your chances of acceptance are higher at most
ED schools.
Scholarship implications?
Early Decision
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Positive Features
Early response from
admission committee
Smaller applicant pool
Demonstrates strong
interest
Greater chance of
gaining admission?
Less stress!
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Negative Features
Eliminates options
BINDING
Tentative financial aid
offer
Limits scholarship/aid
opportunities
What high school senior
is sure of anything?
Early Action (EA)
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Similar to Early Decision, but not binding.
Deadlines tend to be from Oct. 15th to
December 1st.
You should find your status between
December 1st and February 1st.
Less of an admission advantage than ED.
Early Action
• Gives students the benefits of early
notification without the obligations of
early decision
• Students are free to apply to other
schools and to compare financial aid
offers
• SINGLE CHOICE EARLY ACTION
requires students not to make other EA
applications to schools
Rolling Admissions
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When you apply, your application is reviewed
soon and you will generally be notified of the
admission decision in 3-8 weeks.
Apply early! October/November
Your chances are improved early in the
admission cycle year with Rolling Admissions.
Most (but not ALL) state schools use Rolling
Admissions.
Late Decision or the Wait List
You have not been accepted or denied.
There may be room if they need you.
 Students respond to stay or not on the List
 If the student is still very interested, he/she
should express very clearly that they will
attend if offered a spot from the wait list.
 Unfortunately, the odds are stacked against
wait list students.
•Complete a Financial Need Estimate
www.fafsa4caster.edu.gov/
•IF you look like you WILL qualify for aid, don’t rule out private
schools!
•IF you WILL NOT qualify for aid, but want to attend a smaller,
private school apply to safe schools for scholarship money.
•Some out-of-state, State schools are as affordable as in-state, State
schools!
•Consider State schools. Ohio has many different options.
MORE at the Financial Aid Meeting,
January 2011
College Goal Sunday
•Locations throughout Ohio
•College Goal Sunday offers the opportunity to have
expert help completing the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
•Financial aid professionals from Ohio colleges &
universities will be available to walk you and your
family through the financial aid process
•College Goal Sunday is brought to you by the Ohio
Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
Need Information for College Goal Sunday?
Call Ohio’s College Access Information Hotline
1-877-I-ATTAIN (428-8246)
Mon.-Fri. 10am-6pm
A Final Word about Cost
Please discuss cost as a family now, not
later!
If cost is a major factor, design your list
to maximize your money.
Please attend the Financial Aid meeting:
January 2011 in the
High School Media Center
College Applications
When applying on-line ALWAYS:
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Have someone you trust review your
application before you submit it.
Print out the counselor form for Mrs. Shafer or
Ms. McNulty and bring to the counseling
office
Remember to tell the counselors that you
applied, the colleges do not.
Call the admission office to verify that your
application was received.
The Application
The application will include:
 On-line application form
 Essay?
 Teacher recommendation?
 Counselor Form and Transcript
 Test Scores (you may need to have these sent)
 Interview?
 Audition?
 Portfolio?
 Additional Materials?
Application Tips
► Watch
out for Deadlines, including
scholarship Deadlines.
► Complete an Inventory of the application
► START EARLY and make a schedule for
completion.
► Don’t add too much extra information, but
some may be OK.
► Be sure the application is 100% accurate
The Common Application
The Common Application is a single college
application good at over 450 colleges.
► Students
may complete on-line or type in to web
site and print out whenever you need it.
www.commonapp.org
► Many
schools still need an additional supplement
completed as well.
► Some schools which accept the Common
Application: Miami U (OH), Denison, Wittenberg,
University of Dayton, UK, University of Findlay,
Xavier University, etc.
A Word about DEADLINES
• Applications must be turned in at least two weeks
prior to any deadline.
• Work backwards from the due date to determine
your timeline.
• Plan to complete and turn in all applications one
month before deadline and definitely by
Christmas.
• 95% of all deadlines are absolute! Colleges and
definitely scholarships will not modify their
deadline for you no matter how good your
reason.
Recommendation
Letters
Recommendation letters can help your application.
Some general guidelines about recommendations:
• Ask someone who will write positively about you!
• Ask someone to write about you who knows you well!
• Ask at least TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE for your letter. Forms are available in the
counseling office.
• Put it all together neatly and ask nicely.
• In most cases you can include an extra recommendation letter, but do not
include too many.
• Recommendation Letters are confidential between the writer and the
college
Testing… ACT vs. SAT
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ACT
Score of 36 is perfect
(National average is 21)
4 sections (English, Math,
Reading, and Science) +
OPTIONAL writing
section
More common in the MidWest and South
Ohio State requires the
writing portion!
Free ACT prep at
www.ACTstudent.org
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SAT
Score of 2400 is perfect
(National average is
1500)
3 Sections (Math, Critical
Reading {formerly
verbal}, and Writing
More common on East
and West Coast
Free SAT prep at
www.collegeboard.com
SAT Subject Tests/SAT 2’s
Three tests at one sitting, usually one Math,
and two others of your choice
 Few schools require, BUT these are
generally the more SELECTIVE schools in
the country
 Often used for placement
ACT/SAT Continued…
ATTENTION SENIORS:
If you have NOT yet completed an ACT or
an SAT, please do so ASAP!!
ATTENTION JUNIORS:
We recommend you take your first ACT/SAT
in April of your junior year
Sign up for the PSAT test given on Oct. 13th
ACT/SAT Continued…
 Most colleges will only accept scores directly from the testing
company
 If you coded in colleges on your original exam, they have already
been sent by the testing agency
 If you forgot to code colleges on your original exam, you must
contact the testing company to have your scores sent to the colleges
SAT: will send ALL of your test scores for $9.50 per
school
ACT: will send ONE of your test scores for $9.00 per
school
 Deer Park High School’s testing code: 360-975 Scores will be sent
to the high school if you code it (we need verification for some
awards/scholarships)
PSAT
 PSAT (Practice SAT) Wednesday Oct. 12, 2011
 Registration fee is $14.00
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-Make checks payable to Deer Park High School
Open to sophomores in honors English and to
ALL juniors
Students register with Mrs. Hester in the main
office
Space is limited to the first 50 students who sign
up
Upon registration, students will receive a
practice PSAT
Essays
• A good essay allows the reader to see who you
are and understand what you are!
• How do you write one?
-Good essays contain certain qualities:
1. They are well developed in thought and theme.
2. They are grammatically correct.
3. They display good vocabulary skills.
4. They hold your attention and are read easily.
5. They reveal your personality, position, passion, and
ideals.
Essay Tips
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There are no right and wrong answers!!
Answer the question which is asked.
Be well organized in the essay. Is there a beginning, middle, end?
Support your main ideas with examples.
Avoid cliché topics: confessions, shock topics, vulgarity, girlfriend/boyfriend,
“the injury”, Iraq
Is it coherent? Does it flow and make sense?
Don’t try to cover too much, rather focus in on a specific idea.
Proofread three times!!
Get a second and third opinion.
Make it your voice.
Do you have a story to tell?
Use wit and humor (just not too much).
When in doubt, keep it simple.
Show, don’t tell.
College-bound Student
Athletes
 Do you want to play sports in college?
 Be realistic.
 Seniors: Register NOW for the NCAA
Clearinghouse for Division I & II prospects.
www.eligibilitycenter.org
 ACT/SAT scores must be sent directly to
the Clearinghouse (code 9999)
 Have strong grades your senior year.
 Get promises in writing.
College Visits
Simply the best way to learn about a college and its potential match.
Tips:
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Make an appointment online or by phone with the individual college
-schedule a meeting with a college admissions counselor
- request meetings for any special needs you may have
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Notify Mrs. Miskimens prior to the visit & pick up college visit form
-obtain signature from the college admissions counselor
-returned the sign form to Mrs. Miskimens
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During the visit:
-Talk to students
-Visit the program(s) of interest
-Sit in on a class
-Eat in the cafeteria
-Read the student newspaper
-Take a journal to record notes and your impressions of the school
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Do an overnight visit at a couple of schools you are very serious about
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Send a thank you note
Senior Timeline
• September – Review, research your college list.
Begin your applications.
• October/November- Finish testing. APPLY to
those colleges! Pay close attention to deadlines.
• October-April-Apply for scholarships. Pay close
attention to deadlines.
• January- Apply for Financial Aid through FAFSA
• April 1-15- You should receive your decisions and
financial information
• MAY 1ST! You must make YOUR final decision.
Admission Myths
 I need to know my academic major before I
can apply for admission.
 The ACT or SAT results represent the most
heavily weighted factor in selective
admission.
 Prospective students and parents have little
control over the college selection process.
 It’s better to have a highly developed, special
talent than to be the ‘well rounded’ applicant.
College Fairs
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Go as a team with your son/daughter
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Ask questions!
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Be open-minded and look at a large
variety of colleges
Thank You for attending
tonight’s presentation.
Any questions please contact Mrs.
Shafer or Ms. McNulty