Larry and Leah Lancer Go To College in 2016

Larry and Leah Lancer Go To College in 2016 1

Guidelines for Today Your counselor will be writing your letter or recommendation, so of course, your cooperation and patience will be noted. Regardless of where you plan to attend college, you must complete the FERPA waiver in the Common App. All Saint Francis students must start a Common App in order to have transcripts and other documents sent to colleges on time. Ca2

Outcomes For Today Plan of Action-Finalize Your List Testing Plan and Sending Scores Fill out Saint Francis High School College Application Plan (blue) Counselor Meeting Current College List Testing Plan Create a Common Application and Match to Family Connection Account so FERPA Waiver is in place. (Required of all students) Review Procedure for Requesting Letters of Recommendation Sign Up for College Rep Visits 3

Plan of Action ACTION: Move Colleges from Prospective List to Colleges I m Applying to in Family Connection. Use that list as your guide to completing and submitting applications on time. Direct your counselor, teachers to complete and send letters of recommendations on time through Family Connection, if required. Direct the College Board/ACT to send your test scores to the colleges on your list. 4

The College List Drives the College Admissions Process Where Should My Teacher Send My Letters of Recs? What Applications Do I File? Where Am I Applying to College? Where Should I Send Test Scores? This is your future and your list. Where Should My Counselor Send Secondary School Reports w/transcript? 5

How Will You Finalize Your List #1: Choose at least 2 safety schools that you love. If you love your safety school, or perhaps your safety school is your 1 st choice then WOW!! #2: Do consider how many applications you can handle effectively. Even if the college uses the Common Application, there are supplements that may be even more involved than the main Common App essay. 6

Choose Wisely College applications involve focused time, so do your research, attend college rep meetings, and think about your tolerance for disappointment when you consider the schools on your list that place you in REACH status. Highly selective schools are brutally eliminating sometimes 80-95% of all applicants who are just as wonderful and qualified as those who are admitted. Even a superhero may not be admitted. 7

FAQ How many colleges should I apply to? Students who do the research and know why they are applying to a particular college will typically have no more than 10 colleges on the list. The average number of apps for the Class of 2015 was 10.6. 8

In the Coming Weeks You Will Be Asked to Evaluate Your List Think in Terms of: Reach Target Safety Boston College Chapman San Jose State UC Santa Barbara Cal Poly SLO Boise State University of Oregon U of Kansas De Anza Every student wants to have at least two schools where admission is assured. 9

How Your List May Change Meeting with Counselor Meeting with College Reps Visit to colleges. (Oct. 10-14) Your Colleges I m Thinking About is a preliminary list, but the goal is to MOVE your list in Family Connections to Colleges I m Applying To. 10

TESTING PLAN IN PLACE UC s accept as late as Dec CSU s vary on last date accepted. Check college website for specific directives on last date accepted. 11

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Send Scores!! Once you order scores it can take two weeks for your order to be processed. Note that Scores may not be available until weeks after you take the exam. If you wait to see scores before you sent them, you may miss deadlines for EA/ED/Priority deadlines. 13

Most Colleges Use Best Super Score A computer places scores on the admission review screen for the person reviewing your application, selecting the best combination of CR, M, (and WR if used) from all of the test dates sent. SEND ALL YOUR SCORES WHEN YOU REGISTER FOR THE TEST. THEN THE ORDER GOES OUT AS SOON AS SCORES ARE READY. 14

Do Not Waste Time Strategizing on Which Scores to Send Colleges want students to send all scores so they can make sure they have all sub scores and can see the best combination. Only UC s and a few others look at best single date and that would still be clear if you send all your scores. 15

SEND SCORES! SEND SCORES! SCORES can be sent to a college before your application is filed. Check deadlines for colleges where you plan to apply EARLY. Check: What is the LAST TESTING DATE used for early? For regular? Remember if you wait to see the scores before you send them, they may be late arriving at the college. 16

Just a Side Note What to Do About Score Choice? Counselors and colleges across the country recommend that: Students send ALL scores and let colleges select the scores they will use. 17

Saint Francis High School College Application Plan COUNSELOR MEETING DO NOT PANIC!! Counselors will be seeing each senior for an extensive college meeting. Do know that you will be contacted for a meeting, but it could take several weeks for all students to be called in. Today you will indicate the best period for you to meet with your counselor. Once the meeting is set, arrive prepared, as this time is set aside especially for you. If you need to cancel/change, please email your counselor ASAP. Follow up To Do List items are your responsibility to complete. 18

Please list those colleges that currently are on your Prospective College List. CURRENT COLLEGE LIST Please fill out: What makes this college a good match for you? These are colleges you have decided to apply to or are seriously considering. This list will be an important part of the college meeting with your counselor. 19

10 Minute Activity- Pass Out Saint Francis High School College Application Plan (Blue) Complete Counselor Meeting Current College List Testing Plan in Place 20

Complete College Application Plan 10 Minutes-Please no talking and complete your own list. We will do the Common App section next so leave that section on Page 2 blank for now. 21

Setting Up Common App Account Watch, Look, and Listen and then time will be allotted for you to set up your own account. 22

All Students Must Create Common App Account 23

WARNING The email address you enter in the Common APP MUST match with your Family Connection email address. Use your SFHS email address whenever possible as it is easy to remember. Keep track of all application logins and passwords on your phone. 24

First You Must Complete the Education Section in Order to Complete the FERPA Waiver 25

Make sure you select Saint Francis High School in Mountain View School Code: 052077 Date of Entry if you came as a freshman is August 2012 Graduation Date is: 05/28/2016 26

Choose One College 27

Type in Name of College IGNORE Term=Fall 2016 Applicant Type= First Year 28

Now Let s Set FERPA Why? Waiver From the Common App: Why should you consider waiving your right of access? Waiving your right lets colleges know that you will never try to read your recommendations. That in turn reassures colleges that your recommenders have provided support that is candid and truthful. While you are free to respond as you wish, if you choose not to waive your right, some recommenders may decline your request, and some colleges may disregard letters submitted on your behalf. Remember, even if you retain your right of access, you still won't be able to view any recommendations until after you have been admitted to and enrolled in a college. In other words, FERPA does not give you the right to inspect recommendations before they are sent to your colleges. 29

1 2 Go to the My Colleges tab-select your college. On the left side select the Recommendations and FERPA Also Notice that the Application Deadlines are listed. Also Notice the number of Teacher Evaluations are listed. 30

Reasons to Waive Your Rights 31

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Quiet Activity in Progress- Pass Out the Class of 2016 College Application Plan(Yellow) Open ipad. Open Browser Use the Instruction Sheet Create Common App Account Set FERPA Waiver 33

Now that Everyone Has a Common App Account Note: Counselors will always send recs and transcripts to Common App and Electronic schools through Family Connection-Naviance edocs. Your Family Connection college list drives that process. Teachers will do the same unless they want to send by snail mail. 34

You will NOT use the Manage Recommender feature. If you need a form for someone to send by snail mail-you can print that form here. 35

Coordinating Common App and Family Connection Accounts Log in to your Family Connection account. Go to the Colleges tab. Select Colleges I m Applying To 36

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Account Matching is Critical! This email address MUST be a perfect match to the email you used in the Common App. 38

If You Match IT LOOKS LIKE THIS 39

Letters of Recommendations UC and CSU do not accept letters of recommendation. (Except UCB will accept two letters-one must be from teacher.) Check out of state public colleges and universities for policies on letters of recommendation. Common Application schools and private colleges typically require letters. 40

How System Works Counselor Already knows he/she is writing your letter. You will need to make sure the Colleges I m Applying To list is correct in Family Connection. Submit a Blue Folder to the Counselor. Pick up Blue Folder in Counseling Center starting Sept. 3. Early Apps-folder due at least three weeks before college deadline but no later than Oct. 9. Last day to submit a letter request folder is Dec. 1 st. 41

How To Request Teacher Letter(s) of Recommendation Select Colleges Select Colleges I m applying to Select the Colleges TAB 42

At the bottom of the same screen where you matched your Common Account, you will find the Teacher Recommendations link. You MUST add the name of the teacher you are requesting to write for you from a drop down menu to load that teacher into the system. If you do not list the teacher-they cannot submit your letter. 43

Understanding the System It is your responsibility to know how a college accepts recommendations and transcripts. Family Connection communicates this to you with these symbols. PRINT-Snail Mail CSU/UC No Letter Needed Common App 44

Teacher Preference The Red Folder must be submitted regardless of how the teacher plans to submit. It is up to the teacher how he/she will submit the letter. (Electronic through FamilyConnection/Naviance or Snail Mail) Check with the teacher first so you can prepare your folder appropriately. You will need to provide an addressed 8 ½ by 11 inch envelope for each PRINT only college. 45

Teacher Recommendation Folder Pick up red Teacher Recommendation Folder in the Counseling Center after September 3. Follow the directions and submit the folder to your teacher ASAP but no later than the designated deadlines. (Not before you know the college(s) you are applying to that need(s) a letter.) Even if you made contact with a teacher last spring, listed the teacher in Family Connection, submitted the completed yellow Saint Francis High School Teacher Recommendation Request, the red Teacher Recommendation Folder MUST be submitted with your list of colleges Include stamped and addressed envelope for each college where a PRINT ONLY policy exists. 46

Do Not Go Overboard with Recs If a college only requires ONE letter, you do not need two, and for many schools there is a maximum number of letters that can be loaded and sent. An email will be sent to you with a list of colleges that require TWO letters. Check the college s website for directives on # of letters and subject areas required. Note the Common App and all other types of application will note the supporting documents required for a complete application. 47

Again, letters of recommendation take hours to write. If you asked a teacher last springmake sure to connect with that teacher. Make sure your folder is clear on the colleges where you would like a teacher to send a recommendation. If one of your colleges sets a maximum of ONE letter then only list the college on ONE teacher s folder. 48

Counselor and Teacher Rec Deadlines Pick up Blue and Red Folders in the Counseling Center after Sept. 3. Last day if you want a letter sent by an early date: Three week notice and no later than Oct. 9. Counselor Last day for any request is December 1 st. Teacher 49

Filing Applications 50

What Colleges May Ask For: Letters of Recommendation- not accepted by UC/CSU/Some Public Universities (except UCB) Test Scores SENT BY YOU DIRECTLY FROM COLLEGE BOARD OR ACT Application Transcript- Either self reported (UC, CSU) or sent by regular mail or electronically. 51

What You Need To Complete Applications UPDATED RESUME Access scores through College Board and ACT portal 52

Outside Transcripts Official Transcripts Community Colleges other high schools any program that produces a transcript Students must also send an official copy of this same transcript directly to each and every private and out of state public college that will take transcript documents. Must be received in the Main Office no later than Sept. 11st in order to have this information added to the Saint Francis High School Transcript. 53

Transcripts for UC/CSU UC does not take transcripts, but students will self report this information on the UC application as well as the CSU application. CSU campuses may request a transcript through the application portal-after your application has been filed. 54

Importance of Senior Grades All colleges accept students on a conditional basis and the senior grades will be a final aspect of evaluation. Senior grades are evaluated and admissions can be rescinded at any time -even after students have moved into dorms. UCSC rescinded more than 358 admission decisions this last summer. First and second semester senior grades will be important for admissions. You will need to Immediately notify each college if you receive any D or F grades first semester of the senior year. Immediately notify each campus if you drop a course that is listed on your application. Immediately notify each campus if there is any change to the information provided on your original application. 55

Four Things to Remember: Apply on Time Check Your Saint Francis Email every day for updates from your counselor. Send Your Test Scores Check for communications with colleges and follow up if you are asked to send something. 56

Posted in Family Connection- College Rep Visits Online Signup ONLY through Family Connection. All College Representatives will visit during Collaboration, during lunch, or after school. The Reps are Coming!! The Reps are Coming!!!!!! You can sign up for the College Reps through your Family Connect Portal!! Some may be at the end of the day. You will need to pick up a Blue Permission Form in advance, and have it signed by your teacher in order to leave class for these end of the day college presentations. College Information Sessions held Off Campus will be listed with locations and times. 57

College Representatives Sign Up Now in Family Connection. Reps scheduled until the end of Nov. and new reps added each day. The Rep You Meet May Be the Rep Who Reads Your Application. Get the card. Use the email address provided. Follow up. Ask good questions. Many Colleges Consider Demonstrated Interest in the Admissions Decision. 58

Click and Sign Up now for those colleges you would like to learn more about. You will receive an email reminder the day before the presentation. 59

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Resources 61

Also.. Use the Saint Francis College Guidance website. Use the Saint Francis Guidance and Counseling website as another source of information on current events relevant to college planning. 62

Class of 2016 College Planning Portal in Family Connection Even this presentation is in the portal!! When you log into your Family Connection account, you can link to the Senior Class Portal. All presentations, important college links, and forms will be in this portal. 63

SFHS College Counseling Handbook Please read before your first meeting with your College Counselor. Located in Lancer Books on your ipad OR Saint Francis High School Guidance and Counseling website. 64

Workshop Time: Finish Saint Francis Application Plan (blue) and Turn into counselor before you leave. Make sure to list teacher(s) writing for you. Make sure to include best times to meet. Options: Sign up for College Rep visits Review College Counseling Handbook Finish Sections in Common App or start your UC application. Use your Family Connection account to research colleges. Move colleges from Colleges I m Thinking About to Colleges I m Applying to if you are ready. 65