STEPS TO THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS
Timeline
– Applications should be submitted on-line or mailed throughout September, October, and November.
– Penn State raises its admission qualifications after November 30 and again after December 30.
– All applications should be sent to post-secondary schools before Thanksgiving vacation
– Students sending applications after Thanksgiving may find that certain majors are filled or that many post-secondary schools are filled. In any case, your chances for admission may be reduced.
Procedure
– Most post-secondary schools prefer that applications be submitted on-line.
– Some applications along with the application fee must be given to the counselor, and the counselor sends the application, fee, recommendations (if needed), and transcript together.
– Most post-secondary schools applications require our SAT/ACT high school code (or may be called CEEB): 392720
Transcript Request
– No transcript can be sent without a transcript release form prepared with the name and address of the receiving person or agency, your Social Security number, and the signatures of both the student and parent. Parental signatures are required until graduation, even if the student is 18 years of age.
– Please submit the request in plenty of time. DO NOT EXPECT a transcript to be prepared in a couple of days. It will take at least a week to send out a transcript once the request is turned it at the office.
– Transcripts may be requested at any time, but no transcripts will show senior courses until after the add/drop period ends.
– Keep in mind that all mail must be sent to the District Office for postage and that anything mailed here will not be in the U.S. mail until two (2) days later.
– Transcript requests received after November 17 and December 15 will not be guaranteed to be mailed before Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation respectively.
Counselor Recommendations
– If a recommendation is required, notify your counselor and allow two (2) weeks for the recommendation to be written. Please give your counselor a list of activities you participate in.
Teacher Recommendations
– If a teacher recommendation is required, choose a teacher who knows you well and from whom you have done your best work. Along with your request, attach a note indicating to whom the completed recommendation is to be given and the date it is due. Please allow two (2) weeks for the recommendations to be written. If the recommendation must be mailed, provide an addressed envelope with the correct postage. Give the teachers as much information as possible about what the recommendation is for and in the case of a scholarship what qualifications will be judged.
SAT Subject Tests
– Students applying to the more selective post-secondary schools need to check school information for SAT Subject Tests requirements and deadlines. Plan ahead as to which administration of the SAT Subject Tests you will be taking. Also, be reminded that SAT Subject Tests are not given on every test date.
NOTE: Students are strongly encouraged to register for the SAT or ACT and SAT Subject Tests on-line. The website for SAT registration is sat.org/register and the website for ACT registration is www.actstudent.org/start. You can also find practice tools at these sites.
Scholarships
– Your best source of information is the post-secondary school you will be attending. Contact the Financial Aid Office and request a list of scholarships for which you might be eligible.
– Here at school, check the scholarship listing available in the high school office often. Availability of new scholarships occurs throughout the year.
– The scholarship applications for the scholarships offered only to MAHS students will become available in March/April and will have a STRICT deadline. Please see Mrs. Albert for more information.
Financial Aid
– Check your post-secondary schools’ website for the required forms. All post-secondary schools require the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Some post-secondary schools will also require the CSS/Financial Aid Profile.
– You are to submit the FAFSA form online at www.fafsa.ed.gov and this can be done after October 1st of each year. You should plan to submit this as soon as possible, keeping in mind it requires parental and student tax information. Check with your specific post-secondary school for their deadline for the FAFSA.
– If you need to submit the CSS/Financial Aid Profile, information can be found at http://student.collegeboard.org/css-financial-aid-profile and must be submitted on-line after October 1st.
– Refer to your post-secondary schools’ website for specific deadlines. Try to submit your forms as early as possible.
Acceptance
– Once you have accepted admission at the post-secondary school of your choice, you need to email the other post-secondary schools to which you sent applications and ask them to withdraw your application from consideration.
– Notice that your letter of acceptance includes statements similar to the following : “Final admission is contingent upon successful completion of your senior year. We are confident that you will continue to achieve at a level consistent with your past performance” or “Admission is offered pending satisfactory completion of your current program of study” or “Note: offer conditional pending receipt of the final high school transcript.” Do not stop working once you are accepted. Admission can be withdrawn if there is a significant change in your academic achievement.
Finally
– Post-secondary schools require that you have a final transcript sent following graduation. When you have made a final decision and have sent your deposit, contact the counseling office and request that your final grades be sent to your post-secondary school.
-Write your name, post-secondary school, and major on the sheet in the Counseling Office so that information can be displayed on the ‘Warrior Futures’ board.
ATHLETICS
Student Athletes
– If you are planning to enroll in a post-secondary school as a freshmen and you wish to participate in Division I or Division II athletics, you must be certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center.
– If certification is required, you must apply on-line at www.ncaa.org.
– If you plan to participate in athletics, be in contact with the athletic offices and coach at your post-secondary school. Each post-secondary school and each sport may be different. We cannot possibly advise you of the rules at the many different post-secondary schools that students will attend.