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Post-Secondary Application Information

Post-Secondary Application Information

Application Help

School counselors are available to help with applications during the advertised help sessions, seniors lunch, or during a senior’s modified period

Use the Senior Year Checklist to make sure you meet all deadlines

Application Steps

Step 1 – Know the deadlines and meet them; vary by college, look on their websites

Step 2 – Create a list of extracurricular activities, academic honors and achievements

Step 3 – Complete essay (if required)

Step 4 – Complete Application (either on university website or CommonApp, not both)

Step 5 – Send ACT/SAT/CLT scores to the university directly from those testing organizations

Step 6 – Pay application fee

Step 7 – Send transcripts via Parchment or submit self-reported academic record (depends on university)

Step 8 – Check in university portal to make sure they have everything they need; university portal is also where decisions are released

When to Apply?
  • 4 Year College and/or University
    • By Early Action deadline of senior year
    • Even if the final deadline is in May or the college is on a ‘rolling admission’, we suggest applying by Early Action for priority access to scholarships, housing, etc.
    • Seniors are applying with the cumulative GPA from the end of junior year, ACT and SAT test scores obtained by September/early October of senior year, and strength of the senior schedule
  • 2 Year College/Trade/Technical/Vocational School
    • Spring of Senior Year
    • FSCJ and SJRSC will be on campus in March for FREE application days. Wait until those schools are on our campus to apply
  • Military
    • Start speaking with recruiters early in the year
    • Take the ASVAB
What do you need before you start the application process?
  • Look at the websites of all the colleges you are applying to and make a list of the following:
    • Application deadlines
    • Application fees
    • Admission essay requirement and topic
    • Letter of recommendation requirement
  • Current academic history (you can view this in HAC on the transcript tab)
  • Review transcript for accuracy – via Parchment
  • ACT, SAT, and/or CLT score reports (send score reports directly from your ACT or SAT or CLT account)
  • List of extracurricular activities (inside and outside of school); put the best stuff first
  • Academic honors and achievements
  • Information about you and your parent(s)/guardian(s)
    • Social Security Number
    • Parent information: occupation, employment status, income, level of education (which colleges they attended and how many degrees they have earned)
Applications
  • Two ways to apply to colleges:
    • Common App OR
    • Application on the colleges website
  • Submit the application and all other requirements by the schools published deadline – these deadlines are firm!
  • Have your academic history, extracurricular activities, essays, and ACT/SAT/CLT score reports with you while filling out the application
  • Break down the application process in small chunks – you don’t have to do it all in one day!
ACT, SAT, and CLT Official Score Reports

ACT – www.actstudent.org

SAT – www.collegeboard.org

CLT – https://www.cltexam.com/tests/clt/

Log in to student account and send your scores to the college(s) of your choice

Essays
  • Colleges can either make the essay optional or required
  • You can view specific essay requirements on the college’s admissions page
  • Authentic story
  • Excellent written skill
  • No spelling or grammatical errors
  • Essay is organized and has a purpose
  • Essay answers the prompt
  • Always type the essay outside of the application portal first
  • Proofread the essay before submitting to the application portal
High School Transcript
  • Official record of academic performance and testing history
    • Different than a credit detail report that a counselor can print for you
  • Transcripts for private and/or out of state schools should be requested via Parchment
  • If applying via CommonApp, transcripts for private and/or out of state schools will be uploaded by the counselor
  • All seniors are required to send a final transcript to the post-secondary institution they are attending in May via Parchment
Student Self-reported Transcript and Academic Record System (STARS)
  • All public universities in Florida require STARS instead of official transcripts during the application process except for FGCU and FIU. UCF uses SPARK
  • We recommend using the transcript screen in HAC or requesting a copy of your transcript via Parchment to assist in completing your self-report.
  • Submit the STARS/SPARK after you submitted your application but by the deadline published by the university
  • Pro tip – open two tabs in your web browser and copy and paste from HAC to STARS
  • Entering Courses & Grades
    • You must self-report ALL high school credit grades and courses on transcript, even classes that have been retaken for credit recovery or completed over the summer or taken in middle school
    • Grade level taken – look at the school year in HAC/Transcript
    • Name of course: list it exactly as is in HAC/Transcript (if the course is called a different name than what is in HAC, enter what it is called in parenthesis)
    • Indicate if the course is standard, honors, AP, AICE, or dual enrollment
    • Enter semester 1 grade and semester 2 grade
    • Yearlong courses: Enter the same grade for semester 1 and 2
    • List all grades exactly as they are listed on your transcript (we do not give + or – grades)
    • Current 12th grade courses: in progress
    • STARS Frequently Asked Questions
  • State University Self Reporting Links – STARS (Self-Reported Transcript and Academic Record)
Letters of Recommendation
  • Everyone will have to provide a transcript or STARS, but not necessarily a letter of recommendation
  • Check to see if letter of recommendation is required. If it isn’t required, don’t ask.
  • Who should you ask to write a letter? Ask an adult in your life, who is not related to you, who knows you really well and would say really nice things about you!
  • Give them a resume or brag sheet of your achievements to help them
  • Ask well in advance of the deadline – bare minimum 2 weeks
  • If using CommonApp, you will add the recommender name and email address in the portal
Decisions – Check your email & university portal
  • Most colleges and universities send decision letters, including any scholarships that are awarded, electronically.
    • Depending on the college that could look like …
      • Log into your application portal for all decisions, including admission and scholarships
      • Check your email for all decisions, including admission and scholarships
    • Admit: A student that has been formally approved and acknowledged as having been granted admission to their academic programs.
    • Waitlist: A group of students held in reserve after a college makes its admissions decisions. If openings occur, students on the waitlist may be offered admission.
    • Deny: An admission outcome wherein a student was unable to be offered admission.
    • Defer: An admission outcome wherein a student who has applied for early admission is not accepted or rejected, rather their application is reconsidered within the Regular Decision pool.
We want to celebrate seniors
  • As they are coming in, send Ms. Cashwell ALL acceptance and scholarship award letters!  All of them, even if you aren’t planning to attend that school.
    • Please remember that we want vocational and military information as well.
  • Ways you can turn all your acceptance letters and scholarship offers to Ms. Cashwell:
    • Email PDF of all acceptance letters and scholarship offers from your online portal to  Ms. Cashwell or
    • Make a copy of the acceptance letters and scholarship offers and drop them by the AICE office on the 3rd
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