Applying to College

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• Create a four-year plan of courses to enroll in at AHS. Think about what subjects you enjoy and might want to dive deeper into. Look at the course catalog and talk to your counselor.
• Explore extracurricular activities. Find clubs and activities that excite you and that align with your values, skills, and interests.
• Develop your time management and study skills.
• Stop by the College & Career Center (C&CC) to learn about the resources available throughout high school. We have college information, host visits and events, career speakers and workshops, highlight leadership/volunteer opportunities, jobs, summer enrichment, and more.
• Plan a summer experience that helps you expand your world.
• Athletes: Familiarize yourself with NCAA & NAIA recruiting requirements.

NCAA and NAIA requirements,

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• Continue existing extracurricular activities or get involved in new ones. Find a few activities to focus on and deepen your involvement. Possibly take on a
  leadership role
• Stay focused on your academics. Sophomore year is important to college admissions officers and sets the tone for junior year
• Consider taking the PSAT (preliminary SAT) in October
• Familiarize yourself with resources available in the C&CC
• Update your four-year plan of courses for AHS. Meet with your counselor to discuss course selection for junior year. Consider challenging yourself to take high-level coursework in subjects you excel in
• Visit a college or two locally or when you are on vacation. Plan to take an official college tour if you are traveling during spring break or over summer vacation
• At the end of the school year, take a full-length practice ACT and SAT to get a feel for which test format you prefer
• Consider taking a community college course in a subject of interest not available to you at Acalanes during the summer
• Continue pursuing your interests over the summer. Take on a job, volunteer work, internship, or a self-directed project
• Athletes: If you think you may play Division I or II sports in college, register for the NCAA Clearinghouse, the NAIA Eligibility Center, and familiarize yourself with the academic requirements 
• Start an activities resume and keep track of all extracurricular activities (hrs/week/month), employment, awards, and volunteer work. You will need an activities resume for many colleges
• Explore MaiaLearning: Begin searching colleges, look at academic profiles needed for schools you are interested in. Continue to take the personality/career profile assessments

NCAA & NAIA REQUIREMENTS        MAIA LEARNING

• Sign up for College Orientation Sessions
• Check your portal for any additional information needed by your college of choice
• Send your AP Scores to the college you are attending
• If waitlisted, continue to check your email for notifications

• Create a list of colleges and universities that interest you. Attend college rep visits at your school and attend college fairs. Visit their websites. Look at their mission statement and their values to see if they align with your beliefs. Do research on their outcomes and student profiles to get a “feel” for each school. Take their virtual tours, and, if you are able, visit the college/university in person. If finances make it difficult to make a college visit, contact your college admissions counselor to see if a travel voucher is available.

• You want to consider having about 10 schools on your list.

• Think about having 2  Reach Schools, 3-5 Target Schools and 4-5 Likely Schools

• Make sure the email address you are using is “professional” - something like - surferdude@gmail.com is not ideal

• It is a good time to email schools you are thinking about applying to. You can introduce yourself and ask if there will be a rep coming to your school or to the area in the fall. The local reps from each school are a great resource; ask them questions

• Parent Statement 

• Student Statement 

• Resume - Keep it updated

• Letter of Recommendation (LOR) -  if needed, ask in person 1st and give, at least one month notice

• Login to MaiaLearning and navigate to the Letter of Recommendation section under the Colleges tab 

• Using the drop-down menu, select your teacher, then click the schools you would like a LOR sent. Click request.

• Complete a teacher brag sheet (or resume), if needed, to help the teacher write your LOR.

• Go to the About Me tab, click Surveys From Your School, click Student 

• Move the Colleges you are thinking about to Colleges I’m Applying to under the Colleges Tab

• You will use MaiaLearning to request Transcripts

• Don’t wait until the last minute; you want your transcripts to arrive before the deadline - you can have them sent before your application

• Sign Up for College Visits in the College and Career Center

• Gather the following items before officially starting your application: a copy of your current high school transcript, list of extracurricular activities 

• Waive your FERPA rights and then match your Common App account under Naviance

• You can log onto the Common App, UC App, CSU App or school’s own applications

• You will need to gather information for apps

• Social Security Number

• Transcript - you can get one on Aeries or request one from the Counseling Office at your high school

• Parent Information (when they came to CA for the CSU App)

• Where they attended college (if more than one, you need all)

• When they graduated 

• What degrees earned

• Counselor’s name, email and phone number

keep working on the essays and supplemental writing, answer the prompts, and PROOFREAD!

• Submit before the deadline 

• Make your choice - for some, this is the hardest part. Review your acceptance and financial aid packages, the notes from your college visits or online research, look at www.collegescorecard.ed.gov, and choose. 

Make sure you have ordered all supplemental documents:

• If applicable, request Letters of Recommendation (LOR) from teachers through Naviance
• Make sure LOR have been submitted on your Common App. Remember: CSUs and UCs do NOT require LOR
• Check each school’s website for their policy regarding official transcripts. Reminder: CSUs and UCs do NOT require official transcripts
• Order official transcript on the AHS webstore
• Order official transcripts from any other locations where classes were taken and request they be sent to all colleges that require official transcripts for acceptance
• If applicable, order and send official test scores through either the College Board (SAT) or ACT websites

Before You Hit SUBMIT:

• Proofread your entire application
• Reread all application instructions
  • Double-check what supporting documents are required for each college
  • Confirm that all necessary supporting documents have been sent
• Check to make sure your courses and grades have been inputted correctly and your 12th-grade courses are listed
• Double-check your essays
  • Read your essays aloud to make sure they flow smoothly
  • Proofread for any spelling and grammatical errors
  • Ask someone to proofread it for you

Once You Hit Submit:

• Look for a Submission Page to confirm your application was sent properly
• Keep a copy for your records
• Print a copy or take a picture of your submission page in case there are any issues

• Follow directions to create portals for each college you apply to and regularly check for updates. Colleges will communicate with you via your portal and inform you of any missing or incomplete information
• If something is missing, follow the college’s directions and send it ASAP

The basics:

• You must get a PASS from Mrs. Levy in the College & Career Center to attend. 

• Visits are open to seniors and juniors. (students only)

Tips:

• Listen and ask questions! (See the list of suggested questions below for ideas about what to ask.)  Reps will usually go over the admissions requirements, housing, student life, and financial aid.

• Remember, the reps are often admissions officers so take advantage of the opportunity to ask questions and get answers straight from the source.

• Take notes and make sure you write down the rep’s name.

• Many Universities consider a student’s “demonstrated interest” when reviewing applicants. Attending a college rep visit is a great way to show your interest in a school. What’s even better? Follow up with that rep after the visit by calling or emailing him or her to say thank you.

• Have a question? Now you have a direct contact at the university who can help you. Shoot him or her an email.

• Keep in touch. If you accomplish something really awesome after you submit your application, send the rep an email to let him or her know.

• For a list of questions to ask reps, click the link above

Making the Most of College Visits

Spring Break is an excellent time to visit college campuses - especially if the schools you’re touring are in session so you can see the campus in action. Here are some tips to get the most out of your day on campus.

Sign up for a Campus Tour

Admission tours are the best way to see a campus. Typically student-led, a tour will give you a broad overview of the school. During the tour, you’ll learn about admissions and hear about the school’s traditions, culture and personality. Sign up on the school's admissions page well in advance - tours are free! They are best done during the week to observe students in classroom settings.

In addition to a broad campus tour, some schools offer supplemental smaller tours focusing on a specific department, facility or residence hall. These interest-specific tours are typically geared toward students interested in areas like Engineering, Arts, or Athletics. They will take you through an actual dorm room as well.

If the tours are full, ask if the campus offers Q&A sessions, has a visitor’s center where you can drop in, or provides a self-guided tour. Please let us know if you have a tour scheduled as we can reach out to our admissions rep at that university as well.

QUESTiONS TO ASK A TOUR GUIDE

Talk with Students

In addition to talking with your campus tour guide, talk with other current students. Ask what the student loves about the school, what he/she’s studying, what activities he/she’s involved in. Inquire about a typical day on campus and a typical Friday night out.

Observe & Experience Student Life

• Spend time people-watching in the main quad. What are the students like? How do they interact with each other? Do they seem like people you would be friends with?

• Read the student newspaper - What issues matter to students?

• Eat in one of the dining halls (if that’s an option).

• Tour a dorm room to get a feel for where you’ll spend most of your time during your first year as a student.  How big (or small) are the rooms? Do the residence halls have any unique features - like a rec room, a theater, a game room, etc.?

• Step inside the rec center, library, and student store. Can you see yourself pulling an all-nighter in the library? Does the rec center offer the types of workout classes you like to attend?

• Visiting a big school? Take note if students seem to be connecting with one another on campus. Often a really big school can actually have a smaller community than you think.   

Think about the Setting

Exploring the community surrounding the campus completes the picture of what life is like at that university.

• What is there to do on the weekends?

• Where do students who choose to live off campus live?

• Can you continue doing your favorite hobbies in this new place?

• How’s the weather? If you visit a campus during the spring, ask students what the weather is like in the winter. If you love warm weather, attending a school that has a chilly winter season may not be the right fit.

• Is there an industry nearby that’s related to your interests?

Ask about Support Services

If you are a student with a learning disability or ADHD, visit the Disability Support Services Office while touring each campus.  Find out what types of support services they offer to meet your needs.

Visit the Admissions Office

Stop by the Admissions Office to meet and ask if you can speak with an admissions officer. Be prepared with a few questions to ask. Making this personal connection can go a long way toward demonstrating interest in the school while also giving you insight into the school’s admissions review.

Check the School’s Application Essay Questions Before You Go

Eventually, it will be time to apply to colleges, and many schools will ask you to write essays specifically about their campus like “Why School X?” or similar variations (“What encouraged you to apply to School X?” or “What about School X’s mission makes you a good fit for our program?” or “What will you add to the School X campus?”)  Thinking about these questions while you’re touring the campus may make it easier to answer them in the future when you’re working on your applications. Make sure you add your thoughts to your post-visit notes.

Journal Your Thoughts

Reflecting on your campus visit is one of the most important things you can do. Take a moment after seeing each school to write down your thoughts and impressions. Don’t wait. Pretty soon, all the campuses you visit will blend together. Writing notes while the school is fresh in your mind will help you immensely down the road when it’s time to write supplemental essays about demonstrated interest and campus fit.

Say Thank You

After your visit, send a quick note to the tour guide, admissions officer, or other campus representative you met while touring. Mention specific details about why you think you’re a good fit for the campus. Keep it short and sweet, and if you’re writing to an admissions officer, keep it formal.

Most importantly, enjoy yourself!  This is an exciting time in your life to be deciding what life after high school may look like for you.

Debbie Levy