Western Tech School Counseling Department

Presents:

Navigating the College APPLICATION Process

COLLEGE APPLICATION TIMELINE

Senior Year

September /
  • Meet with your school counselor to discuss the schools on your college application list and discuss signing up for the October SAT
  • Request teacher recommendations

October /
  • Apply online to all the schools on your list
  • If applicable, get college application fee waiver information
  • Visit any colleges you have not yet seen

November /
  • Be mindful that priority deadlines start this month
  • Start the scholarship search by looking online and in the school counseling office bulletin

December /
  • You should be finishing up your application process by the end of the month
  • Many priority application deadlines are
December 1st!
January /
  • You are able to start filling out the FAFSA January 1st
  • Attend Western’s Financial Aid Night on Thursday, January 16th at 7pm in the cafeteria

February /
  • As you begin to receive college acceptance letters, bring them to the school counseling office
  • February 14th is the FAFSA’s priority deadline!

March /
  • Continue your scholarship search

April /
  • Financial aid packages will be coming out this month-compare and contrast to see which package is best for you

May /
  • May 1st is the national deadline to declare where you will attend college—in order to hold your place at your chosen college you must place a deposit by this date (this may include getting preference on housing)

HELPFUL WEBSITES

COLLEGE
INFORMATION / (College Board)
(American College Testing)
(United States Department of Education)
(College Parents of America)
(College Net)
(The Embark)
(Peterson’s)
(National Association for College Admission Counseling
(Campus Tours)
FINANCIAL AID, LOAN AND SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION / (Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FINAID)
(Fastweb)
(Hispanic College Fund)
(United Negro College Fund)
(Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)
(Maryland Higher Education Commission)
ATHLETICS / (National Collegiate Athletic Association)
(National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)

COLLEGE TERMS

  • ACT (American College Test)-A college admission test covering English, social science, natural science and mathematics.
  • AP (Advanced Placement)-The AP program is sponsored by the College Board and offers high school students a chance to do college level work in a variety of academic subjects.
  • CEEB (College Entrance Examination Board)-Company which provides college entrance testing. Western Tech’s CEEB code 210221.
  • Common Application-More than 500 colleges/universities use this form. Using this form reduces the time you would spend composing multiple essays and working on various college applications
  • Early Action-This allows a student to apply early without making a commitment to attend the college if accepted.
  • Early Decision-This involves a commitment between the student and the college. If admitted, the student must enroll at the college regardless of the type financial aid package offered.
  • Financial Need-The difference between the cost of education and what the family or applicant can reasonably be expected to contribute.
  • Rolling Admission-Colleges that use this plan review the applications as they come in and give out decisions in the order in which the applications are submitted.
  • Transcript-The official record of your high school work.
  • Undergraduate-College student who is working toward their bachelor’s degree.

COLLEGE APPLICATION DEADLINES

As Seniors applying to college, you must look at college application DEADLINES! Below are just some of the Fall 2014-2015 application deadlines. For more application deadline information, just go to Collegeboard.com, click on College Search and then click on Deadlines.

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY / PRIORITY DEADLINE / REGULAR DEADLINE
HOWARD UNIVERSITY / NOVEMBER 1 / FEBRUARY 15
MCDANIEL COLLEGE / DECEMBER 1 / FEBRUARY 15
NORTH CAROLINA A&T / FEBRUARY 15 / APRIL 1
SALISBURY UNIVERSITY / DECEMBER 1 / JANUARY 15
TOWSON UNIVERSITY / DECEMBER 1 / FEBRUARY 15
UMBC / NOVEMBER 1 / JANUARY 20
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK / NOVEMBER 1 / JANUARY 20
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, EASTERN SHORE / APRIL 15 / JULY 15

Why is applying early action/priority deadline beneficial?

  • It can reduce your stress of cutting down the time spent waiting for a decision
  • You can gain more time once accepted to spend on the financial aid process
  • If not accepted to your school of choice, you can reassess and apply elsewhere
  • At many colleges, acceptance rates are higher for early action than for regular admission

Writing the College Essay: Seven Tips to Minimize Stress and Maximize Success

BY Francine Schwartz

Understand the purpose of the college applicationessay:Colleges use the essay, sometimes called a personal statement, to assess the student’s critical thinking and writing abilities. This helps to ensure that the student can do the required level of work. The essay also assists the admissions officer to determine whether the student is a good fit, in addition to someone who will contribute something unique to the incoming freshman class. The essay is often the student’s one opportunity to tell college admissions representatives something about themselves that cannot be found on transcripts, lists of extracurricular activities; test scores or recommendations. Therefore do not repeat information that you have already included elsewhere in your application. A great essay presents a vivid, personal and compelling view of you and can round out the rest of your application.

Know the mechanics of writing an essay:Pay careful attention to the question asked and the number of words required. Review what you have learned in English class about the structure of the standard five paragraph essay. The steps in writing your essay should include: picking a topic; preparing an outline or diagram of your ideas; writing a thesis statement; writing the body; writing the introduction; writing the conclusion; and proofreading. Your introduction should grab the reader’s attention. Keep in mind college admissions officers can easily read fifty sets of essays a night. Polish your first sentence like a gem; it sets the tone and direction of your essay.

Narrow your focus:You may either have your topic assigned, be asked to choose among a list of topics, as in the common application, or be given free rein to write on the subject of your choosing. Whatever the case may be, narrow the focus of your essay. Since you only have one-and-a-half to two pages for this essay you should not try to tell your whole life story. If you cover too much ground you will be forced to be superficial. Pick a maximum of three main points and concentrate on proving them. Develop your argument or narrative with captivating details, specific facts, events, quotations, examples and reasons.

Choose your topic carefully:What is the best way to select a topic? Colleges sincerely want to know who you are. They hope to attract a class of diverse students. Consider how you are unique. Ask yourself: how do I view the world? ; What do I care deeply about? What experiences and people have been important in shaping me as a person? What are my goals in life? Most importantly, what have you learned from your experiences and how have you grown and matured from them? An essay about failure can sometimes be more compelling than one about success. Try to bring something new to the table. Avoid what admissions officers call the “Three D’s: death, divorce and disease as topics. Don’t resort to gimmicks. Focus on yourself and not what you think the admissions committee wants to hear. Show, don’t tell. Make your reader see, hear, smell, taste and touch all that you are describing.

Your own work is a must:In my work as a college consultant I have met hundreds of college representatives. They are not ogres who enjoy making students and families squirm, but nice folks who genuinely like students and want them to succeed. They also are very savvy about knowing the difference between the “voice” of a seventeen year old and a 45 year old. You don’t need to impress them with your ability to use a thesaurus or write like an award winning author. You do need to turn in an essay that is completely your own. Doing otherwise will jeopardize your chances of admission.

Proofread and Proofread again:Now for the finishing touches. Check the order of your paragraphs. Your strongest points should be the first and last paragraphs within the body. Make sure your paragraph order makes sense. Double check the instructions for your essay and make sure you followed them. At all costs avoid typos and spelling and grammatical errors. These can be interpreted as carelessness or poor writing. Don’t rely on your computer’s spell-checker. Have a qualified adult such as an English teacher proofread your essay. Print out a hard copy and double check everything before hitting click and send.

Final Advice:Millions of students have survived writing the college essay and you will too! The best piece of advice is to get started long before the deadlines approach. Junior year is a great time to begin brainstorming to find essay topics. During the summer, before the hectic pace of senior year, complete an essay from the Common Application or from a school you have selected that doesn’t use the Common Application. However, if you find yourself burning the midnight oil, use the tips above and you will write a great essay!

College Interview Questions

12 Questions You Should Be Ready to Answer in Your College Interview

By Allen Grove

1. Tell me about yourself.

This question seems easier than it is. How do you reduce your whole life to a few sentences? And it's hard to avoid commonplace answers like "I'm friendly" or "I'm a good student." Of course you want to demonstrate that you're friendly and studious, but try also to say something memorable here that really makes you different from other college applicants. Can you hold your breath longer than anyone in your school? Do you have a huge collection of Pez dispensers? Do you have unusual cravings?

2. Why are you interested in our college?

Be specific when answering this, and show that you've done your research. Also, avoid answers like "I want to make a lot of money" or "Graduates of your college get good job placement." You want to highlight your intellectual interests, not your materialistic desires. What specifically about the college distinguishes it from other schools you're considering?

3. What can I tell you about our college?

You can almost guarantee that your interviewer will provide an opportunity for you to ask questions. Make sure you have some, and make sure your questions are thoughtful and specific to the particular college. Avoid questions like "when is the application deadline?" or "how many majors do you have?" This information is both uninteresting and readily available on the school's webpage. Come up with some probing and focused questions: "What would graduates of your college say was the most valuable thing about their four years here?" "I read that you offer a major in interdisciplinary studies. Could you tell me more about that?"

4. Who in your life has most influenced you?

There are other variations of this question: Who's your hero? What historical or fictional character would you most like to be like? This can be an awkward question if you haven't thought about it, so spend a few minutes considering how you would answer. Identify a few real, historical, and fictional characters you admire, and be prepared to articulate WHY you admire them.

5. Why do you want to major in ______?

Realize that you don't need to have decided upon a major when you apply to college, and your interviewer will not be disappointed if you say you have many interests and you need to take more classes before choosing a major. However, if you have identified a potential major, be prepared to explain why. Avoid saying that you want to major in something because you'll make a lot of money -- your passion for a subject will make you a good college student, not your greed.

6. What will you contribute to our campus community?

You'll want to be specific when answering this question. An answer like "I'm hard-working" is rather bland and generic. Think about what it is that makes you uniquely you. What exactly will you bring to diversify the college's community?

7. Tell me about a challenge that you overcame.

This question is designed to see what kind of problem solver you are. When confronted with a challenge, how do you handle the situation? College will be full of challenges, so the college wants to make sure theyenroll students who can handle them.

8. What do you do for fun in your free time?

"Hangin' out and chillin'" is a weak answer for this question. College life obviously isn't all work, so the admissions folks want students who will do interesting and productive things even when they aren't studying. Do you write? Hike? Play tennis? Use a question such as this one to show that you are well-rounded with a variety of interests.

9. What do you see yourself doing 10 years from now?

You don't need to pretend that you have your life figured out if you get a question like this. Very few students entering college could accurately predict their future professions. However, your interviewer does want to see that you think ahead. If you can see yourself doing three different things, say so -- honesty and open-mindedness will play in your favor.

10. Does your high school record accurately reflect your effort and ability?

In the interview or on your application, you often have an opportunity to explain a bad grade or a bad semester. Be careful with this issue -- you don't want to come across as a whiner or as someone who blames others for a low grade. However, if you really did have extenuating circumstances, let the college know.

11. Recommend a good book to me.

The interviewer is trying to accomplish a few things with this question. First, the question asks whether or not you've actually read much. Second, it asks you to apply some critical skills as you articulate why a book is worth reading. And finally, your interviewer might get a good book recommendation!

12. If you could do one thing in high school differently, what would it be?

A question like this can turn sour if you make the mistake of dwelling on things you regret. Try to put a positive spin on it. Perhaps you've always wondered if you would have enjoyed acting or music. Maybe you would have liked to give the student newspaper a try. Maybe, in retrospect, studying Chinese might have been more in line with your career goals than Spanish. A good answer shows that you didn't have the time in high school to explore everything that is of interest to you.

Sample Questions To Ask College Admissions Counselors

Setting

Describe the size and setting of the campus. What are the top five states from where your students come?

How is your institution unique? What distinguishes it from most other colleges and universities?

What sort of academic calendar do you use: semesters, trimesters, etc.?

Academics

What are the most popular majors?

What is the average class size for introductory, general education classes taken by freshmen and sophomores? Overall, what is the undergraduate student-faculty ratio? What is the overall undergraduate average class size?

How difficult or easy is it for freshmen and sophomores to enroll in courses they want?

Who typically teaches freshman & sophomore courses – professors or teaching assistants?

How difficult is it to double major? How can a student major in one area such as science and minor in another such as business?

How writing-intensive is your curriculum?

How available are faculty members? What are typical office hours? Do they give home/cell numbers?

Is there much informal student-faculty contact outside of class such as students and faculty having lunch or dinner together or playing sports together?

Does each student have a personally assigned advisor, or is advising conducted by an “advisement center?” Does the student have an opportunity to select or change his/her advisor?

Is there an early-alert system at the college whereby first semester students receive feedback about their progress before they receive their final grades?