Class of 2016 college counseling handbook

Class of 2016

26800 South Academy Drive Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274

310.377.1543 School Code: 052680

Office of College Counseling

Alicia Akers, associate director [email protected] ext. 4067 Carol Bernstein, director [email protected] ext. 4043 Marian Hersh, director [email protected] ext. 4028 Bruce Poch, executive director [email protected] ext. 4058

Martha Mink, asst. to the directors [email protected] ext. 4075

Office of College Counseling: Location: Warnock Hall email: [email protected]

Telephone: 310.377.1543 x 4075

The User’s Manual

We packed in a lot of information,

organized to follow the progression

from the beginnings to the end of

the college application process.

The handbook may evolve during

the year, as we hope may be the

case for students moving through

the process of identifying best

possibilities.

Importantly, we aim for this book

to be comprehensive,

anticipating every possibility.

Of course, it cannot and will not.

The human touch and good

conversation, the most essential

and thoughtful part of the process,

remains at the center of what we

do. Let’s take that journey

together.

Finally, you should not look to read

this handbook in one sitting, cover

to cover. Look ahead, consider

next steps, but expect to return to

the handbook at appropriate

milestone moments. Please, do

thumb through it. Return to it

periodically and when questions

surface. Know that both it and we

are there to help through

the process.

~The College Counselors

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Chadwick School

College Counseling Handbook for the Class of 2016

Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 4 Core Values, Context, and the College Counseling Process ............................................................. 5 College Calendars and Planning for the Class of 2015 ..................................................................... 6 Communicating with College Counseling ...................................................................................... 11

Section One: Getting Started ............................................................................................................ 13

Myths and Realities ........................................................................................................................ 14 Sources of Information .................................................................................................................. 16 Internet College Search Guides and Financial Aid Websites ......................................................... 18 Women’s Colleges .......................................................................................................................... 20 Requesting Information from Colleges .......................................................................................... 21

Section Two: Standardized Testing ................................................................................................... 23

The ACT, SAT and AP ..................................................................................................................... 24 Preparing for the ACT or SAT ........................................................................................................ 26 ACT and SAT Testing Calendar ....................................................................................................... 27 SAT & ACT Score Concordance Tables .......................................................................................... 28 Sending Scores ............................................................................................................................... 31 Frequently Asked Questions regarding Score Choice .................................................................... 33

Section Three: Continuing the College Search ................................................................................... 35

Visiting Colleges ............................................................................................................................. 36 Campus, Alumni and Video/Skype Interviews ............................................................................... 38 Questions to Ask on a College Visit ................................................................................................ 40 Visit Summary Report ................................................................................................................... 41

Section Four: The Application Process .............................................................................................. 43

College Applications, How many? What forms? ............................................................................ 44 Writing Your College Application Essays ........................................................................................ 46 Common Application and UC Essay Topics .................................................................................... 48 Additional Factors: Athletics, Arts, Alumni Connections ............................................................... 51 Preparing for Your Application References ................................................................................... 53 Chadwick Policies on Reporting Information to Colleges .............................................................. 56 Double Depositing Hazard ............................................................................................................ 58 (You’re in!) Post- Admission Decision Responsibilities ................................................................. 60

Section Five: Financial Aid ............................................................................................................... 63

Overview of programs and approaches & Net Price Calculators................................................... 64 Scholarship Applications, Forms & Need Based Federal and State Programs (Cal Grants) ......... 68 California Middle Class Scholarship Program ............................................................................... 69 Financial Aid Timeline ................................................................................................................... 71 Common Questions ....................................................................................................................... 72

Section Six: Additional Information ................................................................................................. 73

Frequently Asked Questions about Chadwick and College Admission ................................................... 74 Junior and Parent Questionnaires ................................................................................................ 75

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Introduction

The college admission process is filled with rewards through the opportunity for self-reflection and the possibility to connect experience and perspective on learning, teaching, academic fields, and the integration of a co-curricular life into “what’s next?” exploration. There is a lot to do and there are many hands inevitably involved in working with students at this moment. And, of course, there are many deadlines to juggle and a senior year to complete. The experience brings with it a great deal of learning about self, about colleges, about self-presentation and self-advocacy, bureaucratic juggling, as well as managing the pressures of parents, teachers, administrators, and college admission officers. In the end, that skill set does have great value in preparing students for the collegiate and post-collegiate world ahead. The college counselors urge real exploration and approach students with the fundamental belief that there are inevitably a variety of colleges where each student could be happy and successful. The counselors are here to help teach about possibilities, by encouraging in students the self-discovery that is fundamental to Chadwick. Our fundamental aim is to assist students and parents in making a complicated process as clear as possible. While we obviously cannot offer magical powers that guarantee acceptance to a particular college, students do have on their side four deeply experienced counselors who look forward to getting to know each student and family to provide advice as effectively as possible. This is, importantly, a “student-centered” process, and that means the student must take the primary responsibility for their college search. This will demand time, effort, and dedication, much like any class, sport, job, or activity pursued. The more effort students put into learning about themselves, researching options, and taking control of their own application process, the greater the rewards at the end of the road. Our expectation is that this handbook will serve as one of many resources over the year. It should answer many basic questions. Please refer to it often. If you have questions that are not answered in the handbook, please feel welcome to see your college counselor. We look forward to working with students and their families. Our goal is to help students realize their full potential in the college admission process and make this transition a smooth and happy one.

Chadwick’s college counselors are here to teach and support our students through college and university admission processes in accord with the school’s mission statement and our own, that follows. In addition to preparation for college, Chadwick School, through the College Counseling Office, guides students and families through the college admission process by helping each student assess and select colleges appropriate for his or her interests and demonstrated abilities. The success of the college preparatory and counseling programs at Chadwick School is measured by the ultimate appropriateness of each choice and the quality of the work our students do while in college rather than the number of students who gain admission to a particular college or list of colleges. Through all of its programs, Chadwick School, including the College Counseling Office, is student‐centered in reviewing progress and successes.

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The college counseling program builds naturally upon our mission. Put simply, we are dedicated to academic

excellence and to the development of self-confident individuals of exemplary character. Chadwick’s core values of

honesty, respect, responsibility, fairness, and compassion, are fostered and modeled in classrooms, co-curricular

activities and in our work in the college process.

Chadwick’s College Counseling Program builds from and upon the intentions of the School. The personal approach

to work with families and student advising that begins with Chadwick School’s admission process carries naturally

through the engagements with teachers and staff in the Village, Middle and Upper Schools and continues in the

efforts of the College Counselors.

A natural and critical aim is for Chadwick to find the right collegiate home for our graduates and to make college ex-

ploration another powerful learning experience. Done thoughtfully, students will develop through this process

lasting and transferrable skills to enable their ability to identify and discern opportunity and cultivate self-presentation

skills that may help advance careers. Counselors engage students frequently in both scheduled and unscheduled

individual conferences that are designed to help students reach a greater awareness of who they are. Parents

participate in group programs and individual and family meetings with counselors frequently through the upper

school years.

With a well-articulated sense of self, students are prepared to find colleges that are excellent matches. Our approach

is student-centered, and we believe that satisfaction with their college choices is enhanced when students are

empowered to take ownership of the process and decisions. Central to support and success is open and good

communication between and among students, parents and college counselors. Outcomes are important, yet it is the

process of self-discovery leading to college-discovery that drives our program and addresses and brings to the college

search and applications the student’s core competencies, developed at Chadwick.

Fundamentally, we build upon the student’s skills in communication, collaboration, critical and creative

thinking, courage and cultural competence in working with them and their families. We hope to bring those

qualities of mind to the identification of colleges that reflect students’ learning styles and their community and

campus interests. In our explorations with families, counselors will advocate for students and will encourage them to

move analytically through the process, approaching what is possible and what is intellectually, socially and personally

valuable. We encourage students through their investigation of colleges to represent themselves and their ideas

reflecting integrity and ethical literacy. We move them to reach to explore their own adaptability, initiative and risk

taking and to present themselves well through finely developed skills in effective communication. By demonstrating

in their activities and inclinations their valuable capacities in leadership and teamwork, we hope to represent well

their ability to see a larger world, showing in their investigation of colleges and in their representations to colleges,

their ability to move through ideas, exploration, reading and experience to their next steps.

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December

All Month Individual 1st junior meetings with college counselor

Naviance Training for Students

January

Early month: College Night for juniors and parents

Starting mid-Jan Individual 1st junior meetings with college counselor continue

College Counseling Workshop for Students G period / Topics TBA

Later in January SAT (off-campus) (Not normally recommended due to final exams)

Semester Break—a good time to visit colleges!

February

All month Individual 1st junior meetings with college counselor (cont’d)

Early month College Counseling Workshop for Students G – Period / Topic TBA

Mid-month MLK Weekend / School Holiday—another opportunity to visit colleges!

Junior Questionnaire and Parents’ Response Form due

(Prior to individual parent meetings)

March

All month Family meetings with college counselor

2nd Saturday SAT at Chadwick

March -April Spring Break - - another opportunity to visit colleges!

April

Spring Break continues…

All month Family meetings with college counselor (cont’d)

Early month Student College Counseling Workshop G-Period students only / Topics TBA

Mid-month ACT (off-campus)

Late month Individual 2nd junior meetings with college counselor (ideally, after some college visits)

May

Early Pre-administration for AP Exams

First 2 weeks AP Exams*

*Note the value of college credit and placement possibilities from the tests described in the handbook…

First Saturday SAT / SAT Subject Tests (off-campus)

All month Individual 2nd junior meetings with college counselor (cont’d)

June

All month Athletes should meet with Ms. Stallworth to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse

First week Individual 2nd junior meetings with college counselor (cont’d)

First Saturday SAT / SAT Subject Tests at Chadwick

Second Saturday ACT (off- campus)

SUMMER (After Junior Year)

First draft for college essays o (if the essay seems “done” when school re-opens, it likely isn’t. Don’t submit it! Take another look. Most will benefit

tremendously from further revision with the perspective of senior year.)

Continue college research

Visit colleges

Enjoy the summer break!

Stay tuned for the announcement about August College Essay Workshop dates!

Individual college counselor meetings are available during August. Check for available dates in the summer.

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College Counseling General Calendar

Specific dates will be announced or updated via the College Counseling website, meetings and weekly email announcements.

Be sure to keep up with Naviance Family Connection!

August

1 Common Application is available online / UC Applications available online.

• A great time to start the autobiographical section and personal statement and to look closely at the general and supplemental essays and questions.

Second week Individual senior meetings with college counselors begin

Third week College Essay Writing Workshops

First day of School Meeting for all seniors considering ED/EA/Early Notification application programs.

• Submit ED/EA participation form to inform counselors of intent to apply early action/early decision/early rolling. This signals counselors of earlier processes to help us get your work completed!

Then….. Senior Class College Workshop

Senior Questionnaire must be completed before individual meeting with your college counselor

September

All Month Individual meetings with counselors to discuss final college lists continue.

College admission representatives begin visiting Chadwick, throughout the fall (teacher permission required to attend if missing a class)

CSS Profile forms for financial aid available on the College Board website.

Early Month ACT Test (off campus)

To Be Announced College Athletics Information Night

Sept 21 Financial Aid and Scholarship Workshop for parents, Part I

October

All Month Students applying for financial aid at private colleges should register for the CSS Profile at this time. Be sure to check the financial aid section of each college’s website for their individual deadlines. Use their individual Net Price Calculator, found on each college website.

Early Month SAT / SAT Subject Tests at Chadwick. Begin sending scores to colleges.

Oct. 15 – Nov. 15 Traditional Early Action, Early Decision and Early Notification (rolling admission) application deadlines. Beginning of CSU (Cal State) Application filing period

October 15 Final College List Due for students applying Early Decision/Action/Rolling • Teacher recommenders should also be notified of your final college list in writing

(See sample teacher recommendation request letter) • All School Report (SR) Forms and Teacher Recommendation (TR) Forms for early application must be turned in at this time for colleges without electronic submission

Late month ACT (off-campus) • Begin sending ACT scores to colleges.

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November

All month UC & CSU APPLICATION FILING PERIOD CLOSES NOVEMER 30. NO EXCEPTIONS POSSIBLE.

All students applying to UCs must turn in a complete draft of their essay to their counselor by the first week in November if they would like it to be reviewed. “Committee” review requires earlier submission for our comment.

Students are encouraged to submit their final application online no later than November 15 to avoid the typical server overload/slow down.

1 FINAL COLLEGE LIST DUE (for non-early applicants) Notify teacher recommenders of your final college list in writing (See sample teacher

recommender request letter sample in the handbook)

CalGrant GPA Verification forms available in the Office of College Counseling

School Report forms and Mid-Year Report forms (for colleges without electronic submission) due to the Office of College Counseling.

Your Naviance Family Connection college list must be fully updated at this time to enable counselors to submit your application documents.

o Common Application list also needs to match the list on Naviance to enable counselors to submit your application documents

1-15 MOST EARLY DECISION/EARLY ACTION DEADLINES

Early Month SAT/ SAT Subject Tests /Language Tests with Listening (off-campus)

Late Month Thanksgiving Holiday – an ideal time to complete most of your college applications

30th

December

All month GPA Verification forms for Cal Grant available.

Ask your counselor to review your essays / supplements for regular decision applications

Early month Many colleges request mid-fall progress grades for early decision/early action candidates

SAT / SAT Subject Tests (off-campus)

December generally is the last test date from which colleges will accept scores for their review.

All scores from any test administration should be sent to your colleges by this time.

5 (Saturday morning) Financial Aid and Scholarship Workshop, Part II; guidance in completing the aid forms

Mid-Month Early Decision / Early Action candidates are notified of decisions

ACT Test (off-campus)

December generally is the last test date from which colleges will accept standardized test scores for their review.

All scores from any test administration should be sent to your colleges by this time.

January

1st - Mid-February Deadlines for a majority of college applications under Regular Decision / Early Decision – II or Rolling Admissions

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Federal financial aid forms (FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and CSS Profile filing period through March 1st. CHECK CAREFULLY the websites of EACH of your colleges for possible earlier deadlines.

February

Mid-February Fall semester senior grades mailed to colleges with “Mid-Year Report”

Continue the hard work. Please note:

Some colleges ask for Mid-Spring progress grades before finalizing decisions.

Colleges WILL look at final semester grades before finalizing enrollment, even after an initial offer of admission was extended.

Most college filing deadlines for FAFSA and CSS PROFILE. Many require filings by early February.

Carefully check your individual college deadlines

March

Latest possible filing deadlines for some colleges for FAFSA and CSS Profile

15 College Transition Night Program for Parents

15 - 30 UCs + other colleges & universities begin to notify applicants of admission decisions

April

1 – 10 Admission decision notifications received from colleges

Students can plan to visit colleges offering them admission. o Visits may be made during the month but must involve prior arrangements with

the dean of students or the director of the upper school if any school days will be missed.

Students placed on an admission waiting list should meet with their counselor to discuss next steps if they wish to remain an active candidate

27 - 29 Pre-administration meeting for the AP Exams

May

1st National Candidate’s Reply Date (be very aware of receipt versus postmark deadlines for the decision)

o Enrollment commitment and deposits due at the college of choice. Only ONE commitment/deposit can be made.

o Decline the offers from other colleges immediately. Please do NOT fail to notify those colleges you have decided not to attend. It’s the fair thing to do (permits earlier answers for students on waiting list).

First Friday. Senior Surveys Due. Be sure to let your counselor know your college enrollment selection.

Second week forward Wait List Notifications begin

June

Mid-Month Graduation! Final Chadwick Transcript mailed to college in which student will enroll.

NOTE: We will send only ONE final transcript. Accepting new admission offers, or any change in enrollment plan will require your showing proof of withdrawal from the original college before Chadwick can provide a final transcript to the new college choice. See the “double deposit” caveat in the Handbook in the “post decision” chapter.

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Email Communication When addressing our college counseling office in email communication, treat this as an opportunity to remind yourself of the email etiquette you will use with college admission offices. Please use the following guidelines:

Be sure to use your chadwickschool.org email address for all communication with the Office of College Counseling.

o For protection of YOUR privacy, we cannot respond to email addresses we do not recognize as belonging to you.

We will aim to reply within one school day to your questions and requests. Emails received nights, weekends or school holidays may not get as rapid a reply.

If there is a truly urgent situation (there are few “college admission emergencies”) include that in the subject line or call our office directly. Yes, use the phone.

Please use formal salutations and formal language in emails you send and in emails to which you respond.

o (Etiquette really isn’t entirely dead, and it will be good practice and reminder to communicate with colleges in a similarly professional manner. Really. )

Make sure there is a subject line for your email. o Before we open the message, we should know to what it pertains. It may get a

quicker, better answer. “Hey” would not be an appropriate subject line.

Always reply with the original text when responding to an email sent from our office.

o It is important to us to be able to follow the email exchange and that text may also get to you that quicker, better answer.

Examples: Dear Mrs. Bernstein, I was hoping that you would be able to look over my college applications before I submit them. … or Hello, Ms. Stallworth, Could you help me schedule my second junior meeting with Ms. Akers for Tuesday during F period? ... or Ms. Hersh, Thank you for your last email, letting me know about the special program hosted by College X. Bad Example:

Hey, Poch, look at my draft? (Yes, that was actually received…… )

We will communicate to your email in the above fashion. These guidelines

will also be helpful when communicating with college admission representatives, admissions offices or financial aid offices. Please consult Article A in this section for more information.

Part of the Learning:

Why all this protocol? How does it help the applicant? Students should own the process. Students should directly ask us questions and should also take the lead in communicating with colleges. Many colleges do take note of that contact and who made the call. Parents should encourage their children to email us with questions that students should be asking. Of course, it is extremely important that students communicate with parents on a regular basis to let them know about things they are learning regarding college application process.

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Open and Honest Communication Open and honest communication is an essential part of the professional relationship that students should have with their college counselor. It is for this reason we want to address a topic that parents ask us about all the time and that is about hiring outside, independent college counselors. While we don’t believe having an outside counselor is necessary for a successful college application experience, of course, it is your family’s prerogative to hire an outside counselor. In the hope of having open and honest communications, though, do not be afraid to tell us if you’re using an outside person, as it is helpful for us to know.

For those who may already be working with an outside counselor or considering it, please know that in our experience:

Students and parents who are using independent counselors do not take full advantage of our expertise. All four college counselors at Chadwick have had actual experience working in the admission offices of some of the nation’s most selective institutions, including at the most senior level. The college counselors at Chadwick maintain close, direct ties with our colleagues on the college admission side.

Students who are working with two counselors tend to visit our office less frequently, become confused with conflicting assignments and deadlines, and often do careless work on the forms and questionnaires we ask for and depend upon throughout the process, inadvertently handicapping our necessary effort to best represent them to colleges.

Students who spend extra time using outside counselors (particularly already busy students) and not visiting our office, leave us with less opportunity to get to know them well.

o Having this relationship is important to the student because we are the ones writing their letters of recommendation and representing them personally to the admission officers in personal, phone and/or email communications.

o Outside consultants do not write letters of recommendation for submission to the college. Any such letter submitted on a student’s behalf are disregarded by college admission officers. The consultants typically are denied direct communication with college admission officers.

Essentially, to best serve your interests, we need to be your primary contact in this process!

We sincerely look forward to getting to know you over the next year.

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The only colleges worth looking at are those that are highly ranked in the U.S. World News and Report.

The selectivity (how hard it is to get into) of a college or university directly corresponds with the

quality of the education and the success of the alumni.

Your second cousin’s girlfriend went to College X, and she didn’t like it very much.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UEwbRWFZVc&safety_mode=true&safe=active&persist_safety_mode=1
































































































































My friends/parents/parents’ friends/neighbors say College X is a “party” school, or a “nerd”

school, or...etc.

I should not bother to visit or apply to schools that are not well known to my friends, to my

parents or to me.

Academics

Activities

Social Life

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Once you have started to think about who you are and the factors important to you in choosing a college, you should begin building a preliminary college list that matches your interests, abilities and goals. This is also the time to start researching information on these colleges so that you are able to make informed decisions on where you apply. To be thorough in your investigation, we recommend using several of the resources outlined below. A mix of objective and subjective information will be useful in becoming familiar with the schools to which you may be applying. Try to keep an open mind and do not let one overly negative or positive experience sway your opinion too much. And, as always, consider the source(s).

College Counselors You should talk to your college counselor openly about your interests, goals and any tentative plans for a major or career.

College Guidebooks Keep in mind that most guidebooks take a subjective view of colleges and their ratings, or rankings of programs and institutions. They are the opinions of these particular authors, editors or companies and are not necessarily universally accepted views. However, their more subjective format often makes them more readable and enjoyable. Examples: The Fiske Guide to Colleges – Edward B. Fiske The Insider’s Guide to Colleges – The Yale Daily News

Colleges That Change Lives – Loren Pope, Penguin Cool Colleges – Donald Asher, Ten Speed Press

The Best 377 Colleges – Princeton Review College Unranked – Harvard University Press/ The Education Conservancy

The College Counseling Office also has many books about specific programs, such as visual and performing arts, engineering, athletic programs, and diversity on campuses.

Internet Resources

Chadwick’s College Counseling program provides a web-based program called Naviance Family Connection. We use this resource to help you research colleges and universities, both in terms of their selectivity and, more importantly at this point, the programs and qualities each school offers. Family Connection will allow you to research and find out information about compelling colleges that you might not have heard of otherwise. This program provides links to the websites of the colleges and universities so that you can explore each college in more depth. Once you have narrowed down your college list to a manageable size, we recommend going to the individual college’s website for specific information about the college, their academic programs, admission practices, and even to take a virtual tour of campus. But, be careful that you don’t look too narrowly, too soon, at a college’s offerings. Remember to pay real attention to their descriptions of mission, general education requirements, and overall offerings, not just a department or club of interest.

College View Books and Catalogs

Colleges from across the country send students information about their institution. The most reliable source of information is the catalog, which exist as a contract with their students and is less “packaged” than other material you will be sent as a prospective student. The catalogs contain information about mission,

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course offerings, admission criteria, graduation requirements, etc. They often have pictures of the campus (although keep in mind these are typically carefully selected views!).

We no longer file catalogs, viewbooks, or other information for colleges and universities because their websites are so comprehensive, but we very strongly urge smart use of those websites. What does “smart use” mean?

It is too, too easy to drill down too deeply to examine a course, a sport, an activity or academic department without taking in the extremely important, context setting general education program or college mission. A liner algebra course may not differ much from college to college, but if the math department is of interest, how differently are departmental majors structured from college to college even if similar courses are offered? Is there a structured general education program that will pull a math major to a lot of work in humanities and social sciences? Are there only departmental, not college-wide requirements?

Ultimately, writing applications and finding great matches requires the broader context that may often be lost in narrow searches on the web. We suggest you look to view books, catalogs and the higher level pages on websites to fully familiarize yourself with each college’s possibilities and directions. Need help sorting through that? Just ask your counselor to help your decoding.

College Representatives

College admission representatives will often host programs in the Los Angeles area and over 100 of them visit Chadwick every fall and spring. This is a great opportunity to ask your specific questions about a college. Some of the representatives are recent graduates of the school. However, do not judge a college solely by the representative (good or bad).

Parents, Teachers, Friends

Talk to people about the colleges they attended, but try to separate fact from opinion. A college can change a lot in the decade (or three) since your cousin’s neighbor or your advisor’s best friend’s niece graduated from there.

Former Chadwick Students

Most former students who are now attending college are usually happy to share their experiences. The college counselors or the Alumni Office can help put you in touch with former students. There are many ways to go about investigating colleges. A successful search will include combinations of at least several of these available options. Finally, the best way to get to know a college is to actually visit the campus and see it yourself. More information about visiting colleges is included in Section Three.

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There are many resources available to students conducting a college search. One of the fastest, most informative and of course, most obvious ways is via the internet. Listed below are a few sites that you may find valuable.

College Searches:

The Naviance Family Connection account available to you via Chadwick’s website provides

access to, among other things, a comprehensive college search engine (Super Match). This engine allows you to search for colleges based on criteria that you select, including location, size,

academics, majors, athletic programs, and competitiveness of admission. It will also provide direct links to the college web pages where you can go on a virtual tour, learn more about the academic and extracurricular programs, or even contact a professor or student. Another popular and reliable, up-to-date search site is BigFuture.com on the College Board website.

And, LikeLive creates a chance to test yourself with practice admission interviews. We provided, below, a list of internet sites that you may also find interesting.

Specific College Groupings:

Art Schools www.aicad.org Christian Colleges www.christiancollegeguide.net Historically Black Institutions www.uncf.org www.eduinconline.com Jesuit Colleges and Universities www.ajcunet.edu Law Schools (general info/pre-law) www.lsac.org LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges www.campusclimateindex.org Medical Schools (general info on premed requirements) www.aamc.org/students Nursing Programs www.aacn.nche.edu UCAS (UK institutions) www.ucas.ac.uk Women’s Colleges www.womenscolleges.org

These pages will give you factual information on financial aid as well as provide you with a programmed calculator that will help you estimate your Expected Family Contribution to college tuition. Note, Federal law now requires each US college or university to provide a Net Price Calculator on their college website. An early look may provide very useful planning opportunity. College Board’s Savings Advisor www.collegeboard.com Financial Aid Information Page www.finaid.org Financial Aid Calculator www.finaid.org/calculators Loan Information www.finaid.org/loans Net Price Calculator www.netpricecalculator.collegeboard.org Scholarship Searches www.finaid.org/scholarships www.fastweb.com

Additional Opportunity for First Generation to College Students Center for Student Opportunity / I’m First www.imfirst.org QuestBridge www.questbridge.org Gates Millennium Scholars Program www.gmsp.org

Worth a special note: A hazard of using

the internet is that one can drill too deeply, too early, for information on college websites. Or, could miss subtle editorial slants of guide publishers. While looking at a department or major, one may too easily miss the general education requirements description or statements about teaching approaches or educational philosophy.

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http://www.lsac.org/
































































































































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http://www.ucas.ac.uk/
































































































































http://www.finaid.org/loans
































































































































http://www.finaid.org/scholarships
































































































































http://www.fastweb.com/
































































































































FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) www.fafsa.ed.gov

CSS Profile (College Scholarship Service) www.collegeboard.com/profile

Admission Testing Information: Test registration, general information and study guides. ACT Web Site www.actstudent.org SAT Web Site www.sat.collegeboard.org

AP Credit by Colleges https://apscore.collegeboard.org/creditandplacement/search-credit-policies

Find out early how much credit or placement for AP scores may be possible at participating colleges.

Admission Applications On-Line:

Want explore the Common Application or apply to hundreds of colleges online? Try these sites: Common Application www.commonapp.org CSU Application www.csumentor.edu UC Application www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/ UCAS (UK institutions) www.ucas.ac.uk/students/apply

Campus Groups and Organizations:

The Black Collegian www.black-collegian.com Hillel - Jewish Campus Life www.hillel.org LGBTQ www.campuspride.org NCAA (Athletics) www.ncaa.org Newman Centers (Catholic Centers) www.newmanconnection.com

EN ESPAÑOL: Recursos en español del Departamento de Educación:

http://www2.ed.gov/espanol/bienvenidos/es/index.html

Los Exámenes de College Board; Planificar Para La Universidad; Buscar La Universidad; Ingresar a la Universidad; Pagar La Universidad:

http://www.collegeboard.com/padres

Ayuda Financiera del Estudiante en Español: http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/spanish.phtml

Ayuda Estudiantil en la Web:

http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/spanish/index.jsp

The listings provided above are only a small sampling of the vast amount of information available on the

internet for students doing a college search.

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http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
































































































































http://www.collegeboard.com/profile
































































































































http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/
































































































































http://www.campuspride.org/
































































































































http://www.ncaa.org/
































































































































http://www.ed.gov/spanishresources.jsp
































































































































http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/spanish.phtml
































































































































http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/index.html#title
































































































































The hallmarks of women’s colleges include collaborative classrooms and teaching subjects in female-friendly ways as well as creating institutional climates that are healthy for women.

From The Women’s College Coalition

Benefits of Women’s Colleges: Women’s college graduates are three times more likely to earn a B.A. degree in

economics and 1.5 times more likely to earn a B.A. degree in sciences and mathematics.

Graduates continue towards their doctorates in math, science, and engineering

at disproportionately high rates.

Students at women’s colleges more opportunities to hold leadership positions and are able to observe women functioning in top jobs (90% of the presidents and 55% of the faculty at women’s colleges are women).

Graduates report greater satisfaction than their coed counterparts with their college experience in almost all measures – academically, developmentally, and personally.

Women’s college students develop measurable higher levels of self-esteem than other achieving women in co-educational institutions.

Graduates tend to be more involved in philanthropic activity after college.

Professional Achievements of Women’s College Graduates:

• One third of women board members of Fortune 1000 companies graduated from women’s colleges

• One of every seven state cabinet members graduated from a women’s college.

• Women’s college graduates make up more than 20% of the women in congress and 30% if a Business Week’s of rising women starts in corporate America.

• 20% of the women identified by Black Enterprise Magazine as the twenty most powerful African-American women in corporate America graduated from women’s colleges.

• Graduates are more successful in careers; that is, they tend to hold higher positions, are happier, and earn more money.

Source: The Women’s College Coalition (www.womenscolleges.org)

Famous graduates of women’s colleges include:

Madeline Albright and Hillary Rodham Clinton, both of whom graduated from Wellesley.

Anna Quindlen—Author and Martha Stewart—Entrepreneur, graduated from Barnard

Katherine Hepburn—Academy Award-winning actress, Drew Gilpin Faust—First female president of Harvard University and Nettie Stevens—Geneticist who discovered that X and Y chromosomes determine sex graduated from Bryn Mawr.

Gwen Ifill—Managing editor of Washington Week on PBS and moderator of Presidential Debates graduated from Simmons College.

Gloria Steinem—Women's rights activist and author, Betty Friedan—Author of The Feminine Mystique and Julia Child—Chef and author, all graduated from Smith.

And the list goes on from there.

- -

Leave footprints.

While collecting information as you explore colleges is easily done without letting colleges

know you were “looking,” there is great, great value in providing your name and contact

information. Once you make a formal information request, colleges can let you know when

they may run a program in the LA area, when they may visit Chadwick or possibly invite you

to a special weekend program on their campus. And, larger numbers of colleges track contacts

as they try to measure “demonstrated interest.” If the first and only formal contact they have

with you is via the application itself, received on the deadline day, they may not view your application as a

reflection of serious interest.

All college websites have some mechanism for formally making an inquiry and requesting information. We

suggest strongly that you do so. You may also find a link to those forms through Naviance Family

Connection, by clicking on the envelope icon on the far right of each college name, then “Request

Information,” if it appears.

There are, of course, other tried and true ways to make the contact. You certainly may call the admission

office. Or, write an email. Or even a postcard. The message below is a simple, “bare bones” email, and you

may add to it as you wish. You can send an email directly to a college from the Naviance Family Connection

website by clicking on the envelope icon on the far right of each college name, then “Send an Email.”

To the Office of Admission:

I am currently a second semester junior at Chadwick School in Palos Verdes Peninsula, California. I am interested in learning more

about [INSERT NAME OF COLLEGE / UNIVERSITY] and would like to receive some general information on your curriculum and

campus. I am also interested in learning more about (academic interest(s), possible majors, and extracurricular interests).

Please send application materials at your earliest convenience. [OPTIONAL: Please send application materials and information on

financial aid and scholarships at your earliest convenience.]

Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Your name

Home Address

Phone Number

Email Address

Chadwick School – School Code 052680

If you have a specific talent, you may also want to send an email or a letter to an athletic coach, theater

department chairperson, art department chairperson, etc. to request information about their program. These

email addresses are frequently found on the college’s website, and you may also call the admission office for

help finding this information. It is important to describe your background in that particular field in the email.

If you are a student who would be underrepresented at that college, or, first-generation college-bound, or a low

income student, you may also want to send an email to the college’s multicultural recruitment coordinator to

request information about visiting opportunities, travel assistance, and campus life.

Feel free to see one of the counselors for guidance in writing any of these emails.

- -

Notes

- -

PLEASE NOTE, there are changes affecting the

PSAT and SAT for the class of 2017. SAT/PSAT

information here is only for the classes of 2016

and earlier.

- -

Almost all colleges and universities to which you are applying will require national standardized testing, either the SAT, or the ACT, and/or and SAT Subject Tests. These tests serve as a national standard that an admission committee can use to compare applicants from different high schools across the country. Although they are an important part of the admission process, they are not as important as students tend to think.

The Chadwick School code for the SAT and the ACT is 052680

The SAT (Please note, this applies to the Class of 2016 and earlier classes only. The SAT and PSAT will change for the Classes of 2017 and later.)

• PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Semifinalist Qualifying Test): Taken in the fall

of the sophomore and junior year, this exam is a practice exam for the SAT Reasoning Test and measures analytical skills in critical reading, mathematics and writing. It is not required or used by colleges for admission purposes. When taken in the fall of the junior year, it is used as the preliminary cut-off for the National Merit Scholarship Program.

• SAT exam: This exam measures analytical skills in critical reading, mathematics and writing. Most colleges require this exam or the ACT, described below. We recommend that students take this exam once in the spring of the junior year and then again in fall of the senior year.

• SAT Subject Tests: These are one-hour subject-based tests. Students may take one, two, or three tests in one sitting. These tests should be taken upon the completion of the appropriate classes at Chadwick, such as Math II after your Pre-calculus course, or U.S. History after your U.S. History class. Some, but not all, colleges require these tests. Some colleges may have the student complete two subject tests for admissions purposes, as long as they are in different discipline areas. For example, a student may fulfill the requirement with Biology and U.S. History, but not Biology and Chemistry. Some specific majors may recommend particular SAT Subject tests. Always verify the SAT Subject Test requirements of all the colleges to which you are applying.

• Check www.sat.collegeboard.org for additional information or to register for the exam.

American College Testing (ACT)

• PLAN: Taken in the fall of the sophomore and junior year, this exam is a practice exam for the ACT exam and measures skills in English, math, reading, and science. It is not required or used by colleges for admission purposes.

• ACT exam: This exam has four sections based on high school curriculum: English, math, reading, and science. There is an optional (but strongly suggested) 30-minute writing section which many colleges, including the UCs, will require. Most colleges accept either the ACT or the SAT, described above. We recommend that students take this exam once in the spring of the junior year and then again in fall of the senior year.

• Check www.actstudent.org for additional information or to register for the exam.

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http://www.actstudent.org/
































































































































Advanced Placement Exams (APs)

Students enrolled in Advanced Placement classes take these subject exams during the month of May. APs can be used towards college credit and / or placement with a score of 3, 4, or 5. For juniors, whose scores may strengthen their college applications, and seniors, whose strong performance may open opportunity for early connection with college faculty for research opportunities and class access, there are compelling reasons to complete the AP course with the exams. Students register for the exam through their AP class teacher and will be billed on their student account. Students wishing to take an AP exam who are not currently enrolled in the corresponding AP class at Chadwick should speak with Mrs. Bernstein to register for the exam.

AP Credit Policy Search

Through the College Board website there is an opportunity to explore credit possibilities early, college by college and in some cases, course by course. https://apscore.collegeboard.org/creditandplacement/search-credit-policies

Sampling of AP Credit Policy

College

Offers credit for AP exams Offers placement into higher-level

courses for AP exams Amherst College No Yes

Brown No Yes

Bucknell Yes Yes

Carnegie Mellon Yes Yes

Chapman Yes Yes

Claremont McKenna Yes Yes

Columbia Yes Yes

Cornell Yes Yes

Dartmouth Yes Yes

Duke Yes Yes

Emerson Yes Yes

George Washington Yes Yes

Georgetown Yes Yes

Harvard Yes Yes

Johns Hopkins Yes Yes

LMU Yes Yes

Middlebury Yes Yes

NYU Yes Yes

Princeton Yes Yes

Rensselaer Yes Yes

SMU Yes Yes

Stanford Yes Yes

Tufts Yes Yes

Tulane Yes Yes

U Arizona Yes Yes

U Chicago Yes Yes

U Michigan Yes Yes

U North Carolina Yes Yes

U Notre Dame Yes Yes

U Pennsylvania Yes Yes

UC Berkeley Yes Yes

UC San Diego Yes Yes

UCLA Yes Yes

USC Yes Yes

Vanderbilt Yes Yes

Washington U. – St. Louis Yes Yes

Wesleyan (CT) Yes Yes

Williams College No Yes

Yale Yes Yes

- -

Q: What’s the best way to prepare for the SAT or the ACT ?

A: The best preparation is straightforward: you should work hard in the most challenging courses you can handle, and read as much as possible. College admission staffs are more impressed by an academic record that shows real effort and achievement than they are by standardized test scores.

Q: What if I want to do more to prepare for the SAT?

A: In the spring of 11th grade (before the March SAT exam administration), you may spend some time at the SAT Preparation Center (http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/), which includes extensive information about the SAT, thorough interactive tutorials on different question types, and sample questions from previous tests, with explanations, and offers these services for no fee. Yes, that’s right, for free. Students who took the PSAT will have a customized study plan available for them without charge called My College Quickstart. You may consider ordering The Official SAT Online Course from the College Board website. You may also use The College Board’s own book The Official SAT Study Guide, available for purchase on the website or in your local bookstore. This book is also available for consultation in the college counseling center’s library. The College Board is also partnering to provide free SAT preparation through Khan Academy. (https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat )

Q: What if I want to do more to prepare for the ACT?

A: In the spring of 11th grade (before the April ACT exam administration), you may visit the “Test Prep” section of the ACT website (http://www.actstudent.org/testprep), which includes extensive information about the ACT, thorough tutorials on different question types, questions of the day, practice test questions. Many of these services are offered for no fee. Yes, that’s right, for free. The ACT Online Prep program is available for purchase at a reasonable fee and is valid for one year. You may also use the ACT’s own book The Real ACT Prep Guide that is available for purchase on their website or in your local bookstore. This book is also available for consultation in the college counseling center’s library.

Q: What about preparation for the SAT Subject Tests?

A: Your best preparation for SAT Subject Tests occurs in the classroom; however, you may use practice materials supplied by the College Board in their registration materials. You may also use the Real SAT Subject Tests book, available for purchase online or in your local bookstore. This book is also available for consultation in the college counseling center’s library.

Q: Is it worthwhile to take a commercial SAT or ACT coaching course?

A: Be careful to differentiate preparing from coaching. Coaching focuses on drills, tricks and memorization techniques. It can also use unrealistic testing situations, claim huge score increases, and take the form of expensive, commercial, out-of-school programs. Coaching can improve SAT or ACT test scores, but the benefit is marginal and has to be weighed against the cost both in terms of student time (which could be spent on other activities which are also appealing to colleges) and dollars.

Q: But aren’t test scores the most important thing colleges really consider?

A: No. You should remember that high scores alone do not guarantee admission, particularly at the most selective colleges and universities. SAT or ACT scores are only one part of an admission application, and getting into college is only the first step toward a college degree.

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https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/sat
































































































































http://www.actstudent.org/testprep
































































































































National

Test Date2 Test

Re

gis

trat

ion

D

ead

lin

e

Location

March 14, 2015

SAT Reasoning Test Only

Feb 13 On Campus

May 2, 2015

Sat Reasoning & Subject Tests

Apr 6 Off Campus

June 6, 2015

SAT Reasoning

and Subject Tests

May 8 On Campus

October 3,

20153

SAT Reasoning

and Subject Tests

Aug /TBA On campus

November 7,

20152

SAT Reasoning & Subject Tests & Language Tests with

Listening4

Sept / TBA Off Campus

December 5,

20152

SAT Reasoning & Subject Tests

Oct / TBA Off Campus

January 23,

20162

SAT Reasoning & Subject Tests

Dec / TBA Off Campus

March 5,

20162

REVISED SAT Reasoning

Only

Feb / TBA On Campus

May 7,

20162

REVISED SAT Reasoning & Subject Tests

Apr / TBA Off Campus

June 4

20162

REVISED SAT Reasoning & Subject Tests

May / TBA Off Campus

1 The Revised SAT will be offered for the first time in March

2016, affecting Chadwick’s Class of 2017 younger grades. 2 Sunday exam dates are scheduled following each Saturday Test Date for students who cannot test on Saturday because of a religious observance. October is the only exception with a Sunday test one week later in 2016, on October 11. 3 Test Dates tentative & not yet confirmed at publication

National Test Date1

Registration Deadline5

Location

April 18, 2015

March 13, 2015

Off campus

June 13, 2015

May 8, 2015

Off campus

September 12, 2015

August 7, 2015

Off campus

October 24, 2015

September 18, 2015

Off campus

December 12, 2015

November 6, 2015

Off campus

February 6, 2016

January 8, 2016

Off campus

April 9, 2016

March 4, 2016

Off campus

June 11, 2016

May 6, 2016

Off campus

Recommended for Chadwick Students to select from these testing dates:

Don’t over-test! Do plan to work with your College Counselor to choose from among these tests and dates, not all of them!

SAT ACT Junior Year Junior Year

March SAT April

May Subject Tests June

June Subject Tests

Senior Year Senior Year

October SAT September

Nov SAT or Subject Test with Listening

October

Dec SAT

December

4 SAT Language Tests with Listening are in November Only. Only one Language Test with listening can be taken during this testing period. A student may take another Language Test without the listening portion as an additional exam.

5 Late registration possible with an extra fee up to three weeks before the test administration - -

bpoch

Highlight

Table 1

Concordance between ACT Composite Score and

Sum of SAT Critical Reading and Mathematics Scores

SAT CR + M (Score Range)

ACT Composite Score SAT CR + M

(Single Score)

1600 36 1600

1540–1590 35 1560

1490–1530 34 1510

1440–1480 33 1460

1400–1430 32 1420

1360–1390 31 1380

1330–1350 30 1340

1290–1320 29 1300

1250–1280 28 1260

1210–1240 27 1220

1170–1200 26 1190

1130–1160 25 1150

1090–1120 24 1110

1050–1080 23 1070

1020–1040 22 1030

980–1010 21 990

940–970 20 950

900–930 19 910

860–890 18 870

820–850 17 830

770–810 16 790

720–760 15 740

670–710 14 690

620–660 13 640

560–610 12 590

510–550 11 530

To convert your SAT CR + M score (not including Writing) into an ACT Composite Score, locate your score in

the score range column on the left. Your ACT Composite Score will be next to it in the middle.

To convert your ACT Composite Score into a SAT CR + M score (not including Writing), locate your score in

the middle column. Your SAT CR + M score (not including Writing) will be next to it on the right.

- -

Table 2

Concordance between ACT Combined English/Writing Score

and SAT Writing Score

SAT Writing (Score Range)

ACT English/Writing Score SAT Writing

(Single Score)

800 36 800

800 35 800

770–790 34 770

730–760 33 740

710–720 32 720

690–700 31 690

660–680 30 670

640–650 29 650

620–630 28 630

610 27 610

590–600 26 590

570–580 25 570

550–560 24 550

530–540 23 530

510–520 22 510

480–500 21 490

470 20 470

450–460 19 450

430–440 18 430

410–420 17 420

390–400 16 400

380 15 380

360–370 14 360

340–350 13 340

320–330 12 330

300–310 11 310

To convert your SAT Writing score into an ACT English/Writing Score, locate your score in the score range

column on the left. Your ACT English/Writing will be next to it in the middle.

To convert your ACT English/Writing Score into a SAT Writing score, locate your score in the middle column.

Your SAT Writing score will be next to it on the right.

- -

Table 3

Estimated Relationship between ACT Composite Score and SAT CR+M+W Score

ACT Composite Score

Estimated SAT CR + M + W

Estimated SAT CR + M + W

(Score Range)

ACT Composite Score

36 2390 2380–2400 36

35 2330 2290–2370 35

34 2250 2220–2280 34

33 2180 2140–2210 33

32 2120 2080–2130 32

31 2060 2020–2070 31

30 2000 1980–2010 30

29 1940 1920–1970 29

28 1880 1860–1910 28

27 1820 1800–1850 27

26 1770 1740–1790 26

25 1710 1680–1730 25

24 1650 1620–1670 24

23 1590 1560–1610 23

22 1530 1510–1550 22

21 1470 1450–1500 21

20 1410 1390–1440 20

19 1350 1330–1380 19

18 1290 1270–1320 18

17 1230 1210–1260 17

16 1170 1140–1200 16

15 1100 1060–1130 15

14 1020 990–1050 14

13 950 910–980 13

12 870 820–900 12

11 780 750–810 11

For all concordance table methodology, please consult http://www.act.org/aap/concordance/index.html.

- -

It is your responsibility to send your scores to each college or university to which you are applying, and to do so in advance of the application deadline.

SAT Score Report

Colleges and universities that have SAT and SAT Subject Tests as part of their admission selection criteria will require you to have The College Board send an official copy of your testing record. Colleges require the official report, not a copy from Chadwick. Test scores are not provided by Chadwick. This official copy is called a Score Report, and it includes each SAT test taken unless you opted for “Score Choice”. See the additional note below.

Score Choice

Information regarding the SAT Score Choice policy can be found in this section. Our recommendation is that students do not use Score Choice because most colleges and universities use the highest reported scores on your score report, usually the best score for each section (“super scoring”).

To Send SAT and SAT Subject Test Scores

Please read the directions in the SAT Registration Bulletin or in the “Send Your Scores” section of the www.sat.collegeboard.org website.

If you are applying to a college under an Early Action/Early Decision/Early Notification plan, you should send your scores by mid-October or request that scores be sent to your college at the time that you register for the October test. November scores will not be available in time for the Early process unless specified by the respective college. When you register for your last SAT exam, be sure to indicate that you want your scores sent to all the colleges to which you are applying. If you plan to wait until you receive your scores before sending them to colleges, be very mindful of deadlines. It’s generally a waste of time to use “rush reporting services” because colleges typically receive scores electronically but be sure your scores will arrive by admission deadlines.

If you are applying to the UCs, you may send your score report to just one UC campus, and they will forward it to all other UC campuses.

If you are applying to the CSUs, you should list the CSU Mentor institution code for Chadwick [3594], so that CSUMentor can store your scores for any CSU campus to retrieve.

You may send your scores using the phone number 866-756-7346 or via the Web at www.sat.collegeboard.org. You will need to know your social security number and registration number. You may also send your scores to four schools, at no charge, each time you register for the exam. If you send your scores at any point and then take another exam at a later date, you will need to re-send your scores to the colleges to be updated. ETS will not update your record to the college automatically. For additional score reports (after the four free reports), there is a charge per college or university each time you send your scores.

Sending scores will be discussed in individual college meetings but note, again, SENDING SCORES IS A STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY.

- -

http://www.sat.collegeboard.org/
































































































































www.sat.collegeboard.org
































































































































It is your responsibility to send your scores to each college or university to which you are applying, and to do so in advance of the application deadline.

ACT Student Report Colleges and universities that have the ACT as part of their admission selection criteria will require you to have the ACT organization send an official copy of your testing record. This official copy is called a Student Report or Score Report, and provides the results from only one ACT test date on each score report. You may need to send multiple reports based on individual test dates to reflect your highest scores. Follow individual college instructions as some require the submission of all test results from all test administrations taken. Note: Colleges require the official report, not a copy from Chadwick, directly from the testing organization. Test scores are not provided to colleges by Chadwick.

To Send ACT Scores

Please read the directions in the “Send Your Scores to Others” section of the www.actstudent.org website.

You can have your ACT scores sent to colleges after you test in addition to the ones you selected when you registered or tested. Requests are processed AFTER your tests have been scored.

If you want to report more than one test date to the same college, first complete your request to report one test date and then choose “Send Your Scores” again and request a report for the other test date(s).

If you are applying to a college under an Early Action/Early Decision/Early Notification plan, you should

send your scores by early October. December scores will not be available in time for the early process unless specified by the respective college. Do not wait until you receive your scores to send them; if you do so, your scores may arrive past the time your application has been reviewed by the admissions office.

If you are applying to the UCs, you may send your score report to just one UC campus, and they will

forward it to all other UC campuses.

If you are applying to the CSUs, you may send your score report to just one CSU campus. Then you can use the ACT Scores Manager on the CSUMentor website to release your scores to additional CSU campuses. [Unlike for the SATs, there is no CSUMentor institution code for sending your ACT scores.]

You may send your scores via the internet at www.actstudent.org and logging into your ACT Web

account. There is a charge per test date per report.

Sending scores will be discussed in individual college meetings. Remember:

It is a STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY TO SEND OFFICIAL SCORES TO COLLEGES.

- -

http://www.csumentor.edu/admissionapp/actscores/ACTmatch.asp
































































































































































































































































FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING SCORE CHOICE

Q: Is Score Choice available for both SAT and SAT Subject Tests score reports?

A: Yes. Students can select which scores they send to colleges by test date for the SAT and by individual test for SAT Subject Tests.

Q: Does using Score Choice cost more?

A: No. This feature can be used on any score report sent (the four score reports available through registration or additional score reports) at no additional cost to students. Our pricing policy, with respect to additional score reports, has not changed.

Q: Does Score Choice put students who don't take the test multiple times at a disadvantage?

A: No. Research shows that students generally see modest score increases upon taking the test a second time. If there are gains from further testing, they tend to be even smaller.

Q: What if students do not abide by a college's or university's score-use practice?

A: As a matter of integrity, students are expected to follow college admissions policies, and the same is true with respect to a student's sending of test scores to colleges. Students are responsible for complying with the admissions requirements of the colleges, universities, and scholarship programs to which they apply. For example, when some colleges require reporting “All scores from all test administrations taken”, they do mean “ALL”.

Q: Is there a loophole that allows colleges to "opt out" of Score Choice?

A: Colleges cannot "opt out of" or "reject" Score Choice. Score Choice is a feature available to students. Colleges set their own policies and practices regarding the use of test scores. The College Board does not release SAT test scores without student consent. This continues under Score Choice. Colleges, universities, and scholarship programs will receive the scores applicants send to them.

Q: Does Score Choice affect other aspects of SAT registration and score-report timing, policies or processes?

A: No. Score Choice allows students to select which scores are sent to institutions. It does not affect score-report timing or other policies and procedures that are not directly related to sending score reports.

Q: Does Score Choice affect score sends?

A: All test scores are automatically sent to institutions with each score report if a student does not actively choose to use Score Choice. However, if a student chooses to use Score Choice, then the College Board will send only the scores that a student selects when sending a score report. This means that colleges cannot assume that all score reports include all student scores.

source: The College Board

- -

Notes

- -

The best way to get a sense of a particular school is by visiting and seeing for yourself

what the campus is really like. You don’t have to visit every school to which you are planning to apply, but it is strongly recommended that you visit at least several different campuses prior to filing applications. One key to a successful college search is to travel locally first! Fortunately, Chadwick is located within close driving distance of several outstanding colleges and universities: there are several large public universities (UC and Cal State campuses), a large private university (USC), liberal arts colleges (Occidental, Whittier, Pomona, Claremont McKenna, Pitzer), single-sex colleges (Scripps, Mt. St. Mary’s), science and engineering institutions (Harvey Mudd, Caltech), art colleges (Otis College of Art and Design, California Institute of the Arts) and religiously affiliated colleges (Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine). Visiting several different types of colleges will give you a better feeling of the general differences between schools. Even if you don’t plan to apply to any of the colleges listed above or even to stay in the Los Angeles area, they can be useful in guiding you to the types of schools you will like.

Planning the Visit If you plan a visit during a normal school day, you must submit a permission slip TEN DAYS in advance. The form is available in the college counseling office and must be signed by each instructor, the dean of students and your college counselor.

Tips: Whether planning an extensive trip to visit schools or just visiting one school locally,

once you have a date set aside you should call the admission office of the college to find out their schedule of tours and information sessions.

Almost every college will offer a half-hour to one-hour presentation (information session) led by an admission officer or admissions fellow and followed or preceded by a student tour.

Call at least two weeks in advance to find out the tour/information session times and make a reservation if necessary.

Plan to have a little time to walk around the campus on your own. You may want to visit a particular building or department that is not included in the official tour. You may also want to check out and even sample the dining facilities of the campus.

Some admission offices will be able to host you overnight with a current student and/or have you visit a class.

Call ahead to schedule an appointment with a coach if you are interested in playing on an inter-collegiate team.

We do not recommend visiting more than two colleges per day. When to Visit There are some trade-offs as to when the best time is to visit a college campus. Spring break of your junior year or the summer after your junior year is often convenient for you and your family to make a preliminary visit. Spring break is often quite ideal because usually the college spring break does not coincide with Chadwick’s spring break. Summer is less ideal as most campuses are devoid of student life during that time, making it difficult to evaluate what the campus is really like during the school year. It is advisable to have a follow up visit at the campuses you are most interested in attending when they are in session and when you have more time at each campus.

- -

The fall of your senior year may provide other opportunities to visit campuses. Many schools are open for visits on weekends and may even offer one- or two-day prospective student programs in the fall. Some schools may offer multicultural visit programs (or “fly-in” programs) for students from multicultural, low-income, or first-generation college-bound backgrounds. Some of these programs are at little-to-no cost

for the student. Again, call ahead to find out the dates and times, or check the admissions section of the college website which usually has visit information. Some students will take up to five days off from school (with the permission of the Dean of Students and teachers) to visit campuses. Plan ahead for student holidays like Columbus Day weekend as colleges get heavily booked with visitors at these times. Finally, you may plan to visit colleges once you know where you have been admitted. Many colleges will host “admitted student” programs where you can spend a night on campus and meet with faculty. These programs do help you make up your mind on which college to attend.

“Must See” Stops on your Visit Every college visit should include stops at the following:

Residence Halls — This is a chance to see where students live in relation to the classrooms, the student center, the library, etc. Location and ease of access to the campus as well as the kind of student life there is actually more important than the architectural beauty of the dorm.

Classrooms, Science and Computer Labs — Visiting different academic buildings can give you a sense of the average class size and structure. Are the classrooms typically lecture or seminar style?

Student Center — Is there a well-maintained student center with meeting rooms, game rooms, and lounges where students can hang out? It is worth picking up a campus newspaper and reviewing bulletin boards and student announcements; these things can tell you a great deal about the student life on the campus and the issues that concern students.

Library — How large is the library? Are there rooms to meet with other students, and quiet places to study away from roommates and other distractions? How many volumes of books? Research tools?

Athletic Facilities — Are there facilities available for non-varsity athletes? What are the hours of operation?

Dining Halls &Snack Bars — Plan to have at least one meal on campus during your stay. Ask if students are required to be on the meal plan and whether there are multiple dining facilities on campus. Ask the students what they think of the food.! These are great spots to eavesdrop and get a feel for some of the things students talk about, think about and to notice how they engage with each other.

Specific Departments/Facilities — It is not always possible to include every building on the tour, so in that situation be sure to ask the tour guide to point out the building(s) that house the department(s) that you would like to investigate on your own. Sometimes you will find a professor or student that will have a moment or two to answer your questions.

Use the campus visit summary sheet at the end of this section to help you organize your visits. Or, devise your own….

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Many colleges will offer interviews for prospective students over summer and in the fall of the senior year. We recommend that students visiting campuses request an interview if they are offered. This must be done well in advance of the visit. Realize that during any April, admitted students (seniors) are given priority in campus visits. On-campus interviews will be conducted by either an admission officer or a trained student interviewer. In either case, interviews are typically informal exchanges of information. The interview can give the admission person a more in-depth understanding of the student, both academically and personally, and the student can learn more about that particular college or university. The interview process is a two-way street, and the student should see it as an opportunity to “interview” the college.

When?

When should you interview? Colleges that offer interviews rarely require the submission of an application before interviewing. Don’t wait! Because of travel, some may interview as early as Spring Break of the junior year. Our experience is that students present themselves best in interviews late in summer or through the fall of the senior year, after they have gained perspective on colleges generally and more specifically about their own needs and learning styles.

Some colleges “recommend” interviews. Some “expect” interviews. Some offer no individual interviews.

Some make interview arrangements only after a student submits an application and some are happy to meet with students any time after during or after the second semester of their junior year in high school. Most that offer interviews stop interviews by January 1 for seniors because they move into selection sessions. Some only begin to offer alumni interviews in January of the senior year. How do you sort it out? Pay attention. YOU must know the rules and expectations for each college you are planning to interview and for which you will make an application. Read!!!

CALL AHEAD. Most colleges offering campus interviews suggest calling at least two to three weeks in advance to schedule an appointment. We strongly urge you to call even earlier, especially if your visit to the campus will be later in the fall semester. Many will completely fill their November or December interview schedules very early. Some may offer Saturday morning interviews and they fill most

quickly, followed by Friday and Monday interviews. If you have the flexibility for mid-week visits, you may have greatest ease of scheduling and have the bonus opportunity to see a campus in its most “normal” academic state, rather than on a Friday afternoon or Saturday when classes are least likely to be held.

Preparation Before arriving on campus for an interview, review information on the college. You will be much more impressive in an interview if you demonstrate some knowledge of the campus and the programs but, do not recite a view book back to your interviewer. (They wrote it, after all….) Connect your interests to what the college offers. You should expect that the interviewer will know nothing about you beyond your home state or city and your high school. In most cases you will not have submitted an application before the interview so you arrive as a “blank slate.” Consider that an opportunity. But don’t be insulted if the interviewer has not read your application even if it was submitted. It gives them the opportunity to really engage you in a conversation without pre-existing notions. Note the aspects you like most about the college and write down some questions you want to ask your interviewer. You should feel comfortable to bring a notepad into the interview with your questions written down. Feel free to take notes as well but it’s really best to do that shortly after the interview rather than during the exchange.

If the college offers an interview, just do it.

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Please setup an appointment with your college counselor if you would like some advice on college

interviews, or would like to practice. Use LikeLive®, through Naviance, for practice even before a practice

interview with a college counselor. But don’t worry. You are allowed and expected to be a high school student in these interviews! In fact, if you are too rehearsed and too cautious in responses trying to tell the interviewer what you may think they want to hear, the interviewer may not feel that he or she has really had a chance to get to know you.

Some Guidelines for the Interview Be on time. It is far better to arrive early than to arrive late!

Be presentable in terms of attire. Go “appropriate.” It’s not necessary to dress formally (but shorts and t-shirts are too casual, even for a California college).

Be prepared to thoughtfully talk about yourself and your interests. The interviewer may have specific questions or may leave it up to you to direct the conversation. Be prepared to speak about why you are interested in applying to or attending this particular college. Remember that the interviewer is taking time to interview you, so at a minimum you should display interest and enthusiasm for what you have seen and heard about their college, as well as express enthusiasm about yourself, your passions, and your goals.

Prepare some sample questions to ask. See the next page for some helpful guidelines.

Ask for a business card at the end of the interview and follow-up with a handwritten thank you note or email to your interviewer.

Skype®, Video or Phone Interviews and LikeLive® practice

Colleges more frequently are offering interview alternatives for students who cannot visit the campuses.

These remote interviews may be conducted by admission officers via phone or Skype® appointment or may be in

the form of a video submission or an asynchronous video interview platform where students are “met” through questions and spontaneous answers submitted to the sponsoring college or university. Through Naviance Family

Connection, Chadwick students may take advantage of LikeLive® practice video interviews, challenging themselves

with both questions and presentation in preparation for either live or video interviews. They may share the practice video for critical feedback from counselors or others with whom they may share the video. Learn more about this from your counselor!

Alumni Interviews

Many colleges offer off-campus interviews to applicants and these meetings are conducted by alumni living in the local area. (“Local” can sometimes be broadly defined by colleges not keyed into LA traffic and geography!) Alumni volunteers help provide information about the college and then submit interview reports on each student contacted. You should follow the same guidelines for these interviews as for on-campus interviews.

Colleges have very different approaches to scheduling alumni interviews. Some invite you to contact them to request alumni interviews if you cannot visit their campus or are unable to schedule the interview when you visit. Some provide that opportunity BEFORE you submit an application. Some will extend the alumni interview offer only after the application was submitted. You may need to schedule those meetings with relatively little notice. Some colleges from other parts of the USA have scheduled “alumni interview days” in the Los Angeles area, sending teams from their admission office along with local alumni to meet in central locations for a day or two of meetings.

As in all aspects of the admission process, it extremely important that YOU are responsible for taking the initiative to read carefully and understand the procedures for each school you are pursuing.

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Mission of the College

Does your institution have a teaching or research orientation? How does that translate to the student experience?

What makes this college special? What makes it special for YOU? (the tour guide or admission officer or faculty member)

How does your college view its place in the community? In the world?

How would you define the campus climate with regards to diversity and inclusion? How do you personally experience that?

Academics

How accessible are the faculty members?

Are courses taught by faculty members or graduate students? Which classes are taught by graduate students?

Is tutoring available from faculty?

What is the average size of an introductory class? Other classes?

Are many students shut out of classes they want or need?

Is there a required core group of courses? What is the philosophy behind the core curriculum?

When must a major be declared? How difficult is it to change a major?

Are there unusual academic or professional opportunities? Interdisciplinary majors, specializations?

Is there an academic resource center dedicated to student achievement?

Make-Up of Student Body

What is the percentage of students from out-of-state?

What is the percentage of students of color? International students?

What is the percentage of students receiving financial aid?

What is the percentage of students who are first-generation college-bound?

Housing

Is housing guaranteed? What are the residence hall options (single sex, co-educational, gender-neutral, etc.)?

Are there any themed residence halls, houses or dorms, such as substance free, multicultural, LGBTQ, or language specific?

Activities and Student Life

What types of clubs and organizations are there? How easy is it to join? How easy is it to start a club or organization?

What cultural and recreational opportunities are available on campus?

What sort of programming do you have for special interest groups?

Are there fraternities or sororities on campus? Are they local or national? What percentage of students belongs to fraternities and sororities? Are they important to the social life?

Do most students stay on campus during the weekend?

What is the most popular event of the year?

What is the atmosphere/personality of the campus?

What are some of your college’s annual traditions?

Does the sports program offer a genuine alternative to intercollegiate, highly competitive sports activities for people who want to play but who may be a level below the varsity level?

What are the athletic facilities like and are they available to non-varsity students?

Admission and Financial Aid

Has the number of applications increased?

How many students are accepted under early decision/early action? What percentage of the class is accepted under early decision/early action?

On what criteria are students evaluated (in order of importance)?

Is financial need a factor in admission? How does your college determine financial need?

Most questions courtesy of College Visits • www.college-visits.com

Some questions are more appropriate to ask an admission officer, and some of student tour guides, staff or faculty. Some should be explored by you, the prospective student, before visiting the college or university and may be investigated through discussion with your college counselor and through college guide books or websites.

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College Name: ___________________________________ Visit Date: ____________

Names, phone numbers, e-mails that may be needed later (regional admissions officer, coach, student, etc.):

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Overall impression of this college:

Outstanding Good Fair Poor

What was the best thing about this college? ______________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

What was the worst thing about this college? _____________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

On a scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being highest), rate the college on these factors. Remember to focus on what

matters to you.

Academic offerings: 1 2 3 4 5

Student body & social life: 1 2 3 4 5

Campus facilities: 1 2 3 4 5

Availability of financial aid: 1 2 3 4 5

Admission standards: 1 2 3 4 5

Other __________________: 1 2 3 4 5

Overall rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Other observations / memorable quote: _________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

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Notes

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CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE®

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The fall of the senior year will arrive before you know it (trust us!), and with it comes the heart of the application process.

Plan ahead and stay organized.

Try to get as much work done over the summer as possible.

Filling out applications and writing essays will be as time consuming as taking an additional class—ask the Class of ‘14; they can surely attest to this. You should begin drafting some of your essays over the summer and completing some of the forms. Common Application essays certainly take time but individual Common Application supplements for colleges may be even more time intensive and important. You will be asked to bring one of these essays to the Senior College Workshop at the beginning of the school year.

Be sure to keep all of your applications organized and keep track of all of your deadlines, college specific instructions and expectations. You can use the checklist in the appendix to help you or may wish to create your own spreadsheet so that you and your parents may all keep on task.

How many applications? How much is too much?

By the fall of your senior year you should have researched your preliminary list and narrowed it down to about a dozen schools. In the end, we strongly recommend that you apply to no more than 8 to 10 colleges. (Remember that any number of the UCs count as one choice, while any number of the CSUs may count as another choice.)

Based on the experiences of present (and previous) counselors, we feel that applying to more than 10 colleges likely will have adverse effects on your senior year because:

1. it is very difficult to develop and maintain relationships with more than ten college representatives;

2. the time you spend on the additional college applications and relationships with college representatives will take time away from your class work;

3. the process will end up dictating your life rather than the other way around;

4. keeping track of multiple and varied requirements may lead to mistakes in applications or procedures and;

5. you should enjoy your last year of high school and not let the college process dominate it.

6. Examining past Chadwick students’ college decisions, we found a less than 1% rate of admission for those students adding entirely new college applications to their lists in December or later. Writing a good application requires care and time. A mad dash at the end adds work, stress and exceptionally few positive results.

Your final list should include a range of selectivity: reach, possible, and likely options. Every school on your list should be a school that you would be happy to attend. If you do not like your “likely” schools, you have not finished constructing your list.

Worth repeating: There is a lot of work ahead. As in all aspects of the admission process, it is extremely important that the applicant is responsible for taking the initiative to read carefully and understand the procedures for each school of interest. “Common Application” does not necessarily mean common procedures or deadlines for each college.

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May I Apply Early Action to More than One College? Maybe. Some colleges and universities have “Single Choice Early Action” programs, explicitly limiting the student to one

early action application. Some offer unrestricted early action plans, permitting multiple early applications.

If you apply early action to more than one college, be prepared to do a lot of thinking over the summer, before you return to school for your senior year. In the past, students who made multiple early action

applications without advance preparation experienced a drop in their grades at the time of their progress reports. That’s not good because most colleges ask for mid-fall progress grades for Early Action and Early Decision students. Be aware that early deadlines typically fall either at November 1 or November 15 and collide with SAT/ACT test dates, Chadwick’s fall theater and / or music performance dates and homecoming activities in addition to mid-fall exams and due dates.

University of California (UC) Applications The filing period for these applications is November 1 - 30. The UC System has developed an excellent PowerPoint presentation that will take you step-by-step through the process. They also have a great “quick-start to applying” guide as well. We strongly recommend that you review your final application and submit it by November 15th. Remember, you will have the UC essay prompts in advance and can begin working on the essays over the summer. Contrary to popular belief, the personal statement for the UCs is read in all cases, so you will want to spend some time perfecting it. Please note that the UC application is only available online beginning October 1st at www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/

California State University (CSU) Applications The filing period for the CSU applications is October 1 to November 30. The CSU apps are only available online, www.csumentor.edu. Submit your apps early—preferably by October 15th—because many campuses have impacted programs.

Out-of-State Public Universities Not all public universities operate like the UC and CSU systems. In fact, each state has its own specific procedures, deadlines, and requirements. Some of their deadlines may be “received by/no later than” deadlines, not only for your materials but for all of your supporting documents as well; if you miss those type of deadlines, your application will not be reviewed in most cases. You must find out the specifics for each college and stay on top of things.

Private Colleges These applications can be more time consuming and require one or more essays and short-answer prompts and often include a series of supplements to the Common Application. They have varying dead-lines, which include scholarship and application deadlines. Once again, it is your responsibility to stay on top of things. Most private colleges now use the Common Application. Common Application does NOT mean common procedures or deadlines at each college.

The Common Application Many colleges and universities (over 400) accept The Common Application, which is produced by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). Students complete the singular application and can submit it online. Be aware, though, that colleges will often have supplemental forms to complete in addition to the Common Application. Many supplements are due with, not after the Common App submission.

In most cases, the supplemental essays are very important and usually the most demanding part of the application process. They add to your workload and have a way of sneaking up on you, so plan well in advance of deadlines. Many colleges consider them even more important than the Common Application basic

essays. For more information and to create an account, visit www.commonapp.org.

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Writing your college essay may be the first time you are being asked to write a self-reflective, non-academic essay. Ideally it should be fun, and allow you to be thoughtful in new ways. Below are some suggestions that will help you make this task less intimidating. An essay writing overview will be conducted in late spring, and a writing workshop will be held in August. You will be required to bring a draft of a college essay with you to the Senior Retreat.

Your personal statements should reflect your own ideas and be written by you alone.

College Essay Suggestion #1: Avoid clichés and overused topics, such as:

Winning a big game/contest/election

Your summer trip abroad

Your service trip to build a house/church/etc.

Phrases like “little did I know…”

Introductions or conclusions that restate the prompt

These topics don’t tell an admission committee anything interesting about you; they have heard all of this before from thousands of other students. You will know if you have followed Suggestion 1 if your essay is a story only you can tell. If someone could have the exact same experience and the exact same feelings about the experience, avoid writing about it; chances are someone has already done so. Remember that some of the daily

activities that to you seem banal may be very unique and interesting to others. The Exception to Suggestion 1: If you can turn one of those topics into a story that is unique to you, then do write about it. College Essay Suggestion #2: Avoid writing about someone else… unless… It’s great that you respect your dad or your grandmother but don’t write about their list of accomplishments or how incredible they are. The admission officer will want to admit them and not you. Instead think of how your dad or grandmother inspired, motivated, or changed you, and write about that experience. College Essay Suggestion #3: Try writing “Slice of Life” Stories

Try to think of specific moments that have touched you or changed you, and write about those experiences. These moments do not have to be big moments in your life, but they should reveal many personal

details about you. Your feelings are key information—they help tell the reader who you are and what you value. After you’ve written about the experience, explain how that moment affected your

actions thereafter, or how it may shape your outlook in the future, again be specific. Ask yourself the question “So what?” after you’ve reviewed your essay. If you’ve answered that question you’ve

accomplished your goal. Keep in mind the tone of your writing. Try to write as if you were speaking to an acquaintance who wants to get to

know you better. Do not think of admission officers as complete strangers; they have learned a great deal about you from the rest of your application, so don’t be too formal. However, they are not your best

friends either, so don’t be too chatty or casual. Remember, the admission representatives have already formed an idea about you based on your grades, recommendations and activities. Your essay is your chance to complete the picture; let your personality and your voice shine through.

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Other suggestions:

Be sure to answer the question or prompt. Do not try to use the same essay for all of your college applications (except on the Common App), but there may be times when you can use the bulk of an essay and adapt parts of it to suit the specific essay question.

The best essay will be your own unique story with details that are energetic, colorful and crisp.

Use your own voice and style.

Be specific and concrete—always. For example, often it is more effective to use an example to demonstrate what you think than to “tell” what you think.

You are not bound to the traditional 5-paragraph essay. In some cases, three paragraphs will make the point.

Be mindful of an applications word or character limits.

Be careful of using sarcasm; it rarely translates well on paper.

Avoid pontificating on social issues. However, a discussion of your point of view on a social issue in which you write from a personal perspective can be a wonderful essay.

Accentuate the positive. You can describe the negatives but emphasize what you learned from the experience without overstating what you learned—make sure it is believable.

Write in the active voice.

Leave time for re-writing. Write a first draft, let it sit for a few days, and then go back to it. Look for grammatical errors, dull or weak spots. Never let your first draft be your final draft.

Revise and reword. Read the essay aloud to find awkward sentences or problems.

It is important to get a second opinion. Your college counselor is happy to read your essays and provide feedback, as are your English teachers.

Some pitfalls to avoid:

Using words that are not in your normal vocabulary.

Avoid having too many adults read or edit your essays. Your words need to sound like YOU.

Trying to be outrageous or funny unless you are usually outrageous or funny.

Using your essay as a chance to brag or to make excuses.

Using the essay to list all your activities. You’ve already done that elsewhere in your application.

Using cliché words, phrases, or expressions.

CAUTION: Do not be tempted by companies or adults that will want to write your essay for you or help with the editing process. Admission officers see your grades, your tests scores, and your teacher recommendations; if your writing does not align with these representations, the essay will work against you. If admission officers are not certain of the authenticity of your work, they have the option of downloading the essays you wrote during your standardized tests as a comparison. Doubt will not work in a candidate’s favor. You do not need to hire or consult with anyone other than your college counselor or English teacher. Anything beyond that may be construed as dishonest.

Your personal statements should reflect your own ideas and be written by you alone.

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The personal statement helps colleges become acquainted with you in ways different from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It will demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself. The colleges are looking for an essay that will help them know you better as a person and as a student. Essays may also help indirectly place in context the recommendation letters and transcripts. They may add when they help put the puzzle of the application together. They are, in short, an opportunity if used well. If they do not “fit” with the rest of the application (a complete reinvention of self or one heavily assisted by outside help) essay may, in fact, undermine an application. Remember, the personal statements may be compared with SAT or ACT essay writing samples to find or verify the author’s “voice”.

Personal Essay Topic Choices and Instructions Revised for 2015-16 www.commonapp.org

Essay Instructions & New Prompts Revised for the 2015-16 Common Application:

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don’t feel obligated to do so. (The application won’t accept a response shorter than 250 words.)

We are pleased to share the 2015-2016 Essay Prompts with you. New language appears in italics:

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

Note: These are the “main essay” prompts only, and do not reflect short answer prompts or individual college application supplements, that often are extensive.

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The Common

Application NEW Preview Function

In 2015-16, applicants will be able to Preview the completed portions of their application, screen by screen, at any point in time, not just as part of the submission process. The new “Preview” button will be located on each page, just to the left of the Instructions & Help Center header. In the example below, the applicant is on the Profile screen. Clicking Preview from here will generate a printable view of the completed sections of the Profile screen. In this example, the applicant has entered information into the following sections of the Profile screen: Personal Information, Contact Details, Demographics, and Language. These completed sections appear in the Preview: To Preview and print a different screen (Family, Education, Testing, Activities or Writing), the applicant would navigate to that screen and click the Preview button from there. If the applicant has not yet entered any information into a particular section, that section will appear blank on the Preview.

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Essay Optional?? Starting with the 2015-2016 application year, Common Application Member

colleges and universities will have the choice to require or not require the Common App Personal Essay. Here is what you can expect next year with respect to essay requirements and the submission process:

1. Member colleges and universities can choose to require or not require the Personal Essay as part of the application.

2. Applicants will always have the option to submit the Personal Essay if they wish to do so. 3. If the Personal Essay is required for a particular college, that requirement will be enforced during the

submission process. In other words, students will not be able to submit an application without this required element.

4. Individual Member writing requirements will be reflected in multiple places within the application. 5. Like all other parts of the application, the essay will remain editable for all applicants, at any time.

Chadwick counselor advice: EVEN IF it’s OPTIONAL, WRITE AN ESSAY

The University of California Personal Statement Questions – Section X (as of 1/05/12)

Your personal statements are an important part of your application for admission and scholarships.

Remember that the University will not review recommendations from your college counselor or teachers, so you are the only one who will be able to represent yourself. Therefore, the University uses the essays to learn more about you as an individual—your talents, experiences, achievements and points of view. Think of the personal statements as your opportunity to introduce yourself to the admissions officers and faculty who will be evaluating your application. Unlike other college and university admission offices, the University of California does not want “creative” essays—rather they want well-written, straightforward answers to their questions.

Present your information and ideas in a focused, in-depth, thoughtful, and meaningful manner. Support your ideas with specific examples.

Applicants should respond to the two questions below using a total of 1,000 words. This word limit is a maximum imposed by the UCs; the online system will not allow more than a thousand words to be entered. You may allocate the word count as you wish, but the shorter essay answer should be no fewer than 250 words. The online application, via www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/, has separate entry boxes for each question and a word counter to help applicants track the length of their responses. Remember to watch the word count carefully! Compose your essays in a plain text or Word document and paste them into the space provided in the application after you have reviewed them carefully.

Prompt #1: (freshman applicants only) Describe the world you come from—for example, your family, community

or school—and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

Prompt #2: (all applicants) Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience

that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

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While your transcript, test scores, and college essay are all very important to the colleges considering your viability for admission, there are other factors that may make a difference in your application and may improve your chances of getting into college.

Extracurricular Activities Extracurricular activities are important because they give colleges an idea of your interests and how you spend your time when you are not studying. They also give you an opportunity to demonstrate your leadership ability, help distinguish you from other applicants, and provide valuable insight into your personality.

o Participate in sports or activities because you enjoy them, not because you think they will “look good” to colleges.

There is no magic formula or checklist.

Personal activities, pursuits or hobbies may be important to include.

Summer and school time work are also important to include.

If your extracurricular commitments are limited due to distance from school or transportation or because you have family responsibilities, perhaps to younger siblings, be sure to discuss this with your college counselor for presentation in your applications.

o Do not overload on extracurricular activities just to impress colleges. Admission officers are interested in the depth of your commitment to your activities. They would rather see you sincerely committed to a few activities (not just one) than spread too thinly among ten and find attractive at least some long term involvements over brief dabbling on a longer list.

Athletics If you are an athlete and your coach feels that you can play your sport at a collegiate level, you will need to fill out an NCAA eligibility form before you apply to colleges. Forms are available in the Office of College Counseling.

Please consult with Ms. King, our athletic director, who has helpful information surrounding athletic recruitment and will work with both coaches and college counselors so that we may most fully support you in this process.

Be sure to refer to the Chadwick Athletic Department Website that also includes the links, below.

Information Links for Student Athletes and Their Parents Thinking of Playing Sports in College

College Athletic Information PDF Video of College Athletics Night 2012 15 College Turn-offs NCAA Rules & Requirements Gr 9-11 NCAA Rules & Requirements Gr 12 NCAA Sponsored Sports

Other Resources National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA: Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse NCAA: Guide for the College Bound Student-Athlete

An important New York Times year-long series on Athletic Recruitment is available in the Office of College Counseling.

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http://www.chadwickschool.org/uploaded/Athletics/Documents/NCAA_Rules_&_Requirements_Gr_9-11.pdf
































































































































































































































































http://www.chadwickschool.org/uploaded/Athletics/Documents/NCAA_Rules_&_Requirements_Gr_12.pdf
































































































































http://www.chadwickschool.org/uploaded/Athletics/Documents/NCAA_Sponsored_Sports.pdf
































































































































































































































































http://www.ncaa.org/mailbox/clearinghouse.html
































































































































http://www.chadwickschool.org/uploaded/Athletics/Documents/NCAA_Guide_for_College_Bound_Athlete.pdf
































































































































































































































































Some context and caution is always important. Realistic assessment of athletic talent and hopes is part of the self-discovery that will lead to good exploration of collegiate options. It is easy to be flattered by college coaches who are recruiting you, but be sure to protect yourself in the process. You should take almost everything a college coach may say with a grain of salt. Coaches may be fickle and may be working within a variety of conference or school recruiting guidelines that collide with their own sincere wishes for any given athlete. A coach may dearly want you to play for her/him when they speak to you in September of the senior year, but if ten players surface in October or November with considerable talents for the same position, you may be forgotten. College counselors and coaches want to work closely with you to make sure communications are fair, honest and to the student’s benefit. Some of the basic information requested initially by college recruiters may focus on GPA but grade trends may be ultimately much more important. The weight and role of athletics in admission processes varies tremendously, even within a college, from sport to sport or from year to year within one sport. Be mindful of promises made by college coaches because these promises are sometimes broken. College counselors and coaches, and the athletic director can only work most effectively for students when we all have the same information available, including work with coaches outside Chadwick in club sports or outside coaches.

Musical or Artistic Talents If you are a musician, performing or visual artist, applying to college can be a slightly different process. If you know that you want to apply to music, fine or performing arts programs, you will need to audition or present a portfolio to the college. If, however, you want to pursue music or arts in the context of a broad, liberal arts education, choose colleges that have academic offerings in those areas that also serve non-majors. Some colleges and universities are paired with conservatories of music that provide opportunity for double majors or dual degree programs (B.A and B.Music). Some provide opportunity for dual Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts

programs in the visual arts. Look to colleges and universities with active clubs or performing arts groups on campus to fit your needs.

Make sure you let the colleges know that you have a special talent or ability.

Some colleges provide a supplemental form with clear instructions for submission of portfolio or audition material to complete as either required or optional parts of their application. Many (most!) Common Application participating colleges use an online submission system called Slide Room or, alternatively, provide instructions for physical submission of material.

Alumni Connections Some colleges give special consideration to close relatives (legacies) of their alumni, such as parents and grandparents. In some institutions that consideration may include siblings, while others, like the University of California, explicitly do not make any special concessions to legacies.

Reality Check: Other alumni connections considered by families and students as important,

typically are much less significant to colleges. “Knowing someone” who is an alumnus and who may write a recommendation for an applicant may mean little more than that. Given the size of alumni bodies and the selectivity of many institutions of interest, the mathematical truth is that there are hugely more alumni than spaces in many of those freshman classes. Alumni influence, therefore, varies, if present at all. Unless the alumnus knows the applicant, not just the family, very well and may write in detail, the letter of general support may be acknowledged but not necessarily influential. At many institutions, this limit to influence may even include Trustees or Alumni Council members who may follow-up on candidates but whose responsibilities may not extend to nudging the admission of a student who is not otherwise fully competitive.

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Teacher References

Some colleges will ask for only one and some will permit up to three references. Approach this thoughtfully. (UC campuses, with the new exception of UC Berkeley, want zero teacher references.)

Ask the teachers early! Ask two teachers for recommendations preferably at the end of your junior year or, at the very latest, in beginning of your senior year.

Some teachers have many recommendations to write and may decline to write for you if you wait until the last minute. Ideally, you should select teachers who taught you in academic core subjects in the junior year and who know you well. Teachers from the senior year may not know you well enough to write you a recommendation, and teachers from the sophomore year may not be able to comment on your academic and personal growth since that time. Remember to talk to your college counselor about your choices, especially during your family meeting in second semester.

Ask the teachers if they can write you a favorable recommendation and allow them to say “no” if they don’t feel they can. Pick teachers who can comment on qualities like your academic scholarship, class participation, and passion for a particular subject. If they know your personal characteristics outside the classroom, that can be helpful, but is less important than their knowledge of you as a student. Consider comments teachers offered in “My Backpack” as an indication of the remarks they could offer on your behalf.

Provide a cover sheet that lists all of the colleges to which your teachers are sending recommendations and the dates that they are due.

For any school that does not accept electronic submission of materials, give the Teacher Recommendation or Teacher Evaluation form to your teachers with stamped and addressed envelopes no later than one month before the earliest application due date. The mailing address for each college or university can be found on their website or via Family Connection. For the return address, use the teacher’s name with the school address: Chadwick School, 26800 S. Academy Drive, Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274-3997. Be sure not to leave the return address blank, and do not put your personal address on the envelope. If not using the standard #10 envelope (standard business size), check with the U.S. Postal Service about size and weight, as some large envelopes may require additional postage.

By filling out the Common Application online, the top half of your electronic form will already have been completed. For colleges that do not accept electronic submissions, complete the top half of the paper forms that ask for your name, address, date of birth and/or social security number.

On the top half of the form, be sure check the box that says yes, you will waive access to the

recommendation. This will assure the college that the recommendation has been written in complete honesty, and accordingly, it will be given more credibility.

Keep your teachers updated on your progress and let them know where you were admitted.

Send “thank you” notes to your teachers within two weeks after you give them the cover sheet and recommendation forms. This not only expresses your appreciation, but it is a nice reminder for the teacher to send in your recommendations if s/he hasn’t done so.

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Counselor Recommendation / School Report (SR) Your college counselor will write a recommendation on your behalf that will be sent with your transcript, a school profile, and a School Report form. The recommendation will discuss academic, extracurricular, and personal achievements and talents. These letters are based on personal contact with your college counselor, information provided by teachers and coaches, and questionnaires that both you and your parents have completed.

Remember:

If you are applying to any school under an Early Action/Early Decision/Early Notification plan, you must turn in your final college list of 8-10 choices (signed by you and one parent), along with any paper secondary school forms, by October 15th. Early Decision/Early Action forms must also be turned in at this time.

For all other students, your final college list of 8-10 choices must be turned in (signed by you and one parent), along with any paper SR forms by November 1st of your senior year.

By filling out the Common Application online, the top half of your electronic form will already have been completed. For colleges that do not accept electronic submissions, complete the top half of the paper forms that ask for your name, address, date of birth and/or social security number.

As with the teacher recommendations, be sure check the box that says yes, you will waive access to the recommendation. This will assure the college that the recommendation has been written in complete honesty, and accordingly, it will be given more credibility.

You do not need to submit envelopes to the College Counseling Office with your SR forms. All school reports will be mailed in Chadwick envelopes or submitted electronically.

Additional Recommendations In some cases you may consider sending an extra letter of recommendation. Some colleges will not accept additional letters and some may limit outside references. A letter from an employer, coach, arts or drama teacher with whom you’ve worked for many years may be submitted in addition to the teacher recommendations. Make sure, though, that this person knows you well and is saying something not covered in your application or in any of the other recommendations. If you are going to make an admissions person read an additional letter, make sure it is worth their while. Follow the same instructions for mailing teacher recommendations. Your additional recommender should send their letters directly to the college’s admissions office.

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Dear Teacher Name, Thank you for taking the time to write a letter of recommendation for me. I know you are busy, and I really appreciate your help. Below is the list of colleges and universities to which I am applying. It is sorted by the due date by which I must submit my application. Common Application and other recommendation forms and letters can now be submitted online, but I have attached to this cover sheet the teacher forms for my colleges that still request paper forms and need to be mailed. In those instances where paper forms and recommendations must be submitted, I have included pre-addressed and pre-stamped envelopes for you. Once again, thank you. Sincerely, Sign Here Student Name

Student’s Paper Teacher Accepts Colleges Due Date Form Required Online Forms Univ. of Notre Dame (EA) Nov.1 no yes USC (priority) Dec.1 no yes Georgetown Univ. Jan. 1 no yes, but not Not Common App Trinity College Jan. 1 no yes College of the Holy Cross Jan. 15 no yes Univ. of San Francisco Jan. 15 no yes Ithaca College Feb. 1 no yes Holy Cross College Feb. 1 yes no

The teacher recommendation letter follow-up /thank you is due at the same time as your final college list. If you have any paper recommendations, you should attach any required teacher evaluation forms, as well as any pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelopes. Below is a sample letter:

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When requested by a college or university, the College Counseling Office will submit a School Report on the student’s behalf that will be added to her/his application for admission. The school report will contain academic, extracurricular, and/or personal information, including academic transcripts, from the College Counselor, Director of Upper School, Dean of Students, or Registrar. To maintain a level of trust between Chadwick and the college, the information sent to the college (with the exception of the transcript) will be confidential and only shared between the counselors and the college admission office.

The School Report will contain the following four items: 1. School Report Form The school report form, also known as the SR on the Common App, will be completed by the assigned college counselor. For non-Common App schools, the counselor will complete the school report form available from the individual college or from the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), which is the national association connecting colleges, universities, high schools and related professional organizations. NACAC’s Statement of Principles of Good Practice binds schools and colleges in important communications and policies.1 The SR will contain a weighted GPA*, an evaluation of the rigor of the student’s curriculum in comparison to what is offered by the school and to what other current seniors have chosen, and recommendations based on academic promise, extracurricular involvement, personal qualities and character, and an overall recommendation. The evaluation for each of these recommendations will be made by the college counselors based on interaction with the student, information submitted by the student and her/his family, written teacher comments, her/his academic record, and information from the permanent student file. The overall evaluation categories include “with reservation,” “fairly strongly,” “strongly,” and “enthusiastically.” *Grade Point Averages are calculated on a 4-point scale for grades 9-11. Pluses and minuses are not factored in. The weighted GPA allows one additional point for honors and AP classes. Chadwick does not compute rank. Only grades from classes taken at Chadwick are calculated into the GPA.

2. School Letter of Recommendation The school letter of recommendation is a comprehensive letter focusing on the student’s academic preparation, extracurricular activities, personal accomplishments, and character. The letter is written and reviewed by a committee consisting of the college counselors, faculty, and/or administrators chosen for their experience and knowledge of the senior class and the college admission process. While the committee will attempt to highlight the student’s most positive qualities and characteristics, it is an honest and comprehensive assessment based on personal contact, information submitted by the student and her/his family, written teacher comments, her/his academic record, and information from the permanent student file. 3. Transcript The transcript reports the student’s official academic record at Chadwick School for grades 9-11 and is processed and printed by the Registrar. The transcript reports all classes taken during the academic day. Upon completion of the 7th semester (fall), the college counseling office sends out the mid-year grade report and/or updated transcript to all colleges on the student’s final list with the exception of the UC’s and the CSU campuses. A final transcript is sent after graduation or withdrawal from Chadwick. 4. School Profile An updated school profile reports relevant information on the school and the senior class to assist college admission offices in understanding the Chadwick experience and the distinct accomplishments of its students.

1 Full NACAC Statement of Principles of Good Practice, including school and student responsibilities, is available at

http://www.nacacnet.org/about/Governance/Policies/Documents/SPGP.pdf - -

http://www.nacacnet.org/about/Governance/Policies/Documents/SPGP.pdf
































































































































Reporting Student Disabilities

In compliance with federal law, Chadwick School will disclose disabilities only when a release of this information is authorized by the student and parent. The assigned college counselor will inform the student if s/he believes it will be in the student’s best interest. Reporting Disciplinary Action

Disciplinary action is defined as probation, suspension, or expulsion. On the Common Application and on many individual college applications, students are asked to self-report disciplinary actions and, in filing an application, explicitly authorize the school to provide information about disciplinary action. The Student release on the Secondary School Report from the Common Application:

If a college or university asks a question regarding disciplinary action, Chadwick is obligated to respond to the question, and we strongly recommend that the student respond as well. In some cases the college will require a statement from the student. If the college does not ask about such incidents, the school will not report the disciplinary action. The University of California schools, for example, do not ask about disciplinary action. Please read the following excerpt from the Upper School Handbook:

NOTICATION TO COLLEGES OF DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Disciplinary records are kept at the school in order to maintain and encourage high standards of student conduct in keeping with our Honor Code, and to further the character education of both individual students and the school community at large. While a student is in attendance at the school, these records are subject to reporting to other educational institutions in keeping with the policies set forth in the Student Handbook and the College Counseling Handbook. Once a student has received a diploma from Chadwick School, the purposes of maintaining student disciplinary records have been fulfilled, and a student's disciplinary history at the school will be expunged. As a result, neither the graduate nor the school will be obligated to report any disciplinary actions to other institutions or agencies. An exception may be made in the case of misconduct not fully known to or addressed by the Headmaster while the student attended the school. In that situation, the school may impose whatever discipline it deems appropriate. For example, the school may reveal the wrongdoing to educational institutions, revise letters of recommendation, or retroactively change a student's grade. The school will communicate this policy to any outside entity that inquires.

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The following steps will take place if a student has faced disciplinary action at any time in the Upper School:

Prior to submission of application

The counselor will discuss with the student the procedure for reporting disciplinary action.

The student should carefully review the applications and the wording as to whether or not the colleges ask about disciplinary action.

The student should write a letter addressing the disciplinary issue and submit it to the college counselor for review.

The student should give the counselor a final copy of her/his letter addressing disciplinary action.

If a college or university asks the question of disciplinary action on the Secondary School Report (SR) form, the Dean of Students will respond to the question separately. The counselor will notify the student that the letter has been sent.

Disciplinary Action after applications have been submitted or after the student has been offered admission (if the college or university asked the question originally)

The counselor and the student will work together to determine which colleges and universities the student has applied to, which of those colleges asks the question regarding disciplinary action and respond accordingly.

We believe it is important for the student to write directly to the college/university within one week after the disciplinary action has been imposed. Late disclosure has in the past tipped admission officers toward negative decisions when prompt acknowledgment would have left a candidacy moving forward.

The counselor will notify the college of the disciplinary action by both a phone call and a letter. The counselor will notify the college within one week of the student grace period in order to uphold the integrity of Chadwick School.

“Double Depositing” at Colleges

Double depositing is the practice of making commitments to two or more colleges on the May 1st National Candidate Reply date. This is an unethical practice and students who make commitments, monetary or otherwise, to more than one college or university risk losing their acceptances to all of those institutions. The only exception is for a student who had an enrollment commitment already made and subsequently was offered admission from another college waiting list. As soon as the student accepts an offer of admission from a waiting list, by making a new commitment, they are expected simultaneously to withdraw from the previous college, to permit the possibility for another student to enroll.

The National Association of College Admission Counseling states in the section entitled, “Statement of Student’s Rights and Responsibilities,” the following:

You (the student), must notify each college or university that accepts you whether you are accepting or rejecting the offer. You should make these notifications as soon as you have made a final decision as to the college you wish to attend, but no later than May 1. It is understood that May 1 will be the postmark date.

You may confirm your intention to enroll and, if required, submit a deposit to only one college or

university. The exception to this arises if you are put on a wait list by a college or university and are later admitted to that institution. You may accept the offer and send a deposit. However, you must immediately notify a college or university at which you previously indicated your intention to enroll.

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Because this is an issue of integrity with regard to Chadwick School, its students, and its college counseling office, if college counselors become aware that a student has made a commitment to more than one institution, the following action will take place:

The student’s assigned college counselor will meet with her or him to discuss the infraction, and the student will have 24 hours to withdraw her or his application from that school.

If the student cannot verify that the extra commitment(s) has (have) been withdrawn, the college counselor will contact the admission offices at all the colleges or universities involved to inform them of the infraction.

The college counselor will be obligated to answer honestly any subsequent questions asked them by college admission personnel.

Why is double depositing unethical?

It's deceitful. Students know they can only attend one college, so they are essentially lying when they notify more than one that they intend to enroll.

It's unfair to the college. If the practice continues, colleges may find they can't predict the size of the

incoming class with any accuracy. They may take actions such as enlarging the waiting list or increasing deposit amounts (both of which will impact future applicants).

It's unfair to other applicants. The double depositor is taking up a spot that could go to another student, who

will instead be put on a waiting list or turned down.

Application Ethics / The College Board

Please note that Chadwick will send only one official final transcript to one college the summer after the student has graduated.

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Applying to a college or university under an early program comes with added responsibilities. Please consider the following guidelines before moving forward with the application process (or completing it). Inform your college counselor of any decision you receive from a college as soon as you receive it. Accept, deny, defer—we want to know, and we need to know!

If you were accepted Early Decision, congratulations! All of the research, visiting, applying, and waiting has finally paid off.

Please be aware that you must withdraw all applications you have submitted to other colleges or universities, including the University of California campuses, at the time you receive the decision. Keep copies of your letters of withdrawal for your records.

If you were accepted Early Action, congratulations! You are going to college. If admitted early action to one or more schools, fairness dictates that we require you in good conscience to withdraw applications from the remaining colleges on your list that you would not attend over one of your Early Action schools. It’s fair to the college or university and it is fair to make a space available to another worthy candidate. Enjoy the moment, but don’t think of this as an opportunity to start adding more and new colleges to your list. Speak with your college counselor, first.

Defer Most likely, if you've been deferred, your credentials merited further review with the full applicant pool. Your application will either be carried over to the Regular Decision pool, or, in the approach taken by a few colleges, to an Early Decision II pool (but only if you originally applied under an Early Decision I program). It is appropriate to write or to email the admissions office and inform them of your desire to remain in the applicant pool. After that, you should consider updating them only once with additional grades, new leadership position in a group or team, or a new honor or award that you have received since being deferred.

Financial Aid If you have been accepted Early Decision, you typically will receive your tentative financial aid award at the same time as your admissions decision. Follow up with the FAFSA and any other recommended financial statements required.

If you have been accepted under an Early Action plan, you will still need to complete CSS or FAFSA by the published deadlines. You will receive financial aid packages in the spring and that will allow you and your family to compare all financial aid offers you receive from colleges very carefully.

And finally…….. Have you remembered to thank and inform the teachers of your college acceptances? Remember that each one took time out of their busy schedule to write your letters of recommendation. Whether or not you were accepted, your teachers made an effort to assist you, and they deserve your expression of appreciation, even if there is more college news to come in the spring. In fact, a formal thank you note is

always very much appreciated.

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So it’s finally over! All of the research, visiting, applying, and waiting has finally paid off. You have been accepted to college and have already started planning your dorm room decorations. Wait! There are a few more things you have to take care of before the summer.

Inform your college counselor of any decision you receive from a college as soon as you receive it. Accept, deny, waitlist—we want to know, and we need to know! Also, be sure to update your

Naviance Family Connection account with your college decisions.

While many decisions are provided late in March and during the first week of April, all colleges must inform candidates by April 15th of their decision. If you have not yet heard from all your colleges by this date or have been put on a wait list, see your college counselor. More information about wait lists and appeals is included later in this section. After you have received all the information about college acceptances and financial aid offers, think carefully, consider your priorities, weigh your options, and decide.

The national deadline for notifying colleges and universities of your decision to accept their admission offer is May 1st. Consider it a “received by” date, not a postmark deadline.

By May 1st, you must notify, in writing, the college you plan to attend. The letter should be short and simple. Most schools provide forms that you simply fill out and return, typically with an enrollment deposit and signature. Be sure to read all the information provided by the college and include the required deposit with your notification letter. IT IS CONSIDERED UNETHICAL TO ACCEPT ADMISSION TO MORE THAN ONE INSTITUTION. “Double deposits” or multiple deposits can be detected, and candidates who hold confirmed places at more than one institution concurrently risk having their admission offers revoked at each institution. It is also grossly unfair to students who may be on waiting lists at those colleges. Note that Chadwick School will send only one official final transcript to one college the summer after you have graduated. If admitted from a waiting list, you will be required to show that you have withdrawn from the original school before Chadwick can send the new college a final transcript.

Wait lists To reply to wait lists, you will usually be asked to send in a card indicating that you wish to remain on the wait list. Do NOT stay on a wait list just to see if you are admitted. Reply immediately if this is your first choice. But, if you haven’t heard from other colleges yet, it is okay to wait until you have a sense of your live options. Stay on an active wait list if the college is a genuine top choice among your possibilities It is considered unethical to stay on a wait list just to see if you will be admitted if your interest is not real. If you have been put on more than one wait list, see your college counselor. See you college counselor, too, to discuss contacts with colleges that may be beneficial to your outcome.

Wait list protocol by May 1st. If you are on a wait list at your first choice institution (College A), follow these procedures:

1. Inform your next choice institution (College B) that has accepted you that you plan to attend. Submit the required deposit. These deposits are usually non-refundable.

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2. Respond to College A that you have made a deposit at another college but that you will attend College A without hesitation should they eventually admit you. You may want to submit additional information about your recent grades and accomplishments to College A. This is your opportunity to convince the school of your seriousness of interest, without going overboard! Meet with your college counselor to develop an appropriate strategy.

3. Write to all the other colleges of your decision not to accept their offers of admission, or return the form provided.

4. As soon as you hear from College A (this can be any time after May 1 through July, depending on the college) that you have been accepted, notify College B immediately explaining that you were accepted to College A off the wait list and plan to attend there. Send your deposit immediately to College A.

Financial Aid If you have applied and are qualified to receive financial aid, you should read any financial aid offers you receive from colleges very carefully. Feel free to call the college’s financial aid office if you do not understand the letter. You need all the information in front of you in understandable terms in order to make an informed decision. Be careful about their use of language. (For example, a loan is not financial aid. Work study is not financial aid.) You may also come to the college counseling office for further assistance in understanding your financial aid package.

And, finally…………

Have you remembered to thank and inform the teachers who wrote for you of your

college acceptances? Remember that each one took time out of their busy schedule to write your letters

of recommendation. Whether or not you were accepted, your teachers made an effort to assist you, and they

deserve your expression of appreciation. In fact, a formal thank you note is always very much appreciated.

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As part of your college search process, you will probably need to talk

with your family about college costs. Paying for a college education is

challenging for almost every family, and fortunately, there are many

types of aid available to you, should you or your family qualify. Don’t

eliminate a college because you think it costs too much. Remember

that financial aid serves to augment your family’s ability to pay for college

not to replace the ability (or necessity) to pay. Financial aid and

scholarships are designed to help you. Learn about them, plan ahead,

and take advantage.

Net Price Calculators, now a mandated feature for each college and university involved in disbursing federal aid,

may be found on college websites. While not a guarantee of aid, they may provide a good initial picture of need

based financial possibilities at schools. This is potentially an invaluable resource for sorting out what you think may

be possible and what may be available. These take measure of the total charges for each college and reduce the

“sticker price” by aid that may be available based upon a family’s individual circumstances. At the least, they may

also be the basis for further exploration with that institution.

There are two types of financial aid available—aid based on need, as determined by the College Scholarship Service,

federal guidelines, or institutional policies, and aid based on no-need, merit scholarships awarded for academic

excellence, athletic ability, artistic talent, leadership, or other criteria. We will explore both types in this section.

Please note that the information provided here is based upon current information valid at the time of publication of

this handbook. (December 2013)

** Two financial aid seminars are offered to parents during the fall semester. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend both events if they are interested in the financial aid and scholarship process. **

I. Need-Based Financial Assistance

Need-based financial aid is designed to provide access to higher education for qualified students who would otherwise be unable to pay for college. There are three types of need-based aid:

Grants: Grants consist of gift aid that does not need to be repaid.

Loans: Many student loans are interest-free during the period of full-time enrollment in college. Upon graduation, you must begin to repay any loans; generally the interest rate is very reasonable and repayment is spread over ten years. Loans may be deferred if students matriculate to a graduate school and attend at least half-time.

Work/Study Program: Part-time jobs on the campus will be a part of many students’ financial aid awards. These jobs can be in the library, academic departments, food services, administrative offices and other locations. Even if you are not awarded official “work-study” aid, you may be able to find a job on campus or off-campus. According to studies, working a limited number of hours at a work-study job does not negatively impact your success in college; in fact, it is even correlated with slightly higher GPAs for the students who do work in college.

REQUIRED FORMS ARE DESCRIBED ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES

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A. Required Forms

Individual colleges determine financial aid packages for students applying for need-based assistance

based upon the information you provided on several forms:

1. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

o Every college and university to which you are applying for any federal or state aid (including federally based subsidized loans and work-study) requires the FAFSA.

o Ask your parents to prepare their returns as early as possible—income and asset figures from your tax returns are needed to complete the FAFSA. The year a child applies to college is the one year it is important to have them done much earlier than usual.

o There is no fee for the FAFSA.

o Forms will be available online in December.

o The FAFSA can be filed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. [CAUTION: Do not use the www.fafsa.com site; it is a for-profit commercial site and has no affiliation with the government website. You will be charged a fee, and there is no guarantee that the analysis will be correct or sent to colleges.]

o The filing period begins January 1st. The FAFSA may not be filed prior to that date. March 1st is the final deadline for filing the FAFSA—some colleges may want it earlier.

o Apply for a 4-digit PIN to be used as an electronic signature. You and your parents/guardians can each apply for a PIN while completing a FAFSA on the Web application, or you can go to the Federal Student Aid PIN Web site at www.pin.ed.gov to apply. Using a PIN to sign your FAFSA electronically is by far the fastest and most reliable way, and it can be used for the duration of your college experience and beyond.

o After submitting your FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) indicating your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The EFC determined by the government might be higher or lower than your EFC from some colleges, because some colleges use their own guidelines for determining need, in addition to the federal guidelines. The colleges you designate will also receive this information.

2. College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile

Private colleges and universities often require the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA.

There is a $25 fee for the initial application and an additional $16 fee for each college to which you wish the information be sent. The fees can be paid using a credit card. Fee waivers for up to six different colleges are available for the neediest families. You will automatically be awarded a fee waiver(s) at the end of the filing process (prior to payment) if you qualify.

Register online at the College Board website. Go to www.collegeboard.com/profile. The CSS Profile registration may be submitted beginning October 1.

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The CSS Profile is a two-part application. The first part is a basic registration form. The second part is the actual application. It asks questions that are similar to the ones in the FAFSA; however, there are an additional sixty + questions.

Upon receipt of your CSS Profile, the CSS processor will enter all of your information into a database. Your information will be sent to all the colleges you listed. Once that is completed, you will receive a CSS Acknowledgement confirming that your CSS Profile was received, processed, and sent.

After completion of the CSS Profile, some families may be contacted by the College Board requesting the filing of certain financial documents via their Institutional Documentation Service, or IDOC. (Essentially, it’s a Common Application for Financial Aid, managing documents for colleges). You are not required to use IDOC unless the College Board notified you that at least one

of your colleges or programs participates in the IDOC Service.

3. Institutional College Forms

Some colleges have their own financial aid forms to be completed in addition to the forms mentioned above. It is your responsibility to find out if a college requires an additional form and what the deadline is.

B. State and Federal Programs

Qualification for state and federal financial aid programs is based on academic performance and/or demonstration of financial need. You automatically apply for these programs by filling out the FAFSA Application.

1. Federal Pell Grant

Available to students with the highest level of financial need, usually those coming from families who earn less than $60,000/year., though this may vary with individual family circumstances.

Maximum grant is $5081 (subject to change. Figure is for the 2013-2014 award year.)

2. State Grants, for example, the Cal Grant A or Cal Grant B

Available to residents who demonstrate financial need, are academically qualified and plan to attend California colleges or universities. Cal Grants can be as high as $9223 per year at an independent California college. Visit www.calgrants.org for more information.

Some grants are available for students with GPAs as low as a 2.0.

A GPA Verification Form is required for the Cal Grant Program. This form can be obtained on the www.calgrants.org website or in the college counseling office.

3. Stafford Loans

Allows students to borrow directly from a bank or the federal government.

Two categories: Subsidized Stafford Loan for students who demonstrate need (the government pays the interest that accrues during the years that the student is enrolled as a full-time student) and Unsubsidized Stafford Loan (the student is responsible for paying the interest that accrues while the student is enrolled as a full-time student). The unsubsidized interest rate for these loans last year was 3.86% (Visit www.staffordloan.com for the 2013-2014 update).

The subsidized interest rate is 6.8% for the 2013-2014 school year. o (Visit www.staffordloan.com for the most up-to-date information).

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Upon graduation, students have a grace period of four to six months before they have to start repaying their loan. If the student enters graduate school, the loan may be deferred as long as the student is attending at least half-time.

4. Perkins Loans

These subsidized loans are distributed by the college itself (with funding from the federal government) to students with the greatest need.

The interest rate is 5%.

Upon graduation, students have a grace period of nine months before they have to start repaying their loan.

C. Special Circumstances

Divorced or Separated Parents

If your parents are divorced or separated, some colleges and universities might require financial information from both parents. Typically, the FAFSA and CSS Profile should be completed by the parent who is the custodial parent (the parent with whom you live or with whom you spend the most time). The non-custodial parent might be required to complete a Non-Custodial Parent Statement (colleges have their own forms) and submit it directly to the college.

Business / Farm Supplement

Parents who own a business or a farm or are otherwise self-employed must complete the Business/Farm Supplement in addition to the FAFSA and CSS Profile (when required). This form can be obtained at the financial aid office of any college or university.

II. No-Need (or Merit) Scholarships

Many businesses and schools offer no-need (merit) scholarships to qualified students. Although the college counseling office updates scholarship information, it would be impossible to maintain a complete list. You should inquire about scholarships within the community and at all of the schools to which you apply. Here are a few suggestions for conducting a college scholarship search:

As mentioned above, contact the schools to which you are applying about scholarship opportunities they may offer, or research their websites.

Check Family Connection for scholarship listings, and pay attention to the email scholarship alerts sent out by the college counseling office.

For athletic scholarships, you should contact the athletic office of the college to which you are applying. If you intend to play a sport at the college level, you must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center through their website, online, by the fall of your senior year. [Note: Ivy League and Division III schools do not give athletic scholarships.]

Read through the books we have in our office on scholarships and financial aid. Some suggested resources include The Scholarship Book and The Financial Aid Book.

Talk to local organizations and affiliations that your parents may have. Sometimes their employers may provide a link to a scholarship. Check out the resources at your local library. Public libraries are often sent information regarding college scholarships.

Try www.fastweb.com—a legitimate scholarship search engine.

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United States Department of Education

Financial Aid Websites

www.fafsa.ed.gov — Use this site for filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online, also known as FAFSA on the Web. It’s a fast, free, secure and easy way for families to apply. Families can print a paper copy of the FAFSA to use as a worksheet. The FAFSA is also available online in Spanish. Remember, do not use the website www.fafsa.com. It is a for-profit site, will charge you an unnecessary fee, and has no affiliation with the government web site. www.studentaid.ed.gov — This website contains Funding Your Education, The Student Guide in English and Spanish as well as links to other resources. www.pin.ed.gov — Students and parents/guardians can request a Personal Identification Number (PIN) on this site. The PIN is used as an electronic signature for the FAFSA on the Web, Renewal FAFSA and Corrections on the Web, and to access the National Student Loan Data System. Students and parents/guardians should each request a PIN, then keep the PIN number in a safe place so as not to forget it. Forgetting the PIN will result in a significant loss of time working on your financial aid forms. Be sure to keep this PIN in a safe place where you will remember it; it can be used to complete financial aid forms in the years to come.

www.studentaid.ed.gov — SFA’s award-winning website, which connects students with U.S. government services and information, including information on careers, planning an education, and paying for college.

Scholarship Applications

If you are applying for a local, national, or college-sponsored scholarship, then you must notify your college counselor at least one month in advance of the published deadline. For scholarship organizations, the deadline dates may be “received by” date or a “postmarked by” date. It is your responsibility to know which ones pertains to the scholarships to which you are applying. “Received by” deadlines are much more important to coordinate early. In order to coordinate the assembly of your application which may include teacher and counselor recommendations, we ask for this additional time.

Due the confidentiality of your teacher and school recommendations, we ask that you provide us with your completed application and necessary documents and will be mail the entire packet for you. It is for that reason that you must turn in your application to the college counseling office at least two weeks prior to the deadline. Even if you already have applied to college, it is your responsibility to re-request a teacher recommendation and ask them directly. Many teachers prefer tailoring their letter to a specific scholarship, rather than reusing their original one. It is for this reason and for respect of confidentiality that the college counselor will not print out your teacher recommendations for scholarship submission. You are also responsible for requesting your official transcript from the office of College Counseling. While your teachers play a role in your college admission application or scholarship process, it is your job to inform them of that role and give them ample time to complete it. Requesting a recommendation from a teacher one week before the deadline is unfair and inconsiderate. Remember you are asking them to write you a letter of recommendation. Colleges trust your teachers and make decisions on what they have to say; therefore, giving the faculty the idea that you are thoughtless and disorganized is not a smart move.

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The Middle Class Scholarship

TEN THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CALIFORNIA'S MIDDLE CLASS SCHOLARSHIP

1. The Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) The Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) is a new program beginning in the 2014-15 academic year that provides

undergraduate students with family incomes up to $150,000 a scholarship to attend University of California (UC) or California State University (CSU) campuses. Initial 2014-15 awards were processed in September.

2. Students must meet the following requirements:

Be a California resident attending a UC or CSU; be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or have AB 540* student status; meet certain income and other financial aid standards; maintain satisfactory academic progress; not be in default on a student loan; and, must not be incarcerated.

3. Apply:

Complete a 2015-16 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.gov or the California Dream Act Application at caldreamact.org. Use the California Dream Act Application if you do not have a Social Security number (SSN) or if you have a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) number. Make sure your email address is listed on your FAFSA or California Dream Act Application.

4. If your family earns up to $100,000 per year:

You may be eligible for a scholarship of up to 40 percent of the mandatory system wide tuition and fees: The maximum award amount is a lesser percentage of mandatory system wide tuition and fees for each academic year beginning in 2014-15 at 14%, 2015-16 (20%), and 2016-17 (30%)

5. Students whose families earn between $100,001 and $150,000 per year:

May be eligible for a reduced scholarship of no less than 10 percent of the mandatory system wide tuition and fees.

6. MCS scholarships are not set amounts and may vary by student and institution: The award is determined after you are awarded any federal Pell Grant, Cal Grant and institutional need-based grants

for which you are eligible. The final award amount will be based on the number of students eligible for the MCS statewide and the funding allocated by the State Budget.

7. The MCS is being phased in over four years:

Each academic year, the maximum amount of the scholarship will increase until 2017-18, when the maximum scholarship award will be up to 40 percent of the mandatory system wide fees and tuition.

8. To get assistance completing the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application:

Attend a Cash for College workshop January 1 thru March 2. Students must reapply each year. Visit www.calgrants.org for locations.

9. If you are selected to receive a MCS:

If you are selected to receive a MCS, you will be notified by the Commission.

10. Need more information about this scholarship?: Contact your UC or CSU campus Financial Aid Office or check the California Student Aid Commission’s website for

updates. *Students need to meet the following Assembly Bill (AB) 540 qualifications: Attend a California high school for a minimum of 3 years; Graduate from a California high school or pass the California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) or get a General

Equivalency Diploma (GED); Enroll in an accredited and qualified California college or university; and, If applicable, fill out an affidavit stating your intent to legalize your immigration status as soon as possible.

Middle Class Scholarship 1-888-224-7268

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Posted: 12-12-13

Cal Grants www.CalGrants.org California Student Aid Commission www.csac.ca.gov

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September - December Explore your colleges. Check out the individual

college Net Price Calculators.

Then, read the guidelines provided by the colleges to determine the documentation each school requires for financial assistance. PAY ATTENTION TO THE DEADLINES!

October 1 - December 1 Go online to register for the CSS Profile at

www.collegeboard.com/profile. Remember that not all schools require the CSS Profile, so check the schools that are listed on the Profile’s registration form. The schools listed do require the Profile.

Fill out the CSS Profile as soon as you receive it. Your parents can estimate

their taxes, if they have not yet filed. In general, applicants for Early Decision must fill out their CSS Profile by November 1st.

October (date tba) Financial Aid Workshop, Part I December Go online to www.fafsa.ed.gov for a practice form December (date tba) Financial Aid Workshop, Part II January 1 – February 1 File the FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov . If your parents have not filed taxes,

they can estimate their taxes. DO NOT MISS THE DEADLINE FOR THE FAFSA. Make sure to make a copy for your records. Colleges often require that the FAFSA be turned in before the national FAFSA deadline of March 2. Be sure to check the site of each college to which you’re applying to find out their institutional FAFSA deadline.

Fill out the GPA Verification form to be eligible for the Cal Grant (if you plan

to attend a school in California.) The form is available at www.calgrants.org or may be picked up in the college counseling office.

January - April Check your Student Aid Report (SAR) for accuracy. If you find any

errors, return to the processor for correction. File the final, corrected copy with your college information. Keep a copy for yourself.

Watch for any mail or email from the financial aid offices of your colleges.

Open these letters or emails immediately! Call your colleges to be certain that the financial aid office has received all the necessary forms.

April Compare your Financial Aid packages from the different colleges to which

you’ve been accepted before making your final college decision. Look carefully to be sure the same vocabulary is being used by each. Hint: Make sure you can identify the difference between “grant” (actual financial aid) and “financial aid” that some colleges use to label loans or parent loans or even campus jobs.

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Q: Is need-based financial aid available only to people with low incomes?

A: No. You do not have to have a low income to receive financial aid, but you do need to prove that your family needs assistance. You are eligible for financial aid equal to the difference between college costs and the amount you and your family can afford to contribute. This amount is determined by various methods of analysis based on the information you supply on the FAFSA, and sometimes the CSS Profile and institutional forms.

Q: Do I have to apply for financial aid every year?

A: Yes. At most colleges, you must re-apply each academic year. Applying for financial aid is almost always easier the second time around because you are more familiar with the process and it is typically a shorter form.

Q: What if my parents/guardians and I do not receive the package we expected?

A: If you receive a financial aid package that you and your parents/guardians believe is insufficient, you may appeal the decision. After discussing your situation with a financial aid officer from that college, you must put your request for an appeal in writing and send it to the financial aid officer. There is no guarantee, however, that your package will change.

Q: What if I have an unusual family circumstance, and there is no possibility of explaining it in full detail on the FAFSA or the Profile?

A: If you have a special circumstance, you and your parents/guardians should put this information in writing and send it to the Director of Financial Aid at the colleges to which you are applying. You should do this early in the process, even before completing all the financial aid forms, so that your financial aid officer has access to this information while working on your financial aid package.

Q: My neighbor and I both applied for financial aid at the same college. Why did she get more aid than me, when her family has a bigger house than ours and her parents make more money than mine?

A: The federal methodology used to assess family financial strength is designed to treat families in similar circumstances equally. There are many reasons why your neighbor might have received more aid. For instance:

a. Although her family has a larger house and a greater income, they might also owe substantially more money on the mortgage. If so, they would be able to contribute less to college costs and would be eligible for more aid.

b. The family might have financial circumstances of which you are unaware (more family members, extraordinary medical expenses, etc.)

c. She may have received merit-based aid but confused it with need-based aid.

d. Her family may not want to tell you all the details of their financial circumstances, which means you most likely do not have all the information regarding her financial aid package either.

LESSON: You should not and cannot reasonably compare financial aid packages with other classmates or with other families. Personal and family circumstances inevitably differ.

Net Price Calculators

are now required by law on all college and university websites. You can get a reasonable, personalized estimate, based upon your family circumstances, about actual costs of attendance, not just published charges only for tuition, room and board.

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11/2014-15

Please return to College Counseling Office by Tuesday, February 18th.

**Please keep a copy for your records**

Student’s Name: ________________________________________________________________________

Home #: ________________________________________

Business # (+ Parent 1 name): _____________________________ → ___________________

Business # (+ Parent 2 name): _____________________________ → ___________________

Parent 1 e-mail address: ______________________________________________ Parent 2 e-mail address: ______________________________________________

Profile of college characteristics you believe would suit the needs of your son/daughter: Size and location: ________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ Level of academic challenge: Extremely intense _____

Challenging _____ Moderate _____ Relaxed _____

Co-ed or single sex: _____________________ Academic Program: Liberal Arts _____

Pre-professional _____ (e.g., business, engineering, architecture, medicine, etc.)

Non-academic offerings: (e.g., community service, art, study abroad, sports, etc.) _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ Other:

(over)

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If there are specific colleges you have in mind for your child, please mention them and tell why you think they are appropriate choices for him or her: College/University Rationale __________________________ _______________________________________________________________ __________________________ _______________________________________________________________ __________________________ _______________________________________________________________ __________________________ _______________________________________________________________ __________________________ _______________________________________________________________ __________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Is there anything else you can tell us about your child that might help us to know her or him better? We would particularly welcome any comments you care to make about her/his strengths, weaknesses, needs or developmental history that you feel are important. Feel free to attach additional pages to this sheet. Do you have any specific concerns, questions or needs that you would like to discuss during our parent/student conference this spring? As part of the college counseling process, we are asking junior parents to write their own letter of assessment for their child. In the past, these letters have offered invaluable insights to the counselors and, on occasion, have provided information used by the Writing Committee in composing the School Letter of Recommendation. We appreciate your candor in this assessment. Enjoy! Please attach your Parents’ Assessment Letter to this form.

Signature ___________________________________ Date ___________________ Please return this form and your recommendation letter to the College Counseling Office by February 18th. Your ‘family meeting’ with your counselor cannot be scheduled until we have received this form (as well as the Junior Questionnaire—completed by the student). We hope, too, that you will share your responses to these questions with your child.

Thank you.

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DUE: Tuesday, FEBRUARY 18th.

Junior Questionnaire **Please keep a copy for your records**

I. Student

Name: __________________________________________________________________ (Last) (First) (Middle)

Nickname: _____________________________ Acad. Advisor ______________________

Birth date: _____________________ Enrolled in Chadwick in grade: ________________

E-Mail that you check regularly:_________________________________________________

Schools most recently attended prior to Chadwick:

Name Location Grades (or dates)

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

II. Parents

Parent 1: (M / F) ___________________________________________________________ (Last) (First) (Middle)

Deceased: Y / N

Occupation: _________________________________________________________________

Name of business or organization: _______________________________________________

Business Phone Number: ________________________ May I call P1 at this number? Y N

Cell Phone: ___________________________________

College / graduate / professional school(s) attended:

Name Year Degree (BA, MA, Etc):

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Parent 2: (M / F) ___________________________________________________________ (Last) (First) (Middle)

Deceased: Y / N

Occupation: _________________________________________________________________

Name of business or organization: _______________________________________________

Business Phone Number: ________________________ May I call P2 at this number? Y N

Cell Phone: ___________________________________

College / graduate / professional school(s) attended:

Name Year Degree (BA, MA, Etc):

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

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Please check if parents are: ___ divorced ___ separated ___remarried (P1 / P2 / both)

With whom do you live? ______________________________

What is the primary language spoken at home? ___________________________

Is a second language also spoken? If yes, which? ___________________________

III. Siblings (Please list in order of age)

Name Age School / College Attended Occupation

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

IV. Additional Biographical Information

Is there anything unusual about your family (cultural background, shared interests, travel, size, personal or family crises, etc.)

that has had a significant impact on your own interests and concerns? Or, are there any special considerations or unusual

circumstances regarding your background that should be known to help us assist you in your college selection? If so, please

explain briefly below.

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V. Activities

Please list the activities in which you have been involved in including clubs, sports, student council,

community service, etc. Please indicate specific team levels (JV, Varsity) and positions in clubs.

Please also indicate the grades of participation and average hours per week spent on the activity.

At Chadwick:

Activity / Organization (no abbreviations) Position (s) Grades (9, 10, 11) Hours/week

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Out of School Activities (including community, church, volunteer, employment):

Activity / Organization (no abbreviations) Position (s) Grades (9, 10, 11) Hours/week

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please list any awards or honors (and the year) that you have won in the last three years (including Chadwick honor roll):

What activity has been most important or meaningful to you? Why?

What hobbies or interests or leisure activities are important to you? What special talents do you have?

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Summer Activities: (e.g., jobs, travel, summer school, etc.)

Summer following sophomore year: __________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Summer plans following junior year: _________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

VI. College Plans and Aspirations 1. What are your general college plans and preferences for college? List as many options as you are open to considering, or indicate

“undecided.”

a. Size? (e.g., Extra Large= over 20,000; Large= 8,000-20,000; Medium= 3,000-8,000; Small= fewer than 3,000)

b. Location? (e.g., West Coast, Northwest, Midwest, East Coast, Southeast, International, etc.)

c. Urban, suburban, or small town? (or, for example, “anywhere as long as it’s an hour drive from a metro area”)

2. What are the most important qualities / characteristics for you in choosing a college? (e.g., size, academic program, location, reputation,

financial, social life, contact with professors, ethnic/cultural or religious communities, etc.) Be as specific as possible.

3. Any ideas about a major or special concentration of study or career? If so, are you doing anything in preparation for this educational goal?

4. What are your college choices at this time? Please list several schools under each category. Your counselor will help you evaluate

whether or not the school is a reach, possible, or likely and help suggest additional schools if necessary.

Likely Possible Reach

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

Do you have any close relatives who are attending / have attended any of the above schools?

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

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VII. Self-Assessment Please answer the following questions as thoroughly and honestly as possible. Remember to answer

the essay question at the end of the page.

1. What are your academic strengths?

2. What are your academic weaknesses?

3. What are your personal strengths?

4. What are your personal weaknesses?

5. What has been your favorite class? Why?

6. What three things would you want a college admissions committee to know about you?

VIII. Essay Question!! Please approach the following question with seriousness and thought. It is similar to the types of questions you will be asked on

your college applications. You may even be able to use this response as a draft for a college essay! Please limit your response

to 500 words. Please type your response and attach to the questionnaire. It is due at the same time as the questionnaire,

February 19th.

Please describe an experience (academic, intellectual, or non-academic) that has had a

meaningful or significant impact on your life. What was the impact and why was it significant?

This could be a class you took, a travel experience, a book you read, a tragedy in your life, an

athletic competition, etc.

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Class of 2016 college counseling handbook

Documents

Transcript of Class of 2016 college counseling handbook