As students begin the process of selecting a college and completing college applications, please use the information below to assist with the process.
Click HERE to see a listing of schools with automatic admission criteria outside of the top 10%. Auto admit is based on class rank and SAT/ACT scores.
Apply Texas Application Instructions update 2021
TEA Texas Graduation Toolkit (English)
Get College Ready Planning Guide
To write a good personal statement, you have to think outside of the box. You’ve got to write an essay so interesting that it leaves whoever reading it wanting to know more about you. And, in most cases, you have to do all of that in less than 2 pages!
That’s why in this post we’re going to show you how you can write an amazing personal statement for college and scholarship applications in just 7 steps.
Use the link below to learn all about:
What is a personal statement?
What’s the purpose of the personal statement?
What’s the difference between a personal statement for college and a personal statement for scholarships?
What do I write about in my personal statement?
What makes a good personal statement?
In this session, Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy) will answer five of the most common questions students ask about the personal statement and college application. Drawing on techniques ranging from Nonviolent Communication to Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey, this interactive session will leave students feeling inspired and ready to write. Come with an open mind and a pen.
Meet ADVi, a conversational artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot that offers proactive, personalized guidance to help students navigate their way to and through college. ADVi can communicate with students 24/7 via text message, and if students need additional support, directs them to a cohort of live advisers who are trained and funded through a partnership with the College Advising Corps.
Texas students may access ADVi by texting “COLLEGE” to 512-829-3687 or starting a freshman application in ApplyTexas. Although seniors are applying to colleges now, beginning this month, juniors may also opt-in to ADVi to start receiving messaging.
This session is designed to provide students with tools and resources to assist them in choosing both a college and an academic major. By the end of the session, students will walk away with tangible next steps to move them closer to selecting a college and a major that is the right fit for their interests, goals, and values.
Back when social media first appeared on the Internet scene, students everywhere were advised to carefully examine and “clean up” their accounts, because college admissions officers now had unprecedented access to their personal—yet very public—lives. Now, however, students have begun to turn the tables. Read the full article HERE.
-A great website by Consumer Reports
-College Board website to research colleges: www.bigfuture.collegeboard.org
-Colleges That Change Lives: www.ctcl.org
-Questions to Ask a College Admissions Rep
-Colleges for Students with Special Needs
-NACAC's Guide to applying to International Universities
-Why college engagement matters more than selectivity...interesting article
-College Navigator, great way to find and compare schools
Click on the links below to access the Guide to International University Admission.
Digital Format of the free PDF
Interested in a career in beauty? Then you need to check out the Austin Beauty Student’s Resource Guide for helpful information.It includes salary and job growth information, top employers, popular specialties, and more -- all specific to the Austin-area. Additionally, research was completed to create the list of local beauty supply stores that provide student discounts. Click HERE for the information guide.
Printable Application checklist- Example so you can keep track of what you have submitted to each college.
The Common Application used by 600+ colleges and universities across the country
How to request a school report for the Common Application
ApplyTexas and Common App essay prompts for 2021-2022 (for seniors who graduated in May 2021; May 2022 prompts will be updated soon.
ApplyTexas application
Most college advisors will recommend applying to several different schools. But while “several” might have once meant 3 or 4, you now hear stories of students submitting 10 to 20 applications. Is that crazy, or is that the new normal? Read this blog to learn more
Please keep a few things in mind as you prepare to request a letter of recommendation:
Use the CommonApp for private schools and out-of-state schools ONLY.
Use Apply Texas for ALL public, in-state schools.
Give your counselor a minimum of two weeks to write a letter of recommendation (four weeks is preferred).
School holidays DO NOT COUNT as part of the two-week minimum turnaround time. If you ask for a letter of recommendation the day before Thanksgiving break, it may be three weeks until it is ready.
Plan ahead!!!!! Do not procrastinate!!!!!
Be sure to write a thank you letter to any person who wrote a letter of recommendation on your behalf.
-Alpha counselor is required to write a rec letter
-2 teachers are required (pick people that your students have a great relationship with and can tell stories about them)
*Rec letters on Common App are all sent in electronically. Students type in the email addresses of who they are asking and it sends them an email requesting the letter of recommendation.
-Rec letters are not required but can add to student’s application
-Recommend using teachers for these schools (pick people that your students have a great relationship with and can tell stories about them)
-UT Austin submitting process (they are unique), once a student applies they will get an email a few days later from UT giving them access to their application portal where they can check the status of their application. There is a place here to electronically request rec letters just like Common App (just type in email address).
-For all other Apply Texas schools, it’s done through snail mail. So for example, if a student is applying to UTSA and wants their Science teacher to submit a letter, they would give their teacher an envelope with a stamp on it, addressed to UTSA's Office of Admission and they would mail it directly for the student.
-Some colleges have a cover letter you print off their website and include in the envelope (ex. A&M).
*Counselors have a rec letter form students must complete before a counselor will write a letter.
After you submit your application, remember to check your account at each college website. This will be the primary way colleges communicate with you regarding your application status and admission decision.
How to build a college list.
A college list reflects individual needs and goals
Music Conservatories Here is a starting place for researching music conservatories.
Want to be a firefighter, EMT or a Police Officer? Check this out
TSTC (Texas State Technical College)-super affordable, short programs in everything from robotics, welding, air traffic control, cyber security, HVAC, solar and wind energy, dental assistant, etc...