College Materials

NEED TO KNOW INFORMATION

Considering College?

• Four-year public colleges require 4 years of English, 3 years of math (not counting to pre-algebra and must pass at least advanced algebra), 3 years of science, and 3 years of social science. There may be exceptions to this, but they are rare.

• Private colleges may be more flexible with admissions requirements, but be sure to talk with them if you don’t meet the above guidelines.

College Application Process

• Most colleges have an online application.

• Make sure to have appropriate info when sitting down to complete the application. (i.e. GPA, class rank, SAT scores)

• Be prepared to do an essay or two. (DO NOT LET THIS PART SCARE YOU!)

• May need letters of recommendation. (DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE DAY BEFORE TO ASK FOR THEM: GIVE THEM A WEEK’S NOTICE.)

• Let Ms. Putney know when the application is completed so she can send your transcript.

College Application Timeline

• Most college application deadlines are between January 1^st and February 1^st .

• Some colleges have rolling admissions, which means they will accept applications until May 1^st.

• Apply early, especially if going into the healthcare field or another popular career field, depending on the college. Private colleges have tryouts or scholarship competitions in the fall, so getting your application in early will help you avoid missing those deadlines.

• Complete your FAFSA as close to October 1^st as possible – increases the possibility of more money.

• February – March: Acceptance letters and financial award letters start to arrive.

• By April: Make sure tuition deposit is in and complete any other paperwork the college has requested.

• May: Let Ms. Putney know where you are attending so she can send your final transcript.

College Application Timeline

• Usually a deadline between Nov. 1^st and Nov. 15^th . Colleges will accept about 80% of their freshman enrollment from early decision deadlines.

• Make sure to read the rules for that college of what early decision means for them.

• At most schools, early decision means that you are agreeing to apply nowhere else and that you will go there if they accept you. You are allowed to apply elsewhere if you do not get accepted, but not until they have sent you a letter stating that you are not accepted.

College Decision Process

• Choosing a college is difficult. See the following three attachments for help:

  • College Counseling Resume (pg. 37-40)

  • College Comparison Worksheet (pg. 27)

  • How Much Will College Cost? (pg. 6)

Procedure for Taking a College Day

• Seniors receive 2 college days.

• Make sure to use them wisely (one to visit, one for meeting with advisor and registering for classes). Colleges are open on Columbus Day, parent/teacher conferences, Pulaski Day and during our spring break. Colleges also have special preview days throughout the school year.

• See Ms. Putney a week in advance of taking the college visit so she can give you a form to fill out that needs to be returned to the office. (see pg. 43)

Placement Testing

• Colleges require a placement test to place a student in the appropriate math and English classes.

• MCHS offers the ICC placement test in the early spring.

• Students must sign up ahead of time.

• If a student is attending ICC, they need to sign up here for the placement test. You are not granted a college day to take the ICC placement test at ICC. If you do take a day for this, it will count as a day towards taking finals.

• Many colleges will have you take a math, English and reading test to be placed in college classes. ICC will test you in those three areas on campus or here at MCHS in the spring. ICC accepts a 480 or above on the SAT Reading to meet their English enrollment test requirement.

Scholarships

• Every year, multiple scholarships go unclaimed because students do not want to write an essay. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN! Essays are often only 500 words long.

• Free money: take advantage of it.

• Most scholarships are available after Christmas, but there are a few available before.

• Check the our school’s website often to see what scholarships are available. (see pg. 13-15)

ACT/SAT

• Four-year colleges require the ACT or SAT for admission. Most universities look at your ACT/SAT score in combination with your class rank. The better your class rank, the lower your ACT/SAT score may be. An 18 ACT composite is usually the lowest you can have to be admitted to a public university. Community colleges typically do not require the ACT/SAT unless you are going into a career field such as health care.

• Practicing for the ACT:

  • http://www.kaptest.com/College/ACT/About-the-ACT/act-at-a-glance.html

  • http://www.mhpracticeplus.com/act.php

  • http://www.sparknotes.com/testprep/books/act/

• Registering for the ACT:

  • www.actstudent.org

• Practicing for the SAT:

  • https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat

    • Students already have accounts setup

• Registering for the SAT:

  • www.collegeboard.org

Getting Started on your student’s FAFSA

• When you sit down to fill out the FAFSA you will need the following items for both the parents and student:

  • Social Security numbers

  • W-2s from previous year

  • Tax returns from last year

  • Current bank statements

  • Email addresses

Why is the FAFSA so important?

• Parents, depending on your income, your student may qualify for grants from the state and the federal government that do not have to be repaid.

• The types of loans that you and your student are eligible for are determined by your FAFSA.

• You should complete the FAFSA even if you don’t think your student will qualify for aid.

Next Steps for FAFSA:

• Go to fafsa.gov and create a FSA ID

• An FSA ID is a username and password that you must use to log in to certain U.S. Department of Education (ED) websites. Your FSA ID identifies you as someone who has the right to access your own personal information on ED websites such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) at fafsa.gov.

• What happened to the Federal Student Aid PIN? The FSA ID replaced the Federal Student Aid PIN on May 10, 2015.

• If you already have a PIN, you can link your information to your new FSA ID by entering your PIN while registering for your FSA ID. (This will save you time when registering for your FSA ID.) If you’ve forgotten your PIN, don’t worry; you can either enter the answer to your PIN “challenge question” during the FSA ID registration process to link your PIN, or you can just create your FSA ID from scratch.

• If you are a parent of a dependent student, you will need your own FSA ID if you want to sign your child's FAFSA electronically. If you have more than one child attending college, you can use the same FSA ID to sign all applications. Please note: Each FSA ID user must have a unique e-mail address.

• Your FSA ID is used to sign legally binding documents electronically. It has the same legal status as a written signature. Don't give your FSA ID to anyone—not even to someone helping you fill out the FAFSA. Sharing your FSA ID could put you at risk of identity theft!

Filling out the FAFSA

• Now that you have created your FSA ID, you should be ready to start a new application for the upcoming school year.

• Fill out all of the background information and then fill in the financial information for yourself and your student. After completion, you will be able to sign and submit the FAFSA.

• The sooner you complete the FAFSA, the better! The MAP grants from the State of Illinois are awarded on a first come, first served basis and they cut off completely after March 1^st .

• You will receive a Student Aid Report by email that explains what aid that your student might be eligible for, and what your expected family contribution would be.

• Watch for letters or information from your college or university regarding financial aid.

• If you have questions, you can contact the college’s financial aid office directly for help.

Student Loan Types

• Most are based on FAFSA information.

• Make sure to check the specific loan to know the repayment options and interest rates.

• Try to get as many scholarships and grants as possible that you do not have to repay.

• Pell Grant – federally funded and never has to be repaid

  • Based on financial need.

  • Fill out FAFSA early while more money is available.

• Stafford Loans – based on student dependency on parents and his/her year in school

  • Guaranteed one low interest rate over the life of the loan.

  • Allowed to defer until 6 months after graduation.

  • Subsidized – Government pays interest while the student is still in school.

  • Unsubsidized – Interest is accrued while the student is in school.

• Perkins Loan – help students with extreme financial need

  • Interest is paid by the government until the student graduates.

  • Payments are deferred until 9 months after graduation.

  • Maximum 10 year repayment plan with payments of at least $40 a month.

  • After 10 years can be eligible for “forgiveness” if working a certain type of job.

• PLUS Loan – allows a student to finish covering out-of-pocket costs that financial aid did not cover

  • No borrowing limit.

  • Usually have higher interest rates.

  • Repayment begins while the student is still in school.

  • Interest rate can fluctuate throughout the life of the loan.

QUESTIONS TO ASK DURING A CAMPUS VISIT

1. What activities and services are available to help students get settled (academically and socially)?
2. How big are the classes?
3. (Ask students) How easy is it to meet with faculty?
4. (Ask students) Are you able to register for the classes you want?
5. What is the total cost of attending the college?
6. What types of financial aid does the college offer and how do I apply?
7. Are all freshmen assigned to an academic advisor?
8. Where do most freshmen live?
9. Can I take a tour?
10. What activities are available for students?
11. Who teaches the courses for first-year students; professors or graduate students?
12. How successful are the college's graduates in finding jobs?
13. What services (such as transportation and shopping) are available locally?
14. What is there to do on weekends? Do most students stay or leave campus on weekends?

Essay Writing Tips

Write an Effective Application Essay

A great application essay will present a vivid, personal, and compelling view of you to the admission staff. It will round out the rest of your application and help you stand out from the other applicants. The essay is one of the only parts of your application over which you have complete control, so take the time to do a good job on it. Check out these tips before you begin.

Keep Your Focus Narrow and Personal

Your essay must prove a single point or thesis. The reader must be able to find your main idea and follow it from beginning to end. Try having someone read just your introduction to see what he or she thinks your essay is about.

Essays that try to be too comprehensive end up sounding watered-down. Remember, it's not about telling the committee what you've done -- they can pick that up from your list of activities -- instead, it's about showing them who you are.

Prove It

Develop your main idea with vivid and specific facts, events, quotations, examples, and reasons. There's a big difference between simply stating a point of view and letting an idea unfold in the details:

• Okay:"I like to be surrounded by people with a variety of backgrounds and interests"

• Better:"During that night, I sang the theme song from Casablanca with a baseball coach who thinks he's Bogie, discussed Marxism with a little old lady, and heard more than I ever wanted to know about some woman's gall bladder operation."

Be Specific

Avoid clichéd, generic, and predictable writing by using vivid and specific details.

• Okay:"I want to help people. I have gotten so much out of life through the love and guidance of my family, I feel that many individuals have not been as fortunate; therefore, I would like to expand the lives of others."

• Better:"My Mom and Dad stood on plenty of sidelines 'til their shoes filled with water or their fingers turned white or somebody's golden retriever signed his name on their coats in mud. I think that kind of commitment is what I'd like to bring to working with fourth-graders."

Don't Tell Them What You Think They Want to Hear

Most admission officers read plenty of essays about the charms of their university, the evils of terrorism, and the personal commitment involved in being a doctor. Bring something new to the table, not just what you think they want to hear.

Don't Write a Resumé

Don't include information that is found elsewhere in the application. Your essay will end up sounding like an autobiography, travelogue, or laundry list. Yawn.

"During my junior year, I played first singles on the tennis team, served on the student council, maintained a B+ average, traveled to France, and worked at a cheese factory."

Don't Use 50 Words When Five Will Do

Eliminate unnecessary words.

• Okay:"Over the years it has been pointed out to me by my parents, friends, and teachers -- and I have even noticed this about myself, as well -- that I am not the neatest person in the world."

• Better:"I'm a slob."

Don't Forget to Proofread

Typos and spelling or grammatical errors can be interpreted as carelessness or just bad writing. Don't rely on your computer's spell check. It can miss spelling errors like the ones below.

• "After I graduate form high school, I plan to work for a nonprofit organization during the summer."

• "From that day on, Daniel was my best fried."

This article is based on information found in The College Application Essay, by Sarah Myers McGinty.

Tips for Writing the College Admission Essay from e-CampusTours

The college admissions essay should be personal, intriguing, and well-written. It should have a focus and be specific. It should make you stand out from other applicants. Here are some tips to help you achieve these tasks.

• Be yourself. Choose a topic that has meaning to you. If you choose a topic that you could care less about, it will show through your writing. Be sure to make the essay your own. If you are funny, don't be afraid to make the essay humorous. If you are passionate, write about that quality and describe what motivates you.

• Provide a clear thesis and prove it. The reader should be able to identify the main point of your essay. The thesis should indicate where you are going and what you are trying to communicate from the very beginning. It should be stated in the introduction of the essay and should be supported with specific facts and examples in the sentences that follow.

• Be creative. Draw the reader in with an original introduction so they will want to finish your essay. Don't forget that admissions officers read thousands of essays so you have to make yours stand out from the crowd.

• Stay on task. Be sure to do what the college asks you to do. Most colleges want you to write about specific topics or answer certain questions. Make sure you stay on topic throughout your essay. If the admissions officers set a limit for the amount of words in the essay, follow their requirements. Don't ramble on for ten pages when all they want is 500 words.

• Don't write over your head. If you use too many big words, a college admissions officer will think you are trying too hard to show off your vocabulary and may even toss the essay out, especially if those big words are misused. Stick to words that flow easily throughout the paper and only use big words occasionally.

• Proofread. Your college admissions essay should have zero grammatical and stylistic mistakes. Proofread the essay several times before you submit it. Make sure there are no misspelled words, punctuation errors, or incomplete sentences. Essays with grammatical or stylistic errors are easily dismissed by admission officers.

• Ask others for input. Grab parents, teachers, tutors, or older siblings and ask them to read the essay and give you feedback. They may also find grammatical mistakes that you have over-looked.

Important Forms:

• College Day Form