WHS College and Career - College Applications 101

Unlock the secrets to a successful college application with strong essays, impressive achievements, and genuine passion for your goals by:

Researching and Identifying: Start by researching colleges that align with your academic and personal interests. Examine their admission requirements and deadlines.
Gathering Required Documents: Collect all necessary documents such as transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation, and any supplemental materials the colleges require.
Completing and Submitting: Carefully fill out each college's application, whether its through a centralized platform like the Common App or directly on the school's website.

Please note the important WHS counseling deadlines on your calendar as it pertains to your college application deadline (e.g., Early Decision, Early Action, Priority, Regular Decision, and Rolling)

College Application Sites

College Application & Admissions Timeline - What should I be doing right now...grade by grade
Common Application - Explore more than 900 colleges
- Creating a first year account
Coalition Application - 150 top colleges and universities committed to improving access to higher education
Common Black College Application - Pay one $20 application fee to apply to all 61 HBCU member organizations
College Essay Guy -College Essay Guy is a resource for students, parents, and counselors to find smart, practical guidance for the college admission journey.

Understanding Types of College Application Deadlines

Early Decision: Binding commitment

Early Action: Non-binding, but still provides benefits of applying early

Priority: Non-binding, but still provide benefits of applying early

Regular Decision: Final deadline. No special benefits or extra consideration

Rolling: No fixed deadline, notifications come depending on school policies

The Counseling Office requires a minimum of 20 working school days to process requests. School closures such as holidays and snow days are not counted in the 10 days.

Dec. 2nd is the deadline to request a letter of recommendation from your counselor.

Create a Common App account (https://www.commonapp.org/) and match it with Naviance.
Sign the FERPA Agreement. If you are not applying to any schools on Common App, you must still create an account, add one school (any school) and sign the FERPA waiver.
Once your Common App is created and you select "Wheaton HS" as your high school in the Education section, the next time you login to Naviance you will be prompted to Match Accounts. Once matched, all colleges in Common App will automatically appear your Naviance Account. Common App Account Matching video link.
Colleges not on the Common App must be entered manually in Naviance.

Transcripts:

1-3 transcripts = free
4 or more transcripts = $5 each ($2 for FARMS)
$40 for unlimited amount of college transcripts
Scholarship transcripts are free

fore winter break

CO27 Pre-App Poster-Matriculate Peer-to-Peer College Prep.pdf

LEDA-Flyer-2025_.pdf

Class of 2027: Get a Jump Start in Preparing for College!

Need additional support with your college journey? Sign up with Matriculate and receive mentorship from current college students! This is a virtual program for all rising seniors! Application opens in February 2026.

Interest Form

LEDA is looking for HS juniors who want to be challenged academically, have demonstrated a commitment to their studies, and have the desire to be a leader in their families, schools, and communities. Application Due: December 10, 2025.

Application Link

College Admissions Resource Handbook 2025-2026.pdf

College Search Websites & Resources - Click Here

Naviance

Naviance has many helpful tools to assist students searching for colleges, including SuperMatch College Search. Click on 'Colleges Home' in your Naviance account.

Big Future

bigfuture.collegeboard.org/ - College Board's site; research and filter by location, major, and more.

Reach Higher

www.reachhigher.org/students/ - resources to support students as they work on completing their postsecondary education.

College Wise

https://collegewiserunway.thinkific.com/ - free resources and courses to help high school students prepare for college admissions.

Additional Sites

www.mdgo4it.mhec.maryland.gov - wealth of info and resources to assists high school students plan and prepare for college in Maryland.
www.collegeresults.org - examine colleges' graduation rates, and see how those rates have changed over time; compare graduation rates of similar colleges serving similar students; learn about colleges' track records in graduating diverse groups of students.
scholarships.com - college matchmaker; search based on a number of criteria
www.fairtest.org/university/optional - colleges & universities that do not use SAT/ACT scores for admission. Note:always double check with the institution's official site to confirm their admission requirements.
www.onlinecolleges.net - database of online colleges & universities
www.collegeaffordabilityguide.org - using analysis based on 10,000,000+ data points from thousands of schools, use this website to research some of the most affordable colleges in the country.
CollegeCovered.com - a FREE resource to help students and families plan and pay for college.

Virtual College Tours & Presentations - Click Here

Virtual College Tours & Presentations

You can also visit the following websites to go on virtual college tours and see recorded presentations to learn about schools you may be interested in:

www.strivescan.com/virtual/ - virtual presentations for students to explore college opportunities; hear from admissions counselors; gain important college knowledge exploring 400+ presentations and information sessions; 500+ colleges and universities.
explore.cialfo.co/webinars - view recordings of university presentations and/or take video tours of campuses.
www.campustours.com - great information plus interactive Maps and Virtual tours.

Additional Resources

Information for First Generation College Students

www.collegegreenlight.com - connecting first generation and underrepresented students to caring colleges, generous scholarships, and life-changing counselors and mentors.
www.imfirst.org - an online community celebrating first-generation college students.

Information for Undocumented Students

mydocumentedlife.org/ - Up-to-date information & resources for Undocumented Immigrants.
https://www.uscisguide.com/state-regulations-and-laws/financial-aid-for-immigrant-college-students-in-maryland/
https://mhec.maryland.gov/Pages/MHEC%20One%20App%20FAQs.aspx

Information for Students with Disabilities

www.mdod.maryland.gov - Resources for students with disabilities.

Play College Cross Roads:

The game where you get to choose your own path

Click Below!

Play College Crossroads

Workshop Videos - Click Here

Workshops on Video

See the below for a list of past workshops to get additional assistance and learn more about various topics.

Summer 2022

Summer 2022 Online Workshop Recordings

Past Years

Montgomery College & Montgomery Scholars Program - Click Here

Montgomery College

www.montgomerycollege.edu/ - click to learn more about Montgomery College. MC offers more than 130 programs of study, providing a relevant education that prepares students to become active contributors to the workforce or transfer to a four-year degree program.

Benefits of Attending Community College - click to see a Google Slides presentation and learn about the benefits of attending a Community College, specifically Montgomery College.

The Articulation System for Maryland Colleges and Universities (ARTSYS) - ARTSYS is intended to aid the transfer of students from Maryland community colleges to the University System of Maryland institutions and other participating institutions. Explore how credits from Montgomery College can be transferred to Maryland's four-year colleges and universities.

Montgomery Scholars

The Montgomery Scholars Program is a selective-admission two-year interdisciplinary honors program designed for high school graduates as the first step in completing a four-year degree.

Montgomery Scholars will launch their college studies at a fraction of the cost of most four-year schools. The College will award merit scholarships to each student admitted into the Scholars program. These Montgomery Scholars scholarships cover the cost of full-tuition and fees, for two years of study at Montgomery College (30 credits per year at the in-county resident tuition rate).

Click here to learn more!

The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) - Click Here

Established in 2000, The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) offers select degree programs from nine public Maryland universities on one convenient campus in Montgomery County.

Students apply directly to the university offering their chosen major, and on the application, they simply select USG as their preferred campus location. The professors, curriculum, and degree are provided by the home university (it does not say USG on your diploma!), but students at the USG campus benefit from small class sizes, increased scholarship opportunities, and an array of customized on-site services and student life - leading to a more personalized, cost-effective, and time-saving path to degree completion.

USG's innovative and pioneering partnership approach to higher education is designed to connect local college students to outstanding career opportunities, while providing regional employers with a highly educated, skilled workforce. Only the upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses are offered on the USG campus, fostering a supportive environment of students focused on completing their degrees and advancing their careers*.

*Students start their college career at Montgomery College (or another community college) and transfer to USG to earn a four-year bachelor's degree from one of 9 Maryland Universities.

Click here to learn more!

University System of Maryland (USM) Application Fee Waivers

Application fee waivers are available throughout the year. Students are not restricted to applying to a USM institution on a specific day to be eligible for a fee waiver. If students have questions about the application fee, they should reach out directly to the institution.

Additionally, some USM institutions do not require an application fee. These include Bowie State University and Coppin State University.

Bowie State University

Undergraduate Admissions

No application fee required

Coppin State University

Office of Admissions

No application fee required

Frostburg State University

Undergraduate Admissions

Codes available individually. Email fsuadmissions@frostburg.edu

Application fee waiver policy PDF

Salisbury University

Admissions

Application fee waiver policy

Towson University

Admissions

Fee waiver information

University of Baltimore

Admissions

Codes available individually. Email admission@ubalt.edu

University of Maryland, Baltimore

Admissions

USM policy (Section VIII-280)

UMBC

Undergraduate Admissions

Offered via Common App

UMD, College Park

Admissions

Fee waiver details

UMES

Admissions

Email umesadmissions@umes.edu

UMGC

Admissions

Application fee waiver policy

ECMC Preparing for College Guide and Workbook.pdf

Check out 2025-2026 Preparing for College Guide and Workbook by Educational Credit Management Corporation! The College and Career Center will provide sessions aligned with activities in this workbook. Stay tuned....