CHOOSING A COLLEGE

Choosing a college is not an easy process. The following is a list of criteria you may want to look at when choosing. Each student should take the time to explore the similarities and differences between colleges in order to identify schools compatible with interests. Use pages a, b, c at the end of this guide to compare the different colleges you may be looking at.

COLLEGE ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
Entrance requirements vary widely among colleges. In general, the more selective a college is for admission, the more academic units will be required. The following is a list of courses recommended for college preparation & entrance requirements:

4 years of English
3 to 4 years of Math
3 years of Social Science
3 to 4 years of Science
2 years of Foreign Language

Colleges like to see 4 academic majors each year and a profile showing grade stability or improvement in classes which increase in difficulty each year. Contact a college for definite requirements if you have any questions.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION
CLC COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER
In the Guidance Department we have information on many colleges and universities as well as on other post-secondary options. We have two year college information, vocational information, scholarships, financial aid, and summer programs.

COLLEGE FAIR
Each March the Illinois Association of College Admission Counselors (IACAC) sponsors their annual college fair at Barrington High School. Over 100 colleges come to this. The college representatives are eager to promote their schools, share college literature, and answer questions. A list of participating colleges is available from the Guidance Department. Information will be advertised as to the date and location of the College Fair well in advance each year.

COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVES
Almost daily we have college representatives visit our high school. College representatives are announced in daily announcements. They are also posted in the Guidance Department. Students are encouraged to meet with the representatives during their visits. A student who has class during the representative's visit needs to request permission from their teacher (pick up a form in guidance to get signed by your teacher).

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS OFFICE
If a student is seriously interested in a particular college, contact that school's admissions office and request an application packet, including information on housing, financial aid, scholarships, and activities. Ask to be put on their mailing list. Many colleges have web sites enabling students to request information and apply electronically.

ADMISSION PROCESS
The admissions procedure can be an exciting time, but it can also seem a bit scary and overwhelming. If a student is applying to a four year college, and they know where they want to go - this is an easy selection. Most students apply to between 3 to 5 schools. These usually cover a range of competitiveness which is realistic for the academic profile of each person. Be sure to pick schools that match your profile well.

ADMISSION SELECTION CRITERIA/ PROFILE
Colleges look at the following criteria when selecting students for admission:
1. Transcript
2. GPA/ rank in class
3. ACT/ SAT scores (some colleges may require SAT II)
4. Letters of recommendation
5. College major
6. Special talents/extra curricular activities
7. Work/ volunteer experiences
8. Travel experiences
9. Personal interview (if required)
10. Ethnic and cultural diversity

OBTAINING APPLICATION MATERIALS
The College and Career Center at CLC has a number of college catalogs and applications. Students can come to the center during their study hall, lunch, before or after school. If no application is available, students may get the information on how to contact a college from our college reference guides. Just write down the phone number or e-mail address and contact the school. Be sure to do this in plenty of time to apply before the deadline.

Just a word of caution on applying electronically...
Do not submit applications electronically unless a dated receipt acknowledgement is provided by the college. Applications submitted electronically still require a CLC transcript, in most cases, and may require you to print an essay portion, student/ parent signature section, and/ or a secondary school counselor report form. It is your responsibility to make sure everything gets out.

THE COMMON APPLICATION (www.commonapp.org)
The Common Application is one application that is used by a number of private institutions. The application needs to be completed only once; photocopies are then sent to any of the participating colleges. The same is true of the teacher recommendations and the secondary school report form. Some schools require their own supplement to the Common Application. The Common Application is not designed for the student to apply to a multitude of schools. Remember that some schools still prefer their individual application over the Common Application - check with the school.

WHEN TO APPLY
Be aware of college deadlines. In general, students should allow two weeks for the school to process their applications. This will give teachers and counselors time to complete their portions. Please be respectful of this time for teachers and counselors - don't do an application at the last minute and expect it to go out immediately. This needs to be a well thought out process on your part, and teachers and counselors need a fair amount of time to complete their portions.

Some colleges offer Early Decision, Early Notification, or Early Action options in addition to their regular admissions policies. An Early Decision application should only be made by a student who is certain of their college choice. A student is not allowed to apply to more then one school Early Decision. These deadlines could be as early as Oct. 15 or as late as Nov. 15. Rolling Admission is when a college considers the student's application once all of the credentials are received.

The sooner the application process is completed, the sooner you will be notified of the decision. The longer you wait, the more back logged a college gets with their applications and the longer it will take to hear a decision from them.

Admission Essay Writing Tips
taken from "The Admissions Essay"
Essay Edge's Harvard-Educated Admissions Essay Editors at:
http://www.essayedge.com

Your college essay will be one of hundreds that is read by admissions counselors. The goal is to try to make your essay somehow unique - something that will stand out and leave an impression. Expect to spend at least one to two weeks on the process - minimally. The following are some tips that may be able to help make yours a little more unique. Be sure to follow the requirements of the college as to how your essay should look (ie. length), but take these following tips seriously. Good luck.

Step One: Brainstorm your topic.
1. Ask for help from parents, friends, colleagues, etc.
2. Consider your childhood - interests that began in childhood may be the most defining parts of your life.
3. Consider your role models.
4. What are some of your major accomplishments?
5. Do you have a special attribute or skill that distinguishes you from others?
6. Have you ever struggled mightily for something and succeeded? What made you successful?
7. What is your strongest personality trait? How would your friends characterize you? Which essay would they choose for you?

Step Two: Select Essay Topic.
1. Select your topic that describes something of personal importance to your life, with which you can use vivid personal experiences as supporting details.
2. Don't repeat information that has already been listed elsewhere (ie. GPA, test scores).
3. Can you fully answer the question asked of you? Do you have enough personal experience and information to support the question and answer?
4. Will your answer turn the reader on or off ? If you write on how everyone should worship your God, how wrong or right abortion is, or how you think the Republican or Democratic Party is evil - you may not get into the college of your choice. Be sure to know your audience.
5. Essays should fit well with the rest of a candidate's application. Explain the unexplained and steer clear of what is already obvious. For example, if you have a 4.0 and a 30 ACT, no one doubts your ability to do the academic work and addressing that topic would be futile. However, if you have an 15 ACT and a 3.9 GPA or a 30 ACT and a 2.5 GPA, you would be wise to explain the contradiction. Do not make the essay an excuse - simply give quick, convincing explanations within the framework of the larger essay.
6. Will the admissions officer remember your topic after a day of reading hundreds of essays. What will the officer remember about your topic? What will the officer remember about you? What will your lasting impression be?

Step Three: Writing the Essay
1. Answer the question.
2. Be original.
3. Be yourself.
4. Don't thesaurize your composition. Big words are good to use - but only if you use them correctly.
5. Use imagery and clear, vivid prose.
6. Spend the most time on the introduction. The admissions officer might not spend more than a couple of minutes reading your essay. You need to grab their interest from the beginning.
7. Conclusions are critical.
8. Give your draft to others to proof read.
9. REVISE, REVISE, REVISE.
10. Don't underestimate carefully spent time in writing your essay. It can really pay off!!!

Sample Essay Questions

1. Write a letter to your new college roommate introducing yourself and describing yourself.
2. Identify a person who has had a significant influence on you and describe that influence.
3. What is the best advice you have ever received?
4. If you had to describe yourself by a quotation, what would it be?
5. Describe the best and worst features of your high school.
6. What career do you plan to pursue and how did you reach your decision?
7. Given the authority to establish a holiday, what would it be?
8. Write a 300 word autobiography.
9. What are two non-academic areas you would like to pursue in college and why?
10. What do you hope to contribute to our university community?

SAMPLE SENIOR RESUME FORMAT

Your Name
Address
Telephone
E-mail
Social Security Number
Graduation Year

Education

Honors/ Academic Recognition

Extra curricular Activities

Service/ Volunteer Activities

Work Experience

Language Skills

Hobbies

TIPS...
*try to limit to one page
*list in chronological order
*don't be afraid to brag!!!

________________________________________________________________________________

SAMPLE SENIOR RESUME

Joe Student
45 W. Franklin Avenue
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
(815) 459-2505
clc.org
ss# 123-45-6789
2002

Education
1997 to 2002 Crystal Lake Central High School, Crystal Lake, IL
* list any other high schools you may have attended in chronological order, starting with the earliest first

Honors/ Academic Recognition
*list any honors you have earned in high school

Extracurricular Activities
1997 to 2001 CLC Band flute
1997 to 2002 Madrigals actor
1998 to 2002 cross country long distance runner
1999 to 2002 Women's Leadership Group member
1999 to 2002 Tiger Leaders officer
2002 SMILE program mentor

Service/ Volunteer Activities
2001 - summer Good Shepherd Hospital volunteen
1999 Home of the Sparrow helper
2000 Red Cross Blood Drive helper
2000 soup kitchen helper

Work Experience
2000, 2001- summer Crystal Lake Park District camp counselor

Language Skills
Fluent in reading and writing German.
Understand basics of Spanish.
Hobbies
fishing
skiing
roller blading
listening to music
* anything that you enjoy that is non-school related that others might find interesting

SAMPLE LETTER REGARDING DEFERRED OR WAIT LISTED STATUS

Date

Student's Address

Admissions Officer Name
Name of College or University
Address of College or University

Dear.....

I recently received a letter indicating that my admissions status has been deferred/ wait listed. I was sorry to hear that my application was not able to be accepted immediately. I want you to know, though, that (name of college) is still my first choice and I will attend if accepted. I have enclosed updated information that might be helpful in the future of my admissions process.

Thank you for your consideration of my application - I hope that I am able to matriculate to your school.

Sincerely,

Your signature

Type name
Social Security Number

What to include???
- updated honors or scholastic achievement
- activities
- graded paper that you did well on
- additional letters of recommendation
- updated, current grades

LETTER ACCEPTING/ DECLINING ADMISSION OFFER

Date

Student's Address

Admissions Officer Name
Name of College or University
Address of College or University

Dear...

Thank you for accepting me to the class of ______. Although my decision was difficult, I have decided to attend ___________(name of school) instead.

OR

I am pleased to accpet your offer of admission for next year. Please send me the necessary admissions deposit and housing information.

I appreciate the time and consideration you gave my application.

Sincerely,

Your signature

Type name
Social Security Number

ADMISSION TERMINOLOGY

ACT - The American College Test; it is used widely by college and university admissions offices. It is designed to measure scholastic aptitude.

ADMISSION: COMPETITIVE - This type of school has many more qualified students applying than they have room to accommodate. Any one of their applicants has a good chance for success, but not all can be accepted. Acceptance is usually based on other qualifications.

ADMISSION: OPEN DOOR - Most students need only a high school diploma to be admitted.

ADMISSION: DEFERRED - This policy allows the college to postpone making a decision about a candidate until additional data is collected. It is neither an acceptance or rejection. Students may need to provide additional recommendations or updated grades.

ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE - A two-year college degree which generally prepares the student for further study.

BACHELOR'S DEGREE - A four-year degree in a specified subject.

DEGREE - A college diploma indicates the amount and type of study a student has pursued. A two year college can lead to an Associate's Degree; a four year college usually leads to a Bachelor's Degree; post graduate programs lead to Master's and Doctorate Degrees.

EARLY ACTION - A limited number of colleges have adopted an early action admissions procedure. The process is similar to early decision, but is non- binding. The deadlines are usually Nov.1 and the decision is usually received around Dec. 15.

EARLY ADMISSION - Students are admitted and allowed to attend a college before graduating from high school. This is usually reserved for the exceptional student.

EARLY DECISION - This is a binding college admissions procedure whereby the college allows well qualified students to apply for admission in the fall of their senior year. The college will notify the students of their status of admission early in the senior year. A STUDENT MAY ONLY APPLY TO ONE EARLY DECISION SCHOOL AND IF ACCEPTED MUST WITHDRAW ALL OTHER APPLICATIONS. Generally, the colleges offering the early decision contract are private colleges, as opposed to state colleges. The deadline for early decision is usually Nov. 1.

FINANCIAL AID - Usually a subsidized, low-cost loan or loan/ work package, financial aid is awarded on the basis of financial need as shown when a student completes financial aid applications. Generally loans are not repaid until after the student graduates from college. Limited opportunities for non-repayable grants do exist.

GRANT - An outright financial gift toward college costs that does not have to be repaid.

GUARANTEED TUITION - A college may guarantee an entering freshman that tuition charges to him will not increase during the four years of attendance. Tuition is only raised to incoming freshman.

JUNIOR / COMMUNITY COLLEGE - A junior college usually offers vocational programs as well as the first two years of a four-year college program. The student in the vocational program goes directly into a vocation after graduation, while the student in the academic program goes on to a four-year college.

MATRICULATION - This is a process whereby a student is accepted, pays his fees, and enrolls for his first classes. He then has officially become a freshman student at the college. This term is applied to freshmen or transfer student's first enrollment.

PLACEMENT TESTS - These tests help students be placed in or select appropriate level courses.

PRACTICUM - A practicum is a college experience providing learning through practical work, such as student teaching.

PREREQUISITE - A requirement that must be met before a certain course can be taken.

PROBATION - A student whose grade point average is below a "C" may be placed on scholastic probation. If the average is not raised to a certain point, the student may be asked to withdraw.

ROLLING ADMISSION - This is a procedure by which a college accepts or rejects an applicant within approximately 4 to 6 weeks after the student's application folder is complete. Many state universities use this system . It is best to get your applications in as early as possible for this system before academic majors are full.

ROTC - Reserve Officer's Training Corps (Army, Air Force or Navy) which offer two and four year programs of military training, culminating in an officer's commission. In some colleges, credits for these courses can be applied toward fulfillment of degree requirements. Military service after graduation is required.

SAT - Scholastic Aptitude Test - Like the ACT, designed to test scholastic aptitide, not intelligence.

TECHNICAL SCHOOL - This program is directed toward vocational preparation. The amount of time taken to complete the program will vary, but usually not more than two years.

TRANSCRIPT - The transcript is the official record of a student's academic performance from the time of his entrance to a given institution to the end of the final semester.

UNDERGRADUATE - An undergraduate is a student who has not yet received a bachelor's degree.

WAIT LISTED - Students who fall just below the admission acceptance standards are sometimes put on a wait list at some selective colleges. These students may be accepted at a later date if space becomes available.

FINANCIAL AID & SCHOLARSHIPS

FINANCIAL AID PROCESS
Most financial aid is based on need and is administered through the financial aid office of individual colleges. Applying for financial aid can at times seem overwhelming and time-consuming. One needs to be diligent,.

Financial aid is usually awarded in the following ways (many students receive a combination):
1. Monetary award, grant, or scholarship which is given to the student and does not have to be repaid. An award may be for one year only or may be renewable if academic requirements are met.
2. A loan which the student must repay after he leaves college.
3. Part-time employment, possibly related to a student's field of study.