College Counseling Process
CA’s college counselors — most of whom have hands-on experience in college admissions offices — work in alliance with academic advisors and parents to guide and support students as they consider the numerous possibilities beyond CA.
Formal college planning begins in January of junior year, when students and parents meet for a workshop. Students meet regularly with an assigned counselor to identify strengths and interests, to learn to self-advocate, and to devise a strategic plan that helps them discover which colleges and universities best suit them. In addition, during the spring semester, juniors take a weekly seminar that emphasizes, among other topics, how to research colleges, what to expect during a campus visit, and how to distinguish themselves as applicants.
Junior Year at a Glance
January
Attend College Counseling Workshop
February
- Focus on college process during junior seminar meetings
- Arrange spring vacation visits
- Plan to see a variety of colleges and universities, both in terms of size, program, and selectivity
January/February
- Life skills classes begin
- Begin self-assessment
- Make an appointment for your first individual counseling conference with your college counselor
- This is also a good time to browse through college catalogs and comprehensive guidebooks, and to put yourself on colleges’ mailing lists
- Check out all the options—this is shopping time
Spring Vacation
- Visit at least two colleges over spring vacation
- Call ahead or check online for tour schedules
- Don’t expect an interview as admissions officers will be busy evaluating senior applications
- Take excellent notes in your college journal
March/April/May
- SAT Reasoning Test
- Continue to explore types of colleges and universities
- Make an appointment for your second individual counseling conference with your college counselor; you may invite your parents
- Discuss appropriate matches and begin to plan your senior curriculum
April
- Attend BISCCA College Fair at Milton Academy
May
- Take Advanced Placement (AP) exams, as appropriate
- Create preliminary list of colleges
- SAT Reasoning Test (if not taken earlier)
June
- SAT Subject Tests
Summer
- Visit college campuses, if possible, and interview where available
- Consult guidebooks and Web sites; collect applications
- Keep a journal to help with work on essays
Senior Year at a Glance
September
- Establish a senior program that is reasonable and balanced, and work hard in your courses
- Ask teachers to write recommendations (if you have not already done so)
- Attend the portfolio workshop given by the Visual Arts Department (if applicable)
September/October
- Narrow list of colleges to which to apply
- Decide whether to apply Early Decision (ED) or Early Action (EA)
- Sign up for a counseling session
September/November
- Attend sessions in the College Counseling Office (CCO) with visiting college admissions officers
September/December
- Plan to visit colleges on long weekends and college visiting days
October
- If applying for financial aid, file the CSS PROFILE registration form
- Begin submitting applications with rolling deadlines (if any) to CCO
- Retake SAT Reasoning Test or SAT Subject Tests, if necessary
November
- Contact colleges to which you are fairly certain you will apply to request interviews (on campus or with a local alumnae/i)
- Finalize your college list
- Most Early Decision (ED)/Early Action (EA) application deadlines
- Retake SAT Subject Tests or SAT Reasoning Test, if necessary
- If applying for financial aid, submit the completed CSS PROFILE
Thanksgiving Break
- Devote time to finalizing application essays and applications
November/December
- Complete your applications
December
- Update virtually final college list on Naviance
- SAT Reasoning Test or SAT Subject Tests, if necessary
- Results received from EA/ED applications
- Finalize applications with December 31 and January 1 deadlines
January 1
- DEADLINE: JANUARY 1 – Applications due for many colleges
- If applying for financial aid, file FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1
- DEADLINE: January 15 – Applications due for many colleges
February
- DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 1 – Applications due for many colleges
- Continue to work hard in your classes: Colleges consider final senior grades and, in many cases, matriculation is contingent upon strong academic performance through senior year
April
- BY APRIL 15 – Receive decisions from colleges
- Visit colleges and universities to which you have been admitted
- Decide which to attend
May
- DEADLINE: MAY 1 – Nationwide Candidate Reply date: Decide which college’s offer you will accept and send deposit if required
- If applicable, decide whether or not to remain on any waitlists and communicate your decision to the colleges in question
- Beginning of May: Take AP exams in selected courses; have scores sent to the college you plan to attend
May/June
- Graduate — Good luck!
June
- June 30 – Close of waitlist for the majority of private colleges
College Financial Aid
The College Counseling Office supports CA students and families throughout the financial aid application process.
Typically, families complete a variety of forms to determine aid eligibility including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the College Scholarship Service (CSS) PROFILE, and institutional forms for individual colleges and universities.
There are two types of financial aid:
- Need-based aid, for which eligibility is determined by CSS, federal guidelines, and institutional policies, is divided into several categories, including grants, loans, and work-study.
- Merit-based aid, also referred to as scholarships, is awarded for academic excellence, athletic or artistic talent, leadership or other criteria.
(What It Costs to Attend) – (What Your Family Can Pay) = Financial Need
One of the most important factors in considering financial aid is calculating a family’s Estimated Family Contribution (EFC). This calculation will determine, in part, the amount of need-based aid for which a family is eligible. “Need” is the difference between what it costs to attend a particular college and what the EFC indicates that a family can afford toward those costs.
Frequently Asked Questions about Financial Aid
Is need-based financial aid available only to people with very low incomes?
No. You don’t have to have a very low income to receive financial aid, but you do have to prove you need it. You are eligible for financial aid equal to the difference between college costs and the amount you and your family can afford to contribute, as determined by the various forms.
Will I receive special consideration if I have brothers and sisters (or parents) who are continuing their education beyond high school?
Generally speaking, yes. Your parents cannot be expected to contribute as much to your college costs if they are assisting other family members attending college. The Estimated Family Contribution is generally divided equally among you and the other students.
Do I have to apply for financial aid every year?
Yes. At most colleges you must re-apply each academic year. But applying for financial aid is almost always easier the second time around because you are more familiar with the process, and there may be less paperwork.
Do I have to wait until my parents (or I) file their income tax return before I file my FAFSA and PROFILE?
No. But you should wait until you and/or your parents know what income you will be reporting on your tax returns—do an estimated return.
Resources
The College Counseling Office has gathered several external resources that have been useful to CA students during the college application process.
Documents
CA College Matriculation 2011–15
General Links
Colleges That Change Lives: A site inspired by Loren Pope’s renowned book, Colleges That Change Lives
College Raptor: An additional site with a college search engines, information about majors, and particularly good information on college affordability
Common Application: The gateway to many college applications
NCAA: The official website of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
Peterson’s: A site that provides information about standardized testing, financial aid, and college search engines
Study Abroad: A site that contains information about options for studying abroad
Thoughts on Independent College Consultants: Please carefully consider the following before deciding to hire the service of an independent college consultant.
Financial Aid
Ed.gov: A website that provides financial aid information and a scholarship search engine
Fastweb: A website that provides financial aid information and a scholarship search engine
FinAid.org: A website that provides financial aid information and a scholarship search engine
Maximizing Aid Eligibility: FinAid.org advice for families on how to maximize aid dollars
Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA): Vast array of free resources available
Testing
ACT: The official website of the ACT college admissions test
Advantage Testing: A local test-prep provider that CA students have found helpful
College Board: A comprehensive site that includes information about SAT testing and registration, college search engines, and CSS profile information
Number 2: A site offering free online test preparation courses
Summit Educational Group: Free full-length practice tests and individual tutoring
College Transfer Information
Recommended Reading
Going Geek: What Every Smart Kid (and Every Smart Parent) Should Know About College Admissions
by John Carpenter
Concise and encouraging, this is an excellent book that offers a big payout for a small investment of time.
Crazy U: One Dad’s Crash Course in Getting His Kid Into College
by Andrew Ferguson
Now in paperback, this is a fun read that thoroughly covers the college process from a parent’s perspective. He interviews the right people and presents things very responsibly.
The College Admissions Mystique
by Bill Mayher
Bill was the long-serving college counselor at Nobles before he began doing gigs at American School in London and Kings Academy in Jordan. Some of the stories are “old” but I think the book offers (particularly parents) a good set of principles to guide them. You may need to find a used copy online.
The Gatekeepers: Inside the Admissions Process of a Premier College
by Jacques Steinberg
A classic. This is a captivating look into the Wesleyan admissions office more than a decade ago, yet parents still read this book and Steinberg now maintains one of the better admissions blogs out there (http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com).
Fiske Guide to Colleges
by Edward Fiske
Now a classic, this guidebook is updated yearly to offer prospective students insight into the vibes of many top campuses. Rumor has it the iPad version has some neat extra features.
College Admission
by Robin Mamlet and Christine VabDeVelde
According to the publisher’s website, “College Admission is the ultimate user’s manual and go-to guide for any student or family approaching the college application process. Featuring the wise counsel of more than 50 deans of admission, no other guide has such thorough, expert, compassionate, and professional advice.”
Letting Go: A Parents’ Guide to Understanding the College Years
by Karen Coburn and Madge Treeger
It isn’t all about the admissions process, but rather about the transition to colleges. This book offers analysis and advice with regard to the step from high school to college.
How College Works
by Dan Chambliss
Chambliss, a long-tenured (and adored) sociology professor, took ten years to study what are the keys to a successful undergraduate experience. The question posed: why are certain colleges successful creating such satisfied alumni?
Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be
by Frank Bruni