THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS



THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS

How to apply????

(Applications typically open in early August)

a) ApplyTexas Application

– used for application to Texas public colleges and a few private colleges. This application does not require a letter of recommendation. If you still want a letter of recommendation sent then you will need to supply all the appropriate documents, i.e. resume, brag sheets, envelopes, stamps, etc.

b) Common Application

–There are now over 500 Common Application members in 48 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in six foreign countries. See the website for a complete listing of member institutions. Common App Member schools require these important forms in the application process: Secondary School Report (the counselor evaluation form), Mid-Year Report (sent by your counselor in late January; will include updated rank and GPA from the fall semester), and the Teacher Evaluation.

c) Applications specific to certain colleges – If a college is not a member of ApplyTexas nor Common Application, they will likely have their own application available through their website.

Colleges and universities typically require three letters of recommendation as part of the application process. These come from:

• high school counselor or college advisor

• classroom teachers (typically one Math or Science and one English or Social Studies)

• mentors or members of the community.

What is Naviance?

Naviance is a wonderful program that has helped streamline the application process. We use it for the following purposes:

▪ Application Tracking – report colleges you have applied to and admission decisions

▪ Transcript Requests – transcripts for all schools and scholarships will be requested in Naviance

▪ Transcripts and Recommendation letters/forms sent to Common Application member schools - LASA Counselors will send the required Secondary School Reports, Mid-Year Reports, recommendation letters, and transcripts electronically through Naviance. Many LASA teachers will do the same with the required Teacher Evaluation. This applies to Common Application member colleges only, not Texas public universities who accept the ApplyTexas application. ***There are a few Texas private colleges that are members of both Common Application and ApplyTexas; these include: Austin College, SMU, Southwestern University, TCU, and the University of Dallas. If you are applying to one of these schools, please apply through Common App so we are able to submit and track your materials electronically, instead of having to mail everything.

How do I link Naviance with my Common App account?

1. Before you can match the two in Naviance, you must complete a few steps in your Common App account. Go to and click on the Common App tab.

2. Complete the entire Education section: your school information, counselor (list the counselor who will write your recommendation), current year courses, etc.

3. Once this section is complete, click on the My Colleges tab and click Assign Recommenders for any one of your schools.

4. You will see the FERPA Release Authorization section at the top. Click on the link and follow the instructions.

5. Click on the checkbox to allow us to send your academic records (transcript) to the colleges you request.

6. Now, you must make a choice. Click whether you DO waive access to your recommendation letters or DO NOT waive access. ***It is our strong recommendation that you DO WAIVE access. Under this option, colleges generally consider your recommendation letters as the more truthful assessment of you; therefore, the recommendation is given more credit or weight in the evaluation. Once you invite your first recommender (teacher or counselor) in Naviance, you cannot change this option.

7. Log on to your personal Naviance site:

8. Click on the Colleges tab

9. Click on ‘colleges I’m applying to’

10. Enter your CommonApp email address in the Common App Account Matching form.

11. After completing this process, your Common App schools should automatically appear in your Active Applications list. Be sure to add any other schools to which you plan to apply. When you click “lookup”, the College Picker box will appear. If the college you are searching for is not in the Quicklist, you can search by name, state, or country. You can add or remove schools if you change your mind at a later time. Adding your schools ensures that your counselor and teachers send their recommendation letters and related forms to the appropriate schools. Another benefit: should one of the schools on your list plan to visit campus, you will receive email notification of their visit.

How do I ask for Teacher/Counselor Recommendations?

Before adding a teacher or counselor on Naviance, you must first ask that teacher or counselor in person (usually done in early fall of the senior year) if they will write the recommendation on your behalf. You will give your recommendation writers a two pocket folder with the following documents: copy of your resume, brag sheet, parent brag sheet, teacher interaction sheet (for each teacher), any other related documents, a list of schools you’re applying to with appropriate deadlines, and stamped, addressed envelopes (if applicable).

How much time should I give to my recommendation writers?

Please give your teacher, counselor, or college advisor a minimum of 2 – 3 working weeks (not calendar weeks) before the deadline to complete their part of your application. This is especially true for December 1st deadlines (Thanksgiving holidays fall before this due date) and January 1st deadlines (winter holiday break falls before this due date).

How do I request Letters of Recommendation in Naviance?

Complete the following steps in Naviance:

1. Make sure you ask the recommendation letter writer if they will write a letter on your behalf. . .don’t just assume!

2. Log on to your personal Naviance site:

3. Click on the Colleges tab

4. Scroll down to Teacher Recommendations and choose the appropriate person (both teachers and counselors are included) from the dropdown menu

NOTE: Not all teachers participate in the electronic recommendation process through Naviance. If a teacher is not listed, you must give them the traditional folder with all of the printed evaluation forms and stamped, addressed envelopes.

5. Your teacher/counselor will receive email notification that you requested a recommendation through Naviance. If they agreed to write your recommendation, they will complete and submit their forms and letters online (to Common App member schools) once you give them your folder containing resume and brag sheets.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR COLLEGE APPLICANTS

Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School

7309 Lazy Creek Drive

Austin, Texas 78724

School website:

CEEB Code: 440-069

School Telephone Number: 512-414-5272

School Fax Number: 512-414-6050

COUNSELOR CONTACT INFORMATION

Ms. Jamie Kocian Ms. Carole McPherson

College Counselor Counselor, H - Pa

512-414-1903 512-414-7088

jamie.kocian@ carole.mcpherson@

Ms. Shannon Bergeron Dr. April Walker

Counselor, A - G Counselor, Pe - Z

512-841-4029 512-841-4029

shannon.bergeron@ april.walker@

Paula Boothe

Registrar

Telephone Number: 512-414-7081

pboothe@

How do I request transcripts?

(Option not available in Naviance until early September—if you need transcripts sent before then to Texas public institutions, contact Ms. Boothe at pboothe@ for the release form)

1. Log in to your personal Naviance site:

2. Click on Transcripts under the Colleges tab

3. If you have not submitted your records release form (distributed to seniors during the first week of school), you will see the following and will not be able to move forward in the process.

We have not received authorization from your parent(s) to release transcripts to colleges

4. If you did submit the records release form, you can click on “request transcripts for my college applications.”

5. If you added your colleges in the My Colleges option, you will see them all listed here under Current Applications. Click “add request” to request a transcript for an application. If you are applying to a Common Application member school, you must also click on “send mid-year transcript”. If you would like to request a transcript for a school not already in your list of applications, you may add the school under New Applications. Click on the Request Transcripts button to submit your request to Mrs. Boothe.

6. Click on “View the status of all my transcript requests” to keep track of the submission of your transcripts. The first four transcripts for seniors are processed free of charge, and the final transcript sent after graduation to the school you are attending is also free. After that, the processing fee per transcript is $2.00.

If you decide a school to your list after your initial transcript request, don’t forget to go back into Naviance to request transcripts for newly added schools. If you do not request a transcript, we do not know to send it. Also, once a transcript is sent, you must pay for that transcript whether or not you change your mind about applying to that school.

How long does it take to have a transcript sent?

• Transcripts being sent to Common Application member schools will be submitted electronically via Naviance by the counselor writing your letter of recommendation. Because Naviance links your transcript to the counselor recommendation letter and Secondary School Report, your transcript will NOT be sent to your colleges/universities UNTIL all of the counselor forms (SSR and recommendation letter) are uploaded into Naviance. This means you have to give your counselor your resume and brag sheets well in advance of your first college deadline.

• For transcripts being mailed: about 3 working days—unless it is before a major deadline, then it could take up to a week or more.

• Remember you must pay $2 for all transcripts after the first four, or they will not be sent!!! Payment should be made to Ms. Boothe in room 281.

• Transcripts being sent to non-Common App member schools, e.g. Texas public institutions will be submitted to the college or university directly from the LASA registrar. ***All transcripts sent will include the LASA school profile.

When will colleges receive my transcript?

Give colleges and universities at least three weeks after initiating the request to check to see if they have received the transcript. Remember that for Common App schools, your transcript will be sent at the same time as the counselor recommendation letter so give your folder to your counselor well before your first big deadline. IMPORTANT: Common App schools will not verify receipt of electronic documents (transcripts and letters of recommendation) via Naviance until the student has submitted their college application.

What about Mid Year Reports and Mid Year Transcripts?

Texas public colleges and universities do not require mid-year reports and transcripts. Most colleges and universities that utilize the Common Application require BOTH a mid-year report and an official transcript of grades through the seventh (fall) semester of the senior year. It is the student’s responsibility to request that these official transcripts be sent to colleges and universities; this is done at the same time a student requests their initial transcript in the fall. Mid-year reports and transcripts for Common App schools will be submitted via Naviance in late January/early February of your senior year. If your college/university is not a Common App member school but requires a mid-year report, please provide, in the counselor recommendation folder, a business size, stamped envelope addressed to the college admissions office.

Are my test scores listed on my transcript?

The high school transcript or Academic Achievement Record (AAR) does NOT have the following test scores printed on it (Advanced Placement, PSAT, SAT, ACT). You should request that your ACT and/or SAT test scores be sent directly from the testing agency as many schools will not accept scores from any other source. To request ACT scores, go to: ; for SAT scores, go to . Be sure to request your test scores at least two to three weeks before your deadlines…the earlier, the better. Colleges generally don’t require that you submit official AP score reports for the application review.

Revised 7/31/14

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