College Application Resource Guide
College Application Timeline
Summer
August: Create your application accounts (UC, Common App, Coalition) and start inputting your personal information.
o UC Application: admissions.universityofcalifornia.edu (Application opens August 1st)
o Common Application: commonapp.org
o Coalition Application: coalitionforcollegeaccess.org
Decide if you plan on applying for early admission deadlines to colleges. Some colleges have early deadlines as soon as October 15!
Complete “PHS Letter of Recommendation Survey” on Naviance (About Me > My Surveys > Surveys Not Started)
Work on polishing your college essays so that you can focus on starting your senior year strong!
Contact admissions officers directly with any specific questions you may have, and schedule college interviews for those that offer them!
Senior Year (Fall Semester)
First Day of school (Thursday, August 18): Start date for you to request letters of recommendation from your teachers if you are applying to colleges that require them
September 2 – 30: Window to request counselor letter of recommendation
October 1: Start date to apply for federal financial aid via the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and private financial aid via CSS Profile
October 1: Start date to apply online for IVC Freshman Advantage Program
October 1-November 30: Submission period for California State University (CSU) schools.
October 1- November 30: Submission period for University of California (UC) schools.
November – January: General timeline for submitting college applications to private/out-of-state schools
Senior Year (Spring Semester)
April 1: IVC Honors Program deadline
May 1: Student Intent to Register (SIR) deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
Last update: August 16, 2022
How can I get additional help on my college applications?
Please be sure to attend the following events:
September 1 at 6:30 PM - College Panel Night (RSVP here)
September 28 at 6:00 PM - IUSD Financial Aid Night (RSVP Link Coming Soon)
October 5 at 5 PM -Mock Admissions Night (REGISTER Here)
March 29 - IVC Night (Details Coming Soon)
We will also be hosting College Application Workshops for our students during Office Hours, where we will be giving an overview of each of the applications and leave time for questions.
Here are the following dates:
Friday, September 30 - UC Application Workshop during OH
Tuesday, October 4 - CSU Application Workshop during OH
Thursday, October 6 - Private/Out of State Application Workshop during OH
Lastly, our students are welcome to visit their assigned counselors before school, during Office Hours, lunch, and after school. They can also email their counselors.
The colleges I'm applying to require me to submit letters of recommendation. What is the process?
You can find instructions for requesting letters of recommendation from both teachers and counselors on the Letter of Rec Process section of this College Application Resource Guide. The start date to ask for a teacher recommendation is the first day of school (August 20), while the window to request a counselor recommendation is between September 2-30.
You have the opportunity to invite recommenders other than your teachers/counselor, such as your coach, mentor, work supervisor, etc. You must add them as "Other Recommender" on the Common App.
What does it mean to "apply early" to colleges? What are the benefits and drawbacks of applying early?
Apart from their regular deadlines, several colleges have earlier deadlines such as Early Action (EA), Early Decision (ED), or Restrictive Early Action (REA). Here is a helpful resource that explains the differences and benefits/drawbacks of applying early to colleges!
How do I send transcripts to colleges I am applying to? Which colleges require them?
If you are applying to a private/out-of-state school that has an independent application, you can submit your request for your transcript to be submitted online via Parchment.
If you are applying to a private/out-of-state university via the Common App or Coalition Application, you will not need to submit your transcript to these colleges, as your counselor will be submitting your transcript for you.
If you have taken a course that is not listed on your Portola transcript (community college, online), you will need to request to have your transcript sent to colleges from the community college/online school/other school you have attended.
If you are applying to a UC or CSU school, you will not need to submit your transcripts when applying. However, if you have been accepted and decide to attend a UC/CSU school the following school year, you will need to submit your final transcript to the school you will be attending after the end of the school year via Parchment.
Do I need my middle school transcripts to show that I have completed 3 years of Math/Language Other Than English?
No. However, you will need to self report your classes and grades on the UC Application.
Where can I find information on financial aid/scholarship opportunities?
A good place to start is the Financial Aid & Scholarships page of the College & Career section of our Portola website! This page contains helpful information on available scholarships and deadlines, along with various scholarship search engines. It als contains information for completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to receive federal financial aid as well as the CSS Profile for select private universities. You can reach out to our College and Career Coordinator Mrs. Rengifo for more information (nicolerengifo@iusd.org).
What standardized test scores (SAT/ACT/AP) do I send to colleges? How do I send them?
SAT/ACT/SAT Subject Tests
UC Schools: UC will not consider SAT or ACT test scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships. If you choose to submit test scores as part of your application, they may be used as an alternative method of fulfilling minimum requirements for eligibility or for course placement after you enroll.
CSU Schools: The CSU no longer uses ACT/SAT exams in determining admission eligibility for all campuses. If accepted to a CSU campus, ACT or SAT test scores can be used as one of the measures to place students in the proper mathematics and written communication courses.
Private/Out-Of-State Schools: Please review the score reporting policies for the colleges you're planning to apply to, as several schools have adopted a test-optional policy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
AP Exam Scores
You will not need to send your official AP exam scores to colleges you're applying to. Instead, you will need to self report your scores on your applications.