College application 101

Preparing for college can be exciting for high school seniors, but filling out applications and meeting deadlines can be daunting.

One missed deadline could mean losing out on thousands of dollars in scholarships or even losing the opportunity to enter college next fall.

Luckily for students and their parents, many high schools provide help completing applications and offer college preparedness workshops.

At Morrilton High School, counselors and teachers work hard to make sure students are prepared for the college application process. “We have a new class this year called Senior Seminar where a teacher works with students about scholarships, financial aid and what to expect after graduation,” says guidance counselor Patty Rainey.

Rainey says helping students through the application process is her top priority for college-bound seniors and that she and another counselor take the time to speak with each student individually about post-graduation plans.

Jill Beall’s son Brayden is a senior at Morrilton High School. The Morrilton resident says she has worked closely with Rainey to prepare him for college.

“This is not my first rodeo. [Brayden] is child No. 4, and I have done this for the rest of them. But the school is good and works with parents to fill out [applications],” she says. “They have one or two meetings a year to help walk through the process.”

But students who attend less organized schools may need to do a little detective work to make sure they don’t miss crucial deadlines.

Schools recommend students start thinking about college before senior year, by taking either the ACT (commonly used in Arkansas universities) or the SAT, popular with private universities and in many other parts of the country. A student with dreams of entering an Ivy League institution would do well to take both.

Beall says the most important thing Brayden can do to prepare for college is to take the ACT test again to improve his scores. “He’s already taken it twice, and he will take it two more times,” she says.

The ACT is a standardized test used for college admission and can be taken an unlimited number of times.

“Colleges will take the highest score out of all of the tests, and they don’t penalize if the final score is lower than any of the previous ones,” Beall says. “No matter what, they will use the highest numbers.”

So what if this is senior year, and you (or your child) haven’t started the college hunt yet?

It’s not too late, but it’s definitely time to get to work.

APPLY EARLY

Because many colleges have early application deadlines for priority admission (as early as November), many students who wait until their senior year to take the standardized college tests will have limited opportunities to take the ACT or SAT if they wish to apply for those colleges. It generally takes three to eight weeks for scores to be released. That’s why schools recommend students start taking the ACT in their junior or even sophomore years. (See related story for the ACT and SAT testing schedules.)

Early admission is beneficial to students who know what school they want to attend, but it’s important to understand the difference between early/priority admission and “early decision.” At some colleges, early decision obligates the student to attend if he is accepted.

Suzanne McCray, dean of admissions and vice provost for enrollment at University of Arkansas at Fayetteville says, “The reason why a student wants priority enrollment is so they can apply for priority scholarships and it gets them in line for housing, where they have more choices at admission.”

The UA has a priority application deadline of Nov. 1 and a priority scholarship deadline of Nov. 15. Regular admission deadline is Aug. 1, and regular scholarship deadline is Feb. 1.

Students should check application deadlines for any university they are interested in. The following dates are important deadlines for some universities and colleges in Arkansas.

FEB. 1

Students who meet the criteria - a 32 or better on their ACT and a grade point average of 3.5 - can apply for the Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship. Students who scored a 27 or better on their ACT and have a grade point average of 3.5 can apply for the Governor’s Scholarship no later than Feb. 1. Only one student per county will be awarded the scholarship.

JUNE 1

Applications for other major state scholarships are due June 1. They include the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship (commonly known as the Arkansas Lottery Scholarship); Arkansas Higher Education Opportunities Grant (commonly called the Go! Opportunities Grant), which is based on financial need; Law Enforcement Officers’ Dependents Scholarship, which is given to children of a wide variety of state law enforcement officers, from sheriffs to game wardens and volunteer firefighters, who were killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty; and Military Dependent Scholarships (given to dependents of military members).

June 1 is also the deadline to apply for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

For a full list of federal and state scholarships, visit bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search or visit the Arkansas Department of Higher Education website for 20 different financial aid options, adhe.edu/divisions/financialaid/Pages/fa_programs.aspx.

Because it is early in the 2013-14 school year, several state institutions have not yet established deadlines to apply for the 2014-15 year.

The University of Central Arkansas also does not have an official application deadline, says associate registrar Claye Eubanks. “We don’t restrict the applications themselves, but if they wait too late to apply they may not be able to register for their classes,” he says.

By the end of this month, students should have begun narrowing the list of potential colleges by cost, academic programs, on-campus housing and special programs. The list should be narrowed to four schools that match their wants and needs: their first-choice school, two safety (backup) schools and a “reach” school, a long-shot choice where a student’s grades and scores are below the averages for admission. “A reach school may be out of state or even in state and might be harder to get into, such as UA,” Rainey says.

“By the beginning of senior year [students] have some idea of where they want to go. Sometimes a reach school is their first choice and they should apply, but they should have a backup plan,” Rainey says. “Don’t limit yourself but always have a backup plan.”

Each college application process varies, but there are a few key pieces that are required:

The completed application, which should be reviewed by parents and, possibly, a high school counselor

ACT or SAT scores, depending on the university

High school transcript

The application could require an essay, letters of recommendation and a list of organizations and the student’s extracurricular activities.

If a student needs letters of recommendation, it is vital that the references are given advance notification so they will have time to write them.

Teachers, counselors and administrators at Parkview High School in Little Rock write hundreds of letters of recommendation each year, says teacher Lynn Smith, visual arts specialist at the school. “The ideal situation for most teachers is to have a month’s notice. A week is the minimum because we participate in a lot of activities,” he says. “When a student doesn’t have a letter they need it’s because they waited so late.”

YOU’RE IN!

The best thing to do if a student receives many acceptance offers is to take the time to visit or revisit the campuses to decide which school is the best fit. It’s also important to compare financial aid offers.

After a student has decided which university he will attend, he must respond to the acceptance letter by the deadline sent in the offer.

Each university or college has different requirements for enrollment, and they often provide a checklist of necessary steps.

McCray at the UA says the No. 1 item that students tend to forget is their immunization records. “In most cases it is the most forgotten piece. Students who plan to enter the university should make sure they are up to date on their shots and submit the records during the admission process,” she says.