Path to College
The college application process is simply the steps that you must take to apply to college.
The college application seems scary and overwhelming when you look at it as a whole, but when you break it down by each step it really is not as bad as everyone says.
There is no exact order of which steps you have to take first, but keep in mind that simply starting one/any step is enough to kick-start the entire process.
Senior College Application Checklist.pdfLET'S GET STARTED!
STEP 1: TAKE THE SAT/ ACT
The SAT and ACT are entrance exams used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. The purpose of the SAT and ACT is to measure a high school student's readiness for college, and provide colleges with one common data point that can be used to compare all applicants.
A large percentage of schools are now test-optional, meaning you have the option to submit your SAT/ACT scores. However, not all schools are test-optional and it is still a good idea to take the tests.
Register for the SAT here
Register for the ACT here
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SAT AND ACT?
The SAT is a multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper test created and administered by the College Board. The SAT is scored on a scale of 400-1600. It has a Reading, Writing & Language, and Math section with an optional essay. Some math questions do not allow you to use a calculator. The exam is 3 hours without an essay, and 3 hours and 50 minutes with an essay. The SAT offers more time per question on all sections of the exam as the SAT questions require more time to understand and answer (According to Princeton Review) Please log onto www.collegeboard.org for more information regarding the SAT
The ACT is a multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper test administered by ACT, Inc. The ACT is scored on a scale of 1-36. It has a Math, Reading, English and Science section with an optional essay. You can use a calculator on all math questions. The exam is 2 hours and 55 minutes without an essay, and 3 hours and 40 minutes with an essay. The ACT is more fast-paced than the SAT, and the ACT questions tend to be more straightforward (According to Princeton Review) Please log onto www.act.org for more information on the ACT.
Colleges/universities typically do not favor one test over the other. Please check with the school that you are interested in to confirm.
Some students do better on the SAT than the ACT whereas some students do better on the ACT than the SAT. My recommendation would be to take both exams to determine which test is right for you.
STEP 2: SEARCH FOR COLLEGES USING NAVIANCE OR COLLEGE BOARD. CREATE A LIST OF SAFE, TARGET AND REACH SCHOOLS.
Spend some time taking Career finding quizzes.
Naviance has a few: Career Cluster Finder (My assessments tab) and Super Match (college research tab) - save your searches so you can go back to them.
O-NET Interest Profiler: This free tool helps you narrow down your interests and will suggest many types of careers you may want to explore. Take the quiz here.
Career Zone: Make an account to save your searches.
Speak with your School Counselor or come to the Career Center and we can help you figure it out!
Tip: Recognizing what you don't want to do, is also a good starting point.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCHOOLS
When determining what schools you might be interesting in applying to, it is best to create a 3 column list with the following types of schools:
Safety School: You have above average test scores for this school and are highly likely to get in
Target School: Your test scores fall within the average range and you will probably get in
Reach School: Your test scores are below average for the school but you are close; also elite schools (Yale, Duke, Harvard, etc.) that are highly competitive.
Difference between Private and Public Colleges/ Universities:
Private: Are supported primarily by their own endowment funds and students' tuition fees. They tend to be more generous with the amount and cost of scholarships than public colleges/universities.
Public: These schools are funded mainly by state governments. Public universities are also (for the most part) less expensive than private universities.
Schools within New York State:
SUNY: Stands for The State University of New York and is composed of 64 campuses including universities, colleges, and community and technical colleges. The campuses are located across the state and can be found in every geographic area from rural to urban. For more about SUNY schools and how to apply visit: www.suny.edu
CUNY: Stands for The City University of New York and is composed of 23 campuses in all five boroughs. Campuses include universities, colleges, and community and technical colleges. For more about CUNY schools and how to apply visit: www.cuny.edu
Both are considered "public" schools.
Common Acronyms:
CC: Community College
HBCU: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (108 schools nationwide)
HSI: Hispanic Serving Institution (274 schools nationwide)
NCAA: National Collegiate Athletic Association
TCUs: Tribal Colleges and Universities (357 schools nationwide)
STEP 3: CREATE AN ACCOUNT WITH COMMON APPLICATION AT WWW.COMMONAPP.ORG
Here is where you will upload any necessary documents, select colleges and universities, and apply to the schools. Be mindful of the deadlines!
Link your Common App to Naviance so your School Counselor can send your transcripts and teachers can upload their recommendation letters.
If you would like to play sports, any Division, register with the NCAA here.
WHAT IS FERPA AND SHOULD I WAIVE MY RIGHTS?
If you tried to link your Common App and Naviance account, you will notice there is a FERPA release authorization that must be completed.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records, which includes your application to the college where you enroll and your letters of recommendation. FERPA also gives you the option to review confidential letters of recommendation provided as part of that application after you enroll.
In simpler terms, when you turn 18 or enroll in college, you have a right to your education records and you can control who can and cannot see them. Your college application and letters of recommendation are a part of your educational records - so you must give consent (or waive your FERPA right) for our school to send these letters of recommendation to a third party (colleges are considered a third party).
You must complete the education section within Common App first, then complete the FERPA release authorization.
The FERPA release authorization is found within the Recommenders and FERPA section of the my colleges tab, and the "release authorization" link must be checked with the FERPA decision.
You can only see the Recommenders and FERPA section once they've added at least one school to their application.
Waiving FERPA
Yes.
This can be frustrating because I'm sure you want to see what teachers have written about you in your letters of recommendation, but in the eyes of a college or university it is more honest to not look at them. Waiving your right lets colleges know that you do not intend to read your recommendations, which helps reassure colleges that the letters are candid and truthful.
STEP 4: WRITE YOUR COLLEGE ESSAY
The easiest topic to write about is you, and this is exactly the topic that colleges want to read! What is important to you? What has made you the person you are today? And most importantly, how can you write about yourself in a way that is creative and unique?
Do:
-Write in your own voice and in a manner that is true to your personality.
-Let the reader enter your world by giving examples and bringing your topic to life.
Don't:
-Don't exaggerate or try and be pretentious.
-Don't write what you think colleges want to read. Be confident that if your topic is important and interesting to you, it will be to the reader as well.
Proofread your essay:
-Don't neglect spelling, grammar and punctuation. Write in your voice, while keeping your English teacher's voice in the back of your mind.
Helpful Link: How to Answer the 2022-2023 Common App Essay Prompt
STEP 5: WRITE YOUR RESUME
*Click on the images for examples
Practice Resume with Guided Comments.pdfSample College Resume.pdfSTEP 6: REQUEST (2) LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION FROM YOUR TEACHERS
Request letters of recommendation from two teachers through Naviance. Go to "Colleges I'm applying to" scroll to the bottom and click on "Letters of Recommendation" and click on "add request." You can request any teacher that you feel comfortable speaking with. However, if you want to major in something specific it may be best to ask a teacher that teaches the area of subject you are interested in. For example, if you want to go into medicine it would be best to get a letter of recommendation from your science/math teachers. Be mindful that on top of all their other duties, teachers will soon be overwhelmed with writing numerous letters of recommendation. - Act quickly and give them at least a month notice to write your letters.
STEP 8: CREATE A FASFA ACCOUNT (FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID) AND SUBMIT BOTH THE FAFSA AND TAP (NYS FINANCIAL AID)
Please visit the "Paying for School" page of this site for more information
STEP 9: APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS
Please visit the "Scholarships" page for local and nation-wide opportunities
STEP 10: BREATHE!
Set up an appointment to speak with your Counselor if you have any questions or stop by the College and Career Center anytime. We are here to help!