This document provides an overview and timeline for the college admissions process for juniors and their parents. It discusses important dates, the application components, choosing the right schools, and paying for college. Key dates include taking the ACT in March, attending college fairs in the fall, and having applications completed by early winter deadlines. The most important application elements are academics, extracurricular activities, essays, and letters of recommendation. Students are advised to apply to a range of school types from likely to reach.

1. College Admissions 101
LCHS Junior Parent Night
February 28th
2015

2. Contact Info
 Guidance Homepage: bit.ly/lchsguidance
 College Advising: www.lchs2college.com
 Follow Us on Twitter:
 @GuidanceLCHS
 @lchs2college
 Email:
 Kelly Hagerty: lchscollegeadvising@gmail.com
 Victoria Dietrich: vdietrich.ls@lee.k12.nc.us
 Tatianna Bissonnette: tbissonnette.ls@lee.k12.nc.us
 Denise Riley: driley.ls@lee.k12.nc.us
 Rosana Medan: rmedan.ls@lee.k12.nc.us

3. Agenda
 Important Dates
 The Application Process
 Choosing the Right School
 Paying for College
 Resources
 Q&A Panel w/ College Admissions
Counselors

4. Important Dates
 Mar 3- All Juniors take the ACT at LCHS
 Registration at school
 Mar 10- Greater Raleigh National College Fair
 4:30-7:30pm Raleigh Convention Center
 July-Sept- Applications for Fall 2016 Open
 Late Sept- Senior College Night
 Early Oct- College Fair at CCCC
 Early Dec- Financial Aid Night

5. The Application Process
 Terms & Definitions
 Rolling Admissions-
 Applications are reviewed as they come (roll) in and
students can receive a decision in a matter of weeks
 Most students should apply as early as possible
 Priority/Early Action-
 The first deadline for applications reviewed by
colleges,
 Typically higher % of applicants accepted
 Early Decision-
 Binding agreement that if the student is accepted, he
or she commits to enrolling at that institution

6. The Application Process
 Terms & Definitions
 Deferred Admission-
 The college will review an application again after the
final deadline
 What to do if deferred from a school:
 Email Admissions Office & ask for advice
 Retake the ACT or SAT (if there is time)
 Try to increase GPA as much as possible
 Waitlisted-
 Colleges may send additional acceptance letters to
students on the waitlist if they do not fill spots for
incoming class by May 1st

7. The Application Process
 Where to Apply-
 Common Application (opens Aug. 1st
)
 www.commonapp.org
 Accepted by over 1,000 schools nationwide
 In NC: UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, UNCW, Davidson, High Point,
Meredith, Guilford, UNC Asheville & Warren Wilson
 College Foundation of North Carolina
 Cfnc.org -> Apply to College
 Links to application for all schools in NC
 Admissions pages for all schools

8. The Application Process
 Official Transcripts – required by all schools
 Sending Transcripts-
 For schools in NC:
 Cfnc.org -> Apply to College -> Transcript Manager
 For out-of-state schools:
 Fill out a Transcript Request Form found in Guidance
 Pick up Envelope next day
 Address & Stamp to send to schools
 “Mid-Year Report”
 Some colleges ask students to send an updated
official transcript after first semester
 CFNC will automatically send mid-year reports
 Same process as sending your transcripts

9. The Application Process
 The ACT and SAT Test
 All colleges accept both tests
 Most colleges only look at the highest score
 Merit Scholarships-
 Ex. NC Wesleyan College awards $28,000 to all
incoming freshmen with over a 1100 SAT or 24 ACT
(& 3.5 Weighted GPA)
 Fee Waivers for students who qualify for free
or reduced lunch

10. The Application Process
 ACT- www.actstudent.org
 March 3rd
- Juniors take ACT at LCHS for free
 Offered at LCHS in October & December
 May take it at any other school that offers it as well!
 Send score report to 4 schools for free
 Must select schools prior to or during the test
 Otherwise the cost to send scores is $12 per school
 Registration Deadlines ~1 month before test date
 May register late with a $30 fee
 Cost: $54.50 without a fee waiver

11. The Application Process
 SAT – www.sat.org
 May 2 –offered at Southern Lee
 May send score reports to 4 schools for free
until 6 days after the test date
 Take SAT w/ a waiver also receive 4 college
application fee waivers!!

12. The Application Process
 Essays
 Tell a story that shows how you think and/or
view the world
 Do not repeat anything that can be found
anywhere else in your application
 Be concise & clear!
 Have it proofread by at least 1-2 other people
Do not focus on what you think college want to hear,
but rather-
**What do you want colleges to know about
you?**

13. The Application Process
 Essays
 Optional material is not really optional
 Especially for Target or Reach schools
 Unless the college specifies that optional material
is not recommended

14. The Application Process
 Letters of Recommendation
 From people who know you well
 Don’t just ask an AP teacher or a teacher who
went to that college, counselors can tell when its
genuine
 Examples: English III teacher, volleyball coach,
church leader, etc.
 Ask in-person at least 2 weeks before
deadline
 Most schools will want at least 1 academic
teacher, so start building relationships now!

15. The Application Process
 Letters of Recommendation
 A Counselor Report is a write up of your
academic performance as well as anything
else your counselor wants to share about you
 Meet with your Guidance Counselor at the
beginning of next year so they know you well
enough to write a good report
 Mrs. Dietrich- Last names A-G
 Ms. Riley- Last names H-O
 Mrs. Bissonnette- Last names P-Z
 Ms. Medan- ESL Students

16. The Application Process
 Timeline for Applying
 Applications Open:
 July 1st
(ex. Campbell University)
 August 1st
: Common Application
 September 1st
: All Applications Open for Fall 2016
 Early/Priority Deadlines:
 October 15th
(ex. NC State & UNC Chapel Hill)
 November 1st
or 15th
 Regular/Final Deadlines:
 January 1st
 Mid-January/February
 March/April (most schools with rolling admissions)
 Summer (Community Colleges & some 4-year schools)

17. The Application Process
 Tips:
 Remember to apply early for schools with
Rolling Admissions
 If financial aid is a huge consideration, you
probably should not apply Early Decision

18. The Application Process
 What Matters Most?
 Academics
 Extracurricular Activities
 Essays/Personal Statement
 Letters of Recommendation
 Demonstrated Interest
 Special Talent

19. The Application Process
 What Matters Most?
 Academics
 Rigor/difficulty of your high school courses
 Taking challenging courses (Honors, AP, CCP)
 Have more than the minimum required courses
 Ex. 3-4 years of Spanish instead of 2
 Weighted and unweighted GPA
 ACT or SAT
 Honors & Awards

20. The Application Process
 What Matters Most?
 Extracurricular Activities
 Sports, clubs, activities in & out of school
including:
 Volunteer/Service Work
 Church groups
 Community involvement
 Part-time jobs
 Babysitting and taking care of relatives count!
 Quality over Quantity!
 Leadership Positions
 Dedication and commitment
 Honors & Awards

21. The Application Process
 What Matters Most?
 Essays/Personal Statement
 Write about you, not what you think colleges
want to hear!

22. The Application Process
 What Matters Most?
 Letters of Recommendation
 At least 2 weeks notice
 Remember-ask people who know you well

23. The Application Process
 What Matters Most?
 Demonstrated Interest
 Campus visits
 Contact with Admissions Office (email, phone
calls, etc.)
 Requesting information

24. The Application Process
 What Matters Most?
 Special Talent
 NCAA/NAIA Recruitment
 Recruited athletes may get a “boost” for their
application through admissions
 Minimum Requirements still stand-
 UNC System Schools require >2.5 GPA, 17 ACT or
800 SAT
 NCAA Eligibility requires >2.3 GPA, 17 ACT (sliding
scale)
 Fine Arts
 Other Significant Contributions

25. The Application Process
 What Matters Most?
 Things to Consider:
 Weight of each factor depends on the school
 “Holistic Review”- Every component of a student’s
application is considered with equal or almost equal
weight
 More common for selective to highly selective schools
 “Open Admission”-
 All students who apply are accepted
 Ex. Community Colleges (except for certain programs)
 “Less Selective” Colleges & Universities
 GPA & Test Scores = most important
 Often do not require essays or LORs
 May look at other factors if a student is borderline

26. Choosing the Right School
 Options
 Academic Fit
 Location
 Size
 Student Body
 Programs Offered

27. Choosing the Right School
 Options:
 2-Year College (Associate’s Degree)
 Community College
 Vocational or Trade School
 Junior College
 4-Year College or University (Bachelor’s
Degree)
 Public or “State” Schools
 Private
 For-Profit
 College Transfer Pathway

28. Choosing the Right School
 College Transfer Pathway
 Earn Associate’s Degree from a Community
College (~2 years)
 Maintain over a 2.5 GPA
 Higher the better!
 Apply as a transfer student to most schools in
NC and many out-of-state schools
 Complete remaining requirements for a
Bachelor’s Degree (~2 more years)

29. Choosing the Right School
 Academic Fit
 Admissions Profiles (www.collegedata.com)
 Middle 50th
Percentile Range
 Ex. NC State’s ACT Middle 50%= 26-31 for students
admitted for Fall 2014
 Averages
 Ex. High Point University’s Average SAT (Reading & Math
only)= 1100 for the Freshman Class of 2018
 Matching Schools
 Likely Schools (formerly “Safety School”)
 Above Mid-50 Range for GPA & Test Score(s)
 Target Schools
 Within Mid-50 Range for GPA & Test Score(s)
 Reach Schools
 Below Mid-50 Range for GPA & Test Score(s)

30. Choosing the Right School
 Location
 Distance
 How will you get there? Ie. Fly, drive, public transit
 How often will you want to come home?
 How often will you want visitors?
 Setting
 Urban
 Suburban
 Rural
 Small Town

31. Choosing the Right School
 Size
 Student Population
 Small= ~2,000 or less
 Medium= ~2,000-15,000
 Large= ~15,000 or more
 Campus
 Walking?
 Biking?
 Campus buses?

32. Choosing the Right School
 Student Body
 All Male or All Female
 Ex. Hampden Sydney or Meredith College
 Diversity on Campus
 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)
 Ex. NC A&T, Howard University, or Morehouse College
 Hispanic Serving Institutions
 Liberal or Conservative Environment
 Student Groups on Campus
 Greek Life or Selective Living Groups
 Clubs & Activities

33. Choosing the Right School
 Majors/Areas of Study
 Liberal Arts
 Pre-professional
 Health, law, business
 Research Opportunities
 Undecided is the most popular major

34. Paying for College
 Need-based Aid (“Grants”)
 FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student
Aid
 Used for:
 Federal aid
 State aid
 Institutional Aid
 Some outside scholarships
 Based on:
 Household Income
 Number of people in household
 Number of students in college
 Liquid Assets

35. Paying for College
 Merit Scholarships
 Academic
 GPA & ACT/SAT Scores
 Automatically awarded or application-based
 Essay Writing
 Talent-based
 NCAA D1 or D2 Athletic Scholarships
 Music scholarships
 Other unique talents

36. Paying for College
 Military Options
 ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps)
 Reserves
 GI Bill

37. Paying for College
 Work Study
 Determined by FAFSA
 Money given to on-campus employer to hire
student to work
 Still have to apply for positions, but essentially
“guarantees” employment

38. Paying for College
 Student Loans
 Federal Loans
 Lower interest rate
 More repayment plan options
 You do not have to accept the full amount of
any loan you are offered
 Private Loans- last resort

39. Web Resources
 FAFSA.gov
 CollegeBoard.org
 CFNC.org
 ACTStudent.org
 FastWeb.com
 ScholarshipExperts.com
 Zinch.com