COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS
Steps to Applying to Four-Year Colleges
In
a very brief format, here are the basic steps to applying for admission
to a four-year or baccalaureate college. More details about each of
these steps is available at other locations within this website, or by
talking with the counselor or the Career Specialist.
Freshman, Sophomore Years
Take
the most challenging courses available. Do as well as possible in those
courses. In an AP class, be sure to take the AP test and save the
results. Keep a record of activities, employment, and awards.
Junior Year
Continue to take challenging courses.
Research
different colleges and programs. Develop a list of colleges (6-8
maximum) to apply to and request information through their websites.
Visit
college campuses whenever possible to help decide where to apply.
Midwinter Break and Spring Break are ideal times for this since the
college will be in session and you can get a real feel for what life
would be like on that campus.
Take the PSAT in fall of the junior
year and take the SAT and/or ACT in the spring of the junior year. Check
whether SAT IIs are needed for specific colleges you plan to apply to.
Senior Year
Get
application information together in September and October. Complete the
online applications during November and December (even if due dates are
January or later - earlier is better!).
Watch deadlines and get in applications ahead of that time.
Get
test scores sent directly to the colleges by going to
www.collegeboard.org- there is a charge per school for any college you
didn't send scores to during the original registration process.
Request
secondary school reports from your counselor if needed. See Mrs. Dale
in the Career Center for the process. Request and have letters of
recommendation sent from teachers and others, if needed. Ask teachers
and counselors 3 WEEKS IN ADVANCE of when you need the letters of
recommendation sent so they have plenty of time to write you a good
letter.
Request financial aid information from colleges. File a
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in January or financial
assistance with colleges costs. FAFSA forms are available online and
can be filed after January 1 of the senior year. Have results sent to
the selected colleges. Money is limited and on a first come, first
served basis so GET THIS DONE EARLY!
Get transcripts sent from
high school and, if a Running Start student, from SPSCC. Pay the $5.00
fee (good for ten transcripts) in the ASB Office and bring the receipt
to Mrs. Dale.
Check with the college to determine if any other
financial aid forms are needed. Keep files for each college and track
paperwork received and other information.
Select college to attend by May 1st deadline. Make sure to watch for housing, orientation, and other deadlines at the college.
Track deadlines for graduation, announcements, final transcripts, caps and gowns, etc. at high school.
Read Senior Notes online or pick up a copy monthly in the Career Center.
Plan
to take the Academic Placement Testing Program Mathematics Placement
Test, which is required for most students who are planning to enroll in
first-year math courses at several of the state's public universities.
The MPT is used for course placement and for college readiness testing. Click here for more information and Statewide Testing Schedule.
Graduate and go on to further education! Congratulations!
COMMON APPLICATION
The
Common Application is used by over 400 private colleges nationally in
order to process information and recommendations from guidance
counselors and teachers. The Common Application process has a distinct
look and purpose. Teacher and counselor will complete the
recommendation forms online via the Common App Online School Forms
systems.
Other private in and out of state colleges such as
Whitworth, PLU, Willamette, etc. may have their own Recommendation
Reports for teachers and counselors that will be online and emailed to
you directly at school. Please do not confuse these with the Common
Application forms. If confused talk to Mrs. Dale in the Career Center or
one of the counselors.
For teachers the form is the Teacher
Evaluation (TE). For counselors the form is Secondary School Report
(SSR) that includes school profile, transcript, letter of
recommendation, and finally the Mid-Year Report after first semester
grades are posted. When an applicant creates an account on Common App
Online, the student must identify which teachers and counselor they wish
to “invite” to submit a recommendation. An email is sent to the teacher
and counselor with information about how to log on. Applicants are able
to track the progress of their various documents from teachers and
counselors, but will be unable to see what is written. The advantage of
using the Common Application is for efficiency. We only need to submit
the documents one time for the many colleges our students may apply to.
Four-Year College Applications
Useful Information
College
admissions counselors look most favorably at students’ cumulative
academic achievement and willingness to take rigorous classes. Using a
comprehensive review process, admissions personnel look at an essay or
personal statement, leadership opportunities, contributions to the
community, individual circumstances, and distinctive attributes. “While
included in the mix, standardized test scores rarely are the decisive
factor.”
Here are some areas where students hurt themselves on college applications:
- Little or no academic course work beyond the core requirements, even though options were available.
- Too
many capable students who mistakenly assume that simply meeting core
requirements is sufficient or that the senior year is not important.
- Ongoing
struggles in math. With quantitative reasoning being the #1 stumbling
block for freshmen, all college-bound students need 3-4 years of math.
- Not fulfilling core requirements for Chemistry or Physics.
- Sporadic or negative grade trends, frequently followed by an across the board drop in curricular rigor.
- Poor
presentation; not taking the time to put the best foot forward; missing
deadlines; failing to follow up on requests for additional information
Distinguishing factors that had a positive impact on college applications include:
- Taking a full academic load through senior year, including math through pre-calculus or calculus
- Taking 3 or 4 years of the same foreign language.
- Taking 4 years of science - including chemistry and physics.
- While
advanced classes such as AP, Honors, Running Start, and IB are
outstanding options for many students, taking a full schedule of
"regular" classes can be equally impressive in the application review.
- Perseverance in the face of significant hardship.
- Potential
contributions to the community such as multiculturalism, exceptional
talent, leadership, "heart", and passion for a subject, activity or
cause.
- Well-written personal statement that helps colleges get
to know what is important to a student and/or to understand academic
choices and personal circumstances.
- Sustained involvement and leadership, rather than occasional or one-time participation in extracurricular activities.
- Students who list activities that occurred for one hour or one-half day generally lose credibility in the review process.
- Being
involved in a “risk taking” situation, such as going on exchange,
standing up for one's beliefs, or accepting new challenges stand out
Summarized from Western Washington University’s Admissions Office “We Admit” Newsletter
PREPARING FOR A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE
Colleges
like to see students take rigorous academic courses in high school.
The more a student challenges themselves in high school the more college
options will be available.
HONORS CLASSES
Olympia High School has open access to Honors Classes staring in 9th
grade. These classes cover the same academic material as regular
classes, but are more in depth and typically faster paced. Generally,
they are not the equivalent of college-level work and do not earn
college credit. However, taking Honors courses show colleges that
students are willing to take the academic challenge.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) CLASSES
Olympia
High School has open access to AP Classes, but students often must be
prepared in pre-requisites These courses prepare students to take
rigorous nationally administered exams in May that can lead to college
credit.
FINDING THE RIGHT COLLEGE
Factors to consider when searching for colleges include:
- Programs of study or major
- School size
- Class size
- Location
- Climate
- Support programs
- Campus culture
- Distance from home
- Extracurricular activities
- Athletics
- Religious affiliation
- Cost
- Financial Aid options
- Outside learning options/Study abroad program