Farragut High School 2019 – 2020 College Counseling …



Farragut High School2019 – 2020 College Counseling Handbook This Handbook was written by the counselors at Harvard Westlake School of Studio City, California and modified to reflect the policies and processes of Farragut High School and Knox County Schools.WHERE TO BEGININTRODUCTION TO COLLEGE ADMISSIONS 2020The process of applying to colleges has changed since the days most parents were in school. With heightened media attention on rising tuition costs and increased competition at the most selective schools, it is hard to know what to think or where to start. It is not unusual to feel overwhelmed as you begin thinking about college. This process can stir tremendous anxiety and the realization that both students and parents may have very specific and very ambitious hopes that carry slim odds.It is certainly daunting that there are over 3,000 institutions of higher learning in this country from which you will choose a handful for application and from which you will ultimately choose one for matriculation. Our Farragut High School, our College and Career Counselor can help guide you through the process. Read through this handbook and bookmark the link. You will refer to it often, as it provides both a general overview of the process and a number of important details and deadlines. Familiarity with this handbook and the process will bring you less stress, more control, and more success in the college admission process.How do you get in the right frame of mind to enter into this process? As you take the first tentative steps, there are several things to keep in mind to help you stay on track.For StudentsYou are the one in the driver’s seat. Though you will get input from parents, teachers, friends, relatives and admission officers, remember that the person going to the college in the end is you. You are not going through all this to please other people, so make decisions that feel good and make sense to you.Keep an open mind and be an informed consumer. Don’t dismiss a college just because you’ve never heard of it. Do not jump to conclusions based on any single source of information. Do not be unduly influenced by a person who loves or hates a school, the number of stars next to a name in a guidebook, or a particularly enthusiastic, good-looking, or funny tour guide.Do your research. Use all the resources available to gather information and impressions and process the information wisely before making definitive choices.Do not let the college process affect your self-esteem. The admission process is not an assessment of your self-worth. Admission officers admit and deny applications, not applicants.Focus on your needs. Remember that this is an individualized process. This is not a competition between you and your friends. What may be appropriate for your friends may not be right for you and vice-versa. Keep a focus on what this process is all about: finding the right match for you.Visit colleges and pay attention to your gut instincts and feelings. There is no formula for finding the right school. Often it comes down to the right feeling or chemistry with a school. Even if you do not want to go on an extensive trip, there are several colleges within a couple hours drive that can give you a “flavor” of a small liberal arts college, a large public school, a large private school, etc.Initiate conversations about the process with your parents. The more you share with them on your own terms (when you want and where you want), the more they will feel included in the process and the less they will nag you about the process (when and where you do not want).Do not get sucked into the rumor mill. It is most often inaccurate. When in doubt, check with Ms. King! You are not alone in this process. Keep in touch with your counselor. We are here to help guide you through the process.For ParentsBe realistic about this process. Forcing your child to look at schools that aren’t appropriate or that he/she isn’t likely to get into or be happy attending will only make your child feel like a disappointment.Look for the “right fit” – chemistry between your child and a college is critical. Your best friend in this process is thorough research into a variety of schools. Please consider schools about which you may know little at this point. Please do not limit your research to schools on just the Southeast. Please remember that schools have changed drastically since you were in college.Let your child take ownership of this process. Find a comfortable place between running the college search process yourself and remaining at an uninformed distance. Keep in mind that colleges generally do not want to hear from parents; they want to hear directly from students. After all, your child will be on his/her own in less than two years.Check many sources. Go well beyond U.S. News and World Report and other media sources. They offer only a glimpse, so be sure to check the accuracy of your information!Set limits from the beginning that are important to you (i.e. cost, distance from home, etc.) It isn’t fair to spring these limitations on your child after they have their heart set on attending a particular institution.Help your child to think about who he or she is. What does your child value? How has he or she changed during the high school years? What would he or she do the same/differently in college?Communicate. This is a family decision on several levels and it is okay to agree to disagree in some cases.Please try not to get sucked into the rumor mill. It is most often inaccurate and only serves to feed the pressure-cooker that surrounds college admissions today. When in doubt, check with the counseling staff!HOW TO START THINKING ABOUT THE PROCESS: KNOW THYSELFSelf-assessment is the critical first step in learning about whether a particular school is going to be right for you. All too often, people start out the search process focused on the importance of gaining acceptance to a specific school rather than on the important questions that need to be asked. Until you’ve spent time thinking about your own needs (academically, socially, and emotionally), you are not really ready to answer the question of whether a particular school is the right match for you. Once you have answered these questions, you will be better equipped to find the schools that reflect your values, needs, and interests.Ask yourself why you want to go to college. Are you sure you want to go? Most of you want to go, intend to go directly after high school, and, if really pressed, can even think of some good reasons to go. But before plunging into a year of deadlines, writing essays, and application decisions, you should ask yourself some questions. To a great degree, your admission to college depends not on what you will do this year and next, but on everything you have done in the last sixteen or seventeen years. But your attitude, energy, thoughtfulness and efficiency during this process will make a big difference and knowing what you want and why you want it will give you the enthusiasm and direction to make the whole business of applying to college an adventure rather than an ordeal. It should be an exciting process of self-discovery.Think about the things like: What makes colleges different from one another? How do those differences (things like location, size, and academic offerings) affect the college experience? And how might some of those differences make one school a better fit for you than another? An honest and thoughtful self-evaluation can reveal what qualities you should look for in colleges and prepare you for statements you will be asked to make about yourself in essays and interviews during the admissions process. If you are willing to look seriously at yourself, you can find the colleges that are right for you and present yourself effectively to them.RESEARCHING YOUR COLLEGE OPTIONSGood research means an investment of time and energy. The more thorough research you do, the better equipped you will be to make good decisions for yourself.Ask questions. Choosing where to apply cannot be reduced to a series of either/or questions, but the usual list of considerations is still a good place to begin: Big or small? Public or private? East, West, Midwest, South, outside the US? Liberal Arts or pre- professional? Traditional or non-traditional? Hot or cold? Ask as many questions as you can; any factor important to you is worth plugging into the equation. Relating those questions to your self-exploration is key.Do not let only one or two factors govern your choices. What happens if you choose a college for a particular program and find yourself, a year or two later, interested in something completely different? Or what if you go somewhere to play football and break your leg playing frisbee the first week of school? You should be especially careful about letting any one individual, whether it's an alumnus, an admissions officer, a friend, a teacher, or even a parent, influence your choice. Liking (or disliking) someone who went to a college or who works at a college does not guarantee your liking (or disliking) the college. Another danger is to let a graduate school or program influence your choice. Getting into Yale College has absolutely nothing to do with getting into Yale Law School. In fact, at some schools it can make admission to their own graduate schools MORE challenging!Look beyond statistics. For example, a college may boast that 80% of its graduates get into medical school, but that doesn't mean that you'll have an 80% chance of getting in if you go to that college. If you don't do the job, you'll end up in the 20%, and, if you do produce, your chances are probably just as good at a college where only 60% are admitted to medical school. It's your performance that counts in the end.Do not fall prey to the common fallacies about college admissions. One myth is that the more selective a school is, the better the education. The number of applications per spot in the class has very little correlation with the quality of undergraduate education available at the school. Some of the most highly regarded colleges for their quality of teaching and focus on undergraduates have a higher admit rate because of the self-selective nature of their applicant pool as a result of location, size, or curricular philosophy.Resources for a Successful College SearchAlthough applying to college is essentially a one-person operation, utilizing the resources available to you in the Farragut community and elsewhere can make it easier and less solitary.The College Counseling Office: Ms. King has been doing this a long time and has a lot of knowledge both about the process and about specific schools. Spend time getting to know her and use her as a resource.The Internet and College Web Sites: Internet research is your primary source of information in this process. Colleges have extensive web sites, many with a virtual tour and online course catalog. Good research will include an extensive examination of a college’s online materials.Recent Farragut High School Alumni: Recent FHS graduates, particularly those whom you already know, are a wonderful source of the kind of information hard to find in a catalogue. Your response to a college may be very different, but knowing the source of the information will help you assess its validity for you. We are happy to provide the names of students who are currently attending particular colleges. Many of the students have directly requested that we do so, because they are eager to share their experiences and new-found wisdom with someone from back home.Guidebooks: Ms. King, the College and Career Counselor, has a library of guidebooks and college handbooks to aid you in your college research. We highly recommend the Fiske Guide to Colleges, the The Best 385 Colleges, and Colleges That Change Lives. These are located in her office in the library. AFTER IDENTIFYING IMPORTANT COLLEGE CRITERIAOnce you have determined the factors that are important to you and learned a bit about different schools and what they offer, you need to meld those two items into a preliminary list of colleges to investigate further. Don’t worry; this can be done in consultation with Ms. King. Keep in mind, there is no ideal college that will fit all your criteria. At the end of your junior year, you may have a list with as many as thirty colleges. That’s O.K. At this early stage of the process, it is good to cast as wide a net as possible and keep your options open.Do the investigative legwork. Read college brochures (with a critical eye), visit campuses (in real life or via virtual tour at a college’s website), watch videos, and talk to current students and alumni.If you can, visit college campuses. This is the best way to get a feel for the college. Take tours and listen to group information sessions. Talk to current students. Compare this first-hand impression with what you’ve read. See the section on “Visiting College Campuses” for more on visiting colleges. Shortly after each visit, make notes of your impressions and thoughts about the school. You might want to include a note on whether your level of interest now that you’ve been on campus (definitely want to apply, might apply, no longer considering).Refine the list. Add or delete colleges based on your continued research.Read mailings. Colleges acquire lists of names and addresses from the companies that administer standardized tests. If it hasn’t begun already, you will shortly find your home mailbox stuffed daily with letters and brochures from a variety of colleges and universities. Take a look at some of these before tossing them toward the recycling bin; you may learn about unfamiliar schools or particular events/programs/offerings of schools in which you are already interested.Narrow your options. By the end of your junior year, you should have done enough research to sit down with Ms. King and begin the discussion of narrowing your options (or, as the case may be, exploring other options as your focus changes—remember, you’re still growing and maturing, and what you think you want in the middle of your junior year may totally change by the fall of your senior year!).GETTING ORGANIZEDYou will soon discover that applying to colleges can be a draining and time-consuming business (and expensive as well—most applications are now $70 to $95). It requires hours of research, hours of talking (to admissions officers, alumni, coaches, friends, teachers, and parents), hours of filling out applications and a great deal of thought. To be done properly and with the least amount of anxiety, it also requires organization.We suggest that each student/family devote a shared online folder or, if you prefer paper, a large binder to the college search process. Either your folder or your binder should include the following:Notes on the various colleges you are considering.A chart of application deadlines.A record of tests you have taken, when you took them, and the colleges to which you have sent them.A record of your college-related accounts, usernames, passwords.A record of college visits and/or interview appointments.Copies of the essays and short answer responses you have submitted.No handbook can begin to answer all the questions you will have, but if you begin by reading this handbook carefully and following the recommended procedures, you'll waste less time on the details and have more time for the larger questions facing you throughout the college admission process.VISITING COLLEGE CAMPUSESOne of the most important parts of the college search is the campus visit. We will often talk about finding the right “fit” in your college search. This is your opportunity to interact with people at the college and get a sense if this place could be a “fit” for you. Take advantage of your visits by asking a lot of questions and getting a feel for the personality of the institution.WHEN TO VISIT?There are many opportunities to tour a campus. Ideally, it is best to see a college campus when students are there and classes are in session (perhaps during spring break in the junior year or during the fall in the senior year). However, it is often more difficult to do this because colleges are generally in session when FHS is also in session. Summer is also a good time to visit colleges. Although classes may not be in session, admission offices are open during this busy season of college visiting, offering tours, group information sessions, and at some colleges, interviews. When choosing which schools to see during the summer, try to avoid smaller, rural schools, which are less likely to have activity on campus during that time of year. The admissions office at the college can help you organize your visit and arrange accommodations, often with students and professors. If you visit a campus in the summer, contact FHS alums who attend that school to get more information about the tone and feel of the community when school is in session.PLANNING COLLEGE VISITSVisit schools with a range of selectivity. If you have been focusing on the fame or the national rankings of schools, you may be pre-conditioned to like some of the schools where the admissions odds are very slim. Visits to the campuses of schools that admit a tiny percentage of their applicants will therefore be much less valuable to you than cultivating your interest in the schools that will be likelier to admit you.Look at the school’s website to determine how to schedule your visit. Do this several weeks ahead of time to find out when they offer tours and group information sessions. Many schools offer them on a drop-in basis; some schools may require you to make an appointment or reserve a spot. This information is available online.Ask if on-campus interviews are offered. If so, ask if you should try to arrange an interview and how to prepare.Allow plenty of time for your visit. Plan to spend several hours at each college. When planning your visit, find out about directions and driving time. We recommend that you try to see no more than two campuses in one day.WHILE ON CAMPUSAttend a group information session. These are usually held at the admission office and are especially helpful if you don’t plan an interview. This is usually led by an admission officer.Take a tour. This is usually led by a current student.Talk to students. Don’t be afraid to approach someone to ask about his/her experience. Most students are happy to share their experience with you.Look at school newspapers and bulletin boards. These things will give you an idea about what is happening on campus and what the political and social climates are like.Check out the student center. Where do students hang out? What do they do?Visit classes, if possible. Talk to professors in departments of interest to you. The admissions office or visitor’s center will usually set this up for you.Explore on your own. The tour won’t take you everywhere. Get a good feel for the place.COLLEGE VISITATION POLICY DURING THE SENIOR YEARIn addition to those college visits you may make during the summer, during the holidays, and during spring break, college visits during the regular college term can be valuable. You are permitted two pre-approved college visits for seniors and one preapproved college visit for juniors and sophomores; You will be responsible for making up any work you miss. Any additional absences taken for college visits must be approved by your Assistant Principal and if they are not, they will be considered unexcused.BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE AND BALANCED COLLEGE LISTTwo of the jobs of our College and Career Counselor are to help you assess your chances of admission and to help you choose a range of colleges that will yield multiple options as you receive decisions during your senior year.In developing your list of colleges, you need to make sure it is balanced in the range of selectivity represented and reasonable in the number of schools. The key to success, as well as maintaining your mental health through your senior year, is to cover the full range of selectivity, which you should be able to do with eight to ten applications. The expectation is that you will be admitted to 40% - 60% of those schools. We use the following terminology to describe a student’s chances of admission: REACH, TARGET, or LIKELY. To that end, we expect everyone to include at least two “Likely” colleges on the final list in December of senior year. Naturally, these should be institutions that you would happily attend. These schools should be researched as carefully and thoughtfully as your "Reach" colleges. Don't apply to any college or university that you really would not like to attend. A "Likely" becomes useless to you if you don't intend to go there under any circumstances. Typically, students have the most trouble identifying appropriate “Likely” schools - it is very important to begin researching a wide variety of options early in the process to ensure you have good options to choose from.HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHAT YOUR CHANCES OF ADMISSION ARE?Assessing your record, your strengths and weaknesses, and examining the college's selectivity and statistics will give you some idea. Knowing whom a college has admitted or denied in the past can also give you some clue, but be aware that it can be dangerous to generalize too much from past decisions: the student who got in with grades lower than yours may have had unusually strong recommendations; she may have been an extraordinary violinist; he may have been the son of an alumna.Obviously, grades and test scores are not the only things taken into account in a selective admission process, but it is a good place to start in evaluating your chances at a particular college. Before you start looking at statistics, however, take the following steps:Evaluate yourself. What kinds of grades have you earned? What kind of testing profile do (will) you have? How rigorous is the curriculum you have selected? We can help provide a context for this.Get the facts on the colleges in which you are interested. What is the acceptance rate? What is the average GPA of accepted candidates? What is the middle 50% range of SAT scores of accepted applicants?Compare your grades and scores with those of your selected schools. Naviance is a useful tool that allows you to compare your statistics to previous applicants from FHS.WHAT IS A LIKELY COLLEGE?These are colleges where your candidacy is very strong and the probability of your admission is 75% or better, if the admission trends at that college don’t shift significantly (which is always an unknown factor in the process). If your grades are well above the mean for that college, if your scores are significantly above the middle 50% range, and if, when looking at the history of FHS applicants to the school, your profile is comfortably in a range that has been accepted in the past, then the school is in your “Likely” category.WHAT IS A TARGET COLLEGE?These are colleges where your candidacy is competitive, based on your academic profile and our history of admission with the school. A “Target” means that your application will be in the running, but the decision could go either way. If your academic profile is slightly above the mean for grades and testing, you have probably found a good “Target” school. But remember, there is no formula to this process. These general guidelines may hold true if the acceptance rate at the school is above 30%. At more selective schools, grades and test scores become less reliable predictors of outcome.WHAT IS A REACH COLLEGE?These are colleges where your academic profile is at the low end of admitted candidates based on past admissions history. Also, any college with an acceptance rate below 15% should be considered a REACH school, no matter how strong your academic profile. As the selectivity of a school increases, the academic profile becomes less predictable, whereas your extracurricular and personal profile, self-presentation, recommendations and factors outside your control become more significant. Be sure todistinguish between what is a Reach and a “Far Reach” (sometimes called “Lottery”) college. If your profile is significantly below the competitive range, your chances of admissions are therefore highly unlikely, and it may not be worth your investment of time and energy to apply.A WARNING ABOUT GPASWhen determining your likelihood of admission, you will be using your cumulative, weighted GPA. This number can sometimes be misleading. One number representing three years of a student’s work often cannot represent the true performance of a student. The directional trends or rigor of curriculum cannot be discerned from a single number. A student with eight AP courses and all B’s may have the same grade point average as someone with no AP courses and all A’s.A FHS transcript contains semester grades. A college will focus on the curriculum that a student has chosen and the grades over the course of three years, not a single number represented in a GPA. Senior year grades can also be a factor in college admission evaluations, especially as the most recent indication of potential for college work.SELECTIVITY VS. QUALITYJust because many students have been accepted to a certain college, do not assume that it is not a “good school.” There can be many reasons for a high-quality college to have a high rate of acceptance. A large school may need to take more students to fill its class. Geography (such as a remote location) may require a college to take more students because of a lower yield rate. Make sure to evaluate your fit with a school over its ranking or admit rate.THE APPLICATION PROCESSAlthough you will receive e-mail updates in the fall with all deadlines and detailed instructions to keep yourself organized, here is an overview of things you need to do to make this process run more smoothly:Ask questions. Make appointments for conferences and keep them. Ms. King is especially busy from September to winter break, when you are likely to have the most questions, and you may face a long wait if you don’t make an appointment. Many questions can be answered by the Guidance Assistant, Ms. Halcott.Pay attention in Class Meetings when Ms. King comes. She will give a lot of information during these sessions and it is imperative that you are present and attentive so you don’t miss important deadlines or handouts.Check your e-mail daily.Look for forms you need online: SAT Reasoning and Subject Test registration forms, ACT registration forms, financial aid forms (CSS Profile and FAFSA), the Common Application.Note this number: 430-435. It is the College Board (CEEB) school code for FHS, and you will need it every time you take a test, request scores, or fill out an application.Keep your parents informed. It’s important to update your parents during the process so they can be helpful and supportive.Don't leave things to the last minute. We have deadlines too, and we want to do the best possible job for you. So see us early and get forms to us as soon as possible.APPLICATION SCHEMESThere are several types and timings of applications. It is important that you know what the rules and guidelines are for each of your applications.EARLY ACTION AND EARLY DECISION Many private colleges offer students the opportunity to apply early and receive a decision early, usually before the winter holidays. Please consult Ms. King to discuss the appropriateness of this kind of option. Ms. King requires that students notify her by early October of their intentions to apply early. Generally, there are two approaches:Early Decision refers to a binding early admission program. Strong candidates who have a definite first choice college may apply in November of senior year and receive an admission, denial, or deferral in December. Admission under an early decision program is a contract to attend that college. Once admitted, a student must withdraw all other applications. Decision notifications are usually sent before Christmas.Clearly, any student applying early decision must be absolutely certain that s/he will be happy at the college to which s/he applies. At a college where a student can expect to be a competitive applicant, early decision applications may increase odds of admission. But applying early will not turn a weak candidate into a strong one, and such an applicant may well receive an early denial rather than an early admission or a deferral. Applying early to a school where your academic profile is weaker than that of the students they have admitted in the past can be a major risk since other schools where you would have been advantaged as an early applicant will become significantly harder to get into as a regular decision applicant. Students deferred as early applicants will be reconsidered with the regular applicant pool; they are not under binding commitment to attend if admitted in the regular spring pool.It should also be noted that by applying Early Decision, you limit your opportunities to compare financial aid packages. As a general rule, it might be preferable for students in need of aid to apply under the Regular Decision or Early Action application schemes. Early Action refers to a non-binding early admission program. Candidates apply in November and receive an admission, denial, or deferral in December or January. Students admitted under this program are not committed and may, if they wish, then file other applications. Deferred students will be reconsidered with the regular applicant pool. At some schools (but not all), applying early action can enhance the chances of admission. Decision notifications are usually sent before Christmas.ED2: A number of colleges offer a second early decision option (Early Decision 2), usually with a January deadline, so that senior year grades can be considered. These programs are always changing. Check each college's website or consult Ms. King if you are interested in such plans. Decision notifications are usually sent starting in early March.Restrictive Early Action (also known as the Single Choice Early Action): Is a non-binding early application program. Students may also apply at the same time to any public college/university or to foreign universities but you are restricted from applying to other private universities’ Early Action and Early Decision programs. Students admitted under this program are not committed and may, if they wish, then file other applications Regular Decision. Decision notifications are usually sent before Christmas.Regular Decision: A college has a specific deadline by which all applications must be completed. All of the applications are evaluated before notification letters are sent to applicants. Decision notifications are usually sent starting in early March.Rolling Admission: A college makes its admission decision soon after an application is received. Decisions are released on a “rolling” basis. Sometimes a school with rolling admission will have a Priority Deadline for scholarship or honors consideration. Since these schools admit students on a first- come, first-served basis, we often recommend applying during fall semester. See Ms. King regarding proper application timing. Depending on the time of year you apply, decision notifications are sent as early as one week after receipt of application and as late as eight to ten weeks.COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVES AT FHSMany admissions officers will visit FHS in the fall, providing you with one of the best ways to learn more about the colleges they represent. In most cases, the college representatives who visit are those who read application files for our school and make the decisions about our students. Students are permitted to miss class to attend these meetings provided they follow the correct procedures for doing so. Students should sign up for visits on MUNICATION FROM MS. KING AND COLLEGESIt is your responsibility to check your e-mail every day, as Ms. King will often use this as a means of communicating with you. Colleges also typically use e-mail as their preferred method of communicating information.INTERVIEW POLICIESEach college has a different policy concerning scheduling interviews. Some have deadlines by which applications must be filed in order to have an interview, others require applicants to call and request them, while others are automatically scheduled after the application is complete. It is the student’s responsibility to be informed about and follow the specific interview instructions and deadlines for a particular school.APPLYING TO THE PUBLIC UNIVERSITIESColleges and Universities Within TennesseeThere are two public higher education systems in the state, The University of Tennessee system and the Board of Regents system, as well as six independent public universities. Each school has its own application, scholarships, and deadlines.University of Tennessee Undergraduate Campuses are in Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Martin.The Board of Regents schools include all community colleges and Technical Colleges of Applied Technology.The six independent public universities are: Austin Peay State University, East Tennessee State University, University of Memphis, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological UniversityOut-of-State Public InstitutionsSome of these universities require only a simple application form and a transcript, but many also require essays and recommendations. Early deadlines at highly competitive universities can be as early as October. APPLYING TO THE PRIVATE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIESAdmission to private colleges, particularly the more selective ones, is a multi-step, subjective, and somewhat unpredictable process. Decisions are generally based on a committee's evaluation - through readings and discussion - of a candidate's folder.Admissions officers read the files in a holistic fashion, attempting to get a sense of a candidate’s academic and non-academic qualities and potential for contribution to their community. Keep in mind that it is a human process. The “Components of the Application” section describes what usually goes into that file, with some suggestions and guidelines on how to handle each of the components.NATIONAL CANDIDATES’ REPLY DATEStudents are required to notify the school at which they intend to enroll by May 1st. Failure to do so may mean forfeiting your place at that institution. Similarly, you should notify all the schools you were admitted to but do not plan to enroll at that you have selected another institution. Enrollment deposits made to universities before May 1 are generally refundable until that date.It is entirely unethical to tell multiple schools that you intend to enroll and, if discovered, will mean forfeiting your place at both institutions. It is, however, acceptable to maintain your spot on a wait list and deposit at another institution. Making your intentions clear is imperative, not only to solidify your place at an institution, but to allow institutions to determine how many students they can expect that fall. If you have intentions of deferring your admission to an institution in order to take a gap year, you must learn about and follow the school’s deferral request PONENTS OF THE APPLICATIONThe application that you fill out is one of the means through which your character and personality can emerge to the reader, and it is the one part of the application over which you have real control. Doing a careful, thoughtful job on your application can make all the difference. Consider the time constraints of your audience. During the "reading period," admissions officers may have a daily quota of at least fifty files. It’s not uncommon that your file will be read entirely in 15 minutes or less! You have fifteen minutes (at most!) to make a good impression!Don’t pad your application. Let your accomplishments speak for themselves, leaving out trivial activities or long-neglected interests. It is better to concentrate on a few quality pursuits than to manufacture quantity.Answer the questions they ask. In your eagerness to write about what you want to write about, don't ignore the question.You may want to submit evidence of your scholarly and creative endeavors. This supplemental information may aid the college admissions offices in gaining a more vivid picture of you and your potential. Discuss this with your counselor, since any additional information sent takes time to be evaluated and should therefore be exceptional. Examples of supplementary information include published research, artwork, dance, drama or musical performances, photography, creative writing, newspaper articles, etc.Be yourself. You can drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what you think a college wants to hear. There's seldom a right or wrong answer to a question on an application. All the readers want is a clear, honest, and thoughtful answer that will tell them something about you as a person. Give yourself plenty of time. Last-minute jobs usually look and sound like last-minute jobs.For most schools, particularly private colleges and universities, there are a set of items that are required for your application. These are the items that most colleges use to evaluate your application and make an admission decision. The important thing to understand about each section of the application is that there is a reason you are being asked for this information, which is to glean as much as they can about you and your potential for success at their institution.APPLICATION FORMSMost of the schools to which you will be applying are on the Common Application, which is available online at . If you are applying to any of the Common Application colleges, you simply complete the Common Application online, sending the same application to all of your schools that accept it (with a separate fee for each). Many schools on the Common Application have supplements, which may involve additional essays or short answer questions.If a college you are applying to is not on the Common Application (this includes many public universities, as well as private schools like MIT and Georgetown), you should go to the website of that individual college to fill out the application. The first few sections of the application request identifying information, such as name, address, phone number, and high school. Although this information is partially used for practical purposes, it is also used during the review process to understand your particular circumstances. Knowing where you live, what high school you go to and whether or not your parents have attended college can give some context to your application.HIGH SCHOOL DOCUMENTSFHS personnel are responsible for sending the following documents if they are required: official transcript, letters of recommendation, a school profile, the Secondary School Report form (SSR) and a mid-year report. Information on how and when to request that these items are sent to colleges will be provided in the fall of the senior year. FHS can send all of your AP and ACT scores on all of your transcripts if you would like us to. You cannot pick and choose which scores you send or to which schools. If you want to include APs, it will be all of your APs sent to all of your schools. The same goes for your ACT. We cannot send SAT scores. NOTE: Even if we send AP and ACT scores on your transcript, many schools will still require that you have official scores sent directly from the testing agencies.TranscriptThe transcript is the single most important item in the admissions folder. On it are your course grades from ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades. (Your first semester senior year grades are sent as soon as they are available.) School RecommendationThe official school recommendation, written by the College and Career Counselor, represents the collective support of the school community. It is based on reports from teachers, coaches and extracurricular advisors, as well as questionnaires and personal contact. Our goal is to present you in the best possible light while remaining balanced, fair, and honest. Seniors will usually also have requested recommendation letters from two classroom teachers, which will be sent according to a college’s or university’s recommendation requirements. You will not have access to these letters of recommendation, as colleges will lend more credibility to letters to which you have waived your access.High School ProfileThe school profile includes information about FHS’s curriculum, grading policies, school accreditation and history, standardized test scores, GPA distribution, and college matriculation data. This document is sent to colleges with the transcript.Secondary School ReportThe Secondary School Report form calls for information about the student in the context of FHS. Specifically, colleges and universities ask about the rigor of the student’s curriculum as compared to other students at FHS.Mid-Year ReportIn February, when first semester grades become available, we automatically send the Mid-Year Report form with your first semester grades.TESTINGThe FHS School CEEB code number is 430-435. You must include this code to assure that your scores are sent to FHS. You are responsible for making sure the appropriate scores are sent to all the schools to which you are applying; requirements and other testing policies vary significantly between institutions, so please be sure to review testing policies at each school.SAT and ACT Most colleges require the SAT or ACT and do not have a preference for which one you should take. There are some differences between the tests that you should consider before deciding which you want to take. Some explanation of each and the current year’s test dates will be in the Appendix of this handbook.For both the SAT and ACT, the essay portion is required by the US Military Academy, Martin Luther College, Soka University of America, and all University of California campuses and recommended by 19 others. Subject TestsSAT Subject Tests are curriculum-driven tests. Students should consider taking these tests at the end of “terminal” courses like US History. As of the most recent list, 17 private colleges either require or recommend two or three SAT Subject Tests. An additional 61 schools consider Subject Tests if scores are included in the application. Note carefully any specific requirements of the colleges to which you are applying. are many excellent test-optional or test flexible colleges; a list can be found at ScheduleIt is strongly suggested that you take two ACTs or SATs in the spring semester of grade 11 as well as SAT Subject Tests if needed. This leaves time for any needed re-testing in the summer and fall. The idea is to have as much of the testing completed as possible before you begin grade 12. This will give more time and mental energy for your applications and generally make things less stressful.Standardized Testing Availability Test9/1910/1911/1912/191/202/203/204/205/206/207/20ACTXXXXXXXSATXXXXXXXXXXXSubTestsXXXXXXSuperscoringMany in college admission talk about reading applications holistically and supportively; one way they can do this is by “superscoring” standardized tests. This means that if you take the SAT more than once, the admission office will take the highest section score across test administrations and assign you a new, higher total score. For instance, if you scored a 650 EBRW and 670 Math (Total 1320) in March and a 700 EBRW and 650 Math (Total 1350) in May, your superscore would be 700 + 670 = 1370. For the ACT, this process generally takes the form of taking your highest test scores across test administrations, but may not result in a new Composite score because colleges use test scores individually. Your ScoresIt is your responsibility to know which colleges require which tests and to request that your scores be sent from or to the colleges.You can send all of your AP and ACT scores on your transcript. You cannot pick and choose which scores you send. If you want to include APs, it will be all of your APs. The same goes for your ACT.We cannot send SAT scores on transcripts. Scores are loaded by the central office and they do not receive SAT scores.NOTE: Even if we send AP and ACT scores on your transcript, many schools will still require that you have official scores sent directly from the testing agencies.Many colleges now allow you to self-report your scores on the Common Application and then wait to verify your scores with an official score report after you have enrolled. Check the admissions page on the college’s web site to find out if the school allows self-reporting of scores.The College Board and the ACT allow you to select which sittings of the SAT and ACT you would like reported to which colleges. There will, however, be some colleges that require your entire testing history and you must submit all your SAT or ACT scores to them. year, otherwise qualified applicants are denied admission, from UC schools and the University of Michigan in particular, because those applicants have neglected to send their test results. You should keep careful records of which tests you have taken and where the scores have been sent. For these schools, scores must arrive on or before the deadline.Advanced Placement TestsFor purposes of receiving actual college credit for AP results, the scores must be sent directly from The College Board to the college. This is done at application or once you have been admitted to college.THE ESSAYLike the application form, the college essay provides you with an opportunity to convey something about yourself that goes beyond the objective data. Above all, the essay should be well-written and carefully-edited, and you must keep it within the prescribed length. Consider your audience. Admissions officers reading two dozen applications on a dreary February night want to read something efficient, engaging, and graceful that will tell them about you as a person. You should write about something that is important to you. Remember that this is a process that involves human beings reading your words, not a computer churning out algorithms. The presentation of yourself through the essay is a key component in shaping an admission officer’s impression of you as a candidate.The Common Application calls its main essay the Personal Statement, and its topics are fairly broad and open-ended. Respond with a vivid story from your life instead of vague or general musings. Favor showing over telling. Many schools will also ask for supplemental essays specific to their school. Be sure your supplemental essays answer the question while revealing new aspects yourself that you haven’t shown or detailed in other parts of the application. Supplemental essays, when required, are just as important as your main essay, so allot plenty of time to work on them.In all of your application writing, be true to yourself. Don’t think too much about what it is you think the admission officers want to hear. Focus on what you want to convey and how to say it. Let your voice come through. Where people commonly falter is approaching this as an academic exercise. These are personal essays, opportunities to reflect on who you are at this stage in your life, invitations to share some stories based on your unique experiences.Don't use the essay to apologize for some perceived failing on your part. On the other hand, if there have been unusual circumstances in your life, the essay might be a good chance to explain them without making excuses.Try to avoid much-used topics (unless they are addressed in a unique way). Examples of this are: an eye-opening trip outside the US, the championship game, how a service opportunity ended up helping you as much as you helped others. But don't go overboard in your attempts to be original or memorable or profound. Stories will become unique and memorable the more individual detail you can include. Avoid writing anything that might raise questions about your college readiness or that highlights immense privilege.Get some feedback on your finished product. Have a teacher, parent, friend, or neighbor read and critique your essay for its form and content. What does your essay communicate about your character and personality? Is the voice natural and unaffected? It should sound like it was written by you and only you. Spellcheck is not always your friend. It will not pick up homonyms (there/they’re/their), nor will it save you from accidentally sending your Oberlin essay to USC.TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONSMost selective colleges require one or two recommendations from teachers. Ideally, you should ask teachers from eleventh grade who have taught you in an academic subject. These teachers have witnessed your progress over a full year. Be sure to ask your counselor for advice on who might be most helpful. Senior teachers may be used in some cases. The teacher who gave you the highest grade may not be the one who is likely to write you the best recommendation; it is more important that the teacher knows you well. Once you have decided whom you would like to write your recommendations, ask him/her by the October 1st deadline. Follow these guidelines:You should ask in person. It is fine to start with an email requesting a quick meeting about college recommendation letters, but it is most polite not to make the request via email or in passing around campus.AND you should send a request in Naviance. If it’s not in Naviance, the request doesn’t exist.You should complete the Teacher Recommendation Request forms and give them to the teachers you have requested. These are available in Naviance. Ask the same two teachers to do all of your recommendations. Once the teachers have written your letter, they will upload them through Naviance and submit them to all the colleges to which you are applying. In some cases, colleges will only allow one letter to be submitted and Ms. King will consult with you on which teacher’s letter to send. Some colleges and/or special programs may require or encourage teacher recommendations from specific subject areas, which may mean asking a third teacher if neither of the teachers you initially asked were from that discipline. For example, if you are applying to some art programs, you may use letters from two traditional academic subject teachers and then ask an art teacher to write a third letter to be sent to the schools where you are applying as an art major.Thank your teachers! And keep them apprised of your final decision. Recommendation writing is a time-consuming task; honor your teachers’ efforts by expressing your warm, genuine appreciation. Also, let them know how things work out later in the year; they are interested in your future.THE INTERVIEW The interview is seldom as important as students think it is. No college is going to place more weight on one thirty-minute encounter than on the recommendations of teachers or four years of accomplishments. Few colleges require an interview; some recommend one. Some colleges do not provide the opportunity for one. Generally speaking, the smaller the college, the more likely it is that the interview will carry some weight.If a college recommends an interview and it is not within easy traveling distance, the college will arrange for you to be interviewed by a local alumnus or alumna. If you have already interviewed on campus, you should ask if it is necessary to have an alumni interview. Some schools don’t mind having two perspectives in the file, while others want to reserve alumni resources for students who have not had a chance to interview on campus.Some tips on interviews:Relax.Go alone. Don't take your parents or your friends with you.Dress appropriately. Clean chinos and a polo shirt is fine. Your personal appearance is extremely important for a good first impression. Take your hat off.Be prompt. When an alumnus/a calls you to make the appointment, be sure you get his or her phone number so you can call if you are delayed or have to change the time. Also, be sure to get the interviewer's full name and address. Write this information down for future reference.Read any college literature you have before you go so that you can ask thoughtful, well-informed questions. Remember that the interview is your opportunity to find out about the college, not just the college's opportunity to find out about you.Take cues from the interviewer; she or he will set the tone. She or he may offer to shake hands with you; wait for him/her to make the gesture. Remain standing until the interviewer sits down or offers you a seat.Don't worry if the interview doesn't cover every wonderful thing about you. The admissions office will have all the objective information it needs; the point of the interview is to see how you think and how you handle yourself, not to find out your test scores or athletic honors.Avoid answering questions by saying just yes or no. On the other hand, don’t talk too much. Be aware of time and don’t go on talking and talking about one thing.Be yourself, not what you think the college expects you to be. Colleges want variety, not clones.Don't judge the college on the basis of the interviewer. If you learn things from the interview that make you feel differently about the college, fine. But don't let your positive or negative feelings about an individual become an important factor in your decision.Always thank the interviewer in writing for his or her time. In your brief note you may want to mention one of the topics brought up during your session so that you are certain he or she will recall just who this polite interviewee is!EXTRA LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATIONExtra letters of recommendation seldom have much positive impact on an admissions decision. For the most part, they are a neutral factor; in excess, they can become a negative factor. These letters are only appropriate only when they add substantive information that otherwise isn’t in the folder. Letters from political figures or prominent business leaders who don't really know you or alumni whose stake in you or the college is limited are mostly meaningless. If you must have extra letters, don't go overboard; admissions readers have limited time and an excessively long admissions file can make a negative impression. Consult Ms. King before you ask for these letters.THE COMPLETE APPLICATIONHow colleges pull all these parts together and weigh them varies. For most colleges, the order of importance goes something like this:Your academic record—the rigor of your curriculum, the grades you've earned, and the pattern of grades over four yearsSAT or ACT scores (and to a lesser degree SAT Subject Test scores)Your personal qualities and extracurricular record as revealed in your application and essay as well as through comments in recommendations and interviewsLetters from the school (teachers and counselor)Any one of these factors, if unusually strong or unusually weak, can become more important than it might otherwise have been. Intellectual curiosity, motivation, discipline, creativity, originality, warmth of personality, self-awareness, maturity, thoughtfulness, and concern for others are all qualities that can be factored into a committee decision. In the end, however, it is subjective synthesis of all these factors, not a predictable formula that will determine your admission to a selective college.FACTORS BEYOND THE FOLDEROne of the most difficult and frustrating things to accept about the world of highly selective admissions is that the schools are not just looking for qualified candidates. At the most selective schools, the vast majority of applicants are “well-qualified.” Many other factors, beyond the control of the individual candidate, can come into play in an institution’s final admission decisions. Perhaps over-enrollment in the previous freshman class means that a school must accept a smaller class this year. A dramatic increase in the number of applications this year means that the school must become even more selective. Each institution has enrollment goals that it tries to meet, whether it’s replacing a horn section in an orchestra, finding a goalie for the soccer team, or achieving a racially, socio-economically, and geographically diverse community.Demonstrated InterestAll colleges and universities want to maximize both the number of applications they receive and their yield on acceptances. They want the students they ultimately admit to enroll in high percentages. With the Common Application, it is easier than ever for students to apply to schools they know little about and aren’t considering very seriously. As such, many schools track what they call ‘demonstrated interest.’ If you visit campus, arrange an optional interview, meet with a representative who visits Farragut, send a thank-you note after a tour or meeting, and/or write a supplemental essay that shows that you know a lot about the school, the admissions office has more reason to believe that you will enroll if admitted than another student who has done none of those things. Note that that schools that accept fewer than 10% of their applicants tend to assume their own popularity such that demonstrated interest doesn’t play much of a role in their decisions.Legacy StatusMost private colleges (and many publics) also try to respond to the loyal support of their graduates by giving an edge to the children of alumni in the admissions process. Being the son or daughter of an alum will not make much difference for candidates whose numbers are well below the competitive average, but for otherwise competitive candidates, it could provide an extra nudge. Some colleges are more responsive than others to alumni children.Artistic TalentColleges are interested in special or unusual talents. If you have unusual talent in visual or performing art, you should consider submitting an art supplement. Look for special instructions in application materials; these will vary from school to school. Talk with your art, music, dance, or drama teacher about how to create an appropriate submission. Some schools have different (and earlier) deadlines for submission of such material. Other material, such as writing or independent research projects, should be discussed with Ms. King for its appropriateness for submission.If you are applying to major in a specific art, music, theater or film program, you may be required to submit additional materials or audition. In these cases, your portfolio or audition will likely hold more significant weight than if you were simply supplementing your application with these materials. That being said, you will still need to meet the academic standards of the particular institution to which you are applying.Athletic AbilitiesThe athletic factor is a tougher one. Every year students have their hopes raised by coaches only to find that in the end it wasn't enough. It all comes down to how much a coach wants you and what kind of relationship he or she has with the admissions office. If you are high on the list he or she gives to the admissions office and are otherwise qualified for admission, it can make a big difference. If a coach tells you that you are on the list, remember that it might be a very long list and you might not be at the top.Remember that if you have contacted college coaches, it is assumed that you are interested in pursuing your sport in college. It is highly unethical for you to express an athletic interest during the application process and then neglect to show up for practice once you have been admitted. If you are being recruited by a college coach, keep your counselor informed of how the process is progressing. It is easy to misinterpret what a coach says to you or fall prey to overzealous coaches who may not really have your best interest in mind.If you are interested in playing sports in college, talk with your current coaches about how to initiate contact with college coaches.RELIABLE RESOURCESA list of some resources the FHS College and Career Office finds to be reliable.Books in Ms. King’s officeThe Hidden Ivies, 3rd Edition: 63 of America’s Top Liberal Arts CollegesColleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About CollegesWhere You Go is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions ManiaThe Complete Book of Colleges, 2020 Edition: The Mega Guide to 1,359 College and Universities The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges, 2015: Students on Campus Tell You What You Really Want to KnowCollege Match: A Blueprint for Choosing the Best School for YouCollege Essay Essentials: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Successful College Admissions EssayFiske Guide to Colleges 2020Careers: A Graphic Guide to Planning Your FutureThe K & W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities, 14th EditionThe Best 365 Colleges, 2020 Edition: In-Depth Profiles and RankingsThe College Search Simplified: A Step by Step Guide to Finding and Applying to CollegesCreative Colleges: Finding the Best Programs for Aspiring Actors, Artists, Designers, Dancers, Musicians, Writers, and MoreWebsitesApplication Management - Contains college and career searches, college compare, college lookup, etc… The location for transcript requests and recommendation requests. Colleges must be listed on the Colleges I’m Applying To page in order to send transcripts from the FHS Counseling Office. Tennessee HOPE and Promise Scholarships and Application - Accepted at over 800 colleges and universities. - Great, sensible advice about all kinds of essay writing.College Search & Information - Schools that do not require SAT or ACT or that are flexible about which tests they will take. - A variety of college lists. Everything from Hidden Gems to Colleges where Physics PhDs receive their Bachelors degrees. - This is the federal government’s scorecard. Includes things like average debt at graduation. - In-depth data on every school including % of class taken Early Decision, average aid package, etc…Financial Aid - Not ETSU-specific. Great explanations for many things aid-oriented. - This is the aid form all schools will ask for. You must fill this out to receive the HOPE scholarship. - Required by many private schools in the US in addition to the FAFSA. - For FAFSA-only schools. A reasonable indicator of the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). - A great blog about financial aid.Testing - This is the parent company for AP and SAT. Register here and send scores for the SAT. - Register here and send scores for the ACT. - SAT/ACT essay requirements for a long list of colleges. - SAT Subject Test requirements for a long list of colleges. - Score Choice and Superscore policies for a long list of colleges. ................
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