Crown Point High School

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Crown Point High School

• Navigating the College Admissions Process

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Welcome Parents!

• Please welcome our guests from various
  universities
• Maureen Harangody, Admissions, Valparaiso
  University
• Char Connelly, Admissions, Indiana University
  Northwest

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Topics for this evening.

• Choosing the right College
• Naviance
• Applying to College
• Requesting Transcripts
• Requesting Letters of Recommendation
• Deadlines
• Financial Aid and Scholarships
• Resources

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Which Colleges To Apply To?

• Make a list of 3 5 colleges to which your
  student plans to apply. Before applying, make a
  decision based on the following
• An Informed Decision
• A Reasonable Decision
• A Heartfelt Decision
• The Right Decision

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INFORMED DECISION

• GET THE FACTS
• Admissions requirements
• Location Size - Cost
• Academic offerings
• Visit the College
• Application Deadlines

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Reasonable Decision

• Your son/daughter meets the requirements for
  acceptance to the colleges on their list
• College costs have been researched and you have a
  good chance of being able to afford it
• Avoid making assumptions about cost!
• Utilize the Net Price Calculator on the colleges
  website to help determine affordability
• You and your son/daughter are comfortable with
  the location and size of the college/campus

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HEARTFELT DECISION

• Go with your intuition and instinctsfollow your
  gut. Your son/daughter should feel good about
  each campus and the people there. Each school
  should fit their personality and challenge them
  academically and socially

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The Right Decision

• The right decision means your son/daughter would
  be happy attending any college on their list

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College Application Process

• Where to Begin
• Log onto Parent or Student Access in RDS.

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NAVIANCE

• An online platform that gives students, parents,
  and counselors one easy-to-use place to manage
  everything. This includes researching college
  options, choosing where to apply, delivering
  electronic transcripts, learning about
  scholarship opportunities, and much more!

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Letters of Recommendation

• Should be someone the student knows well, but
  should not be a family member
• Give the person sufficient time to do a good job
  and return the letter to the student in ample
  time to meet your deadline
• Also tell the person writing a letter what
  criteria needs to be addressed in the letter
• If the school limits how many letters you can
  send, notify your counselor which letter you want
  sent

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Complete the Application

• Most Colleges/Universities prefer the application
  is completed online
• Students can either
• 1) Find a direct link via Naviance
• 2) Go to college website (admissions)

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The Common Application

• Allows the application to be filled out once
  online and submitted to all schools with the same
  information going to each
• Direct link via Naviance

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Coalition Application

• Brand new application to the college admission
  world
• Similar to the Common Application - one
  application for multiple schools
• Addition of online locker - students can upload
  documents for submission
• More limited base of colleges participating
• First release will be in July 2016 (locker opens
  April 2016)

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Freshman Admission Criteria- Accepted or Denied -

• Admission committees use a variety of factors to
  determine whether the student is a good fit for
  their campus
• Factors include transcript, including SAT or
  ACT scores, GPA, course rigor, letters of
  recommendation
• Availability in a program/department
• Time of year student applies

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TRANSCRIPT

• The transcript gives the admissions committee a
  very good picture of the students academic
  capabilities
• ACT and/or SAT scores are very important. Many
  colleges will request that the scores come
  directly from ACT or College Board. Students
  must request the scores

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What happens after the application is sent

• Colleges will typically communicate via email if
  they are missing something transcript, letter
  of recommendation, test scores
• Most colleges will not contact the student to let
  them know they have received the application
• Colleges will notify student once a decision has
  been made

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Financial Aid

• Complete the FAFSA online between Oct 1st and
  March 10th
• September Financial Aid Night at CPHS
• Research Scholarships
• Naviance
• CPHS Website
• Employer, church/place of worship, volunteer
  organizations, etc.
• Google Search online

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Scholarships and Financial Aid

• Colleges send out a financial aid award letter
  which includes
• Grants that does not have to be repaid
• Loans that is paid back with interest
• Work-study Student works 10 15 hrs a week on
  campus for pay

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Whats next.

• Colleges will continue to be in touch with the
  student to offer housing, orientation, placement
  exams, and other campus related opportunities

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College Representatives

• Various colleges representatives visit CPHS
  throughout the school year. They bring to
  students the most current information and
  details about what they have to offer and their
  admission requirements
• Utilize these individuals to get detailed
  information about a specific campus! They are
  the experts on their schools!
• A list of Colleges/visiting reps are updated in
  Naviance. Students sign up in Naviance to see a
  college rep

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PANEL DISCUSSION

• Maureen Harangody Valparaiso
  University
• Char Connelly Indiana Univ. Northwest