But now what?! We've pulled together short videos and notes from your CRC to help you each step of the way.
You've done your research and built your college list in Naviance. Now it's time to put that list in Common App and start applying. Watch this short video to learn how to do this.
The Dashboard tab in Common App is a great, one-stop snapshot of your college list. You can track the progress of your application for each college, including the letters of recommendation. Watch a short video for more details.
PLEASE NOTE: The Requirements Grid is an especially useful tool. It gives you all of the admissions requirements for every college in Common App. The heading "TE" notes how many (if any!) teacher letters of recommendation you will need to request for a particular college.
Before you can invite a teacher or counselor to be a recommender, you first need to complete the FERPA Release. This is an easy, one-time event that will get you on your way to inviting your recommenders. Watch the short video to learn how to complete the FERPA Release. We encourage you to waive your FERPA rights as it will bolster the recommendations in your application!
Now that you've completed your FERPA Release, it's time to invite recommenders. Watch the short video to learn more about how to do this.
PLEASE NOTE:
At LHS, you will only use Common App to invite recommenders. We do not use Naviance as referenced in the video.
After inputting your recommenders name and email, remember to hit the "Assign" button to finish the invitation process. If you do not hit Assign, your recommender will not receive a link to upload your letter
Use an email address for all recommenders. It's 2020, no one wants to mail in a letter!
You only need to assign your Counselor once and it will be applied to all of the schools. A teacher recommendation must be assigned in each school.
FOR COMMON APP SCHOOLS: WATCH THIS VIDEO! You will order your transcript just once for your Common App. Common App will make sure each college gets your transcript. In the Search bar, type in Common App. Enter your Common App ID (CAID) which is found in the upper right hand corner of your Common App.
This section is used by colleges to gather demographic information about you. It is very straightforward but we have included a short video in case you have any questions. We encourage you to not enter a parent's email address as it will fill up their inbox.
In the education section, you will list your high school stats and indicate your future academic path. No pressure....Undecided is an option too! Watch this short video for more detail.
Graduating Class Size: 480
Class Rank: None (LHS does not rank)
GPA Scale Reporting: 4
Cumulative GPA: Give your weighted GPA
GPA Weighted: Pick "Weighted"
Community-Based Organization: 0
Need more help? Click here for the LHS Common App Cheat Sheet
PLEASE NOTE: For almost everyone, your answer to the Community-Based Organization will be 0. This question is asking if any organization helped you complete your application. Though the CRC (and your parents/guardians) would like to think we helped you with your application, none of us are a CBO.
Follow this short tutorial to learn all about entering your courses and grades from your transcript into Common App.
Do you have courses listed on your LHS transcript but you don't know where to put them? They go in the "Other Courses" portion found at the bottom of the Education section. You can enter as many courses as needed. If no grade is listed on your transcript, you will select "No Grade". If there is no credit listed, check the box marked "N/A". For a short tutorial, check out the video here.
We know ACT and SAT testing for the Class of 2021 has been a difficult path to navigate. Colleges know this as well, and many have chosen to go test optional. Before registering, read more about testing, dates and verifying your testing location.
If you have scores to report (AP, ACT, SAT), you will put those in the Testing Section. Watch this short video for more details.
We like to say, "Control the controllable." And the Activities Section is definitely one of your controllables. This is your chance to give a fuller picture of who you are as a person, what is important to you, and how you spend your time outside of school hours. The Activities Section can be a really robust portion of your application, especially this year when you might not have test scores for colleges to consider.
Create a dynamic activities section with tips and tricks from our favorite College Essay Guy. Follow his advice and your activities will shine through to any college rep.
Watch this short video to learn more about completing the Activities Section.
What exactly goes in this section and how do you capture it in 100 characters or less? Honors are the awards you get that aren't tied to an extracurricular activity (i.e. Honor Roll). We are often asked where National Honor Society falls -- Honors or Award. We say put it in both sections! It is both an honor and an award. A few guidelines from the College Essay Guy to help you fill in the Honors section:
List your more prestigious honors first
Include a brief explanation if the award is unclear to a reader outside of LHS
Include the level of competitiveness if it's appropriate and makes you stand out
Keep it real. Don't exaggerate.
This is it! You've probably been agonizing over how to capture the essence of who you are in 650 words or less. You've done the work, and now it's time to put it into your Common App. Watch this short video with directions and tips on transferring your essay into the App. Don't forget to complete the supplemental essays, if required!
NEW IN 2020! Common App offers a chance for you to talk about Covid-19 and its impact on you. The additional Covid-19 question is found under the Additional Information section at the bottom of the page. Though of course you can write about the effects of Covid-19 in your main Common App essay, we encourage you to talk about Covid-19 here in Additional Information and then either expand on it or address an entirely new topic in your main essay. The College Essay Guy offers some tips on how (and if!) to write about Covid-19 in a college application.