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COLLEGE & POST-HIGH-SCHOOL GUIDE: Applications
get this GUIDE in PDF format (get Adobe Reader)

APPLICATION

Send, e-mail, or call for application forms during the summer or in early September of your senior year (except for University of California and the California State University System applications, which can be obtained from the counseling office or the college/career center in October). The addresses, telephone numbers and web sites of admission offices are listed in college guides in the college/career center. Special post cards from many colleges are available in the college/career center for requesting application forms and information. You can also e-mail or write your own letter or post card, addressed to the admission’s office, to ask for an application. (See Appendix.)

Almost without exception, the application form will ask you for your social security number and an application fee.

For paper applications photocopy your application before you begin and fill in your copy first. Then after you’ve corrected your mistakes, copy the information carefully to the original application. Use black ink, print neatly, or preferably, use a typewriter. Fill in all information as requested. Then photocopy the completed application before sending. Keep records of your applications in the appendix in the back of this handbook. Ask for a certificate of mailing at the post office when you mail your application.

Electronic applications are available for most schools. Check in the college/career center for details.

TRANSCRIPTS

Request transcripts from the school records clerk. Fill out forms in the counseling office to have transcripts sent. The first three transcripts are free, then there is a fee for each additional one. An unofficial transcript, should you need one, counts as one of your three free transcripts. It is your responsibility to request all transcripts needed; this includes mid-year reports and final transcripts. Refer to your transcript as you complete your application.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Ask your counselor and teachers for recommendations well in advance of deadlines, i.e., at least one month of school days. Teachers and counselors take a lot of time to write these recommendations. If you want the strongest possible recommendations, you should:

• Choose teachers you know well and who will write the most positive and straightforward recommendations. Try to give the person as much time as possible — a month is a realistic period.
• Make a copy of your student profile to give to those who will be writing recommendations for you. A copy of your personal essay is also helpful.
• If you are requesting more than one recommendation from a person, try to organize all the requests at one time even if some of the deadlines differ.
• Be sure to fill out the student part of the recommendation.
• Be sure to accompany the request for a recommendation with stamped envelopes addressed to each college’s office of admission.
• About one week before the recommendation is due, you might drop by to see the teacher or leave a note in the teacher’s mailbox, to ask if you could provide further information before the deadline. This kind of courteous inquiry acts as a gentle reminder of the deadline.
• Often it takes considerable time to write a recommendation. The person who writes it has taken a special interest in you and the success of your application. When you hear from colleges, be sure to tell the teachers and counselors where you were accepted and where you will go to school.
• Keep records of everything.
• Some staff members will share their recommendation with you; some will not.

THE ESSAY

With an understanding of what colleges are looking for in your essay and a bit of planning, it could be the highlight of your application, perhaps even the factor that tips the scale in your favor.

An essay takes a topic, whether it be earthshaking or everyday, whether it is about you or something that is important to you, and examines it in personal terms. Think of the essay as a perfect forum to display your individuality, creativity, and above all your ability to communicate.

Colleges want to know more about you than they can learn from transcripts or recommendations.

There is no right or wrong answer to a college essay question. HOW you say something is just as important as WHAT you say. Schools want you to tell them how you are different from their other applicants, but they look for good written expression as well.

Try taking chances. If you are funny, it’s okay to use a humorous style. Take some risks and let your personality show. Always make sure that you express who you are and what makes you different.

Admission’s officials say that students do best when they write about something they really know, not something they feel they should know. An admission’s officer put it this way,

“Essays are the best part of folder reading. Whether inspirational, humorous, poignant, or sarcastic, I look for those intangible qualities essential to succeed at my university: creativity of thought and zest for living. I remember the strong, well-written essays long after decision letters have gone out and wish that applicants would be as concerned about their essays as they are about their SAT scores.”

THE INTERVIEW

Very few colleges require an interview and for most it does not play a major role in determining admission. It is, however, a good opportunity for the college and the applicant to get to know one another better. If you are visiting a campus, it is important to try to schedule an interview with the admission’s office. (Sometimes colleges ask their local alumni to conduct interviews.) Some suggestions for the interview are:

1. Be on time.
2. Read the catalog beforehand to learn about the college.
3. Ask questions about the college that are not answered in the catalog.
4. Shake hands firmly upon entering and maintain eye contact while talking and listening.
5. Don’t be nervous. The college is trying to sell itself to you, also.
6. Be prepared to talk about yourself, your interests and activities, and (most of all) why you are interested in that college.

TESTING

Juniors should begin taking the SATs in the spring of their junior year. We recommend taking the SAT I in March or May and three SAT II subject tests in June. Then in the senior year, consider taking the SAT I again in October after some SAT preparation over the summer. November and December are also valid dates to take tests. Seniors are encouraged to have all of their testing done by November. SAT I and SAT II subject tests cannot be taken at the same time.

Pick up registration forms in the counseling office or the college/career center to register for the SAT I & II. You can also register online at www.collegeboard.com.

Some students take only the ACT; others take the ACT in addition to the SAT. The ACT tests the subject areas of English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning. Some students do better on the ACT. Materials for the ACT can also be obtained in the counseling office and the college/career center. Most colleges will accept either test. You can register online at www.act.org.
When you take the tests, indicate which colleges are to receive the scores. Should you later need to request additional score reports, there will be a charge. Additional score report forms are available in the counseling office as well as the college/career center. You can also request additional reports online at www.collegeboard.com or www.act.org

The SATs and the ACT are given multiple times each year beginning in August and extending through June.

FINANCIAL AID

If you are going to apply for financial aid or a scholarship, indicate this on your college admission’s application. If your application does not have a place to indicate that you are applying for financial aid, a separate letter to this effect should be sent to the financial aid office of the college at the time you apply for admission.

Apply for admission and apply for financial aid simultaneously at every college and university that you are thinking of attending.

Don’t wait to receive admission notification to apply for financial aid. Financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis at many colleges.

Call the financial aid office of each college or university you are thinking of attending. Find out their financial aid priority deadlines and ask for necessary forms.

Financial Aid comes in three forms:

1. Gift aid called scholarships or grants
2. Part-time employment called work-study
3. Student loans which must be repaid after the student is no longer enrolled in college.

The PROFILE: The PROFILE financial aid form is used by selected private schools and scholarship programs. It is available in the counseling office and in the college/career center in early fall. These forms are used by the private colleges to determine your level of institutional grant.

If you are applying for Early Decision or Early Action, this form should be completed by the end of October. You can register on line at www.collegeboard.com.

The FAFSA and the GPA Verification Forms: Pick up a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) from the counseling office or college/career center in December. All colleges and financial aid sources, federal and state, require the FAFSA. All California community colleges, The University of California, the California State University System and private colleges require the FAFSA. The FAFSA cannot be processed until January 1. You can apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Estimating your family income is acceptable.

In addition to the FAFSA, all California schools, including community colleges, private colleges, the UCs and the CSUs, require the GPA Verification Form in order to process state aid dollars (The Cal Grant). To receive a grant you need to complete a GPA Verification Form. Selection for a Cal Grant is based on financial need and GPA.

Make sure to check the FAFSA and GPA Verification form deadlines and mail forms on time. Copy your completed forms for your records and request a certificate of mailing at the post office.

Scholarships: The college/career center maintains a scholarship file. Pick up scholarship applications here. Watch for announcements of scholarships in the bulletin. Scholarship resource books are also available. Many web sites are available for scholarship searches as well. Ask your college/career specialist for addresses.

Marin Educational Foundation: The Marin Educational Foundation has a Financial Aid Resource Library. Financial aid experts are available to help you research sources of assistance. The office is located at 1010 B Street, Suite 300, San Rafael. Call (415) 459-4240 for more information. Their website is www.marineducationfund.org.

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