AUGUST 25 , 2014

MRS. AHYOUNG CHI

DEAN OF COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

ACHI@BHUSD.ORG

College Knowledge

BHHS Class of 2015

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Agenda

College systems and application typesPersonal statements & essaysWhat should I be doing now?Requesting recommendation letters

Naviance & Brag Sheet for counselors Common Application schools Non-Common Application schools

Ordering transcripts: ParchmentCollege rep visits to BHHSUpcoming events

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College Systems & Application Types

California Community CollegeCalifornia State University (CSU)University of California (UC)Private colleges and universities

75+ in California THOUSANDS in United States

Out of state public colleges and universitiesSimple Guidelines for Applying to Colleges

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College Systems & Application Types

Simple Guidelines for Applying to Colleges

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California Community College

112 campuses in CaliforniaAssociate degrees (many lead to careers)Transfer to 4-year school (to obtain Bachelors degree)

CSU or UC: must complete 60 semester units or 90 quarter units (equivalent to 2 years of full time studies)

Most private schools: 30 semester units or 45 quarter units okay to transfer (check with each college and major)

Articulation agreements or TAG are available for most schools- use www.assist.org

VERY important to plan for transferring- it is NOT an automatic 2 year plan!- use UCTAP

Apply to community college by February/March of Senior year- use www.cccapply.org

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Pop Quiz on CCC!

When should you apply to a community college?

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California State University

23 campusesBachelor and Master degreesFirst institution of higher education established by the

State of California, originally created to train teachersTo be eligible: 2.0 GPA, A-G courses, SAT or ACT (no

Writing)Not required/accepted: SAT Subject exams, essays,

recommendation letters, transcriptsApplication filing period: Oct 1–Nov 30To apply: www.csumentor.eduMany CSU’s are impacted and very difficult to get into!

Like… Cal Poly SLO, San Diego State, Long Beach, San Francisco State

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Pop Quiz on CSU!

When is the CSU application due?

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Pop Quiz on CSU!

Which of the following are required for CSU eligibility?

(Choose all that apply.)

1. Successfully completing the A-G coursework2. Minimum GPA of 2.0

3. SAT or ACT4. 2 SAT Subject exams

5. Teacher recommendation letter6. 2 short answer essays

7. None of the above

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University of California

10 campuses but San Francisco is graduate onlyBachelor, Master, and Doctorate degreesResearch & theory based curriculumsCompetitive admissions with many highly selective

campusesTo be eligible: 3.0 GPA, A-G courses,

SAT or ACT with Writing, personal statements, list of activities & honors

Not required/accepted: SAT Subject exams (some majors “highly recommended”), recommendation letters, transcripts

Application filing period: Nov 1–Nov 30 (available Aug 1)To apply: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply

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Pop Quiz on UC!

When is the UC application due?

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Pop Quiz on UC!

Which of the following are required for UC eligibility?(Choose all that apply.)

1. Successfully completing the A-G coursework2. Minimum GPA of 3.0

3. SAT or ACT with Writing4. 3 SAT Subject exams

5. 3 AP exams (subjects of your choice)6. Teacher or counselor recommendation letters

7. None of the above- I can just walk into UCLA and become a student. Woohoo!

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Private Colleges & Universities

75+ private colleges and universities in California3,000+ in US (including public schools)All vary in admission requirements and application

deadlinesApplication requirements: official transcript, official test

scores, essays, activities & honors, recommendation letters, interview, portfolio/audition

Use Common Application or Universal College Application

Early Admission Plans: Early Decision vs. Early Action vs. Restrictive Early Action (more info click HERE)

National Candidates Reply Date: May 1

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Out of State Public Institutions

3,000+ colleges and universities in US (including private schools)

Many operate on rolling admissions plan (check Naviance for a list of popular schools)

Many offer non-selective or slightly selective admissions with non-impacted majors

Many have low out-of-state tuitionWestern Undergraduate Exchange (WUE): tuition

discount for California studentsDon’t forget about Honors programs/colleges at

public schools; rigorous academics in large, research universities

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Personal Statements & Essays

One of the most important pieces of your applicationOne of the only ways to show your true self and personalityFollow instructions, spell check, have someone look it overNot a typical English paperDon’t procrastinate- doing so will send the message that

you don’t careDo it YOURSELF- your essay must be authentically youAvoid clichés and controversial topics; you never know who

will be reading your essayWrite about WHY and HOW, and it should always be about

YOUCheck Naviance for list of Essays that Worked

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What Should I Be Doing Now?

College Counseling Timeline for Class of 2015

Get organized with application requirements, deadlines, interviews, portfolios/auditions, essays

Request recommendation lettersComplete Brag Sheet for CounselorsAttend college related events on and off

campusAttend College Tuesday workshopsTake/retake SAT or ACT (consider CSU apps!)Complete applications and write essays

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Requesting Recommendation Letters

Required: Counselor recommendation letter Must complete Brag Sheet for Counselors in

Naviance 1-2 teacher recommendation letters from academic

subjects (English, history, science, math, & foreign language)

Okay to include 1 additional letter from coach, employer, professor, club advisor, program director, etc

UC and CSU do not accept recommendation letters

Some schools do not require recommendation letters

You may need letters for scholarships

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Naviance Family Connection

1. Log in: https://connection.naviance.com/bhhs Username: your email address If you don’t remember your log in info, email your counselor

2. Update email address Tip: use the same email address for all college applications Make sure your email address is appropriate

3. Click on “about me” and complete the following tasks:

Under “surveys to take” brag sheet for counselors (if you need a counselor rec letter) parent brag sheet (one of your parents must do this)

Resume Test scores

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Naviance Family Connection

4. Finalize your college list Click on “colleges” Click on “colleges I’m applying to” Add colleges to this list You can also move colleges from “colleges I’m

thinking about” to “colleges I’m applying to” Include all UC and CSU campuses you are applying to Include SMC and other community colleges you are

planning to enroll in

5. Contact your counselor for your senior meeting after completing the above steps

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Here you can watch videos, review admission information,

link to the school’s website, and even begin the

application!

If you are interested in a school, click here to add it to your colleges I’m

thinking about list.

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Here you can keep track of colleges you are interested

in, rate your level of interest, view upcoming

application deadlines, and transfer schools from

colleges I’m thinking about, to colleges I’m applying to.

You can also research other colleges and

scholarship opportunities.

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Common Application: Inviting Recommenders

Create an account: www.commonapp.orgSave your Common App ID; you will need it

to order transcripts from ParchmentCreate a college list using the “College

Search” tabYour college list will appear on your

“Dashboard”Add Beverly Hills High School to your

Common App: Click on “Common App” tab Click on Education Click on Find School then choose Beverly Hills High

School Complete this section of Common App

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Common Application: Inviting Recommenders

Click on “My Colleges” tab then choose one of the schools listed

Click on Recommenders and FERPA and sign the FERPA Release Authorization

You must waive your right to review all recommendations and supporting documents in order for your counselor and teachers to write your recommendation letters

Click on Invite Counselor and enter the requested information to invite your counselor to be a recommender (click HERE for counselors’ email addresses)

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Common Application: Inviting Recommenders

Click on Invite Teacher and enter the requested information to invite your teacher(s) to be a recommender

You will need email addresses of your counselor and teachers

Completing these steps will trigger an email to your invited recommenders with instructions on submitting their recommendation letters via the Common App Recommender website

Confirm with your counselor and teacher(s) that they received the invitation

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Non-Common Application Schools

Complete online application on the school’s website

Follow instructions specific to that college to request your counselor and/or teacher recommendations, if applicable (remember, not all schools want recommendation letters)

If letters need to be snail-mailed, then let your counselor and/or teachers know in person and provide them with self-addressed and stamped envelopes

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Requesting Recommendation Letters

September 12: Deadline to ask your counselor and teacher(s) for recommendation letters for Early Action and Early Decision schools; also to notify your counselor if you are applying to schools with rolling admission deadlines

October 10: Deadline to ask your counselor and teacher(s) for recommendation letters for regular decision schools

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Ordering Transcripts through Parchment

Once you start your college applications, you must request that official transcripts be sent to ALL of the colleges to which you are applying.

UC & CSU campuses and the University of Washington do not want transcripts.

All transcripts must be ordered through Parchment.

Get an unofficial copy and review it for accuracy before you send official transcripts to colleges.

Follow the step by step guidelines to order your transcripts.

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Ordering Transcripts through Parchment

1. Go to www.parchment.com or click on the link on the BHHS website or Naviance.

2. Click on “Order Transcript” and then “High School Transcript”.

3. Register and complete your information. You do not need a code to register. Remember that you are entering college in 2015.

4. Once you are registered, click on “My Transcripts”

Search for and select Beverly Hills High School Enter your earliest year of attendance (2011 if you entered

BHHS as a 9th grader) Enter 2015 as your expected year of graduation

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Ordering Transcripts through Parchment

5. Complete the FERPA agreement and waive your right to review. Remember that your counselor and teacher(s) will not write recommendation letters if you do not waive your FERPA rights.

6. If you are applying to one or more Common App schools, then you must click on “The Common Application” tab and enter your Common App ID. This will generate a copy of your transcript for all Common App schools.

7. Search for other colleges to which your transcript should be sent.

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Ordering Transcripts through Parchment

8. For other organizations such as scholarships and NCAA Eligibility Center, click the link under “Select Other Destinations” and enter the required information.

9. Once you have added all of your schools/organizations, pay for your transcripts online.

10. If you add schools to your “colleges I’m applying to” list, then be sure to order additional transcripts.

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College Rep Visits to BHHS

Over 100 college and university reps visit our school each year

Great way to get to know the school and the admission rep who will read your application

Most updated list is in NavianceIf you want to attend a college rep visit:

Sign up in Naviance Get the gold permission slip signed by your teacher

prior to the day of the visit Gold forms available in House offices and College

Center

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Upcoming Events

College Tuesday workshops: every Tuesday in the College Center

Essay review sessions: more info coming soonACT 101 Workshop

Saturday, September 6, 9-12pm, Cherney Lecture Hall $40 per student

College Day for Seniors: October 15 during school

Financial Aid Night: October 21, 6:30 p.m.