15 replies to this topic

[CollegeAdvisorBTHS]

Hello, all Rising Seniors! You have been out of school for five or so weeks, and have about four weeks left before we go back... HAVE YOU BEGUN OR COMPLETED ANY OF THE IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES LISTED BELOW?! If not, please review them and get to work ASAP!

Seven MAIN goals to aim for over the Summer:

1) By mid-August-- Complete your research of college programs and college statistics. Narrow down the colleges to which you may apply to a list of no more than 15 schools. That list should represent a healthy balance of options, perhaps like this: 3 Safeties, 6-8 Match, 4-6 Reach. Use both national statistics from CollegeBoard.com and BTHS-specific statistics through Naviance to help guide you towards those schools where you will enjoy the greatest success in winning admission! Data for the just graduated Class of 2008 is up in Naviance, and compiled statistics for the last two years are available through Naviance when you investigate a specific school... use this resource!!

2) Identify which of your colleges accept the Common Application, review the Common Application essay topics and WRITE a working draft of TWO different essay topics by late August.

3) Identify what supplemental material each Common Application school may (or may not) require; if an additional essay or personal statement, then WRITE a draft for each one by late-August.

4) For colleges that do NOT accept Common Application, go check their applications at the colleges' web sites and carefully review the essay topics; select the topic(s) for which you can best communicate and then WRITE a draft for each one.

5) Review and prep for the standardized exams that you will take in the Fall.

6) Register for the SAT and/or SAT II Subject Area Tests as SOON as possible to guarantee yourself a seat and to get your first choice of testing site.

SAT TEST DATE............REGISTRATION DEADLINE
October 10, 2009............September 9, 2009
November 7, 2009............October 1, 2009
December 5, 2009............October 30, 2009

7) If necessary, register to take the ACT as SOON as possible to guarantee yourself a seat and to get your first choice of testing site.

ACT Test Date............Registration Deadline
September 12, 2009............August 7, 2009
October 24, 2009............September 18, 2009
December 12, 2009............ November 6, 2009

If you do ONLY these things by late-August, you will have a much easier, healthier, and more successful Senior year; if you ignore and wait until September to do most of this, then I do not envy the workload and stress you will face.

SECONDARY Goals for the Summer

Visit colleges while classes are in session, tour the campuses, attend information sessions, speak to students while you are there to get their real-life perspectives! You will NOT have time to do visit colleges to the same degree once school begins, and there are no "excused absences" for college visits... so use this Summer wisely and plan some family vacation time around some college visits.

SPECIAL NOTE: When essay topics are close in nature, it is PERFECTLY OKAY to modify an essay you wrote for one school to submit to another school.

SPECIAL NOTE ON FEE WAIVERS:

According to the College Board, fee waivers for the October SAT test date CAN be used-- without penalty-- into the late registration period (September 10 - 23).

But you cannot register for the October test date until you have the fee waivers in hand, which will not be until a few days into the school year (after the College Office goes through its Summer mail).

So if you want to secure a specific test SITE for yourself prior to the REGULAR registration deadline of September 9, then the only way to do that is to pay for the registration.

Reminder: Fee waivers will be issued on a first come, first served basis to those economically eligible students who filed the necessary lunch forms for the 08-09 school year. We are given an initially limited supply of fee waivers. For test dates AFTER October, students will be eligible for fee waiver consideration only by completing the required lunch forms for the 09-10 school year. More info on this in the Fall.

[SoLR]

I'm bumping this up, it's still very relevant to our seniors today.

[NickC]

SoLR, on 15 August 2010 - 12:33 PM, said:

I'm bumping this up, it's still very relevant to our seniors today.

The dates are not.

[blackmanor1000]

NickC, on 15 August 2010 - 07:39 PM, said:

The dates are not.

Well, the other information is relevant and I'm sure the dates aren't going to be that much different this year.

[SoLR]

NickC, on 15 August 2010 - 07:39 PM, said:

The dates are not.

Still has a bunch of useful info, if anyone needs the dates than they can take 10 seconds of their time and google them.

[FloorPoo]

Can we get Fee Wavers for the SAT as soon as we come back or do we have to wait a week or so?

[DBest]

FloorPoo, on 24 August 2010 - 12:06 AM, said:

Can we get Fee Wavers for the SAT as soon as we come back or do we have to wait a week or so?

Yes, they received more in August, so you should be able to get one.

[NickC]

FloorPoo, on 24 August 2010 - 12:06 AM, said:

Can we get Fee Wavers for the SAT as soon as we come back or do we have to wait a week or so?

This information was sent to your email address in which you registered your Naviance account with. Get in the habit of checking email DAILY. Email is the same concept as mail that comes to your house. You wouldn't leave it there for days before opening the box and picking it up.

[DoodleKid]

1) Crap.

2) Crap.

3) Crap.

4) Crap.

5) What?

6) Fxck.

7) Uh...

I'm still a little fuzzy on the whole college process...

And can we change our username for the Naviance thing? I accidentally made mine sound childish. By accident.

[SoLR]

DoodleKid, on 24 August 2010 - 04:39 PM, said:

1) Crap.

2) Crap.

3) Crap.

4) Crap.

5) What?

6) Fxck.

7) Uh...

I'm still a little fuzzy on the whole college process...

And can we change our username for the Naviance thing? I accidentally made mine sound childish. By accident.

Probably not on the naviance thing and just speak with the college advisor when school starts/ start filling out and sending applications to schools that you like.

[DoodleKid]

Who am I supposed to go to in that college office place thingy? 'Cause whenever I go there, I end up standing around wondering who to talk to and then some intimidating lady asks me why I'm there and then I leave.

[SoLR]

DoodleKid, on 24 August 2010 - 06:50 PM, said:

Who am I supposed to go to in that college office place thingy? 'Cause whenever I go there, I end up standing around wondering who to talk to and then some intimidating lady asks me why I'm there and then I leave.

Well... the smart thing to do is to say that you're interested in speaking to someone in regards to college. I believe that they schedule you for an appointment and you could spend one of your lunch periods discussing your options, colleges, etc.

[DBest]

Or you can go there, grow some balls, and ask around. You should be more affirmative and just ask somebody, if they're talking to someone than make them know that your waiting (because it would be rude to interrupt -_-)

[DoodleKid]

[DoodleKid]

So... can someone fill me in or point me towards where I can find out what exactly we need to do for this whole college process...?

Step-by-step instructions would be nice.

[SoLR]

DoodleKid, on 30 August 2010 - 11:43 PM, said:

So... can someone fill me in or point me towards where I can find out what exactly we need to do for this whole college process...?

Step-by-step instructions would be nice.

Speak to the college advisor as we've already told you.