COLLEGE COUNSELING 2005

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COLLEGE COUNSELING 2005

• We promise were not trying to scare you.

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CONTACTS

• Nancy Beane girls college counselor
  nancybeane_at_westminster.net 404-609-6248
• Dr. Wade Boggs boys college counselor
  wadeboggs_at_westminster.net 404-609-6274
• Donna Burbank applications guru and
  administrative assistant donnaburbank_at_westminster.
  net 404-609-6242
• Kimbrell Teegarden scholarships and financial
  aid
• Lasley Gober senior year advisor
  lasleygober_at_westminster.net 404-609-6250
• Dave Drake senior year advisor
  daviddrake_at_westminster.net 404-609-6432
• Dr. George Lamplugh senior year advisor
  georgelamplugh_at_westminster.net 404-609-6231
• Kristin Domescik Registrar kristind_at_westminster
  .net 404-609-6386
• Go to our website OFTEN for regular
  announcements, updates and important college
  information

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Whom to contact

• To change your scheduled conference with Mrs.
  Beane or Dr. Boggs, see or call Mrs. Donna
  Burbank at [phone]
• For questions about financial aid and
  scholarships or to set up an appointment, Email
  Mrs. Teegarden For transcripts that must be
  signed by the Registrar, call or go see Mrs.
  Kristin Domescik in the School Registrars
  Office 404-609-6386

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Important Dates

• September 14 Westminster office deadline for
  application materials with October 15th deadline
• September 19 - College Day from 115 to 400 in
  Turner Gym
• September 21 Westminster office deadline for
  materials due with early decision applications
• November 4 Westminster office deadline for
  application materials with January deadlines on
  or before January 10th
• January 1 FAFSA submission begins
• January 4 Westminster office deadline for
  application materials with January deadlines
  after the 10th and February deadlines
• May 1 Deadline for response to colleges

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Choosing Schools

• Your decision of colleges to which you will apply
  will depend on many considerations
• Academic goals, ability, achievement
• Characteristics of the campus as a community
  (social life, student organizations)
• Geographical location
• Size
• Your impressions based on your visit,
  conversation with official school representatives
• Cost

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To how many schools do I apply?

• We generally recommend that students apply to
  five to six, although this number will vary with
  each student

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Sending your SAT scores

• Early September when you fill out a
  registration form for your senior SAT Reasoning
  Test or SAT Subject Tests, you will list the code
  numbers of the colleges to which you wish to send
  your scores
• If, however, you dont take either SAT during
  your senior fall, you will go online to
  www.collegeboard.com and follow the prompts to
  send your scores.
• They will send all of your scores (not just your
  highest), but usually colleges look only at the
  highest scores.
• Youll also list Westminsters CEEB (College
  Entrance Examination Board) number, which is
  110256
• Also, write down Westminsters address and main
  phone number somewhere where youll have easy
  access to them for your college applications
  1424 West Paces Ferry Road Atlanta, GA 30327
  404-355-8673

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Early Action and Early Decision Applications

• If you are not ready to make a final decision,
  but have narrowed down your selections, you may
  consider applying under one of these early plans
  used by various institutions
• It is your responsibility to check the particular
  schools policies about whether or not you may
  apply to more than one early action school
  (Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, for example, have
  single choice early action, meaning that you can
  only apply to one of them EA Georgetown, Boston
  College and Tulane, however, allow you to apply
  to more than one EA school)
• If you are certain of where you want to go, you
  should think seriously about applying early
  decision unless certain factors (financial or
  otherwise) keep you from doing so

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More on EA and ED applications

• If you do early applications, you must also
  prepare other applications at the same time in
  the event that you are not admitted early
  decision. (Many times you will not find out being
  deferred or rejected from an Early application
  school in enough time to rush applications to
  other schools therefore, it is crucial that you
  prepare other applications ahead of time.)
• Be aware that you may have a better chance of
  admissions to certain schools if you apply early
  rather than waiting for regular decision
  consideration

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Applications and Cover Sheets

• You are responsible for obtaining all college
  applications, most of which can now be downloaded
  from the Internet
• Take note of application requirements
  hand-written in black ink or typed
• Allow plenty of time to write and revise your
  essays, using the Writing Center as a resource
• Once the entire application is finished, turn in
  to the College Counseling Center all parts
  clipped together with the cover sheet (except
  teacher recommendations) and 9 x 12 envelope
• Cover sheets and 9 x 12 envelopes are required
  even if you submit online
• List teachers writing recommendations on each
  cover sheet
• Cover sheets can be found online (under PRINT
  FORMAT) and in the CCC

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Applications and Cover Sheets

• Provide the CCC with two books of 20 stamps each
  we will not send your applications without
  stamps
• We recommend that you keep a College
  Applications/Materials folder of some kind to
  contain and keep track of all application copies,
  correspondence, important dates for submission,
  list of all colleges receiving your score
  reports, the score reports themselves, test
  admission tickets, etc
• It is YOUR responsibility to make copies of your
  applications before bringing them to the College
  Counseling Center. If you submit electronically,
  be sure to print the application before
  submitting
• Be sure to download the application first and
  save it to your computer until you are ready to
  submit it. Be sure to print it before submitting
  just in case something happens to the online
  submission.
• URGENT take special care to keep all these
  materials on file

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A word about CCC application deadlines

• Turn in all applications to the College
  Counseling Office no later than the office
  deadlines
• Please make note of these deadlines NOW
• Respect the time and effort of those who are
  trying to help you with the college application
  process
• There are no guarantees that late submissions
  will be processed on time

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Teacher Recommendations

• All requests for recommendations should be made
  as early as possible to respect your teachers
  schedules and to ensure on-time delivery of your
  letters to the CCC office
• Youll want to ask teachers who know you and your
  work well, preferably from your Junior Year
• You should feel comfortable asking your teachers
  if they feel comfortable writing you a good
  recommendation. If not, ask another teacher
• Ask your teachers to send their signed letters of
  recommendation to the CCC

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Teacher Recommendations

• When you ask someone to recommend you, give him
  or her 2 things
• money No! Just Kidding!!
• What you should ACTUALLY give these teachers
• the teacher recommendation form from the website
  (with the date when the application is due to us
  in the CCC, NOT the date that the application is
  due to the college)
• the colleges recommendation form filled out with
  all information required of you
• Be sure to check the box waiving your rights to
  see the letter to ensure confidentiality

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College Decisions

• Colleges base their admission decisions on the
  following criteria
• High school grades rigor of courses SAT I
  and/or ACT scores
• The schools stature and reputation
• Extracurricular activities, leadership, evidence
  of talent, good citizenship
• Teacher letters of recommendation
• Application for admission, essays, interviews
• Alumni and other connections can help, but by no
  means ensure acceptance

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A note about interviews

• Be sure to take advantage of personal interviews
  if they are offered sometimes direct contact
  with the applicant can be a deciding factor in
  admissions decisions
• Show an interest - have questions prepared for
  the interviewers
• For those interested in interview preparation,
  sign up with Ms. Leach for mock interviews in
  October
• Send thank you notes to the interviewers
  afterwards

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Things to think about

• Why did you choose this college?
• How will contribute to this particular community?
• What is your biggest strength and weakness?
• What is something significant youd like us to
  know about you?
• What are you hoping to get out of your college
  experience?
• Do you have any questions for us?

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A word about brag sheets

• You can now download brag sheets from our
  website
• (www.westminster.net/collegecounseling)
• However, if you make changes to your brag sheets,
  you MUST come to the College Counseling Center to
  make those changes to our hard copy of your brag
  sheet
• We use your brag sheets for a number of things,
  include scholarship nominations, which makes it
  critical that we have your up-to-date information

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When youre accepted

• Early Decision withdraw all other applications
• Early Action withdraw all applications no longer
  in consideration
• Regular Decision notify other colleges of your
  decision
• Thank your teachers, senior advisors and college
  counselors!

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Financial Aid and Scholarships

• See the Financial Aid 101 Power Point
  Presentation on the website
• Email Mrs. Teegarden
• Office Location College Counseling Center

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For even MORE information

• www.westminster.net/collegecounseling for
• college counseling updates, scholarship
  information, important dates, FAQs
• weekly announcements
• information from your class officers about
  upcoming events