2006-2007 School Year presented to you by

Guidance DepartmentEnfield High School

PUBLISHED BY

CONNECTICUT STUDENT LOAN FOUNDATION

College Planning and Financial Aid Services

A DIVISION OF THECONNECTICUT STUDENT LOAN FOUNDATION

525 BROOK STREETROCKY HILL, CT 06067

866-PLAN-4IF website: www.plan4if.org email: plan4if@mail.cslf.org The CSLF College Guide is offered at no cost to schools and families. This Guide may not be copied or distributed without the expressed written consent of CSLF.

Statement of Student Rights and ResponsibilitiesReprinted with permission. Copyright 2006, National Association for College Admission Counseling.

Students applying to college have the right to certain information about colleges and universities, and about how much it costs to go to college. The U.S. government requires that colleges and universities provide prospective students with the following information.

Most colleges and universities post this information on their Web sites. In addition, campuses are required to dedicate at least one staff member as a “customer service” information provider. College admission offices will be able to direct you to that staff member to answer your questions.

Colleges Must Provide:

General:• The cost of attending an institution, including tuition, books

and supplies, housing, and related costs and fees• Requirements and procedures for withdrawing from an

institution, including refund policies• Names of associations that accredit approve or license the

institution• Special facilities and services for disabled students.

Academics:• The academic program of the institution, including degrees,

programs of study, and facilities• A list of faculty and other instructional personnel• A report on completion or graduation rates at the college• At schools that typically prepare students for transfer to a

four-year college, such as a community college, information about the transfer-out rate.*

* For more information about transferring from a two-year to a four-year institution, see The College Transfer Student in America: The Forgotten Student ($80 nonmember/$55 member; 2004; Item 9022. (Order at www.aacrao.org/publications/catalog.cfm.)

Financial Aid:• The types of financial aid, including federal, state and local

government, need-based and non-need based, and private scholarships and awards

• The methods by which a school determines eligibility for financial aid; how and when the aid is distributed

• Terms and conditions of campus employment, if financial aid is delivered through a work-study aid program.

For more information about student financial aid, visit www.studentaid.gov.

Campus Security:• Procedures and policies for reporting crimes and emergencies

on campus, as well as the system of adjudication• The number and types of crime reported on and around

campus

• The school’s drug offense policy, as well as descriptions of the school’s drug awareness and drug use prevention programs.

To compare campus crime statistics for different colleges, visit http://ope.ed.gov/security.

You can obtain much of this information at the “College Opportunities OnLine (COOL)” Web page, operated by the U.S. Department of Education at: http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool/ or visit the “Student Guide” at: www.studentaid.ed.gove/students/publications/student_guide/index.html

Students’ Rights and Responsibilitiesin the College Admission Process

An outgrowth of NACAC’s Statement of Principles of Good Practice, the Students’ Rights Statement makes clear to entering college students those “rights” that are only alluded to by the Principles of Good Practice. It also spells out the responsibilities students have in the admission process.When You Apply to Colleges and Universities, You Have RIGHTS

Before You Apply:• You have the right to receive factual and comprehensive

information from colleges and universities about their admission, financial costs, aid opportunities, practices and packaging policies, and housing policies. If you consider applying under an early admission plan, you have the right to complete information from the college about its process and policies.

• You have the right to be free from high-pressure sales tactics.

When You Are Offered Admission:• You have the right to wait until May 1 to respond to an offer

of admission and/or financial aid.

• Colleges that request commitments to offers of admission and/or financial assistance prior to May 1 must clearly offer you the opportunity to request (in writing) an extension until May 1. They must grant you this extension and your request may not jeopardize your status for admission and/or financial

1

aid.

• Candidates admitted under early decision programs are a recognized exception to the May 1 deadline.

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If You Are Placed on a Wait/Alternate List:• The letter that notifies you of that placement should provide a

history that describes the number of students on the wait list, the number offered admission, and the availability of financial aid and housing.

• Colleges may require neither a deposit nor a written commitment as a condition of remaining on a wait list.

• Colleges are expected to notify you of the resolution of your wait list status by August 1 at the latest.

When You Apply to Colleges and Universities, You Have Responsibilities

Before You Apply:• You have a responsibility to research, and to understand and

comply with the policies and procedures of each college or university regarding application fees, financial aid, scholarships, and housing. You should also be sure you understand the policies of each college or university regarding deposits you may be required to make before you enroll.

As You Apply:• You must complete all material required for application and

submit your application on or before the published deadlines. You should be the sole author of your applications.

• You should seek the assistance of your high school counselor early and throughout the application period. Follow the process recommended by your high school for filing college applications.

• It is your responsibility to arrange, if appropriate, for visits to and/or interviews at colleges of your choice.

After You Receive Your Admission Decisions:• You must notify each college or university that accepts you

whether you are accepting or rejecting its offer. You should make these notifications as soon as you have made a final decision as to the college you wish to attend, but no later than May 1. It is understood that May 1 will be the postmark date.

• You may confirm your intention to enroll and, if required, submit a deposit to only one college or university. The exception to this arises if you are put on a wait list by a college or university and are later admitted to that institution. You may accept the offer and send a deposit. However, you must immediately notify a college or university at which you previously indicated your intention to enroll.

• If you are accepted under an early decision plan, you must promptly withdraw the applications submitted to other colleges and universities and make no additional applications. If you are an early decision candidate and are seeking financial aid, you need not withdraw other applications until you have received notification about financial aid.

If you think your rights have been denied, you should contact the college or university immediately to request additional information or the extension of a reply date. In addition, you should ask your counselor to notify the president of the state or regional affiliate of the National Association for College Admission Counseling in your area. If you need further assistance, send a copy of any correspondence you have had with the college or university and a copy of your letter of admission to:

National Association for College Admission Counseling1631 Prince StreetAlexandria, VA 22314-2818

Phone: 703/836-2222800/822-6285

Fax: 703/ 836-8015

www.nacacnet.org

Definitions of Admission Options in Higher Education

Non-Restrictive Application Plans

Regular DecisionDefinition: Students submit an application by a specified dateand receive a decision in a clearly stated period of time.Commitment: Non-binding

Rolling AdmissionDefinition: Institutions review applications as they are submitted and render admission decisions throughout the admission cycle.Commitment: Non-binding

Early Action (EA)Definition: Students apply early and receive a decision well in advance of the institution’s regular response date.Commitment: Non-binding

Restrictive Application Plans

Early Decision (ED)Definition: Students make a commitment to a first-choice institution where, if admitted they definitely will enroll. The application deadline and decision deadline occur early.Commitment: Binding

Restrictive Early Action (REA)Definition: Students apply to an institution of preference and receive a decision early. They may be restricted from applying ED or EA or REA to other institutions. If offered enrollment, they have until May 1 to confirm.Commitment: Non-Binding

Reprinted with Permission. Copyright 2006, National Association for College Admission Counseling

Planning for college, like other activities in your life, requires organization, commitment to the task, and even a little hard work. The final result however, will be one that will make you happy and prepare you for a future filled with success.

The CSLF College Guide can assist you by giving you a resource with a wealth of information as you make the transition from high school to college. You also have at least two other major resources to use. The first is your school counselor or college advisor. The second resource is you, the prospective college student. It is your future that you are now about to create. Be aware that there will be times when you will be excited and energetic and think of nothing but college. There will also be other times when you won’t even want to use or hear the word, college. At these times it is important to remember that your goal is attending college and to achieve your goal, you must stay with the process. There will be deadlines that you must meet and the only way you can successfully meet those deadlines and have control over the process, is to work diligently and regularly in planning for college. You can then feel secure that you will be able to graduate from high school knowing that you will be going to college. Finally, take advantage of all the resources you have available in school, at home, at CSLF, and do it while having fun in your senior year.

COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS

Since most colleges require some kind of standardized entrance exam, let's start this guide with the testing requirements and get this discussion out of the way; then we can focus on the more interesting parts of preparing for college. There are two major tests that colleges use, the SAT, administered by The College Board, and the ACT. The SAT is the more widely known exam but in some areas of the United States, the ACT is more frequently the exam of choice. Most colleges accept either test from students. As in other parts of your college planning process, it is always best to review the information from each college to determine their preference, if they have one. Most students sit for their first entrance exam in the spring of their junior year of high school but you and your counselor may have reasons for the first test being at a different time.

The SAT Reasoning Test The SAT Reasoning Test (SAT) is a three-hour and 45 minute test that, according to the College Board, measures critical thinking skills, skills that students will need for success in college. The test has 3 sections: mathematical reasoning skills, critical reading, and writing. Many colleges and universities use the SAT as one indicator of a student’s readiness to do college-level work. Other indicators used to predict college success are high school GPA, class rank, personal essay, extracurricular activities, and recommendations from your counselor and one or more teachers. Each section of the SAT is scored on a scale of 200-800 and the highest possible total score is 2400. The SAT is typically taken by high school juniors and seniors and is administered several times during the school year. Test dates are shown later in this section.

The Math section has two 25-minute and one 20-minute section. Math questions are from what the College Board describes as “third year college preparatory mathematics” and math section includes multiple-choice questions as well as student-produced responses. The questions in this section of the SAT measure Number and Operations; Algebra and Functions; Geometry and Measurement; and Statistics, Probability, and Data Analysis.

The Critical Reading section contains two 25-minute and one 20-minute section and includes questions measuring extended reasoning, literal comprehension, and vocabulary in context.

In the Writing section, students will have a 35-minute multiple choice portion that measures a student’s ability to recognize errors, improve sentences, and improve paragraphs. Students will also be asked to write a 25-minute essay. The essay is designed to measure the student’s ability to develop and support a position on a topic and is designed to be considered a “first draft” essay.

Students must be careful when taking the SAT when it comes to random guessing. The College Board reduces SAT scores for incorrect answers in all the multiple-choice sections of the SAT. For more information on the SAT, go to the College Board website, www.collegeboard.com and look for a link to the SAT. There is a wealth of information on the College Board website including sample test questions.

SAT Subject Area TestsThe SAT Subject Area Tests administered by The College Board are designed to measure a student’s mastery of a specific high school subject. The results of the SAT Subject Area Tests are used by a fairly small number of colleges and universities so students need to know what the colleges in which they are most interested require. A safe recommendation is to take one or more SAT Subject Area Tests at the conclusion of a course in which you, as a student, have been successful. Students should also consider tests in subjects that might be related to a major field of study, or in which they have a particular interest. It is important to remember that each college makes its own decision on which tests they require or prefer. To be sure that you are doing what your college choice(s) want, you should review their literature or call them directly to determine their specific policy. Students should also consult with their school counselor or college advisor when in doubt.

The ACT

The ACT is the other test colleges can use as part of the admissions process. It differs from the SAT in that the ACT is generally considered to be

curriculum-based and tests English, reading, math, and science knowledge gained in school and tested in a multiple choice format. The entire test is 2 hours and 55 minutes but the total length of time for administration and the test itself is 4 hours. The ACT also differs from the SAT in that the ACT is scored on a 1-36 range with 36 being the highest score. Your score report will have 4 individual scores from each section of the test as well as a composite score. The ACT only gives points for correct answers and does not penalize students for incorrect answers. Some students have found the ACT a better indicator of their success as a student than the SAT exams.

ACT has also added an optional Writing Test. Since the Writing test is optional, students should check with each college to determine their specific requirements. The NCAA website notes that the ACT optional Writing Test is not needed for initial eligibility.

One other difference between the SAT and the ACT is the way in which scores are reported to colleges. The College Board maintains a cumulative report that includes all of your scores from various test dates. The ACT allows students to select which test-date scores to send to colleges. Thus, if you want scores from different test dates sent to any college(s), it will be done by requesting the scores by test dates since there is no cumulative test score report. For students who are concerned about lower scores being reported to colleges along with higher scores, it can be an advantage to have only the one test date score reported. All of these procedures are discussed in the ACT registration materials and on the ACT website.

When you register for either the ACT or the SAT, both testing agencies will give you the opportunity to have your test scores sent to several colleges as part of your test fee. You may wish to consider doing this to avoid additional expenses. Of course, you can always have your scores sent to colleges at a later date for an additional fee.

Both the College Board and ACT have issued high school code numbers and your high school has been assigned a number. You will be asked to use this number when you register to take the tests and may also be asked for this number on a college application. For efficiency, you should get this number from your guidance/counseling office, write it down and keep it with your other important college planning papers.

Students who may have financial concerns about the fees associated with either the SAT or the ACT should consult with their counselor to get information about fee waivers. There are specific guidelines that your counselor will have to follow, but no student should be prevented from taking these college entrance examinations due to cost concerns.

Students, who are covered under the provisions of Section 504 of the Americans With Disabilities Act or have an IEP as part of their program in school, may be eligible for modifications or accommodations resulting from these designations. For these students, special arrangements can be made for testing. These students and their parents should discuss this with the student’s counselor and/or case manager, to determine if these qualifications exist and how to deal with them relative to the SAT and the ACT.

Test Dates for 2006-2007DATE SAT ACT CommentsApril 14, 2007 XMay 5, 2007 X SAT and Subject TestsJune 2, 2007 X SAT and Subject TestsJune 9, 2007 X

2007-2008 Test Dates

October 6, 2007 X SAT and Subject TestsOctober 27, 2007 XNovember 3, 2007 X SAT and Subject TestsDecember 1, 2007 X SAT and Subject TestsDecember 8, 2007 X

Notes: 1. Several SAT Subject Tests are available on all test dates; others are only tested once each

year. Students should consult the registration booklet or the College Board website, www.collegeboard.com to determine when the test(s) they want to take are offered.

2. The optional ACT Writing Test is available on all ACT test dates.3. Students, who cannot test on Saturday for religious reasons, can request Sunday testing.

More information on the SAT and the SAT Subject Area Test can be found on The College Board website, www.collegeboard.com. Information on the ACT can be found at the website, www.act.org , including information on which colleges want the ACT optional Writing Test.

Additional Information

Listed below are some things that students should know about taking college entrance examinations.

Students must register in advance (to avoid a late fee) to take the test and can register on line or by mail.

The test fee for 2006-2007 is $41.50 for the SAT Reasoning Test. Subject Tests have a basic fee of $18.00 plus additional fees for each test taken.

The ACT fee for 2006-2007 is $29.00 for the multiple choice test and $43.00 for the test with the optional Writing test.

Students who have appropriate documentation, may be eligible for fee waivers-see your counselor for more information.

Students with documented disabilities may be eligible for testing accommodations or modifications. More information on this is available on the College Board website for the SAT and at the ACT website for the ACT. Both testing companies require documentation to qualify.

Students who, for religious reasons, cannot test on Saturdays, may with documentation, be eligible for Sunday testing.

Helpful hints: Students should consider bringing a snack to be eaten during a break (prohibited during the test) between tests; eat breakfast; have 2 number 2 pencils with erasers; get a good night’s rest; and arrive well before the starting time for the test.

THE COLLEGE SEARCH

The Search Process is one that can be both exciting and challenging. It is exciting because you will be taking the first formal steps that will help you find the college you

will be attending after you graduate from high school. It is challenging because there are more than 2,500 colleges and universities in the

United States from which to select. If you want to consider colleges in other countries, that number will increase. There are a

number of steps to this process that will be identified in this section. Remember that there are many people who can assist you. Your parents, other family members, and your school counselor are part of the entire planning process and are eager to assist you in many different ways. The College Planning and Financial Aid Services division of CSLF also offers free consultation services to students and their parents.

The first step in looking for colleges is to take an inward look. You must gain a real understanding of the kind of person and student you are. When you consider going to college, there is the “dream” phase. At this point, you really are thinking about things that may be fun but aren't the primary focus of a college search. It may be that skiing in Colorado or surfing off the California coast sound fabulous. But, you must ask yourself and your parents, if this is a realistic goal. If it is realistic for you, then continue on using that as part of the criteria for your college search. If it is not a realistic, you need to begin dealing with the realities of your plans for college.

In order to be able to find colleges that are appropriate for you, it is critical to your success and happiness in college that you examine your interests, abilities, how you learn, and what you would like to study or in college terms, your major while in college. Colleges offer many different ways to get your education, and it is possible that some might be more to your liking than others. This is often referred to as the “right fit.” Before you can examine what colleges offer, you have to examine yourself. Below are some of the questions you may wish to answer before you begin. These questions are usually found in a computer search for colleges and those that your counselor is likely to ask as well.

1. How far from home do you want to be? It is time to deal with the reality of who you are and if you should stay closer to home or are you able to be further away from home. A guide you may wish to use is: up to 2 hours from home; 2-4 hours from home; 4-8 hours from home; a plane trip from home. Each distance changes your contact with home and your parents’ ability to visit you while you are in college. This

may be especially important if you would like them to see you in an athletic event or in a stage performance. It also affects how frequently you can go home. You should consider the ease and cost of arranging for transportation to and from home.2. Have you identified a major, a career direction, or general area of study? If you have, that should be a critical question to answer as you try to find a college that has what you want. Most computer searches and a number of printed sources have lists of colleges with your preferred field of study. Some lists of college majors such as English, may last several pages while majors such as Pharmacy, may have relatively few college names listed. Some colleges and universities offer special programs for students who have an interest in medicine, dentistry, law, and several other fields. In these programs, you are admitted to the undergraduate college and the professional school at the same time. If you have no idea about a major or career direction, be aware that most college offer a choice called undeclared major for students in your situation. 3. Think in terms of urban, suburban, or rural environments. When living in or close to a large city, the city may exert a powerful influence on you and your collegiate experience. Urban locations will probably afford you the opportunity to meet a diverse group of people, have easy access to sporting events and the arts and cultural attractions of a large city. The mass transit system of large cities makes getting around the city easy and relatively inexpensive. Is this what you are looking for as part of your collegiate experience? Suburban locations may seem ideal as the balance between urban and rural life but if you like to be in the woods or hills, they can still be quite a distance from you. At the same time, even in a suburban location, unless there is easy transportation from your campus, the city can be quite difficult to access. A rural environment is probably ideal for someone who wants to be away from external influences and may want to be close to the hills and woodlands they enjoy, but can be terrible for someone who needs the excitement, energy, and offerings of a major city. Think about what these choices mean to you and how they will affect your college experience.4. Academically, what degree of challenge is best for you? How do you respond to “pressure-laden” environments? Are you looking for a school where you can participate in some activities or one where most of your time would be devoted to classroom work? Are you comfortable with the idea that you may be near the middle or lower part of your college class or do you prefer being near the top of your college class? These questions relate directly to the demands and intensity of a college situation. How you respond is important to your success academically and to your emotional well being over the next several years.5. Selectivity in the admissions process is a key consideration in formulating a final list of college applications. There are degrees of selectivity in admissions with some colleges admitting fewer than 10% of its applicants; on the other end of the spectrum, some colleges admit virtually all

applicants. It is fine to apply to your dream school regardless of the degree of difficulty but be sure that you apply to some that have less rigorous admissions standards. Later in this section you will read about levels of admission difficulty along with some recommendations about how to deal with it, and some new terminology. 6. Are internships, study abroad, independent study, core curriculum, and required courses important to you? If any of these are in your “must have” or “avoid” lists, make them part of your college search. Find out if the colleges have their own programs or have the services available to help you find what you need.7. Begin to think about diversity and what role it plays in your college plans. Ask yourself if a racially, socially, religiously, or academically diverse population is one you must have or want to avoid. Do you want to replicate your current high school or community experience, or are you looking for something different?8. Cost is a concern for most families and each family must determine its own level of financial comfort. It is vital that all families discuss financial limits early in the process. It is equally

important to recognize that financial aid is available and families should feel free to discuss their individual circumstances with college financial aid officers. For some families, the final family contribution may be the same at a college that costs $10,000 as it would be at a college that costs $45,000 or more.

9. Sports, clubs, and activities may have been important to you in high schooldo you want to continue with those same activities or investigate some new interests? What is available on each campus community that appeals to you? Would intramural sports satisfy your need to play sports or would you be satisfied only with intercollegiate sports? Do you want to be a part of theater productions, sing in a vocal group, play in the college orchestra or band, or write for the school newspaper? Will those opportunities be available to you if you don’t major in that particular field of study? Have you always wanted to host your own radio program? Can you? These and other questions should be considered and don’t be afraid to ask them of college representatives. In the “Campus Visits” and “Interview” sections, you will be given clues on how to prepare yourself for these questions.10. The right fit. As you make colleges choices, how important are the views of your friends, family, or others in your selections? They may be more concerned with name recognition, assumed prestige and/or reputation. You, however, may be more concerned about finding a place that will challenge you, yet allow you success; a place that will allow you to be engaged in other activities-those that make you who you are; a place that will allow you choices; a place from which you will graduate and be a healthy and productive adult.11. Learn to set priorities. If you can find a place that has everything you want and need to be successful and you can be admitted, that is wonderful. If such a place does not exist, then what are your priorities? List them in order of importance and determine which colleges will fit you and your plans.

A good recommendation for all students is to utilize a computer-based search process. In addition to access at home to the internet, most high school Guidance/Counseling Offices have a College and Career Center or Library that offers internet access. Several excellent search programs are available. You can also make an appointment to visit the CSLF/Investing In Futures Resource Center by calling the Investing In Futures Hot Line at 1-866-752-6443. By looking at the criteria and selecting from multiple choice responses, students can develop an initial list of colleges to investigate. A computer-based search allows students to change their responses and to find new or other colleges that may have what you want. For example, you may want to find a college that has volleyball along with a radio station in a rural location. By entering those characteristics, you can

find colleges that meet your requirements. You may then add other criteria or change them and see another list of colleges. This may be harder work than asking someone for a list but ultimately you will find the colleges which “fit” you best. That is the final goal, finding a good “fit” or “match”. Please make note that there are many colleges, not just one, that can be a good fit for you. Those colleges may or may not be the best fit for your friends.

Once you have developed your first list of colleges to investigate, there are a number of steps to take to gather more in-depth information. A good recommendation is to read the general college descriptions available in guidebooks such as Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges, or The College Handbook. These guidebooks may help you in narrowing your list to some degree. They

are written to provide a lot of information in a page or less. The information contained in these guides usually includes the number of students, programs of study, costs, and information on admissions standards and application procedures.

Many of these guidebooks are available in school guidance/counseling offices, the career center in your school, or your school or public library.

College fairs are also an excellent place to gather more information. Many high schools host college fairs and your counselor can tell you if and when such fairs are presented. In addition to local college fairs, there are national college fairs that will have as many as 350 or more colleges represented including those from other parts of the country. The National Association for College Admission Counseling website, www.nacac.com, has a complete listing of these national college fairs along with tips on preparing to visit colleges at the fairs. For students in Connecticut, the closest National College Fair in the fall of 2006 is the Long Island National College Fair at the Nassau Veterans Coliseum on Sunday, October 1, 2006. Spring college fairs are:

Springfield National College Fair, Sunday and Monday, March 4-5, 2007 Hartford National College Fair, Thursday and Friday, March 29-30, 2007 Boston National College Fair, Tuesday and Wednesday, April 10-11, 2007 Providence National College Fair, Saturday, April 28, 2007 New York (City) National College Fair, Sunday May 12, 2007

In addition to the general college fairs, the following college fairs are dedicated to students interested in the visual and performing arts.

Philadelphia Performing and Visual Art College Fair, Monday, October 16, 2006 New York Performing and Visual Arts College Fair, Thursday, October 19, 2006 Boston Performing and Visual Arts College Fair, Tuesday, October 17, 2007

The next step is to call, write, or e-mail colleges for more information. Most colleges have very useful websites, often with virtual tours. They are a great way to get immediate and extensive information. Colleges publish both viewbooks and their course catalog, which are available to students. These must be read carefully and thoroughly. Take care to read the statement at the beginning of the catalog under the heading, Philosophy or Mission Statement, which will tell you how they view their goals and how they intend to deliver their programs to students. It will tell you a great deal about the college so that you won’t be surprised when they ask you to take a specific course or complete a project.

At this point, you will be well on your way to developing a list of schools that makes sense for you. Note the emphasis on the word you, since this list should represent you, your interests, and your

needs. While your friends’ interests or preferences may be interesting, your college choices should represent you, not them. Going on a campus visit along with possible interviews and information sessions will take you to the point where you can work on creating what is often called your short list. By the time school starts in the fall of your senior year, you should have a list of colleges and universities that have the characteristics that are important to you. While it is easy to find colleges, it may be more challenging to find colleges that have the features that are important to you.

Once you have identified those colleges, the next step is to see where they fall in terms of admission standards. Remember that some colleges are very selective and others are less so. Later in this publication, you will find more complete descriptions of three commonly used approaches to defining admission selectivity for individual students. At this point, just be aware that a school that may be difficult for you to gain admission is called a “reach” school. A school where your credentials match those of recently admitted students can be called a “good match” and one where your credentials are stronger than most recently admitted students is typically called a “safe” school. Some caution is needed here. First, using the word “safe” does not suggest that admission is guaranteed. It should more accurately be called a likely admission situation. Second, it is important to understand that one student’s “reach” school may be another student’s “likely” or “safe” school. It is vital to be realistic in this assessment and your counselor can assist you in determining where the colleges on your list fall in terms of admission difficulty for you. Again, there is more information on this later in this guide.

Campus VisitsCampus visits provide the perfect opportunity to get a sense of the campus in the most direct way possible. You will have an opportunity to observe students on campus, visit all the important facilities, sit in on classes, and meet with those people on campus who can provide information to help you make your best decision. In addition to specific features about the school, you will get a “feel” for the school to find out if it would be a good place for you to spend the next four years of your life. Much like any other major purchase you will make, a campus visit is a vital part of gathering information before you make a financial, as

well as personal, commitment to a college.

Colleges encourage students and their families to visit their campus and gather first-hand information about their school. Making arrangements for a visit is a simple matter. What may be more complex is arranging for a more complete tour of several colleges, sometimes called the “grand tour” of colleges. Early planning and the tips included in this section will help you make better use of your time and to get the most out of your visits.

Tip number 1: Be aware of how much you can reasonably accomplish during your visits. A good recommendation is to plan on limiting yourself to visiting 2 colleges each day. The number of days you should use for college visits depends on the distance you will be traveling and how much time you have available. Consider a 3-4 day trip as a guide. With 2 colleges each day, you will be able to visit 6-8 colleges; that may be all you can handle without confusing one college with another. When making your plans, try to find the most efficient way to travel and focus on being able to get to each location comfortably. A typical college tour is about an hour in length. If the college offers a group information session, plan on adding an additional 45 minutes to an hour. If you plan on having a personal interview with a member of the admissions staff, add another hour. While it is not required at all colleges, a personal interview is a wonderful opportunity to share

information with a college representative. The interviewer will want to know more about you and what you can offer to the college and it is also a great way to gather more in-depth information from the college’s representative about that specific institution. Information on interviews begins on page 13.Tip number 2: If you have some specific interests such as athletics, the arts, or a particular field of study, you should plan on making contact with a coach or professor in your area of interest. Most faculty members are interested in speaking with potential students who have interests similar to theirs. Again, you are making potentially great connections with the college or university. These faculty members could be advocates for you in the admissions office should you decide to apply. This will add additional time to your visit and explains why 2 colleges each day may be the ideal number to visit.Tip number 3: Try to visit colleges when they are in session and students are actively visible on campus. This may not always be possible based on you and your family’s personal, work, or school schedule, but it creates an opportunity to see things as you will experience them. What do the students talk about when walking to class? Do they seem friendly? Did any of them stop to ask you if you needed help? Did they dress, talk, or act like you? Is that good or bad? How do you think you would fit in?Tip number 4: While you may want to eat at a particular restaurant you saw that looks just great, focus on gathering college information. That means eating on campus. Ask if you can eat in the student dining facility. There is no better way to see the variety of meals available and to actually taste the food than by eating on campus. If you are a picky eater, this could be essential since this is the food you will be eating between home visits. Another benefit is getting a chance to find out what students are talking about and perhaps get a glimpse of what is happening on campus. This leads to Tip 5.Tip number 5: Read the bulletin boards, posters and campus publications. This will give you a real “feel” for issues on campus and how students feel about them. The posters and other things on the bulletin boards will give you an idea of the kinds of clubs and activities that are available on campus. Although the viewbooks you received tell you what is usually offered, the posters will validate that those clubs and activities actually exist and are functioning. The various posters and clubs will also give you some insight into the liberal/conservative climate of the campus community. Finally, be sure to get a copy of the school newspaper-it is full of information about what issues on campus are important.Tip number 6: Ask questions. For example, remember the beautiful new swimming pool you saw? Is it available for student use or is it reserved for the swim team? The same question can be used for the gym. You may not want to play intercollegiate basketball but intramural sports have a real interest for you. Just as in athletics, if you are into the arts, ask the same kinds of questions. For example, is there sufficient studio space for non-art majors to work and store their work or are those spaces reserved for art majors? The dance studio and performances you heard about; can you participate or again, are those only for the dance majors? In the same manner, find out if the chorus, band, and orchestra are open to everyone, even if only by audition. If you will need to work in a lab, are there late afternoon, evening, and weekend hours. This is getting picky but these are the issues that sometimes cause students to be unhappy with their college choice. Find out now and use this information to make an informed decision about each school. Tip number 7: Take a good look at the quality of the facilities. Are they clean and in good repair? If you’re in a warm climate, are the buildings air-conditioned? What about the grounds-are they well maintained? Your level of comfort with your surroundings is critical to your happiness and a happy student is more likely to be a successful student. Remember that it won’t change after you enroll and are a student on campus. What you see is likely what you will experience as a student.

Tip number 8: If you will be a resident student, look carefully at the dorms. How many students typically share a room? Are they spacious rooms with closets? If you have never shared a room with someone, remember that most dorm rooms house 2 or more students. Are the buildings clean and well maintained? Are their multiple options for other styles of living such as a dorm for students with common interests, one with suites or private rooms? Remember that what you see is what you will have when you enroll.

Tip number 9: Will you need special services? This list includes academic support services, health facilities or special food needs. Academic support services include general tutoring services, more intense services for students with learning disabilities, and accommodations for students covered by a Section 504 plan. Health facilities should include access to nurses, physicians, therapists, or other trained personnel to take care of your needs. Food concerns should include a review of available meals for students with specific needs. Among the concerns that may apply to you are food allergies, kosher, vegan, or vegetarian meals. There may be others that apply to you so be aware that this is an important part of your life and you need to be sure that the college has provisions to accommodate your needs, whatever they may be.Tip number 10: If possible, ask your tour guide or one of the students you met on campus if one of them would be willing to let you email them with follow up questions.Tip number 11: This is one that usually brings a loud and emphatic No from students. Bring along a camera and note pad. Take pictures and make notes of what you see and hear.

Before leaving campus, make a list of things that are important to you and the answers you received to your questions. You may be hesitant to do this but you will never confuse or forget what you saw on each campus with a photo. Forgetting or confusing colleges and what you saw does happen because you are doing so much in a compressed amount of time. Use the Tip Sheet at the back of

this Guide called College Comparisons as a way to help you focus on the important information.

Tip number 12: Before leaving town, drive around the perimeter of the college. Take a look at your surroundings. Then, drive a few blocks further away and drive around the neighborhood. Will you be comfortable in your surroundings? Are there off-campus sites that you want or need to have close by? How far is it to the mall or other attractions such as movies?

What if? What if you plan to live at home and go to college in the area? Many of the “tips” still apply to you. First, be sure you can get to the campus. If you plan to commute to college, consider how you will get there and how long it will take to get to campus. Will you be driving or taking a bus? Will you try to get a ride from someone? Will you be able to buy a car if that becomes necessary? Don’t let this keep you from going to college. Arrangements for commuting can be made for most college locations.

Some of the “tips” above may apply to you so take advantage of the fact that you are actually on each college’s campus. Keep in mind that you would not buy a car for $15,000 without reading about it, driving it, and asking others about it. In much the same way, being an informed consumer means “driving” the college to see if you want to spend from $20,000 to more than $180,000 (over 4 years) on it. Is this the place where you want to spend 4 years of your life? Will you grow academically, intellectually, personally, and socially? Will you graduate as a healthy and productive adult? That’s why the campus visit is so important.

The College Interview

The college interview is a wonderful opportunity to discuss a specific college with a member of the admissions staff of the school. It is time to find out more about the school in both general and specific terms. You can share information about yourself, your interests and your goals. Similarly, the college can gain a better sense about how you would fit into its community. Don’t get stressed-out about the experience. However, do go into the interview prepared to discuss yourself, how you will be able to utilize the experiences at the college to grow, and how

your involvement as a member of the community will benefit the college. Interviewers are not there to torture you but they are there to challenge you to think and engage in a good discussion.

Interviews can have different formats and variations of each. For the purposes of this college guide, they are put into 3 categories. First, is the interview can be called the informational interview. In this kind of interview, you as the student can ask questions about the school and talk about your concerns. The college representative will use this interview to tell you about the college, its offerings, and how it might best serve your needs. In this setting, you can share information (continue to use good judgment however) without the contents of the conversation being used to evaluate you as a prospective applicant/student. This type of interview is designed to better inform you about the college, its programs and opportunities, and to get you excited about applying to that school. It is a great chance for you to get your questions answered about any topic of interest to you. Go to the interview well prepared to gather as much information as possible by reading all the information available on this college. Be prepared to take the lead in the interview.

A second type of interview is what might be considered a recruiting interview because it is one in which the college is trying to sell itself to you and to other prospective applicants. You should expect to be impressed with the things they talk about, the modern buildings and facilities, and their other resources. Keep in mind, this does not mean that the college does not offer a quality program for you. It may in fact, be a very selective college in terms of admission but does not do other types of interviews for reasons of its own. Don’t judge quality or appropriateness for you based on the type of interview or the lack of an interview opportunity. Some students may leave this kind of interview feeling that the college is going to offer them a letter of admission and possibly even offer a scholarship; after all, they seemed so impressed by what you said and excited about your being on campus. Don’t fall into this trap. While those things may happen, their high level of interest in you at this time is designed to encourage you to apply for admission and does not imply anything more.

A third type of interview has often been called the evaluative interview. It is one designed to give the college information about you which will be used in the decision-making process. Again, they are not trying to trick you or to trap you. Rather, they are trying to find out who you are, what you are interested in doing, how you might utilize the resources of the college, what personal skills you bring to campus, and how your being a student would benefit both you and the college. These interviews, when done by a skillful interviewer, will try to get you to talk about those things about which you are most passionate. Are you articulate? Do you enjoy and pursue some things in depth? What “makes you tick” is what they are trying to determine. This kind of interview is similar to the topics that some colleges ask you to write about in their essays. It is a perfect time to talk about your most challenging classroom experience(s), test scores, transcript concerns, or senior year courses. Questions from the admissions person may include questions about books you’ve read, interesting people you have met, or which activity, class, or person has had the most profound impact on you.

Preparation for the interview is critical. Take along a copy of your high school transcript, resume, and test score reports. Be prepared to discuss your test scores and your concerns, if any, about them. Read about the college in guidebooks, their college catalog or website, and discuss these with your school counselor. Nothing could be worse than talking with an admissions officer and telling the person that you want to major in electrical engineering when the school has no engineering major or opportunities to study related fields. While this may be an extreme example, it reinforces the need to be well-prepared by doing your research before visiting a college. Other questions in an interview may include questions about your family, school and personal life. A good way to look at the do's and don’ts of an interview would be to talk and act the way you would with someone you respect. Another way to look at the interview is to think of this as a situation where you are using all of your social and intellectual skills. Appropriate questions can include some of the following:

1. Will I ever have the chance to do research with a professor or with Professor XYZ?2. What is the rate of admission for your graduates to Medical/Law/Business School?3. How does the college assist with study-abroad programs?4. If I need academic support, is there a tutoring service on campus? Is it free?5. How will I know about opportunities to join clubs or other activities?6. What can I do to help in the admissions process?7. Will you tell me what you think of my senior courses? Can you suggest other courses I

should take in my senior year?8. I am thinking about not taking (fill in the course(s), how would you react to that in

evaluating my application?9. If the college offers merit-based scholarship, you can ask how to apply for them.10. Does the college meet full financial need?11. Is it difficult to change majors?

You may well have a totally different group of questions for the interview. They should be based on your interests, your needs, and your concerns. The list above is only designed to get you thinking about what you should ask.

Finally, arrive on time, be early but never be late. Dress appropriately. This doesn’t have to mean dresses for the women and suits for the men, but be neat, clean and presentable. Leave your jeans and T-shirts at home for another time and place. Don’t be afraid to make some notes that you will take into the interview with you. And remember to send a thank you note directly to the person who interviewed you (with correct name and title) when you return home.

While not all interviews will fit neatly into the categories or styles listed above, they will revolve around some variation of these. Don’t let a good or bad interview sway you into believing that you just got in or that there is no chance of ever being admitted. And, don’t make a final decision on a school based on the interview alone. Think of this experience as one more piece of information that must be used in conjunction with all of the other information you have about a college.

Now, go visit, tour, interview, and have fun! Unless you collect sweatshirts from colleges, wait until you find a college you like before you purchase one.

YOUR NEXT STEP

Narrowing Your List

By this time, you will have found some colleges that meet your needs; where you will be able to gain admission; and that you can find a way to afford. In some instances, you will need to refine your college list to more accurately reflect your academic record. Most counselors and college advisors view student applications as fitting 3 categories: the reach school; the good match, often also referred to as the possible, or target school; and the likely or safer school. You don’t have to have the first two types of selectivity on your list, (reach, good match) but you should have at least 2 safer or likely schools (more on this later) on your list.

As you narrow your list to what is often called the “short list”, you will need to remember several key considerations. First, every college on your list is potentially the one you will attend, so it

must have the characteristics that are most important to you. All of the colleges do not have to be mirror images of each other, but they must have a valid reason to be on your list. For example, you may prefer a large university but because of a unique characteristic, you may also be sending an application to a small liberal arts college. This is a perfectly acceptable plan as long as it meets a need for you. Second, don’t be swayed by well-meaning friends, neighbors, or family into

believing that every college wants you and admission is a certainty. While the hope is that you are just that student, college admission is not that simple. Your family and friends are all trying to be supportive and encouraging but they cannot predict what the admissions office is going to do this year. College admissions is changing dramatically, even from just a few years ago, so what would have been true about a college even a few years ago, may not be true today. As the number of students graduating from high school continues to grow and with more of them seeking a college education, competition for space in the first year class is getting more difficult. This is not only true for the schools on your “reach” list but is true for every other level of admission selectivity. Finally, remember that what is a “likely admit” school for you may be a “reach” school for another student and what is a reach for you may be another student’s likely admit school. You are unique and your list of colleges should be tailored just for you.

Reach SchoolsOne definition of a “reach” school is that it is a college where your credentials may not match those of the typically admitted student. Another way to define this category of school is to look at their admission percentage. Colleges which admit fewer than 25% of those who apply for admission should be considered “reach” schools for all applicants, since there is little predictability in their choice of admitted students. You may have the credentials to fit their profile but when colleges admit so few students, other characteristics play an important role in the admissions process. These other factors include geographic distribution, special talents, and a family’s history with that college. This last factor is known as legacy. These circumstances are beyond your control so do your best not to agonize over things that you cannot control.

Good Match or Target SchoolsIn this category, your credentials closely match those of the typically admitted student. This category may have the largest number of schools for you and may, in fact, encompass some schools that are more selective than the others, but they represent a group of colleges from which you might legitimately expect some letters of admission. A number of publications will offer you a comparison of the admission standards of various colleges and universities. They may refer to

them in different ways but regardless of how they do it, they can help you identify colleges that fit each category described in this section.

Likely Admit Schools Many counselors and college advisors call this group of colleges on your list of colleges your “safe” school. While that terminology may have been accurate at one time, college admissions has changed dramatically and it would be more accurate to call these schools “likely” admission colleges. This category of colleges should represent those places where your credentials exceed those of the typically admitted student. It is strongly recommended that you select at least two schools from this group. While they may not represent your top choices, they should be colleges that have the most important characteristics on your list and which you would be content to attend.

Two such applications are recommended because every year and in every high school, some students will attend their “likely admit” school. You may also ask why you should have 2 colleges in this group when they may not be your favorite choices. Many counselors and college advisors suggest 2 likely admit schools because these are the colleges that are most likely to admit you. Should you not be admitted into the more selective admission colleges you will still want to make choices about where you will go to college. You will feel better about the college you attend instead of feeling like you are going to the only college that admitted you. Is there any chance that even a likely admit school is not really a guaranteed admission? The answer unfortunately, is yes. By having 2 applications in this category, you also increase the likelihood of receiving at least one letter of admission. There are few choices that can always be defined as those where you will be guaranteed admission. If you view these as likely admits, you will be dealing with what is the real admission situation at many of the schools on your list. Schools that were on someone’s safe list a few years ago may have gained in popularity so that even some of the students admitted several years ago would not be admitted in today’s world of college admissions. This is one reason why the word “safety school” should be used with caution. The best way to maximize the potential of receiving at least some letters of admission is to deal with this in a totally honest way and get feedback from your counselor to guide you. Remember that before you reach deadlines for college applications, you are still in control of where you apply to college.

As you try to categorize your college choices by level of admission difficulty, you can rely on a variety of resources available to you. The publications mentioned earlier such as Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges or The College Handbook, along with other publications, can help you as you begin to narrow your list of colleges. Your most important resource however, is your high school counselor. Your counselor knows your high school record and how it matches the admission decisions at each college or university where you plan to apply using the past history from your high school at various colleges. Check with your counselor to determine if your high school has these records and how to gain access to them. Finally, much has been made about the intense selectivity of college admissions. Recognize that this is true of only a small number of colleges. The vast majority of colleges across the country admit a fairly high percentage of their applicants and from that group are many that would be wonderful choices for you.

Be prepared to hear something from your counselor that may be distressing. It may be a comment like, “I think you need another application.” Your counselor is not reflecting a lack of confidence in you. Rather, your counselor is trying to help you deal realistically with college admissions. By doing so, you will be creating a “short list” that will allow you to have several letters of admission from which to choose. Don’t become one of those students who are left with no choices on April

15th of your senior year. Nothing will make your counselor happier than having you walk in with a letter of admission from a college that is on your reach list.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

You should also look at colleges with cost in mind. Some students and families will have little concern for the cost of college while students at the other end of the spectrum will have to consider costs very carefully. For all students and families, it is important to remember that college can be very expensive. This section will provide you with the information you need to be able to find affordable college options, with or without financial assistance.

College costs can range from those at a Community College in Connecticut (about $2,672 for tuition and fees) for a full-time student, to well over $45,000 for a full-time student at a residential private college or university. Perhaps a good way to look at financing your college education is to begin by creating 3 categories or 3 different ways to look at how to pay for college.

The first way is to apply to colleges regardless of total cost and apply for financial aid using the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (more on this later). You may have heard that students can sometimes attend a very expensive college and spend no more than if they attended a less expensive college. This is true for many students. The way colleges determine how much financial aid they will give to a student is by using a formula from the federal government that results in what is called, an Expected Family Contribution (EFC), or stated another way, how much of the cost of college is a family’s responsibility. This figure is subtracted from the total Cost of Attendance (COA) which includes tuition, fees, room and board, books, transportation, and personal expenses. By subtracting the Family Contribution from the Cost of Attendance, you get a result, called Financial Need. The college then tries to meet some or all of the need for the student by awarding a package of financial aid. The family’s contribution remains the same regardless of the total cost of the college. Keep in mind that the EFC is not what you want to pay for college or what you think you can afford. It is an amount determined by a formula that is applied nationally to all financial aid applicants. The CSLF website, www.cslf.com has a link to a calculator that will help families get an idea of what their EFC will be. More information on financial aid is found later in this guide.

A second approach is to determine how much your family can afford to pay for college and to find colleges that fit your budget. As a way to assist with college costs, consider some of these ideas:

Find a job while in college to help offset your costs. Apply for a variety of scholarships through your school or by doing an internet search using

one of the websites located in the section on Financial Aid and Scholarship Resources. Work at one or more jobs during the summer and school breaks and save the money you earn. Look for loans for students or parents outside of the financial aid process. Consider attending a community college for two years and transferring to a 4-year college to

complete your degree.

A third way to look at financing your education is to seek what are called merit-based scholarships. Merit-based scholarships are awarded regardless of financial need. Instead of relying on demonstrated financial need as noted above, it is based on some characteristic or group of characteristics such as musical or artistic talent, athletic ability, academic achievement, standardized test scores, or some other skill or personal attribute you possess. Often, colleges use these scholarships to attract students to their campus; at other times, colleges will consider all admitted students for merit scholarships.

These different ways of looking at financing your education are not mutually exclusive. That is, you may use a combination of these methods as you search for colleges and make your final choices of where to apply and which college to attend.

If the financial part of college is important to you and your family, be sure to discuss this with each college you are considering. When you visit with a college representative at your school or on their campus, ask about financial aid, merit scholarships and other payment plans.

Also, ask these questions:

Do you meet full financial need? This question refers to the financial aid process and gets at a major concern for all families. If you have a demonstrated need for financial aid (see paragraph 3 in this section) will the college meet all of your financial need or will they leave some of the need (called a gap) unfilled? Some colleges will not meet full need and leave a gap for you to fill. Note: The CSLF Investing In Futures website, www.cslf.com, has a list of colleges that do meet full demonstrated financial need. Look for the Paying for College section.

What are your deadlines for applying for financial aid? Do you require the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE? Do you have other forms that must be completed? If my need remains the same for future years in college, will you continue to meet full need? If I am offered a work-study job on campus, how many hours per week will I be required to

work? Note: Typically, a work-study job as part of financial aid, means working 8-10 or more hours per week. The number of hours that you must work will impact the time available for schoolwork and participation in school activities.

If you do not meet full need, what other assistance can you offer? If I receive a private scholarship, will it affect my financial aid package?

You may have other questions and should feel free to ask all of them. You are still in control of your applications so be sure that you are applying to the right schools for you.

Don’t let the cost prevent you from applying to the colleges that are high on your list. By the same token, be realistic since a college education is a major expenditure. Financial aid may help make your dream college a reality with a combination of scholarships and grants, loans, and work-study. However, even with financial aid, you and your family may decide to make other decisions. The time to prepare for this is in the fall of your senior year of high school. Make the cost of college part of your family conversations and look for colleges that you can afford in the event that you are not satisfied with your financial aid award.

YOUR COLLEGE APPLICATION

Getting ApplicationsMany high school guidance/counseling offices have a supply of applications for colleges and of course, you can always get an application at a college fair. However, it might be just as easy to ask a college directly for an application on their website or by calling the admissions office. Most colleges have their application on their website and you can either complete it online and submit it

electronically, or download it and submit it by mail. You should also consider using the Common Application, an application that 299 colleges are currently using and many use it as their only application. Be aware that some colleges may ask for a supplement to the Common Application so read the instructions

very carefully. The Common Application is available at www.commonapp.org.

Completing the ApplicationMake copies of all applications that you intend to submit before you begin to fill them in. Most instructions tell you to type or write legibly in ink so fill in the copy first and then transfer the information to the application that you intend to submit. Fill in all requested information and follow the instructions. Much of the information on the application is easy. It asks for your name, address, telephone number and information about your high school and family. Fill in the section that asks for activities. While some colleges will look at your resume, many look only at the application so be sure to fill in the activities section. You can always add a line at the end of this section of the application referring the college reader to your resume for more information if you run out of space on the application itself. Some colleges ask you to write an essay (more on that next) as part of the application.

Some colleges recommend or require….

Essay Some colleges ask for an application essay. For some students, this may be the most challenging part of the application. Getting started seems to cause most of the problems for students so the first recommendation is to get started early. It’s not too soon to begin putting some ideas on paper and even writing the essay during the summer before your senior year if you know what the topics are for the application you will be using. Although essay topics tend to be the same from year to year, the new application that you will be using may have a new question or set of questions that are different from the one(s) they had last year. You can always call the college to see if they have printed their new application or look for it on their website. If the new application is ready, you should be able to identify their current essay question(s).

One advantage of the Common Application is that once you have selected a topic, you can use the same essay for each college. College application essays usually ask you to write about an important experience in your life, someone who has had a major impact on your life, or a book that you read that has made an impact on you or has influenced you in some way. The key to a successful essay is to write not only about the event, book, or person, but to reflect on what it has meant to you. Look at this as a writing assignment for one of your classes, for example, an English or history class. Please remember the comment on supplementary information noted above. Some colleges will ask for supplementary information and that could include another essay on a topic unique to that college.

Your essay should always fit the length that is asked for by the college, usually 250-500 words. Work hard to be sure that you meet the stated requirements. Remember, after you have written and re-written your essay; ask a teacher or your counselor to review it. If necessary, rewrite it again until you have achieved the essay that tells the college something about you and you are certain that it is well written. There are a number of publications that can help you craft your best essay.A few more hints:

Don’t try to create your own question in hopes that the college won’t know it is not their question or will accept it anyway. Don’t take that risk with your college applications.

It must be well-written and grammatically correct. No spelling errors are allowed here so don’t just use spell check. Did you mean their when you wrote there? Spell check will not identify that as an error.

Ask a teacher, counselor, or parent to read your essay for clarity and to be sure that you answered the question.

Use humor carefully. What you and your friends’ view as funny may not be humorous to the reader and you could offend someone. However, if you have reviewed it carefully with an adult such as a teacher and you both agree that it is well conceived and executed, use it. It could be just the ticket that makes you stand out.

…..Don’t Stop Yet-Colleges Want Still More Information Beyond Your Application!

Transcript and Test ScoresIn order for colleges to act on your application, they will want to see the courses you took in high school, the level of difficulty of those courses to see if you challenged yourself academically, and how you performed in your classes. This document is your high school transcript. Your transcript will include your grade point average (GPA), class rank, if your school reports rank, and other important information, such as your attendance record. Even if you got off to a slow start in high school, how much you have improved will be very important to the admissions office. Many high schools will also send a copy of your standardized test scores. They will only have your scores if you entered your high school code in the right part of the registration form. It is important to remember that official test scores are what colleges want. Your high school’s copy of your test scores is not considered official so be sure that you contact ACT or The College Board to have official test scores sent to all colleges. Be sure you know your high school's policy on releasing test scores, not only from the ACT or SAT, but from other tests such as AP exams and act accordingly.

Letters of RecommendationMany colleges require one or more letters of support for applicants called recommendations. There are some guidelines that are important to follow. First, read the college’s instructions to see if they have a preference for who writes in support of students. Typically, they want a letter from a teacher who teaches traditional academic courses. They also prefer teachers you have had in your junior or senior year of high school.

Decide early in this part of the process which teacher(s) to ask and do so politely. You didn’t have to earn an A in order for the teacher to write a supportive letter but you should have put in a good effort in that class. Don’t ask for more recommendations than you need. Discuss this with your counselor who can advise you as you make your decision. After the teacher (or other person) has written your recommendation, be sure to thank them for supporting your application. Finally, after you hear from colleges and have decided where you will be going to college, notify all those who

have assisted you. Make sure this includes your high school guidance or counseling office; they will have to send a final transcript to the college you have decided to attend.

In addition to teacher recommendations, your counselor may also write a recommendation on your behalf and you may also ask a coach or teacher from another class, or someone from outside of the school to write a letter to support your application for admission. Focus on a person who might be able to shed new light on you as a person, student, or employee. For example, an employer might add insights about your work habits, ability to work independently, and take on responsibility.

Supplementary MaterialsSome students may decide to send supplementary materials to the college. You may not be a future college athlete, artist, musician or writer but if you have a talent to showcase, send that information to the college. A portfolio of your best artwork, a tape of a game or performance may make you a more attractive applicant to a college. If you have written something that is truly outstanding, send a copy to the college as evidence of your writing skills. Discuss these ideas with your counselor to determine if they apply to you and your application.

Submitting Your Application

High Schools have specific procedures that they want students to follow when they apply to college. There is no one way that is right or best as long as you meet the requirements established by each college admissions office. Become familiar with how your high school wants to process your materials. There may be unique forms that your high school uses and it is your responsibility to find out what they are, how to get them, and how to complete them. You can always ask a school counselor or other school staff to help you but don’t assume that they will seek you out to tell you what you should be doing. This is not the time to make assumptions that could be wrong. You need to take the initiative and by doing so, you will find that you will be able to reduce any anxiety or stress you may have.

Most high schools have established deadlines by which you have to complete and submit applications, transcript requests, or other materials related to your application. You must know them and follow them. After your application(s) have been sent to the admissions offices, you may follow up with a call to the admissions office or send an email to the college to find out if they have everything they want in order to process your application. Keep copies of all such correspondence for your records, just in case something is missing, lost, or misplaced.

Many, if not all, colleges are accepting electronic applications. In some cases, they are waiving the application fee if you apply on-line which can make applying very easy. Don’t be afraid of doing so as long as you are comfortable with this process. After you complete the electronic application, be sure to follow the same steps as if you were sending it in regular mail. That is, proof it, make sure it is complete with no misspellings, and only after you are certain that it is perfect, should you send it. Keep in mind that once you push that button, it is too late to make corrections. You may want to print it out first and proof read it before sending it. Finally, be sure to notify your counselor or the person in your school who is responsible for sending transcripts to colleges. Unless you ask to have a transcript sent, there is no way for your high school to know that you have applied electronically to a college.

As you look at the total application package, you will see that there still may be a few parts of the application left for you to distribute. Many colleges will include a mid-year report form. This is for your school to send with your first semester senior courses and grades. Remember that they

want to know how you are progressing with your senior year courses, both in the quality of your selections, and your grades. Senior courses and grades are very important and colleges use them to determine if you are taking a challenging program of studies; if you are taking upper level courses; and to see if your grades are as good as or better than they have been in the past. As a further note, when you get your letter of admission to a college, they will tell you that admission is based on successful completion of your senior year. The college you decide to attend will want a final transcript from your high school to verify that you did indeed complete the courses you said you were taking and to be sure that your performance has remained steady or has improved.

WHEN TO APPLY

You will find that there is no “one rule fits all” when it comes to answering this question. About the best that can be said is to apply as early as possible in your senior year to be safe. There are however, some guidelines that you can use as you prepare to write and submit your college applications.

Before you begin, be sure to read all the information provided by the college or university admissions office. They will give you deadlines as well as recommendations for when to apply. They may for example, tell you that their deadline is March 1 of your senior year but that they also begin reviewing applications as soon as they arrive in their office, perhaps as early as October of your senior year. This is called Rolling Admission and has a more complete discussion on the next page. In situations like this, be careful with dates because by March 1 they may have already accepted all of the students they will be admitting for the following September. A good general recommendation is to file all of your college applications by November of your senior year. As noted earlier, discuss this with your school counselor or college advisor to learn the procedures your school uses and its deadlines.

Early Decision and Early Action plans may cause students some concern so it is critical that you read all the materials published by all of the colleges you are considering. Deadlines for early applications typically begin on November 1 of the senior year of high school and can extend for several months or more, depending on the college or university. The information that follows uses terminology and definitions used by NACAC, the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the professional organization for college admission offices, counselors, and college advisors. NACAC categorizes all applications as either Restrictive or Non-Restrictive. Within each there are various choices for you to consider. Please note that some colleges will use the terms Single Choice Early Action or Non-Single Choice Early Action. The information below is designed to give you an introduction to these plans but students should always read and understand each college's unique definition of these programs.

Non-Restrictive PlansRegular Decision, Rolling Admission, Not Restrictive or Not Single Choice Early Action

Regular Decision is the traditional admission plan. Under this plan, students apply to college before the college's stated deadline date with all of the supporting documents. For clarity, this includes the student application, application fee if required, high school transcript, official test scores, and recommendations if required. Other materials may also be required or recommended. Students will be notified, usually between mid-March and early April of the senior year, if they have been admitted. Deposits are required by May 1 of the senior year, a date known as the Candidates Reply Date. Under this plan, students are free to apply to as many colleges as they

wish. Your admission letter from each college may contain deadline dates and other information that may be important to you so be sure to read it carefully.

Rolling Admission is the next type of admission plan that is non-restrictive. Under Rolling Admission plans, students submit their college application to the college and the college reviews the application as soon as all the required documents are received in the admissions office. Typically, students are notified of their admission status within 4-6 weeks of the receipt of all materials. As in regular decision plans, students may apply to other colleges. The Candidates Reply Date of May 1 remains the date for deposits to be sent to the college you will attend. There may however, be a college that will ask for a deposit for some reason before May 1. Colleges may have limited dormitory space for example and students who don't deposit before May 1 may have limited living accommodations. If this happens, please discuss this situation with your counselor and the admissions office before submitting a deposit to be sure that your interests are protected.

Non-Restrictive Early Action plans are those in which students submit their applications and supporting materials early in the senior year, using the college's deadline date, and are notified if they have been admitted well in advance of the college's usual notification date. Under non-restrictive early action plans, students may apply to other colleges and are not obligated to accept the college's offer of admission, nor are they required to submit a deposit to the college before May 1 of the senior year. In some cases, students are also free to apply to other Early Action plans but may not apply under a binding plan such as Early Decision.

Restrictive PlansEarly Decision and Restrictive or Single Choice Early Action

Under Early Decision, a student is making a commitment to the specific college that is the student's clear first choice and where they will enroll, if admitted. Under Early Decision, students may apply to other colleges but may not apply under Early Decision at any other college while they have a pending Early Decision application. Colleges in turn, agree to notify students of their admission decision within a short period of time after the Early Decision deadline. Since students are making a commitment under this plan, they agree to withdraw all applications to other colleges if they are admitted under the Early Decision plan. There are a few circumstances that allow students to apply to state colleges or universities under early plans and students are advised to review these statements from each college before submitting any binding early application. You should also know that high schools are prohibited from sending transcripts to other colleges once a student has been admitted under an Early Decision plan. If students have applied for financial aid, they will be notified of their financial aid offer at, or soon after the time they are notified by the admissions office that they have been admitted. Should a student not be offered sufficient financial aid, the student may turn down the offer of admission and be released from their commitment and the high school may continue to send school records on your behalf.

Restrictive or Single Choice Early Action plans are similar to Early Decision plans in that students may apply to only one school under this plan but they are not obligated to attend the college if admitted nor are they asked to submit a deposit prior to May 1 of the senior year. These are called restrictive plans because students may not apply under early plans to other colleges.

If you are applying under an early plan, be sure that you protect your long-term interests. Other college applications should be ready in case you are not admitted. If they are completed and you do need them, you will be ready to submit them immediately. Keep in mind that if you are not

admitted, you will not be in the best frame of mind to work on college applications and write essays. Get this done in advance. If you are admitted and will be attending that college or university, you can enjoy shredding or burning the extra applications. Always remember that colleges have deadlines so you may have to send some applications before you hear from the Early Decision or Early Action colleges.

Now that you have read about the different kinds of early plans, let’s review deadlines. Some college deadlines may be November 1, November 15, December 1 or December 15 of your senior year. A few colleges may have later deadlines as well. Some colleges also offer a Second Round Early Decision plan that has deadlines later in the senior year. They can run typically from December 15 to January 31. This allows students who didn’t feel a commitment to any one school earlier in the senior year to have a second opportunity to determine that one college is clearly a first choice. Second round Early Decision plans may also appeal to some students who were denied admission under an Early Decision plan at one college and are now free to apply to their second choice college.

So, who should apply Early? The common thought is that everyone should and that it gives students a positive “edge” in the process. Although early applications have become more popular, you should be careful when you consider this option. You should have been involved in a thorough college search where you have examined what you need to be a happy and successful college student. If you have done an in-depth personal assessment and have done the same with colleges, an early application may be the way for you to proceed. Early plans should not be used as a tactic in college admission to gain an edge but rather, should be used when you as the student, are absolutely certain that you want to attend a particular college or university.

At some colleges however, an early application, particularly Early Decision, can be an advantage. For example, if a college admits a large number of its incoming class via an Early Decision plan, it may be an advantage to apply under such a plan. Finally, it is important to recognize that a lot may change during your senior year of high school. What you thought you wanted in September of your senior year may not be what you want in April. If however, after an intense and complete search coupled with sound personal reflection, you have found the right school for you; don’t be afraid to apply early.

The major advantage to an early application is that you will know sooner in the senior year that your first choice college has admitted you and that may result in a lower stress level for you for the rest of your senior year. There are at least two major disadvantages to applying under a binding Early Decision plan. First, you will not be able to make a comparison of financial aid offers from different colleges. If financial aid is an important part of attending college, you may want to be able to compare financial aid offers, especially if the school that admits you under a binding early plan does not meet full financial need. Second, as noted earlier, many students change their minds about what they want in a college for any one of a number of reasons. A binding plan doesn’t allow the option for selecting another college since it will likely be too late to send out other applications in March or April of your senior year. The chart below summarizes some of the major points that you should know and consider carefully before committing to an early application.

Review: Be sure that you read each college's catalog for complete information on their admission procedures. Colleges can and often do, have different definitions for the same or similar terms. Never allow yourself to be caught in a bind because you didn't read carefully and thoroughly. Finally, always discuss this with your parents and your school counselor or college advisor.

QUESTIONS EARLY DECISION

EARLY ACTIONSINGLE CHOICE OR RESTRICTIVE

EARLY ACTION NOT SINGLE CHOICE OR NOT RESTRICTIVE

Why apply early anywhere? Early senior year notification

Early senior year notification

Early senior year notification

* Can I apply early elsewhere? No No YesWhen do I have to deposit if admitted? Soon after

AdmittedMay 1-information in letter of admission

May 1-information in letter of admission

May I apply under regular admission plan to other colleges?

Yes Yes Yes

If admitted under early plan, must I withdraw all other applications?

Yes No No

Will I be able to apply for Financial Aid?

Yes Yes Yes

Will I be able to compare Financial Aid Awards from several colleges?

No Yes Yes

What should I consider before I apply under the plan?

Absolutely sure that it is the right college

Seriously interested but not ready to commit

Seriously interested but not ready to commit

* Read each college's statement on early applications for possible individual variations

KINDS OF DECISIONS

Admit, Deny, Wait ListThere are three kinds of letters that you can receive from colleges. The first of course, is the one you want. It usually starts with the word, “congratulations” and at some later date, you will read the rest of the letter but first, you have people to call to share this wonderful news. This is your letter of admission.

The second letter is the one that no one wants to receive. It usually starts with “I/we regret” and after some agonizing, you will finish the letter. You will be disappointed or perhaps even angry but you must work hard to get back into a more positive frame of mind. Sure, you will have to tell those who ask about your college plans that you didn’t get in and that’s not pleasant task for anyone. But, the sooner you are able to deal with the disappointment, the sooner you will be able to enjoy the admission letters you will receive later.

Now, let’s talk about what if situations. What if you were put on the wait list or didn’t get enough financial aid? The wait list, used by many but not all colleges, means that while you had the credentials needed to be successful at the college, there were other stronger candidates for admission. Some of the students offered admission might decide to attend a different college. Colleges know this will happen and over-admit to compensate for this. However, in some years, a larger percentage of students will attend a different college leaving room for students on the college’s wait list. If you are put on a wait list and want to be considered for a space if it becomes available, you must notify the college that you still want to be considered if a space becomes available. If something has changed that could make you a more desirable applicant, tell the college. Are your 3rd quarter grades better than they have ever been? Did you retake the SAT or ACT and did your scores improve? Did you just win an award or been given an honor? Did you write a paper that your teacher thinks is sensational? These things could make a difference. Don’t be afraid to write to the college telling them why you would be a great addition to their student body, and don’t be afraid to ask for a new letter of support from a teacher you now have but didn’t

have first semester. Of course, do this only if your performance has improved or you have something that could help you get to the top of the wait list. Please disregard the “cute” suggestions that well meaning friends and relatives may offer, such as baking a batch of cookies or camping out on the front lawn of the admissions office. All of these have been done in the past with little hope for success. The second what if on the wait list concerns financial aid. Students who have applied for and need financial aid should contact the college to find out if the college will be able to offer college-based financial aid to you if you are admitted from the wait list. If you qualify for a government subsidized loan, a Pell Grant of other government grant, you will be able to use it at all schools. If however, you will need additional grants or scholarships from the college, be sure to call and find out if financial aid is still available to help you with college costs.

The other what if is “what if I only got into my safe/likely schools? Since you read and followed through on the recommendation to apply to more than one such school, you will have more than one college choice so it’s time to get started thinking about which one is right for you. It is also possible that one of your safe schools is a better fit for you. Keep in mind that there is more than one right college for students and you planned for that. Sound planning and good judgment in the planning phase has earned you the right to make a good final choice.

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU’VE BEEN ACCEPTED…..NOW WHAT?

After months of waiting and making daily runs to the mailbox, the day finally arrives when you get your first college response. The months between sending in your applications and getting your first admission letter are over. It’s on to the final phase of the process.

While you may not get into every school to which you applied you will get into some and your first admit letter shows that you planned well. Now you can relax and wait for the other decision letters to arrive. How do you decide which school is the right school?

Factors to Consider

What happens if, after you have received your admission letters and compared the financial aid awards of each college, you’re still not sure which school to attend? You can ask for suggestions from your family, friends, school counselors, and teachers but ultimately the decision is yours to make. Take another look at your personal college choice profile to try to determine the college which will be the best fit for you. Consider the following:

Academic programs – Which school offers more of what you really want? Can you easily change your major if necessary?

Faculty – Are they friendly and approachable? Opportunities-Do you think that one college offers more opportunities for you? In what area(s)

are those opportunities and how important are they to you? Social life – Do you think you will enjoy yourself more at one particular college? Class size – Are you comfortable with the typical class sizes? Athletics – Will you be able to be involved? Campus – Is there one campus setting that is more appealing? Location – Do you have concerns about how close or far you will be from home? Intuition – Was it love at first sight at any of these colleges? Does one feel more right than the

others? Affordability – Will you need to borrow money for college? Is your budget realistic? Keep in

mind that you will have to pay off all of your loans after college.

The final decision should be based on your needs and how closely each college or university comes to meeting those needs. Review your priorities and put them in rank order with your most important factor first and carefully ranking the others ending with the least important factor. You may find that your priorities have shifted and you may have some new and higher priorities that will drive your college choice. You want to be sure that you will be able to graduate from college and be a healthy, happy and successful member of society.

Wait…..How About Paying For College? Continue reading.

Well, you could just go to your parents and ask them for all the money. But what if they don’t have enough to pay for college and all that information on Merit Scholarships just doesn’t apply to you? That’s where need-based financial aid comes in. First, just like admission, you have to apply for financial aid to get it and, there are deadlines. There is one form that is required for need-based financial aid that all students and their parents must complete

called the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can’t complete and send it before January of your senior year. Some colleges also require another form called the CSS/ Financial Aid PROFILE and some colleges also have their own unique forms for financial aid. It is important to find out what each college requires for financial aid and to follow their requirements for financial aid. Please be aware that while you cannot file the FAFSA before January 1 of your senior year of high school, the other forms can and should be filed earlier so read all the information carefully. Always remember too, that colleges place the responsibility on you the student, to know all the requirements. Your counselor will always be available to assist you and we at CSLF, are another resource for you.

The Connecticut Student Loan Foundation (CSLF) through the Investing In Futures program can assist you and your parents with any of these forms at no cost. You can make an appointment to meet with our professional staff at our Resource Center in Rocky Hill, CT or discuss your concerns or questions using email or by calling us. You can reach Investing In Futures, CSLF's College Planning and Financial Aid Services division, by using our hotline, 1-866-752-6443 or by email at PLAN4IF@mail.cslf.org. Someone will return your call or email request within 24 hours, Monday through Friday.

Need-based financial aid comes in many forms. Colleges typically package financial aid and the package typically includes loans, work study, and grants or scholarships. Earlier, you read a note of warning concerning borrowing money for college. Be aware that loans must be repaid after you finish college, whether you graduate or not. Take into consideration how much your monthly payments will be in the future and how much you will be able to earn in your chosen career. Will you be able to afford the monthly payments? If you need a loan for your first year, you will likely need loans for all 4 years so factor that number into your total loan amount. Loan limits increase as you progress through college and your package of aid will likely reflect more in loans and less in grants in your junior and senior years. Work study can also be part of your financial aid award. This is a job on campus that will usually require about 10-15 hours per week of your time, and you can use the money you earn to offset your college costs. Grants and scholarships are what everyone wants to receive. Sometimes referred to as "free money", these are dollars given by the college as part of your financial aid package and used to offset college costs.

Other than need-based financial aid and merit scholarships, there are a number of other methods that students can use to contain the cost of a college education and a partial list follows.

Begin college at a local community college for the first two years of your education. Attend a state college or university either in Connecticut, or other states, rather than

attending a private college. Staying in Connecticut may be the least expensive option for you.

The New England Regional Student Program offers cost advantages for students in certain majors not available at Connecticut state universities.

ROTC programs or other military options offer the potential for scholarships and/or stipends.

Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses with the requisite exam scores, can provide for advanced standing that can reduce the number of semesters of college you must have to graduate.

Cooperative education programs at some colleges offer students the opportunity to work and go to college during alternating periods of classes and work.

Now, relax and wait for the letters of admission and financial aid offers. There are some worksheets later in this college guide that you can use to compare college information and to help you stay organized.

ARTISTS, ATHLETES, SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

ArtistsStudents who have an interest in the visual and performing arts as a possible major in college need to be aware that you may have other specific activities to address. First, as you begin to think about a major in the visual or performing arts, be aware that there is a dedicated College Fair that includes many colleges that offer majors in the arts. A listing of participating schools can usually be found on the NACAC website, www.nacac.com and under College Fairs. The NACAC website also has an article written especially for students interested in the arts called Tips for Visual and Performing Arts

Students. NACAC is the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Next, it is important to note that many colleges also have a portfolio or audition requirement that must be met. Each college will tell you their specific requirement(s) and you can find assistance from your high school teachers or private instructors as you prepare your materials.

AthletesStudents who are interested in participating in athletics in college need to consult the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) website. College athletics are grouped by Divisions and there are three divisions of college athletics, I, II, and III.

Each division is governed by a set of rules for eligibility for students. All students interested in participating in intercollegiate sports should discuss eligibility issues and procedures with their coach, school counselor, and look at the NCAA website for information. The NCAA website is www.ncaa.org.

Students covered under Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA For students covered under Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is important for you to understand that you continue to have rights that protect you in the college planning and preparation process, and for securing some services in college. The federal government has published a brochure that might be a valuable resource for you. You should look at the following website for more information, http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html.

IDEA-students who have received support through their IEP in high schoolMandated services for students covered under IDEA end at graduation from high school. However, many colleges offer support services for students who received them in high school.

As a college student you will need services while in college, you should contact each college to determine how those services are offered and to be sure that what you need to succeed is available at your college choices. There may be additional fees for services at some colleges.

A key factor in the success of college students is self-advocacy. After high school, it becomes the student's (your) responsibility to notify the college of any disability and need for accommodations.

Services you are eligible to receive while you are in high school that are related to your disability under both Section 504 and IDEA include extended time on the SAT and ACT college admission tests. Each test company has its own procedures for accessing modifications to the usual testing procedure. You, your counselor, case manager, and your parent(s) should discuss the implications of this information early on in your college planning activities.

COLLEGE APPLICATION ORGANIZER

COLLEGE NAME

ApplicationsDeadlineEssay finishedApplication completedCommon or ElectronicResume completedStudent information sheetParent information sheet

RecommendationsForm given to:InstructionsThank you noteForm given to:InstructionsThank you noteForm given to:InstructionsThank you noteTranscript requestedOther High School FormsTest Scores Requested to be sent

to colleges *SAT SAT Subject Area Test(s)ACTAP Exams

Financial AidApplication DeadlineFAFSA mailedCSS Profile Registration Colleges Financial Aid Forms mailedSupplements

*Official test scores muse requested directly from the College Board or ACT

Connecticut Student Loan Foundation-Investing In Futures525 Brook Street, Rocky Hill, CT 06067 1.800.237.9721 www.cslf.com

Connecticut Student Loan Foundation -Investing In Futures525 Brook Street, Rocky Hill, CT 06067, 1.800.237.9721, www.cslf.com

COLLEGE COMPARISONS

COLLEGE NAME

General InformationSizeCity, StateLocationDistance from homeAcademicsAvailability of majorAverage Class SizeFull-time faculty teaching

Classes with more than 30Teaching AssistantsPercent Grad. In 4 yearsLabs/Computer ServicesSpecial ProgramsSemester off campusCombined programsLicense/CertificationSupport ServicesClubs/SportsDivision for sportsYour club or sportAdmissionsSelectivity Reach/Possible/LikelyPercent Admitted

SAT middle 50%SAT Subject Tests RequiredACT acceptedNo Tests RequiredSchool LifeAcademic IntensityPercent living on campusQuality of Dorms.Coed/Single Sex Dorms.Fraternities/SororitiesCampus AppearanceFinancial Merit ScholarshipsMeet full need

Connecticut Student Loan Foundation

525 Brook Street, Rocky Hill, CT 06067 1-800-237-9721 www.cslf.com

THE BOTTOM LINE WORKSHEET

SchoolName

SchoolName

SchoolName

SchoolName

A. DIRECT COSTS1. Tuition2. Fees3. Room and boardB. INDIRECT COSTS4. Room and board (if living off campus)5. Books and supplies6. Personal expenses (laundry, phone, etc.)7. Travel to and from school8. Loan fees9. Other expenses C. TOTAL COST OF EDUCATION

(add items 1-9)D. FINANCIAL AID (Grants and Scholarships)10. Federal Pell Grant11. Federal SEOG Grant12. State grants and scholarships13. Institutional grants and scholarships14. Private scholarships15. Other gift aid (Loans and Work)16. Federal Stafford Loan17. Other student loans18. Work-Study*19. Other employmentE. TOTAL FINANCIAL AID (add 10-19)F. NET COSTS (Line C – Line F)G. OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS20. PLUS Loan (for Parents)21. Family contribution22. Student contributionH. Net Costs + Other Contributions (Should equal Line C)*When determining your net costs (Total Cost of Attendance minus Financial Aid), you may wish to not factor in work-study because those funds have to be earned and are not available for use in paying your bill. Work-study funds are best used to cover your normal personal expenses.

Selected Financial Aid and Scholarship Resources

Websites:

www.cslf.comThe Connecticut Student Loan Foundation is a good source of information for students, parents, schools and lenders. Check out the College Aid Calculator to estimate your expected family contribution and the projected cost of tuition. Learn about CSLF’s First Rate loans, which feature reduced interest rates.

www.chesla.org If you’re interested in learning more about the Connecticut Family Education Loan Program (CT FELP) visit the Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority (CHESLA) site.

www.savingforcollege.comThis site contains a goldmine of information on tax-exempt college savings plans. Learn about the federal Coverdell Education Savings Account and compare state 529 plans to pick the right one for you.

www.finaid.orgThis financial aid site features a comprehensive guide to every facet of financial aid complete with information on FAFSA, scholarships, grants, saving plans and loans.

www.fafsa.ed.govGo here to complete your FAFSA on the web.

www.collegeboard.comThis is the site you need to register for the SAT, plan your college search, explore scholarship opportunities and complete the PROFILE application.www.act.orgLog onto this site to register for the ACT and to get pertinent information on the college admissions process.

Check out the following scholarship search sites. You can link through the CSLF website or go directly to: www.fastweb.com, www.fastaid.com, www.embark.com, www.collegenet.com, www.srnexpress.com, www.ctinnovations.com, and www.ctdhe.org.

For more information, contact: CSLF Hotline1-866-752-6443 plan4if@mail.cslf.org www.cslf.com

Connecticut Student Loan Foundationwww.cslf.com

1-800-237-9721

COLLEGE PLANNING TIMELINEJUNIOR YEAR

Fall (September through December)

Meet with your guidance counselor to review your plan for senior courses and your college plans. Meet with your guidance or career counselor about potential college majors and career paths. Start exploring career options and look into career internships. Take a personality test/career interest test to determine your skills or interests for college majors. Register for PSAT/NSMQT. Attend College Fairs. Visit a variety of college campuses to see which types of colleges are a fit for you. Research college websites and take a virtual tour. Meet with college representatives when visiting your area. Start researching scholarships. Attend a college financial aid information sessions. Create an Activities Resume. Consider joining extracurricular activities, if you aren’t already involved.

Winter (January through March)

Make a list of colleges that are of interest to you. Register for SAT or ACT tests. Use College Aid Calculator (www.cslf.com) to determine estimated family contribution for college. Continue to search for scholarships.

Spring (April through June)

Meet with your guidance counselor about courses for your senior year-no senioritis. Attend spring College Fairs and sign up for mailings from colleges that interest you. Register for SATs or ACTs, if you haven’t already taken them or want to retest. Update your Activities Resume. Visit college campuses. Research ROTC scholarships Apply for a summer job.

Summer (June through August)

Visit college campuses. Talk with recent graduates who are attending college for tips/suggestions about college planning. Get a summer job and save a portion of the money you earn for college. Register for September ACT. Register for NCAA Clearinghouse.

Connecticut Student Loan Foundationwww.cslf.com

1-800-237-9721

COLLEGE PLANNING TIMELINESENIOR YEAR

September

Meet with your guidance counselor to review your senior courses and college plans. Narrow down your list of potential colleges. Get applications from colleges in which you are interested. Check websites for applications. Use the CSLF College Application Organizer to help you track deadlines and other college

requirements. Find out about college fairs and college representative visits. Consider Early Decision or Early Action programs. Go to College Aid Calculator (www.cslf.com) and estimate your family’s contribution for college. Talk with your parents about paying for college. Search for scholarships. Get a copy of CSS/Financial Aid Profile (www.collegeboard.com) and see if the colleges on your

list require it. Register for October or November SAT or ACT, if you haven’t already done so. Continue to update your Activity Resume. Ask your teachers, coaches, counselors, employers or others about using them as a reference.

October

Attend College Fairs and College Representative Visit days. Attend College Open Houses. Tour college campuses. Interview with college admissions counselor. Stay overnight at colleges if possible. Complete Early Decision or Early Action application. Start working on rolling admissions applications. Ask references to complete recommendations. Work on college application essays. Check with Financial Aid offices about forms they require.

November

Submit Early Decision or Early Action applications-check the dates. Narrow your college list to your top choices. See the section, Your Next Step to be sure you have

covered all contingencies. Continue working on rolling admissions applications.

Connecticut Student Loan Foundationwww.cslf.com

1-800-237-9721

Ask several people to proofread and critique applications and essays. Check for any upcoming deadlines. Go to financial aid nights or information sessions at local high schools, libraries and college

campuses.

November

Complete CSS/Financial Aid Profile (www.collegeboard.com) for colleges that require it. Request financial aid applications from colleges (if they have another form) and know the financial

aid deadlines from each college. Continue your scholarship search. Talk with friends who have come home from college about their first year. Review the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) website at www.fafsa.ed.gov and

copy the pre-application worksheet.

December

Finalize and mail all remaining college applications. Contact your colleges to ensure that all parts of the application are in your file at the college. Send thank you letters to those who wrote recommendations for you. Complete a PIN registration (www.pin.ed.gov) so you can electronically sign your Free Application

for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Apply for scholarships and check deadlines.

January

Check with your counselor about sending your mid-year high school transcript to colleges. Complete FAFSA (www.fafsa.ed.gov). Complete any state aid or scholarship applications. Receive W-2 forms from employer(s) and make copies for possible mailing to colleges. Complete any additional college financial aid applications. Continue to research and apply for scholarships.

February

Check all deadlines and make sure all financial aid applications have been sent on time. Follow up with colleges regarding further information they may need (contact financial aid office

and admissions office separately). Receive confirmation that your FAFSA has been received. Will arrive via e-mail or mail. Capitol Scholarship Program application deadline this month (www.ctdhe.org).

March

Start receiving acceptance letters from colleges. Receive Student Aid Report (SAR) from FAFSA either in mail or e-mail and make any corrections if

needed.

Connecticut Student Loan Foundationwww.cslf.com

1-800-237-9721

Communicate with all financial aid offices about questions or special circumstances that may affect your financial aid award.

Continue to research and apply for scholarships Remember the importance of second semester grades.

April

All college admission decisions will be received by this month-tell your counselor what action each college took on your application.

Financial aid award letters are all received. Read them carefully and compare the offers. Use CSLF’s The Bottom Line Worksheet to compare college aid awards at www.cslf.com. Decide which college to attend. If you can’t make a decision on which college to attend, plan another set of campus visits. Notify other colleges about your decision. Submit your deposits to the college you will be attending, due by May 1. Complete other applications from the college for things like your room and meal plan. If you are placed on a Wait List, let the college know if you are still interested. Go back and read the

section on the Wait List for assistance. Finish your taxes and make extra copies, including your W-2 and schedules. Some schools may

require them. Make corrections to your financial aid applications if you estimated your income on the earlier

forms. You can make corrections to the SAR on-line. Make sure to sign all financial aid award letters and other documents.

May-June

Tell your counselor which college you will be attending. Create a budget to determine final college cost. Study for finals-remember that your college will review all of your grades before finalizing your

admission. Any other college forms? Complete and submit as required by the college. Create a file for all loan and financial aid documents. Apply for First Rate Stafford Loan or PLUS Loan Programs (www.cslf.com) Investigate tuition payment plans and decide if you want to use one. Be a smart consumer. Before signing for any loans, compare their rates and borrower benefits.

Summer (July through August)

Go to orientation. Make sure that your final transcript is sent to your college by your high school. Notify the college you will be attending of any private scholarships you may have received. Send thank you notes to scholarship grantors. Talk with the financial aid or career development office at your college about jobs on and off

campus.

Connecticut Student Loan Foundationwww.cslf.com

1-800-237-9721

The CSLF College Guide is offered at no cost to schools, students and families. This Guide may not be copied or distributed without the expressed written consent of CSLF.

Connecticut Student Loan Foundationwww.cslf.com

1-800-237-9721