United States

Testing Information 

Khan Academy - https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat

FREE PSAT and SAT prep – students can use the site to prepare for the tests, and once students have tested, can link their scores to the site to receive free, personalized test prep and practice.

PSAT - https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt

Students at CIS are given the opportunity to take the PSAT in grades 11. We will provide an opt-out form if you would prefer not to take the test. This will be due mid-September. 

The PSAT is held every year in October during the school day for all grade 11 students.

For US citizens planning to attend college/university in the US, it can be beneficial for the student to take the PSAT in their grade 11 year, as they have the opportunity to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship. 

SAT - https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat

CIS is the only test center in Copenhagen, thus, we tend to fill every test administration. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis - Please note that CIS students do not receive priority for test location, therefore we strongly recommend that CIS students register as early as possible to secure CIS as their testing location. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO TAKE AT LEAST 1 TIME!

SAT Dates 

Financial Aid Information 

Financial Aid Definitions:

CSS Profile: Available to both citizens and non-citizens - The CSS Profile is used to assess your family’s income and assets to calculate your expected family contribution. And colleges use your expected family contribution to determine your financial aid package. Nearly 250 colleges require The CSS to determine whether you qualify for institutional grants and scholarships. The CSS becomes available every October and should be completed as close to October 1st as possible.

FAFSA: US citizens and eligible non- citizens only - The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the key that opens the door to all 3 types of financial aid, including the Pell Grant, which is up to $6,000 of free money to go to college! The FAFSA becomes available every October, and should be completed as close to October 1st as possible.

Scholarship: Varies by scholarship - These funds are given to, or earned by, students, and are to be used for college tuition. There are numerous public and private sources for scholarships. Some are given based on need, some on merit (grades) or skill. Others have very specific stipulations on who can receive the scholarship. 

Grant: Varies by grant - A grant is money given to students for their education. Often based on need, grants may come from federal or state programs, or sometimes from private charitable organizations. Like a scholarship, it does not have to be repaid. 

Loan: Varies by loan - Loans are obtained through banks, lending institutions or colleges. To qualify, students must be enrolled in a college degree program at least part-time. The loans may be subsidized (need-based, typically for low-income students), or unsubsidized (not need-based so any student can apply). Loans must be paid back with interest.

CSS Profile Specifics - 

Before you get started, note your schools’ CSS Profile deadlines. Many fall between Nov. 1 and March 31. Info about the CSS Profile can be found here: https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/

1. Create a College Board account. You might already have one if you took the SAT.

2. Gather your financial documents. Having the following documents on hand will make filling out the application easier:

• Prior-Prior Year federal tax returns (2 years ago)

• W-2 forms or other records of income

• Records of untaxed income

• Bank statements

• Mortgage information

3. Records of savings, stocks, bonds and trusts. Register for the CSS Profile. This process includes filling in basic identifying information and selecting the schools where you want to send your CSS Profile. Your CSS Profile questions will be customized based on your answers during registration.

4. Complete the application. This takes roughly 45 minutes to two hours, according to the College Board. Many of the questions concern your parents’ finances. If they’re divorced or separated, have your custodial parent — the one you’ve lived with most in the past 12 months — complete those questions. If you lived with each parent for an equal amount of time, your custodial parent is the one who provided you with the most financial support in the past 12 months.

5. Have a parent complete the Noncustodial Profile, if necessary. This step only applies if your parents are divorced or separated and your school requires the Noncustodial Profile.

6. Find out whether you’re eligible for a fee waiver. The College Board automatically determines if you qualify for a waived application fee based on your responses. The waiver also includes the cost of sending your CSS Profile to up to eight colleges. Generally, you’ll qualify for one if you’re an incoming freshman and your family’s annual income is $40,000 or less.

MORE: How can I get a CSS Profile fee waiver?

If you don’t qualify for a fee waiver, you’ll have to pay the $25 application fee before you can submit the form.

7. Submit the application. Check your work first. Once you submit it, you can’t change your answers electronically. If you need to correct your CSS Profile after you’ve submitted it, print out the application summary form, make your corrections and fax, email or mail it to your school’s financial aid office.

FAFSA Specifics - 

1. The FAFSA can be complicated. The best resource to use for prepping for, and completing, the FAFSA is https://blog.ed.gov/2018/09/parents-guide-fafsa/ and https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/help#getting-started

2. You can get an estimated early estimate of aid at the FAFSA4caster. More information and the 4caster is found here: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/estimate

US Application Information 

US Colleges and Universities will use one, some, or all of the application options below – Note you only need to complete 1 application per school. If a school uses Common App, you MUST use this option to apply to the university, as it connects to Unifrog.  

• Common Application - https://www.commonapp.org/

• Institutional Application – This is the application that is offered through college or university you plan to apply – you will find the institutional application on the college/university website

Essay/Short Answer Questions  and Letters of Recommendation - 

• Needs to show who you are outside of academics – if everyone applying has great grades, what sets up apart? Extracurricular activities are valued highly!

• It is best to have a recommendation from a teacher who teaches the subject or as close to the subject as your intended major as possible, but read the directions. In some cases, schools want specifics subjects, like Math and English – YOU NEED TO PLAN FOR 2 TEACHER RECOMMENDATION LETTERS

  • You should have requested your teacher recommendations in the spring of Grade 11. If you did not, you will need to make sure you have notes for your recommenders written in Unifrog, and then allow 4 weeks for your teachers to write the recommendation after you have spoken to them.

• You also need to plan to have your Future Planning Counsellor write a recommendation letter for most universities. Allow counselors a minimum of two weeks to complete recommendations.

Resume, Academic Resume, Awards, and Extracurriculars – 

Do NOT skip this part of the application. This can be one of the most important parts of a US application. In many cases this is the information that determines who gets admitted between academically qualified applicants

US Application Vocabulary - 

Early Decision: This is a BINDING commitment to a university stating that if a student is accepted, he or she will go to that school. If you need to compare financial aid packages, please consider EA or Regular decision.

Early Action: This is non-binding, but places the student in an early application pool, therefore giving the student an answer more quickly. Students may compare offers and need only reply by May 1. 

Need-Blind: Financial need is not taken into consideration when making an admissions decision.