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Norwin
High School Counseling Department
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| The
College Application Process |
| Applying
to colleges involves gathering and organizing necessary information and
materials and following a set process described to seniors during their
one on one meetings with their counselors in the Fall. To help alleviate
some parental stress and answer questions regarding our senior meetings,
we provide the following synopsis of the process: |
- Check
out college admission requirements and deadlines on the specific college’s
web site or in literature provided by the college.
- Register
for SAT and/or ACT tests the first week of September.
- Complete
an official application online or in paper format. Applications can
be downloaded from a college’s web site, acquired from a college’s admissions
office, from the “common application” web site, or from the Norwin High
School Guidance Department.
- Complete
or request any additional materials required by the application process
(essays, recommendation letters, teacher and counselor evaluations and
application fees). Allow at least one (1) week for teachers or counselors
to write recommendation letters.
- Obtain
a transcript release card from the Guidance Office. If the student is
under 18 years of age, the parent must sign release card as well.
- Request
that the senior counselor send an “official” transcript to the college
admissions office with all necessary documents.
- If
the application was sent online, the accompanying documents and official
transcript should be sent as soon as possible after the online application.
Be
sure to provide a correctly addressed envelope and sufficient postage.
- Include
a self-addressed return postcard to ensure that the application is received.
- If
a mid-year report is required by the college, notify the senior counselor.
- After
the application and all required materials are sent, follow up with
a call to the college admissions office to make sure the student’s application
is complete.
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| Timeline
for Seniors |
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| Summer |
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Generate
a list of schools you are considering with with information about
the deciding criteria: |
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Major
- Does the school offer the major(s) in which you are interested?
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SAT
- What are the school's required scores? |
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Cost
- What is the tuition? Added costs? (Price tags can be deceiving.)
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Location
- What is the school's proximity to home? Another city or town? |
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Size
- Is the school large or small? Will the size affect your interests/activities/opportunities? |
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Visit
the schools |
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Call
the college admissions office to schedule an appointment. (Try the
college’s “1-800” or toll-free number first.) |
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Talk
to staff members in the financial aid office. |
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Talk
to staff members in the placement office. |
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Look
at the freshman residence halls |
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Ask
to see the buildings where students attend classes. |
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Talk
to students. (They will give you the real scoop.) |
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| September |
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1.
Narrow the number of schools on your list to 4 or 5 no later than
Labor Day. |
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2.
Watch for fall registration programs. |
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3.
Listen to the announcements from the High School Guidance Office for
scheduled visits by various admissions counselors. |
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4.
Register for the SAT and/or ACT tests by the first week of September
for the tests offered in October, November and December. |
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| October |
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1.
Obtain an application from the college or from the High School Guidance
Office or Online. (Be sure to read through the entire application.)
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2.
Listen to the announcements from the High School Guidance Office for
scheduled visits by college and trade school representatives. |
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3.
Apply for “Early Action,” if applicable. |
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| November |
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1.
Obtain “Teacher Recommendation” forms and allow at least one (1) week
for teachers to write recommendation letters. |
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2.
Turn in the completed application form, deposit check, and
all supportive information to the High School Guidance Office at least
one (1) week before the application needs to be mailed. Be aware
of application deadlines! The Guidance Office will send applications
with five (5) working days of receipt. |
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| December |
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All
applications should be sent no later than December 1st. Enclose a
return postcard to ensure the application has been received. |
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| January |
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1.
Obtain financial aid forms from the Guidance Office, only if the forms
have not been received in the mail. |
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2.
Attend the High School’s “Financial Aid Night.” |
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| February |
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1.
Mail all financial aid forms by no later than February 1st. (Financial
aid is sometimes negotiable with colleges.) |
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2.
Make copies of everything you send. |
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| Throughout
the Year |
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1.
Read all college acceptance letters carefully as there will be deadlines
to observe. |
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2.
Review the financial aid package from the college first. |
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3.
Watch for scholarship announcements and monthly updates. |
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| College
Search Web Sites |
| These
sites offer information regarding the college search process: |
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College
Comparisons – www.overview.com/colleges
- publishing ACCREDITED college
databases for the Internet since 1996!
This site is helpful because:
Search
for schools and colleges by desired degree, certification, or training.
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US
News – www.usnews.com/sections/education/index.html
This site is helpful because:
U.S.
News has a widely recognized college ranking system and can help identify
ways to pay for college. |
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College
Confidential – www.collegeconfidential.com
- Here you'll find hundreds of pages of articles about choosing
a college, getting into the college you want, how to pay for it,
and much more. This site is helpful because:
This
site has a wealth of information about colleges and includes a good
discussion section where parents and students can communicate with
others.
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College
Insight - www.college-insight.org
- This site is home to a vast college of data about colleges from across
the country.
This site is helpful because:
You
can compare data like graduation rate, percentage of student's
needing aide receiving from multiple institutions' of higher
learning quickly and efficiently. |
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CollegeNET
– www.collegenet.com
- CollegeNET, Inc. is the world's leading 'virtual plumber' for higher
education internet transactions with 1500 customized admissions applications.
This site is helpful because:
You
can search for a college and apply at the same time right online.
Multiple applications are easier with data automatically being filled
in for you based on your last application. |
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Education
Planner – www.educationplanner.com
- Whether you are a high school student deciding what you want to
be, or a parent figuring out how to pay for college, this is your
one-stop career and college planning site. This site is helpful because:
This
non-profit organization is a good place to find a lot of good information. |
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Peterson's
– www.petersons.com
- Since 1966, Peterson's has helped to connect individuals, educational
institutions, and corporations through its critically acclaimed books,
Web sites, online products, and admissions services. This site is helpful because:
Peterson's
is doing via the Internet what they've always done so well. |
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You
University TV - www.youuniversitytv.com
- This site provides video tours of several hundred educational
institutions from across the nation. This
site is helpful because:
it is a "on stop shop" for taking a peek at what the
school really looks like. |
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College
Application Web Sites
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sites offer information regarding the college application process: |
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Adventures
in Education - www.adventuresineducation.org
- Adventures In Education (AIE) is a nonprofit, public service program
that helps students plan and complete their journey through higher
education. This site is helpful because:
This
site has a useful newsletter and many time-sensitive suggestions regarding
the application process. |
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College
Is Possible - www.collegeispossible.org
- College Is Possible (CIP), the American Council on Education's (ACE)
K–16 youth development program, motivates middle and high school students
from underserved communities to seek a college education. This site is helpful because:
All
students can benefit from the information on this site. |
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The
College Board - http://www.collegeboard.com/student/index.html
- This site is helpful because:
The
College Board was founded in 1900 and is still linking students and
parents with colleges and universities today. |
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Mapping
Your Future - mappingyourfuture.org
- Your free and neutral resource on career, college, financial aid,
and money management. This site is helpful because:
This
site has special sections for students, parents, loan borrowers, etc.
and a good timeline for students to follow. |
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The
Princeton Review - www.review.com
- The Princeton Review helps students, parents, and educators achieve
the best results at every stage of their educational careers.. This site is helpful because:
As
with many sites, you'll have to sign up for a free account but there
is a lot of information and help with the application process awaiting
you when you do. |
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If
you need any help regarding the college search and application process, please
contact your guidance counselor. If you found any of the above information particularly
helpful or if you have suggestions on how we can provide you with better online
information, please let your guidance counselor know.
School Counseling Home Page
>
High School Home Page
> Norwin
Schools Home Page
Updated 2/3/2010
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