Transcript Private College Application Process

Private College
Applications
September 15, 2015
Regular Decision
Timetable
Application in Fall
Scholarship due date = application deadline
Financial Aid Forms in January (FAFSA)
Offers made only to those accepted to the college
Scholarships in Spring
May 1 = Decision Day
Notify colleges you will not attend!
Applying to College
APPLICATION
TRANSCRIPT
SAT/ACT
Apply Texas
www.applytexas.org
Apply Texas, the site for Texas state school applications,
now works for many Texas private colleges.
If you are applying to public and private colleges, and all of
them can be sent from Apply Texas, do that!
Private College Applications
1. Student Forms to complete

www . commonapp.org

Essays, resume

Scholarship Application

Recommendation Letter
Survey
Private College Applications
2. Lamar forms to complete may be:
Common App Secondary School Report
School Report
Counselor Recommendation Letter
Transcript
Teacher Recommendations
Common App Midyear Report is sent by the
Advisor with fall grades.
Step One: Filling out
Applications
Check Scholarship and Admission Deadlines.
Complete applications & essays
If you are applying to Common App schools establish
a login at www.commonapp.org and complete
the application there. It will ultimately be
submitted to every school to which you apply.
Pay fees or get a fee waiver in the College Corner.
Once the fee is paid or your fee waiver is
activated your completed application will be
sent to your potential colleges.
Application Essays
Your best opportunity to
make paper become a person.
Be a storyteller.
They have your resume already.
Use your experiences to show how they influenced your
outlook.
Step Two: Recommendations
from Teachers

Make sure you are sending the recommendations that the
college is requesting. Don’t send a counselor
recommendation when they request a teacher
recommendation or vice versa.

Which teacher has a story to tell about you?

Don’t give your resume or the Recommendation Survey for
your advisor to your teacher. If a college requests both a
teacher and counselor recommendation they need to be
different. (Common App requires both!)

Ask your teachers well ahead of time and complete info
they might request

Colleges usually prefer a teacher from 11th or 12th grade
and in a field related to the major you are requesting.
Step Two: Recommendations
from Advisors
Email Letter of Recommendation Survey to your
Advisor.
Fill this out thoughtfully.
Parent input section is important.
-Find Survey on Naviance in Document Library
tab.
-If you don’t get a reply from your advisor, make
an appointment.
-PLAN AHEAD! You must give the advisor 2 weeks
to complete your letter.
Step Two: Recommendations
Checklist
PERSONALLY ask for the recommendation from
your teachers and advisors.
NEVER leave forms with a secretary or on the
teacher’s desk.
INCLUDE everything requested by your
recommender.
Step Three: Naviance
1. Use it to request items you need
2. Links with your completed application on
commonapp.org and sends your recommendations and
transcripts electronically
3. You supply stamped, addressed envelopes for nonCommon Application recommendations
Step Three: Naviance

Log into Family Connection:
www.connection.naviance.com/hisd-lamar


Username: HISD student ID
Password: 8 digit date of birth
in MMDDYYYY format
with no slashes or dashes
These are being reset September 15-17, so after the
17th everyone must login using the above information.
Step Three: Naviance

Parents have access to student accounts with
personal code from the College Corner

Registered students who forgot their code
need a reset from the College Corner

Email [email protected] and in the
subject line: Need Parent Naviance Code.
Include student name and grade. For student
reset: Need Naviance Reset. Include student
name and grade
Step Three: Naviance
Tell Naviance the “Colleges I’m Applying
To”.
Request Transcripts & Midyear Reports (if
needed) on Naviance.
See Document Library on Naviance for
directions.
Avoid Naviance Problems
Finish your COMMON APPLICATION
on commonapp.org
before
advisors and teachers
complete their recommendations
Avoid Naviance Problems
If your advisor and teachers completes their letter before
you complete your application, notify them when you have
completed it.
Your application materials can be sent again and matched
with your application.

Add all colleges in Naviance under “Colleges I’m
Applying To”

Check off your FERPA preference: waive or not waive
your right to review recommendations
Resources
Go to Naviance (Document Library)or the Lamar Website
(College Corner)
Letters of Recommendation Survey
Applying to a Private College
Applying to out of state public colleges
Applying to Texas state colleges
Avoid Problems & Delays
CHECK BACK on Naviance to see if everything was sent
Expect 2 weeks for recommendations to be written
CHECK WITH THE COLLEGE to see that they have received
everything
CHECK YOUR NAVIANCE MESSAGES to get scholarship
information and important information from your
advisors.
Non Common App Schools
For schools NOT ACCEPTING THE COMMON APPLICATION:
Check to see if there is an online application. You may have to give them
your advisor’s contact information so that the advisor can submit their
information electronically.
For schools with the Orange Postage Stamp icon bring stamped, addressed
envelopes to teachers and advisor for each recommendation & midyear
report.

No return address on the envelopes
Requesting Transcripts
October rank includes summer
school grades. Drops no-shows
and adds new seniors.
When the new rank comes out
in mid October, transcripts
will no longer be available
with the July rank.
Transcript Requests on Naviance
When you request a transcript on Naviance you
will see a list of your requested transcripts.
Next to each transcript you will see one of
three icons:
An Orange Postage Stamp
A Blank Computer Screen
A Computer Screen with CA in the middle
Orange Postage Stamp
An Orange Postage Stamp symbol means you have to pick up
the transcript in the Registrar’s Office and mail it yourself.
Keep in mind that deadlines are received in the office
deadlines, not postmarked by deadlines.
“SENT” in Naviance means the transcript is ready to pick up,
not that it has been mailed. Lamar High School does not
mail transcripts.
Do not open a sealed transcript before you mail it. Once you
break the seal it is no longer an official transcript.
Your first five “snail mail” transcripts are free. After that it is
a $2 charge per transcript.
Computer Screen with CA
on it
Transcript will be sent
electronically ONLY if the Common
Application School Report is
complete.
The Academic Advisor submits the
School Report, Counselor
Recommendation Letter, and
Transcript electronically.
Blank Computer Screen
Transcript will be sent
electronically regardless
of the application used.
SAT Subject Tests
Take only if required;
take more than minimum
if you can do well!
May take up to 3 at one administration
Not all tests are available on each date
ACT with writing may substitute
SAT Subject Tests
Math has 2 options:

See www. collegeboard . com for samples and review
materials

Your college may choose for you
depending on the major
Colleges Visit Lamar
Almost 200 colleges visit Lamar students each year
Schedule on
hallway TV monitors & on Naviance
Show interest in them by
completing contact cards
College Visits

Must be approved in advance of the visit

Send an email to [email protected]

2 approved visit days count as extracurricular

No more than 5 extracurricular each semester
More than 2 visit days could be excused absences with
proper documentation
Early Decision vs. Early Action

Early Action is NOT binding. You are free to
apply to other schools and compare offers.

Acceptance of an Early Action offer has a later
deadline than Early Decision.

Early Decision may give you an advantage in the
selection process.
Early Decision vs. Early Action

Application deadlines are earlier for both – usually
October or November

Only one application may be sent for Early Decision

Early Decision is a binding agreement. Once accepted,
you are expected to attend.
The Down Side of Early
Decision
o
Binding Decision
o
No option to change your mind
o
No comparison shopping $$$
o
Decisions made early in the
year
$$$$$
Over 90%
of the money given to students to
go to school comes from the college they attend
If your rank and SAT/ACT is higher than the average
admitted student, your chances of getting $ increases
Financial Aid
•
PROFILE or FAFSA ?
•
FAFSA forms available in January
•
File online for best results
•
FAFSA forecaster at:
www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov /
Scholarships

Some schools have a separate site and applications for
scholarships

Watch Naviance for scholarships

Consider local scholarships for a smaller pool of
applicants. Look seriously beginning in January
Upcoming Events
September 15
6:00
Open House
September 21
6:00
Public
College
Admissions
Meeting
September 30
6:00
College
Night