LEEP College Handbook

Table of Contents:

Eight Things You Definitely Should Know/Do about College Admissions

  1. Try to work toward a final list of applications that includes a balance of roughly 30 percent "stretch" schools (sometimes considered 'long shot' schools which are the most difficult to be admitted), 50 percent "competitive" schools (schools where the test scores and G.P.A. of the student falls within 50 percent of the students admitted), and 20 percent "solid" schools (student test scores and G.P.A. reflect a high probability of admission).
  2. In developing your final list of applications, you (and your parents) should be very aware of your own academic profile (i.e., grades, test scores), personal profile (interests and accomplishments outside of the classroom), and how your profile matches the profiles of the schools that you are considering. If your profile is considerably below a certain school’s, what are the factors that will make you a competitive applicant to that school?
  3. Don’t necessarily rule out applying to a school for financial reasons alone. The three rules for financial aid are generally stated: apply, apply, apply! Your family’s ability to pay for college remains the same no matter what the total cost of a particular college; thus you will simply be eligible for more aid at schools with higher tuitions.
  4. Begin thinking about what teachers you would wish to have write letters of recommendation for you as soon as possible, even before you may know where you are applying. Ask these teachers, "When the time comes, will you write a good recommendation letter for me?" Don’t be discouraged if a teacher says no. The teacher may simply feel he or she doesn't know you well, or perhaps has committed only to writing a certain number of these letters and you are too late: another reason to begin early to get these commitments from the appropriate teachers.
  5. Understand the different parts of each of your applications and deliver them to the proper place/people in a timely manner. Talk to your college counselor to be sure of the time frames and procedures your school uses to process applications.
  6. Sign the applications where they ask you to waive your rights to access the contents of the application later on. This confidentiality of the recommendations written for you will result in more candid and thorough letters about you, which, of course, is to your benefit.
  7. Schools whose names appear on the Common Application have pledged not to discriminate against anyone choosing to use this application form. Go ahead and use it.
  8. There is no ‘right’ number of schools to which to apply, but if your final list gets into double digits, there is concern that you have not done enough thinking/planning up front and are simply deferring this careful thought and analysis to the spring, when you will have only a few short weeks to make a final decision. Experience has shown such deferral can result in even greater anxiety and perhaps not the best decision-making in May. Making application to a number of schools is also expensive.

College Checklist for Junior Year

September/October:

x Consider signing up for the LEEP college test preparation classes. This will take two hours on two weekends usually held in September. These are very effective classes instituted by the Princeton Review.
x Sign up to take the PSAT in October. See your college counselor in your counseling office or in the career center of your high school. Begin looking for financial aid resources, especially on the Internet.

February:

x

Decide which spring tests you will take. You may want to take the SAT I in March (registration deadline in February), especially if you think you might have a conflict with the May or June SAT I/SAT II testing (examples: those with weekend activities such as sports, art, music, or dance). Or you may wish to take the ACT instead of the SAT I and SAT II. Plan ahead!

March:

x March or early April - Begin informal conversations with any college counselor (or LEEP Director) about preliminary college questions, testing, or spring or summer plans for college travel.
x SAT I ONLY TESTING
x Late March - Registration deadline for May SAT I/SAT II testing or ACT.
x Late March or early April - Spring Vacation (a good time to visit colleges).

April:

x

Late April or early May - Registration deadline for June SAT I/SAT II or ACT.

May:

x Early May or late April - Registration deadline for June SAT I/SAT II or ACT.
x Second and third weeks in May - ADVANCED PLACEMENT TESTING.

Summer Ideas:

Plan to spend time working on your autobiography (see the LEEP Director for ideas on what to include) so that it will be completed by September. This process will help to prepare you for writing essays on applications and will give you plenty of time to think of all the things you’ve done that your counselor can possibly use.

Visit schools that interest you. Try visiting schools in the Northwest to get the feel for size-University of Washington (larger); Western Washington University (medium); Whitman, UPS, Willamette, Lewis and Clark (smaller).

Summer interviews may be arranged at schools farther away if you plan to be in a particular area for a summer vacation.

Send to colleges for catalogs and information. Find them on the Internet and email them, or just use a postcard.

Obtain college addresses from one of several college handbooks in your counseling center or from the public library.

College Checklist for Senior Year

September:

x Double check your transcript! See the registrar at your school and see if corrections are needed: Name complete and spelled correctly? Address current? Birthdate recorded correctly? Test scores complete and correct? All courses taken have been recorded with correct grades?
x Get a Social Security number if you don’t have one.
x Check with your counselor to confirm that given your senior program, you will have completed all requirements to graduate by June. In addition, remember that all monies owed to your school must be taken care of before you graduate to ensure that a transcript will be sent to the college that you choose to attend.
x Write to colleges for application forms and catalog if you have not already done so or simply request them via the Internet.
x Mid September: Registration deadline for the October SAT I and SAT II or ACT.
x Make an appointment with your college counselor. If possible, have your transcript, a completed autobiography, and the list of colleges you might like to investigate that you have prepared over the summer.
x Late September: Registration deadline for the November SAT I and SAT II or ACT.
x Athletes: If you think you might play Division I or Division II sports, be sure to turn in your NCAA Eligibility Form. Your high school college counseling office or career center will have this form. You must turn this form in to even be considered eligible to play college athletics.

October:

x Early Action meetings with your counselor. Most applications for these schools must be processed by November 1 or November 15. This includes applications to the University of California and the military academies.
x Be alert to sources of financial aid. Check scholarship file in the college office.
x Sign up for December SAT I and SAT II or ACT.
x PROFILE (financial aid) forms should be available in your school’s counseling office.

November:

x November 1: Many "early decision" applications must be completed and mailed.
x Prepare your applications! Reminder that all information that must come from the school should be prepared with plenty of advance time of the application deadline.
x Request in person letters of recommendation from teachers and others designated by colleges. Provide a stamped envelope, addressed to the college admissions office for each recommendation letter. Be sure to fill out the forms you hand to teachers (name, etc.) so that they know who has made the request. In general, do not request more than two teachers to write letters for you. The same two teachers can send copies of their recommendation to all colleges without further work; you do not need to "spread the burden" by selecting different teachers for different colleges.
x Check to be sure each college will receive your standardized test scores and that you have released any SAT II: Subject Test scores that have been held. Many schools require these scores to be reported directly from the testing agency.
x November 15: More "early decision" applications due. Applications to the University of California system must be received in California by this date.

December:

x PROFILE/FAFSA (Financial Aid) forms should be available from your counseling office.
x December 1: We encourage you to submit University of Washington applications before Christmas. The UW will accept applications until February 1, but acceptances are handled on a first-come, first-served basis until the school’s quota is met.
x December 15 or soon after: Early Action responses are received by students.
x Mid-December: Registration deadline for the January SAT I and SAT II or ACT.
x Winter Vacation: Complete any January 1st college applications that you have not yet mailed.

January:

x January 1: All college applications with January 1st deadlines must be postmarked today.
x Watch out for information in your counseling office on financial aid workshops, usually held at the University of Washington and at Seattle University.
x

Mail your FAFSA forms as soon as completed, designating which colleges should receive the report.
x Late January: SAT I/SAT II or ACT.
x Complete University of Washington application if you plan to apply and did not turn it in before Christmas.

February and After:

x

February 1: More applications due to be postmarked on this date.
x Anyone who applied "early decision" and were deferred should consult with their counselor about updating that application.
x

March 1: More applications due to be postmarked on this date.

APRIL 15 NATIONWIDE NOTIFICATION DATE

MAY 1 NATIONWIDE CANDIDATE REPLY DATE

x Out of courtesy, notify the colleges that accepted you (but which you will not be attending) of your decision.
x Notify any colleges where you are wait-listed (and in which you still have an interest) that you would like them to continue their consideration of you.
x Thank your college counselor and teacher recommenders for their help, and let them know the outcome of your applications. They are interested!
x First two weeks in May: Advanced Placement Testing
x June: Commencement
x Your school should send your final transcript to the college that you have indicated you will be attending in the fall.

CONGRATULATIONS!

All About Testing

College Boards:

All college bound juniors and seniors participate in the Admissions Testing Program (ATP), administered by the College Board. The College Board automatically furnishes one practice test for every kind of test noted below. Students are urged to take the practice exam carefully and seriously. Additional practice exams can be ordered from the College Board.

PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test). This is a test of verbal and mathematical aptitude. It provides practice for, and is identical to, the SAT I (see below) and serves as the basis for the selection of candidates for National Merit Scholarships, though the actual announcement and notification about National Merit Semifinalists and Commended Students reaches high schools in September of the student’s senior year. Students who qualify for a "fee waiver" should talk to their school counselor to obtain more information. Students should keep the practice book that they receive before taking the PSAT because it contains information that they may want if they become participants in the National Merit Program as seniors. Additional information is provided in the fall to those designated as semifinalists.

For more information including college test scheduling on the PSAT/NMSQT, visit http://www.collegeboard.org.

SAT Program - SAT I: Reasoning Tests and SAT II: Subject Tests

SAT I: Reasoning Test (Scholastic Assessment Test). The SAT I is a measurement of the verbal and mathematical abilities a student has developed over the years. The SAT I also includes a test of standard written English. Scores for the SAT I range from 200 to 800. Because the scores represent an approximation of a student’s actual knowledge, any given score has an accuracy range of 30 points above to 30 points below the reported number. The SAT I may be taken as many times as it is offered. Most students should plan to enter their senior year with at least one SAT I score (in addition to the PSAT) and perhaps three Subject Tests if they plan to apply to the more competitive private colleges. The most common date for juniors to take the SAT I is in May, though some students choose to do a March sitting either in addition or to avoid conflicts on the May date. After looking at the spring (of their junior year) scores, some seniors may want to take the SAT I again in October, November, and/or December. Others may choose to take the test only once in the spring of junior year. Taking the SAT I more than once may raise your scores. However, if your scores are quite good on the first sitting, it may be difficult to raise them with further testing. Some students even find that scores may go down slightly in one or both of the areas tested. Most colleges use the highest verbal and math scores achieved, even if they are not both from the same test session. (The University of Washington uses the best combined reading and math scores from any one sitting.)

SAT II: Subject Tests (previously called Achievement Tests): These tests measure a student’s knowledge in these subject areas: writing, literature, Latin, German, French, Spanish, Italian, modern Hebrew, American history and social studies, world history, math level I/IC, math level IIC (calculator), biology, chemistry, physics.

Subject Tests are usually taken at the end of a course (June sitting). Some sophomores may be taking Subject Tests if they are in courses such as the third year of foreign language. (Are you good in this subject and plan to take no more next year? Would this subject be one of your best if you had to choose one or two of your best courses? You should check with your teacher and/or a college counselor before deciding.) History (usually honors), physics, and biology are other subjects in which students might consider taking a Subject Test.

Anyone may take a Subject Test in any area offered to assess his or her own level of achievement. Booklets containing practice tests and registration forms for signing up for Subject Tests should be available in your college counseling office. In planning which Subject Tests (if any) you should take, we advise each of you to speak to a college counselor.

It is best to take a Subject Test at the end of a course (say physics) when you have learned the most. Reviewing for a final exam can be good preparation for Subject Tests. No college requires more than three subject tests; some do not require any.

Consult the current catalog of all colleges receiving your application to determine any special requirements for numbers or types of Subject Test exams. (These requirements change from time to time.)

For more information on the SAT, see http://www.collegeboard.org.

Other Testing Offered

ACT (American College Testing)

This is another national college entrance testing program that focuses on four subjects: English, mathematics, social studies, and natural sciences. Certain colleges require ACT; most will accept either SAT or ACT scores.

For more information on the ACT, see http://www.act.org/.

Note on Test Prep Classes:

Despite the extensive advertising hype to the contrary, there is no credible research evidence that supports claims of large score gains from special test coaching courses. Familiarity with the test format certainly makes some sense, but this can be obtained from a variety of practice test books that are available. Students and families should be wary of having students spend significant amounts of time studying for these tests, to the neglect of emphasis on basic academic coursework, which may result in impacting negatively the single most important element in any college application: the student’s transcript. Misplaced priorities about the importance of test results could well encourage families to commit to large amounts of time (and money) with counterproductive results.

AP (Advanced Placement Tests)

Administered by the College Board, the Advanced Placement examinations give high school students the opportunity to demonstrate college-level achievement while still in high school. This enables students to obtain advanced standing, placement, or even credit at the colleges and universities of their choice. AP scores do not have to be entered on your transcript or sent to colleges. However, if you wish a score on the transcript, your school must enter each AP score for each of the tests you have taken. They cannot list a high test score and leave a low test score out. They will include all AP scores or none; the choice is yours. If in doubt, please discuss with your counselor. (Check with individual colleges for more specific information about AP credits or standing.) Tests are offered in the following areas:

Visit http://www.collegeboard.org for more information on the AP exams.

University of Washington

Check out the University of Washington online at http://www.washington.edu/.

Admission to the UW as a first-year student has become very competitive, as more students and their families recognize what this school has to offer and shy away from the higher tuitions in the private sector.

Curriculum: At a minimum you must have completed 15 specified high school course units (a unit = a year-long course or 3 terms) that are:

These requirements are a minimum level, and all college bound students should complete at least these minimum courses in high school.

Admissions Index: Students are admitted according to an admission index that ranks them in a formula combining test scores (SAT I, ACT) with cumulative high school grade-point average. Quite frankly, this formula is heavily weighted in favor of grade point rather than test scores.

The admission index varies from year to year. A large percentage of students are admitted to our state's public universities virtually automatically because the student's admission index scores are over a certain score (assuming, of course, that the applications were submitted in a timely fashion). The University of Washington has an automatic admission index score that is quite high because this school is so competitive for admission. This AI is usually available in December. The other public universities in Washington state have AI's that are substantially below the University of Washington. There is an appeals process for students whose AI is below the cutoff score. This appeals process takes into account a student's background and teacher recommendations.

Public universities in Washington all use this process to some extent, with the index cutoff number varying from school to school, depending on the demand for admission at each campus.

Applications to the UW may be obtained from your counseling office or the University of Washington. The University accepts students on a first-come, first-served basis until their state-mandated quota is full.

Honors Program at the University of Washington: Seniors who are interested in attending the UW and who have high college test scores and a high GPA should contact their counselor or the registrar about applying to the Honors Program. This program allows students to enter small, rigorous courses in the School of Arts and Sciences and can lead to an honors degree in the student’s major. One application covers both the University and the Honors Program, but the essay topic is different for the Honors Program.

Other Public Universities and Colleges in Washington State

Criteria for freshman admissions to Washington State University, Western Washington University, and the state colleges are similar to those of the UW (check specific requirements as they differ at each institution), but in most cases GPAs and test scores need not be as high. These schools also have honors programs available. A uniform application for these institutions is available from your college counseling office. Remember that spaces, and financial aid as well, at public universities are allotted on a first-come, first-served basis.

You are eligible for admission to any Washington community college if you have a high school diploma or have reached the age of 18.

University of California . . . a quick note

There are some unique things about applications to any of the schools in the UC system (Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz), made even more complicated by the large bureaucracy operating the system, which makes it difficult to get accurate and personal information.

Applications to the UC schools are available in the early fall in the college counseling office. Specific requirements for admission to the UC schools for out-of-state applicants can vary from year to year. Make sure you read the information in this application carefully.

Applicants "self-report" academic information in this application.

Financial Aid

Qualifying for Financial Aid

College is expensive and many students require financial aid to attend college. Common sense tells us that with ever-increasing college costs, more families now qualify for aid. Ten years ago a family making $40,000 or $50,000 a year would probably not have sought financial aid. Now, depending on several factors, such a family might qualify for financial assistance.

The FAFSA/PROFILE

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the application required to apply for federal Pell Grants, federal Stafford Loans, and federal campus-based programs (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, College Work-Study, and Perkins Loans). It may also be sufficient to apply for state and institutional aid in some states and at some colleges. The FAFSA collects only information required by the US Department of Education. The information may also be needed by some state agencies. Institutional codes for the FAFSA should be available in a booklet in your high school counseling office. Instructions and tips for filling out the FAFSA can be found on the Internet at www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/FAFSA/.

The PROFILE is a supplemental aid application that collects additional information needed by many institutions and states to award their own financial aid funds. The student is charged a fee for the processing and reporting of the PROFILE data to institutions and agencies that the student designates. (Students who are applying only for federal Title IV aid should not complete the PROFILE.) The PROFILE should be filed six weeks before the student's first college application deadline. The FAFSA needs to be filed as soon after January 1 as possible.

It is critical that students provide exactly the same identifying information-such as name, address, and Social Security number-on the FAFSA and the PROFILE so information from both can be correctly matched and reported to each institution and agency designated by the student on the PROFILE.

Tuition Does Affect the Size of the Award

The family’s contribution usually remains the same no matter how much the tuition varies from one college to another (though, of course, different colleges put together different packages, so a student might have a bigger loan to repay at a college charging the same tuition). This means that a more expensive college might not actually cost more, because the financial aid office should make up the difference above and beyond what the family is expected to pay.

Sources of Financial Aid

There are three sources for need-based financial aid: each school’s own financial aid program, the government, and the sponsors of private scholarships. A typical college financial aid package includes grants and loans from the school itself as well as from the government and may include a work-study award. Not surprisingly, if a student also receives a privately funded scholarship, the financial aid office generally reduces the size of its aid package. Government grants include Pell Grants and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants. Families whose net income is over $25,000 usually do not qualify for Pell Grants. Federal loan programs include Stafford Loans and Perkins Loans. Stafford Loans are available from banks, savings and loans, or credit unions. Families may apply for them after June 1 for the following fall. Information about private scholarships is available, but require some investigation and research on the part of students. College work-study programs are normally administered by the schools themselves to help students make up part of their financial aid packages.

Difficult Choices

Divorced parents often ask what constitutes full support of a student and wonder whether a reluctant ex-spouse can be forced to pay tuition. In the last few years the definition of a dependent student has changed significantly, but most financial aid offices remain consistent in their expectation that both parents disclose their financial status on the PROFILE. In spite of this, exceptions have been made in exceptional situations. Most important of all is that students and parents communicate clearly with one another. A parent of means who refuses to pay will be looked on by the colleges as just that. A student must establish complete financial independence for a full calendar year before he or she will be considered for aid separate from his or her parents. On the other hand, students sometimes hope to make their parents willing to pay more money by gaining acceptance at prestigious, but expensive, colleges. Best of all is when students and parents talk about the mutual sacrifices necessary in this age when education is so expensive and come to agreement on what a fair plan of action might be.

Early Action/Early Decision Financial Aid Candidates

Students who apply as Early Action/Early Decision candidates need to remember that the accepting school might not offer adequate financial aid; in that case the accepted student may need to negotiate further with the school or consider the possibility of applying to other schools, despite commitments made as part of the requirements of these EA/ED programs. This is a situation requiring careful consultation between the student, college counselor, parents, and the college involved.

Non-Need Scholarships

Many fine private colleges offer substantial scholarships to National Merit Finalists who attend; a few even do so automatically. Most of the large corporations offering grants to outstanding students stipulate that the student remain in the state to qualify. The most prestigious colleges have continued to claim that scholarship money should be given to students who demonstrate need. Many colleges have gained notoriety by offering large stipends to their best applicants. Some parents have been delighted to find that some schools do reward their best candidates by charging them less. Usually, top students who hope to win non-need scholarships find they must compromise and go to less prestigious schools than others that accept them. Right now, the most selective colleges profess to be need-blind in their admissions and indifferent to various students’ abilities as they award financial aid.

Century Leaders Scholarship is sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals and based on leadership among high school seniors and knowledge of current events.

Arts Recognition and Talent Search: The program is designed for high school seniors who demonstrate artistic achievements in dance, music, theater, visual arts (including film and video), and writing. All arts applicants are eligible to receive scholarships totaling over $3 million. Preliminary applications are available to juniors in April, and application packets are completed in November of the senior year. Announcement of awards is made in January.

Individual Schools: Your high school’s college counseling office may have a great deal of information on available scholarships sent to them by individual colleges and universities.

Edmund F. Maxwell Scholarships are available to Washington state students attending or planning to attend accredited independent colleges or universities.

Other Scholarships: Here are only some of the many scholarship opportunities, or sponsoring agencies offering scholarships, available: Aid Association for Lutherans, Educational Communication Scholarship Foundation, PTSA Association, Seattle First National Bank (for Washington schools), Soroptimist, Associated Grocers Merit Scholarship (Washington schools), Boy Scout Scholarship for Eagle Scouts, Careers in Pulp and Paper Science, Chevron (Washington schools), Coca Cola Scholarships (Washington schools), Council for Liberal Arts Scholarship, Elks Scholarship, Evergreen Hospital Auxiliary Scholarship for interest in health sciences, Kaiser Aluminum for metallurgy study, Lanoga Scholarship for interest in lumbering industry, Mensa Education and Research Foundation Scholarship (Mensa membership not required), Mortar Board Scholarships for the University of Washington, National Presbyterian Church Scholarship, Paul Fowler Memorial Scholarship Program, ROTC Scholarships, Washington State Mathematics Council Rita Lowe Scholarship, School Nurse Organization Scholarship for students interested in nursing, Retired Teachers Scholarship based on qualities of character, loyalty, citizenship, intellectual capacity, leadership, and self-reliance.

Students are encouraged to use the scholarship search programs in their high school libraries as well as investigate the abundance of information in their school’s college counseling office for information about these and other scholarships.

Internet Links

Accessing college and financial aid information via the Internet:

Parents and students can now seek information related to the college application process and financial aid on the Internet. If you do not have access to the Lakeside home page, you might want to go to some of these addresses directly:

http://www.collegeplan.org

http://www.collegeboard.org

http://cnct.com/home/ijblack/BlackExcel.shtml

http://www.collegelink.com

http://www.collegenet.com

http://www.ctown.com/

http://www.petersons.com

http://www.schoolguides.com

http://www.finaid.org

http://www.student-loans.com

http://www.ed.gov/prog_info/

There are more internet sites that have information about planning for college and financing a college education. See any of the many college counseling books for additional information.

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