College Admissions 

Researching Colleges

The following websites may be helpful in researching different colleges:

• https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search?navid=gh-cs

• https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/

• http://www.bestcolleges.com/about-us/

Applying to College

It is generally recommended that students apply to between 4-6 colleges:

• 1 "safe" college (colleges you feel very confident about getting into)

• 2 "target" colleges (colleges you feel fairly sure about getting into)

• 2 "stretch" colleges (colleges you would love to get into, but are unsure if you will be accepted)

Students should research the range of GPAs and standardized test scores for a college's current freshman class by using College Board's Big Future website. Usually these ranges are reported for the middle 50% of a college's current freshman class. This means that 25% of the freshman class had higher scores and 25% had lower scores. Comparing your GPA and standardized test scores to that of a specific college is a great way to determine if that college is a safe, target, or stretch school for you. It is recommended that students apply to a mix of safe, target, and stretch schools to give the best possible chance of getting accepted into at least one school. 

Make an Appointment with your School Counselor and visit our Career Center

1. Email your school Counselor to set up a time to meet

   • Mrs. Zimmerman

   • Mr. Combs

   • Mrs. Gross

2. Send a smartpass request and stop during your scheduled time

4 options for college admissions are:

Utilize the following information on college admissions options to determine which one is right for you.

1. Early Decision - BINDING: Early decision should be utilized when you have a first choice school you’d like to attend. You must be sure that this is the school you’d like to attend, if accepted. When applying through early decision, if you are accepted, you have already agreed to attend. The only exception would be if the financial aid package offered does not make it possible to attend. 

2. Early Action - NONBINDING: Early action is similar to early decision; however, the key difference is that it’s not a binding agreement. You can apply to more than one college via early action and then decide between the schools you've been accepted to at a later date. The two potential benefits of early action are that students sometimes have a slightly better chance of being accepted and typically colleges will notify students of their admission decision at an earlier date.

3. Regular Admission: If you’re applying during the standard application period, usually from the beginning of November to mid-January, your application will fall under the category of regular admission.

4. Rolling Admissions: Rolling admissions is an addtional option, that some college utilize. Students and applicatons are considered in the order in which the application was received. A college participating in rolling admissions will keep accepting applications until they’ve reached full capacity. (First come, first serve)

 Using the Common Application 

1.  Create an account at www.commonapp.org

   • • Make sure to write down your username and password

     • IMPORTANT: use a PERSONAL EMAIL (student school emails cannot receive outside emails)

2. Fill in the demographic information by clicking on the "Common App" tab at the top of the page. Once you have filled out all of that, then you can add colleges by clicking on the "College Search" tab at the top of the page.

3. Add Colleges using the "Add to My Colleges" button 

4. Complete the FERPA Section - https://appsupport.commonapp.org/applicantsupport/s/article/What-is-the-FERPA-Waiver

5. Invite Recommenders (if any of the colleges you are applying to require letters of recommendation)

   • Make sure to type in the contact information for your recommenders carefully so the invitation is received. 

   • PLEASE NOTE:  IF YOU ARE REQUESTING A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FROM YOUR COUNSELOR, PLEASE SEND A COMPLETED BRAG SHEET (LINK BELOW) TO YOUR COUNSELOR IN AN EMAIL. 

   • Please notify your school counselor well in advance of the application deadlines so that the appropriate materials can be submitted prior to these deadlines. For letters of recommendation please submit requests at least 10 school days prior to the application deadline! 

Brag Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yAM-eMCdvGTUT-cUZFPLzx1omW_e4MQD/view