college advising college

Welcome to College and Career Handling

The College Search

Begin your search by considering these questions:

1. What do i want to do? What are your interests/future goals? DO they offer classes that I would take.
2. where do I want to Be? Do you want to be far or near from home?
3. Will I like their Vibe? Do you want small or large classes how often do you want to see your professsors?
4. how hard will it be to get in. How selective is the school? do they care about S A Ts? what is the average GPA of the accepted class?
5 Can I afford to go? How much will it be to attend financial aid offer? scholarships

The List

Make a list of about 5-10 colleges. Use sites like BigFuture’s college search function to help with the research! In addition to considering your answers above, look at the college’s “admission requirments.” It is good for you to know what the college is looking for in preparation for your senior year, PennState for example require that you taka units of English (4); Social Studies, Art, and Humanities (3); Science (3); Math (3); & World Language (2).

Meet with Ms. Repalbor or Ms. Masser to talk about your schools and to make sure you are on track for application season. When you can, plan to visit as many of these colleges as possible!

Below are nearby colleges you can check out. Click the logo to explore their admission web page.

A Quick Note for Student Athletes

If you want to practice, compete and receive an athletics scholarship during your first year at a Division I or II school, the NCAA Eligibility Center must certify you as eligible. Register for a free profile early in your high school career and familiarize yourself with your high school’s list of NCAA-approved core courses (speak to your guidance counselor!). You will request for “Academic and Amateurism Certification” your senior year. Click on the logo to view the NCAA website.

If you know you are serious about playing college sports, consider creating a free profile with NCSA. This will allow college coaches to view your profile! You can also upgrade to a premium membership.

The Application

There are many ways to apply, you can apply directly through the college’s website, through the Common Application, or through Coalition. There is no clear advantage in applying through one or the other, it all depends on where you are applying and if they are participating with the app.

The Common App is a free online platform that allows you to apply to multiple colleges with one application

Similarly, Coalition allows you to apply for multiple colleges at once.

Important terms to note:

Early Decision (ED): This application type allows you to apply early and receive your decisions early. It is a “binding” application so you are committing to enroll at the college if you are admitted. You can only apply ED to one (1) college and, if admitted, you must withdraw other applications. Know the deadline.
Early Action (EA): This application type allows you to apply and receive a decision earlier. It is “non-binding” so you will have until May 1st to confirm your enrollment. Know the deadline.
Regular Decision (RD): Some colleges have regular decision deadlines, apply by this date to receive admission decisions. Know the deadline.
Rolling Admission: Some colleges admit through rolling admission; you submit an application anytime within their application window and they will review your application upon reception.

What is in a college application?

The application: the application will ask you for your personal information, educational information, and your family information.
High school transcript
Essay: may be optional, but is always helpful to your application
SAT or ACT scores: may be optional, good for more selective institutions
Letter(s) of recommendation: may be optional, depends on college

Depending on your area of study, there may be additional materials/testing needed for your application. Meet with your adviser and/or counselor for help!

The Essay: what do I write about?

The purpose of the college essay is to determine: (1) can you write at a college level? (2) who are you beyond your transcript and application?

The essay will give colleges a sense of who you are and how you may fit in to their campus community. It will help you distinguish yourself in the decision process and show them what makes you unique. The essay is also a place where you can explain any discrepancies in your academic record/transcript.

Ways to approach the essay:
Background/Identity what defines you?
Overcoming Adversity how do you handle challenges?
Reflection describe a time when you thought deeply about yourself
Passion what captivates you?
Catch-all write about what you want

Talk to your college adviser for help on the essay! Also, it is good to have other people read over your drafts before submitting an application