I have to be honest with you though... I thought that when I returned to school I would have a ton of recommendation letter forms waiting for me and that wasn't the case. I know that many of your colleges no longer require recommendation letters, but looking at the list of colleges where some of you had planned on applying tells me that I am missing quite a few request forms! As you know, we are now less than 1 month away from the November 1st deadlines. Now, perhaps it is because you have decided that you are not applying to any colleges with an early action/ early decision/ or scholarship deadline of November 1st. If you are applying to a school with a November 1st deadline that needs a teacher or counselor recommendation letter hopefully you have already asked for that letter. Remember, you should be giving your recommenders at least 30 days to write your letters! So, if you haven't asked and need one by November 1st, please download the forms off the WKHS Counselor website and ask as soon as possible!
The 1 month countdown also reminds you that you have work to do on your application! Please start working on it if you haven't already. I have been reading a lot of great essays over the last month, but I have not seen nearly the number of you that I would hoped to have seen by this point. The deadlines sneak up faster than many people expect, so please start working on your applications!
When applying, you complete and submit your application online. Most schools will require you to create a username and password. I cannot stress enough how important it is that you save all of these usernames and passwords! You will more than likely need them again when you want to check your admissions status.
A few reminders other important about your online application...
1.) Punctuation and spelling matter! Pay attention to the details - this is your introduction to the college and you want to make a positive impression.
2.) Use your parents "real" names - they are more than just "mom" or "dad."
3.) Double check that you have the correct social security number. Many schools use that to connect all of your application pieces together.
4.) If it has a spot for an essay response - that is really an essay - do not just write in a quick sentence and move on. Take the time to draft, edit, revise, edit, revise, step away from, edit, and revise some more before you copy and paste the final essay into the application and submit it.
5.) Tell the Truth! Do not make up something or claim that you won an award, completed community service, or had some other issue during high school if it is not true. Honesty matters in how the college will perceive you and it is also simply an issue of integrity.
(And, for the record, all 5 of these problems are actual problems I have found when reviewing student applications at WKHS! I couldn't make them up...)
In addition to submitting your application online you will need to request for your transcript to be submitted to your college. Your parents already signed your transcript release card if they attended senior college information night. If not, you will need to take the form home and have it signed. Mrs. McDaniel (Registrar) keeps the transcript release cards in her office. You will simply go into her office, find your card in the box and add in the specific colleges where you want your transcript sent and give her the $1.00 fee for each transcript. (The fee is waived for schools that are using Common App or Send edu for us to submit your transcripts.) Mrs. McDaniel will then submit your transcript directly to the college(s) you have indicated.
It is ESSENTIAL to watch your deadlines carefully! You need to provide plenty of time for the transcript to be processed. The best “rule of thumb” for your getting your application to the counseling center is a week before the due date. Most college due dates are for all materials (and not just the application) to be received in their office before that date. Don’t forget that many colleges also have earlier due dates than those publicized to be considered for scholarships so you need to read carefully!
After you have submitted your application you may also need to verify that your official test scores were sent from the testing organization (ACT/ SAT) directly to the college. If you did not have them sent to that particular school then you will need to pay the fee to have them sent if the college requires official scores from the testing agency.
Then it is time to sit back and wait...
When you eventually hear back from your schools, please stop in to see me and let me know the admissions decision as this is something that we track.
As always, please remember that I am here to help you and will help guide you through the process as we go. Feel free to ask questions and drop in to see me as you work on your applications.
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