College Counseling Handbook for the Class of 2020

GERMANTOWN ACADEMY’S

COLLEGE COUNSELING HANDBOOK FOR THE CLASS OF 2020

-COLLEGE COUNSELING TEAM DIRECTORY-

DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING – KAREN A. MASON [email protected] 267-405-7268

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING - SUSAN MERRILL [email protected] 267-405-7266

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELING – JONATHAN NA [email protected] 267-405-7384

COLLEGE COUNSELOR – DANIEL ST. JEAN [email protected] 267-405-7507

COLLEGE COUNSELOR – DR. PETER DREWNIANY [email protected]

COLLEGE COUNSELING OFFICE ASSISTANT – VIRGINIA (GINNY) ALLENSON [email protected] 267-405-7254

-LOCATION OF COLLEGE COUNSELING OFFICE – The College Counseling Office is located on the first floor of the Upper School Building (340 Morris Road, Fort Washington, PA 19034) adjacent to the Head of Upper School’s Office. Phone and Fax Number - 267.405.7254

-HOW TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR COLLEGE COUNSELOR- Email or stop by to see Mrs. Allenson, the College Counseling Office Assistant, to schedule with all counselors except Mr. St. Jean (contact him directly). If emailing, please indicate when you have frees during the school day or if you are available after school. Email: [email protected]. If stopping by, bring your planbook.

-COLLEGE COUNSELING WEBSITE- http://www.germantownacademy.net/academics/college-counseling/index.aspx Consult the website for the most up-to-date information about college counseling events and links to helpful websites for the college search and application processes.

-GA’S NAVIANCE STUDENT WEBSITE- https://student.naviance.com/germantownacad Students and parents have unique accounts to access this site.

 If you need your password reset, see Mrs. Allenson.

-GERMANTOWN ACADEMY’S CEEB CODE- 393321 2

-TABLE OF CONTENTS-

COLLEGE COUNSELING CALENDAR OF EVENTS 4

OPTIMAL COLLEGE VISIT DAYS DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR 4

GA’S COLLEGE COUNSELING PHILOSOPHY 5

THE ROLE OF YOUR COLLEGE COUNSELOR IN YOUR SENIOR YEAR 5

CLASS OF 2020 “TO DO” LIST FOR APPLYING TO COLLEGE 7

CREATING A STRONG COLLEGE APPLICATION LIST 9

ASSESSING CHANCES FOR ADMISSION 10

WAYS TO APPLY 12 COLLEGES WITH ED PLANS 12 COLLEGES WITH EA PLANS 16 EARLY ACTION DEADLINES FOR UK SCHOOLS 24 THE EARLY DECISION ADVANTAGE 25

COLLEGE APPLICATION FORMS 30 COALITION APPLICATION SCHOOLS 30 CHEAT SHEET FOR THE COMMON APPLICATION 34 DEADLINE GRID FOR COMMON APPLICATION SCHOOLS 39 SUPPLEMENTAL COLLEGE ESSAYS AND PORTFOLIOS 39

THE PROCESS OF APPLYING TO COLLEGE 49 WHEN TO APPLY 49 REQUESTING TRANSCRIPTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM GA 50 WHAT COLLEGE COUNSELING SENDS TO COLLEGES 52 REQUESTING TEST SCORES FROM THE TESTING AGENCY 52 HOW TO HAVE YOUR APPLICATIONS AND ESSAYS REVIEWED 52 HOW TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS 53

WHAT TO DO AFTER YOU APPLY TO COLLEGE 53 PREPARING FOR INTERVIEWS 54

FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS 58 NET PRICE CALCULATOR 59 FASFA AND CSS PROFILE 60 SOURCES FOR SCHOLARSHIPS 62

APPENDICES 65 APPENDIX A - ADMISSION AND FINANCIAL AID TERMS AND DEFINITIONS 65 APPENDIX B - STANDARDIZED TESTING RESOURCES 67 APPENDIX C - ADVICE FOR PROSPECTIVE COLLEGE ATHLETES 80 APPENDIX D - TOP HONORS PROGRAMS 84 APPENDIX E – SELECTIVE COLLEGE ADMISSION RATE CHANGES 85 APPENDIX F - GAP YEAR OPTIONS 86

-2019 – 2020 COLLEGE COUNSELING CALENDAR OF EVENTS-

-Coffee with College Counseling - Events Open to all Upper School Parents-

Wednesday, November 13, 8:30 am Wednesday, April 29th, 8:30 am

Wednesday, February 12, 6:30 pm All Coffees are held in the Parents’ Room

-College Counseling Senior and Senior Parent Events-

Senior Parents College Counseling Meeting September 12, 7:00 pm Honickman Auditorium Financial Aid Information Night (11th and 12th) November 19, 7:00 pm Abington Friends School Alumni College Panel January 9 Honickman Auditorium At Lunch for Students At 7:00 pm for Parents Senior Parent Celebration May 7, 5:30 pm Roberts Family Library

-Meetings with College Representatives Visiting GA- The dates and times for college representative visits are posted in Naviance Student. Students should sign up for the meetings they wish to attend. If a student has a class conflict, the student should seek the permission of the teacher to attend or pop into the beginning of the meeting to complete an inquiry card. All meetings with college representatives take place in the Upper School Conference Room, located within the College Counseling suite.

SAT/Subject Test Dates for 2019– 2020 (Register at www.collegeboard.org) Test Date* Registration Deadline Late Registration Deadline (+ $29.00) August 24, 2019 (Held at GA) July 26, 2019 August 13, 2019 October 5, 2019 (Held at GA) September 6, 2019 September 24, 2019 November 2, 2019 October 3, 2019 October 22, 2019 December 7, 2019 November 8, 2019 November 26, 2019 *Both the SAT and Subject Test are offered on all dates listed above. Students can register for either the SAT or Subject Test(s) on a given date. SAT Fee = $49.50. With Essay = $64.50; Subject Tests Fee = $26.00 basic fee + $22.00 for each test. Fee waivers are available from College Counseling for eligible students.

ACT Test Dates for 2019 – 2020 (Register at www.act.org) - TI-Nspire CAC is prohibited by ACT Test Date Registration Deadline Late Registration Deadline (Not administered at GA) September 14, 2019 August 16, 2019 August 30, 2019 October 26, 2019 September 20, 2019 October 4, 2019 December 14, 2019 November 8, 2019 November 22, 2019 ACT Fee = $46.00. ACT Plus Writing = $62.50

AP Exams for 2020 (Register through GA) May 4, 2020 – May 15, 2020 Fee Per AP Exam = $94.00

Optimal College Visits Days during the 2019-2020 School Year (GA’s Upper School does not have classes on these days)

. Friday, September 27, Faculty In-Service . Monday, September 30 & Wednesday, September 9 (for those not observing Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) . Friday, October 25 (Comment Writing Day for Faculty) . Friday, November 22 (Parent-Teacher Conferences) Mock ACT (by Compass Test Prep) held at GA at 9:00 am . Monday, December 2 (Monday after Thanksgiving; in-service day for faculty) 4

-GA’S COLLEGE COUNSELING PHILOSOPHY-

As an independent college preparatory school, Germantown Academy celebrates the learning process in all dimensions of campus life from the “Harkness” classroom to the state-of-the-art lab and from the turf lacrosse field to the performing arts stage. The belief that educating the “whole” student best prepares for college and for life informs each student’s daily experience at GA. Each academic challenge, intellectual risk, new extracurricular undertaking, or commitment to lead stretches students and develops rich layers to their personalities. When students have made the most of their time at GA, they can then, in turn, present their “best selves” to colleges.

Finding the “right” college no longer becomes the culmination of the high school experience if it is a part of the journey through high school itself. And, it should be a dimension of that educational journey. It is not a finale, an end. The college search stretches students to reflect on themselves (to identify colleges that may be good matches and to write essays that capture their essence) to test their newly developing decision-making skills (to decide on where to visit, where to apply, and eventually where to attend), to navigate the research tools of the college search process, and to ultimately envision a new milieu where they will be able to continue to grow academically, socially, and personally.

Too often today, both students and parents focus only on the end, college as the destination, but at GA we challenge students to view the college search as an educational voyage inward that will eventually lead them to a campus community where they can continue that journey. Suddenly, the college search no longer is about “the name,” “the bumper sticker,” or the “sweatshirt,” but about a process that will lead students to a place that will nurture who they are and who they want to become.

The College Counseling team wants to help you find that college – the one that will accelerate your growth, help you discover new passions, and equip you with the skills and knowledge to navigate an ever- changing world. To us, it’s not about the list; it’s about you!

THE ROLE OF YOUR COLLEGE COUNSELOR IN YOUR SENIOR YEAR

As a sophomore and junior, you may have met with your college counselor a couple of times. You got to know each other a bit; your counselor suggested colleges to explore, standardized tests to take, and courses to complete your schedule. This year that relationship should grow exponentially because your college counselor is the professional who can help you determine where and how to apply to college and ensure that your applications reflect your best self. GA’s College Counseling team wants you to take full advantage of all of the services our office offers. We are here for you and your parents!

Counselors help seniors with the following tasks:  Refining your college list to ensure it is balanced with likelies, possibles, and reaches.  Determining how you will apply and strategizing about the best use of an Early Decision, when appropriate.  Helping you to include financial likelies if cost is a concern and guiding you on which colleges award merit aid and which need-based.  Answering questions as you complete applications.  Reviewing essays and applications (see process for having an essay reviewed).  Showing you how to request transcripts, send your standardized test scores, submit your applications, etc. 5

 Serving as your advocate by writing a compelling letter of recommendation.  Reviewing your teachers’ letters of recommendation to ensure all pieces of your supporting credentials work together to present your best self.  Re-evaluating your college list after the early round.  Helping you decide which college to attend in the spring (if you are not committed to a college previously).  Advising student athletes on how to interpret conversations with coaches and register with the Initial Eligibility Center.  Assisting performing and visual artists with uploading portfolios and navigating through audition and portfolio review processes.  Helping you understand and compare financial aid packages.  Meeting with you, and your parents too, as often as needed.  Answering your parents’ questions and communicating with your parents. We are all in this together.

If we could ask one thing of both students and parents, that would be, if you have a question, ask it. Do not hesitate to reach out to us. We recognize that this process is stressful, and we want to do all we can to eliminate as much of that stress as possible.

A Note About Independent Counselors As recent media coverage has elucidated, applying to college, particularly to elite colleges, produces a considerable amount of anxiety and stress. Parents who want to assure that their children have the best possible chance of gaining admission to their dream schools occasionally consider hiring outside independent counselors. While certified independent counselors provide wonderful services to students from both public and religiously affiliated schools that do not have designated professional college counselors, they are not needed by GA students. In fact, students who do work with outside independent counselors often fail to use our services fully. These are the specific issues we have encountered:  Students and parents who are using independent counselors often do not take full advantage of our expertise. The college counselors at GA maintain close, direct ties with our colleagues on the college admission side, in particular those who read GA applicants through their visits to our campus in the fall and in the spring for the college fair as well as our interactions at conferences and when we visit their campuses.  Students who are working with two counselors tend to visit our office less frequently, may 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 write their letters of recommendation and represent students personally to the admission officers in phone, face to face and/or email communications. o Outside consultants do not write letters of recommendation for submission to the college. Any such letters submitted on a student’s behalf are disregarded by college admission officers.  The consultants typically are denied direct communication with college admission officers.  Many consultants simply do not know this process the way college counselors at independent schools do. We often find students are misled by them, particularly about the essay. The College Counseling team prefers students not work with independent counselors, but if your family decides to do so, please inform your GA College Counselor and maintain a close working relationship with him/her.

-CLASS OF 2020’S “TO DO” LIST FOR APPLYING TO COLLEGES-

 Schedule an Appointment with your College Counselor (must complete by end of September). Schedule appointments with Ms. Merrill, Mr. Na, Dr. Drewniany, and Ms. Mason through Mrs. Allenson, the Assistant to the College Counseling Office. Appointments with Mr. St. Jean may be made with him directly. • Update your college counselor on your summer activities and college visits. We cannot be your advocate unless we know you. We cannot know you unless you meet with us! • Review your test-taking plan and colleges to which you will apply. • Your college counselor CANNOT WRITE YOUR RECOMMENDATION UNTIL YOU HAVE THIS MEETING!

 Keep in Touch with your College Counselor Throughout the Process

 Finalize the List of Colleges to which You will Apply • Be sure to have “likelies,” “possibles,” and “reaches.” • Helpful Hint: apply to at least one college early in the fall (September/October) that has a non-binding admission plan (EA or rolling), that is a “likely,” and that you like! Make your first letter an acceptance! • Determine if you have a first choice school (is ED or EA appropriate for you?). If you apply ED, you often have to have your parents and your counselor sign an ED agreement form. • Determine if you need financial aid and if you have “financial safeties.”

 Complete the Common Application (www.commonapp.org), The Coalition Application (http://coalitionforcollegeaccess.org) and colleges’ unique applications. • When using the Common Application, check to see which colleges require supplements. • Do NOT apply until you have your college counselor at least read your essays, if not review the entire application!

 Write College Essay(s) • Be prepared to do several drafts of each essay. • Have your essay critiqued by your college counselor or a teacher before you submit your application. • Proofread your final essay and use spell check!

 Complete All Standardized Tests & Send Scores to Colleges! • Many seniors will be retaking the SAT in August or October or the ACT in September or October • Check to see if the colleges to which you will apply require Subject Test scores (and if they require scores from specific subject areas). • Consult individual colleges’ applications to determine the last date by which you can take SAT ’s, Subject Tests, or the ACT and still meet the deadlines. • Send your scores to colleges directly from the testing agency - for free by listing four colleges when you register for the SAT/ACT or when you sit for the SAT/ACT. If you want to send your scores to more than four colleges, you must pay to send them. GA does NOT send test scores! While the College Board offers “score choice,” the name of the policy suggests that you elect which scores you want to be sent to colleges; in reality, each college has its own policy that dictates what you send. Some colleges require you to send all of your scores; others allow you to choose (all must be from one administration, however).

 Check financial aid deadlines • CSS Profile – an application that is required by some colleges, but not all colleges. Check https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/index.jsp to see if your colleges require this form to apply for financial aid. All deadlines for this form vary by college. If you are applying early and the college requires the CSS Profile, it may be due as early as November. • FAFSA (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) – if you want to be considered for aid, this form must be completed. The first date it can be filed is October 1 of your senior year. You can find the application on-line at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

 Continue to Investigate Colleges • Revisit colleges to see the campus in action! • Attend meetings with the college representatives who visit GA (consult Naviance Student for updated information). If you or your counselor added colleges to “Colleges I am Thinking About,” you will receive notices of when those colleges are visiting! • Schedule interviews with colleges that offer them even if they are “recommended” or “optional.”  Many small to medium size colleges track “interest,” and some go so far as to wait list even highly qualified candidates because they have not visited and/or interviewed.

 If you are a prospective college athlete seeking admission to a Division I or II level (not Division III) college, register with the NCAA Initial Eligibility Center at http://web1.ncaa.org/ECWR2/NCAA_EMS/NCAA.jsp. o Don’t forget to send your standardized test scores through the testing agency. o If you attended another high school, you must have that high school send an official transcript to the NCAA.

 Take Ownership of the College Application Process • Complete applications yourselves. Do not allow a parent to do your work! Not only is permitting someone else to complete your applications unethical and in violation of GA’s Honor Code, it is typically transparent to college admission counselors. • Adhere to our deadlines and procedures to minimize your stress, your parents‘ stress and your counselor’s stress! • Do not make your college list and your test scores a topic of conversation with your friends. Sharing lists and scores only increases YOUR stress. Save these conversations for your counselor!

 Check your GA Email Daily o College Counseling will be sending out important announcements and reminders to your GA email account. o Colleges notify you of missing materials via email. o Alumni interviewers contact you via your GA email.

-YOUR COLLEGE APPLICATION LIST-

BUILDING THE COLLEGE LIST FROM “COLLEGES I’M THINKING ABOUT” TO “COLLEGES I’M APPLYING TO” While the key to a strong college list is balance, including a range of colleges of varying selectivity for the individual student, most students achieve this goal, often with the prodding of their college counselor to add colleges to which their candidacy is very strong and the probability for admission is highly likely (hence, why we use the term “Likely” to refer to these colleges). Where many students err, however, is by including “Likely” colleges they do not truly like. While that may seem odd, students seem to struggle the most with identifying appropriate “Likely” colleges.

Below you will find the categories the College Counseling team uses to help students understand their likelihood of being admitted.

LIKELY COLLEGES (THE FOUNDATION OF A STRONG LIST) A college will be identified as a likely if the student’s grades and test scores are significantly above those of admitted students to that college. The counselor not only considers published statistics from the college, but the history of GA applicants to that college. While the probability for admission to a “Likely” college is high, 80% or better, admission trends constantly shift and can result in a college being significantly more selective in a given year than that college has been previously. In other words, a “likely” is not a guarantee of admission and should not be taken for granted. Recommendation: GA students are urged to have at least three “Likelies” on their list and to make certain that they genuinely like them - colleges to which the student would be happy and proud to attend.

POSSIBLE COLLEGES (50/50 CHANCE) A college counselor will identify a college as a “Possible” if the student is a competitive candidate at that college because his or her academic profile is comparable or slightly higher than that of admitted students and past GA applicants who gained admission. Because many more factors than grades and test scores are employed at rendering admission decisions at selective colleges, the student’s chances are “Possible” or 50/50. Keep in mind that at the most selective colleges (those that admit less than 25%), grades and test scores are much less reliable predictors for admission. Recommendation: GA students should build a list with at least four “Possible” colleges, again keeping in mind that decisions could go either way.

REACH COLLEGES (REALISTIC ONES!) A college counselor will identify a college as a Reach (25% - 10% chance for admission) for one of two possible reasons: 1) the student’s academic profile falls slightly below that of admitted students or (2) in the case of most selective colleges, that the admission decision will rest on more subjective, personal factors and is unpredictable (in this case the student’s academic profile is comparable to or more exceptional than admitted students, yet these credentials will only open the door for consideration, not determine if the applicant is invited through the door and admitted). Recommendation: GA students should include at least 2 Reaches on their lists.

FAR REACHES (UNREALISTIC) A Far Reach is a college where admission is highly unlikely because the student’s academic profile falls significantly below that of admitted students (0 – 10%). A college counselor will include only those Far Reach colleges that a student or parent mentions, because Far Reaches are not typically realistic with chances for admission often less than 80%. Occasionally, a counselor will include additional Far Reaches if a student has a special talent that might transcend typical admission evaluation. Recommendation: unless the student boasts an exceptional talent, avoid Far Reaches.

SELECTIVITY VERSUS QUALITY – WHAT IS A “GOOD” COLLEGE? The single word I hate to see attached to colleges is “good.” Just as patients often seek out hospitals because of areas of specialization and certain physicians, students often seek out colleges for academic programs (or extracurricular) and faculty (expertise, ease of access, focus on students, etc.). In other words, what makes one college a “good” college for one student, may not necessarily make it “good” for 9

another. More often than not, however, “good” is often associated with a college’s selectivity, with low admit rates earning the “good” distinction. Because so many factors influence admit rates from a college’s remote geographic location to admission policies such as Early Decision, often these factors have little influence on the student’s experience. Focus on match, not selectivity, and keep an open mind.

-ASSESSING CHANCES FOR ADMISSION-

Once students have reflected on what they want in a college and visited some campuses that confirmed those desires, they need to develop a list of colleges that not only match their desires, but also offer them a realistic chance for being admitted. Determining admissibility can be one of the greatest challenges in this process or it could be quite simple. At the very basic level, students can compare their course selection, grades, and test scores to those of admitted students to the college by seeking out the college’s admission profile on its website and by using Naviance Student to compare their credentials to those of past GA applicants. Grades and test scores provide a starting point, but they do not necessarily provide the whole picture.

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE ADMISSION DECISION (UNDER THE STUDENT’S CONTROL) Admission officers will base their decision on the following information that the student provides at the time of application (order of import will vary slightly by college):  course selection (in the context of high school and its rigor)  grades in individual courses,  either GA’s GPA at face value (typically state universities and larger privates) or a recalculation (varies by college, often including only the main academic subjects: English, Math, Science, History/Social Science, and Foreign Language  standardized testing scores (some colleges are standardized testing optional)  extracurricular activities and leadership roles  essays and short responses  accomplishments and awards  teacher and counselor recommendations  interviews

In today’s admission process, there are a number of other factors that can influence the admission decision depending on the college or university’s institutional priorities:  a special talent o playing the trombone, conducting college-level scientific research, playing a sport, etc.  legacy status o defined uniquely by each college o generally, having a parent or grandparent who graduated from the institution  demonstrated interest o Making contact with the college to “demonstrate” your interest; visiting a campus, attending a tour and information session. Maintaining email contact with an admission counselor, faculty member, or coach is another way of demonstrating interest. o Early Decision (ED) demonstrates interest most powerfully since it is a binding agreement to attend that institution if admitted.  geographic diversity o Most colleges like to have students representing a wide geographic range on campus. Applying to colleges outside the Northeast, in the case of GA, students may give them an added advantage in the admission process.  ethnicity o Colleges and universities like to attract whatever groups are under-represented to their campuses. As a result, groups considered under-represented on a campus may have an easier time gaining admission than another group considered over-represented.  gender equity

o Some liberal arts colleges are shy on male applicants. Being a male could possibly increase an applicant’s chance for admission at these colleges. o Some majors struggle to attract applicants of one sex. For example, nursing programs often seek male applicants and engineering and computer science programs often seek female applicants.  out of state applicant to a state university o Because of the state budget crunch, many state schools are actively seeking out-of-state applicants because they pay higher tuition fees than in-state students. o Other state universities have mandates limiting the number of out-of-state students they can admit.  ability to pay o being able to afford the cost of tuition, room and board without any financial aid or scholarships can be an advantage, especially at private colleges or universities that are not need blind

It is vital to bear in mind that each of these factors can influence the admission process, but not all of them do at any given institution. Institutional priorities vary by college and by year! One college may consider a family’s ability to pay, for example, and another may be “need blind,” meaning that it does not consider a student’s need when rendering a decision. Being aware of these factors elucidates the complexity of admission decisions and the simple fact that the college admission process is not necessarily fair or easily predicted.

College Counselors are the best source for insight into a student’s chances for admission at a particular college, since they are knowledgeable about admission trends and GA’s application history. To gain insight into selective college admission trends, see Appendix E, on page 85.

-WAYS TO APPLY-

Each college offers its own timeline on when they begin receiving applications and when their ultimate deadline is. All of these timelines fall into one of the categories outlined below. In the fall of senior year, students, college counselors, and parents typically discuss at length how students will apply to colleges. The College Counseling team recommends finding at least one college within the student’s “Likely” range and offering either rolling admission or Early Action to apply to early in the senior year.

Rolling Admission: An admission procedure by which the college considers each application as soon as all required materials have been received. The applicant’s credentials are compared to the set requirements for admission to that college. The college then notifies each applicant of acceptance or rejection as soon as possible. The college does not wait until all applicants have applied in order to compare applicants to one other. Recommendation: apply to rolling colleges early in the senior year to get a jump on competition and to receive an admission decision sooner.

Early Action (EA): An application process in which a student can apply to an institution and receive a decision in advance of the normal response dates in the spring. The student is not committed to enroll at the institution under Early Action. Recommendation: in general, if a college in which a student is interested offers EA, the student should apply EA to learn of a decision faster (there are a few exceptions to this general advice, so consult the student’s college counselor).

Restrictive Early Action (REA): only a few colleges including, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Princeton and Yale offer Restrictive Early Action. Please consult their websites for specific details about their policies. In general, students who apply to a college via REA may not apply Early Decision to another college, and in most cases may not apply Early Action to another college (exceptions apply at some colleges). REA is not a binding agreement.

Early Decision (ED): An application process in which the student is committed to enroll at the institution if accepted; it is a binding agreement that the student, parent, and college counselor sign off on. Only a student who can make a deliberate and well-reasoned first choice decision should apply using an Early Decision program. Most colleges will provide a preliminary financial aid package at the time of acceptance (parents will have needed to submit the CSS Profile via The College Board website), so students will know if they can afford the college, but students will not be able to compare this package to those of others (they will have 3-4 weeks to decide to accept or decline the package and therefore accept or decline the Early Decision acceptance).

Regular Decision: An application process in which the student applies by a set deadline (typically in January or February) and is notified of a decision on an established date (typically in late March).

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE US WITH BINDING EARLY DECISION ADMISSION PLANS (cross referenced with those with Early Action plans) [last modified July 15, 2019]

ALABAMA Birmingham Southern College (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-15)]

CALIFORNIA Chapman University (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-1)] Claremont McKenna College (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-5)] Harvey Mudd College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-5)] Loyola Marymount University (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1)] Occidental College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Pitzer College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Pomona College (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Santa Clara University (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1)] Scripps College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-3)] University of Redlands (11-15) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-15)] University of San Francisco (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1)]

COLORADO Colorado College (11-10) [also supports an EA plan (11-10) and an ED II plan (1-15)] University of Denver (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (1-15)]

CONNECTICUT Connecticut College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Fairfield University (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (1-15)] Quinnipiac University (11-1) Sacred Heart University (12-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-15)] Trinity College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] University of New Haven (12-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-15)] Wesleyan University (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)]

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA American University (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-15)] Catholic University of America (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and ED II (1-15)] George Washington University (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-5)]

FLORIDA Flagler College (11-1) Florida Southern College (11-1) New College of Florida (11-1) Rollins College (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-5)] University of Miami (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (1-1)]

GEORGIA Agnes Scott College (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-15) and EA II (1-15)] Emory University (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Oxford College of Emory University (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Spelman College (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-15)]

ILLINOIS Augustana College (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1)] Knox College (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and an EA II plan (12-1)] Lake Forest College (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (1-15)] Northwestern University (11-1) University of Chicago (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (1-2)]

INDIANA DePauw University (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] Earlham College (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] Saint Mary’s College (11-15) Wabash College (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)]

IOWA Coe College (11-15) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-10)] Grinnell College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)]

KENTUCKY Centre College (11-15) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)]5

LOUISIANA Tulane University (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-15) and an ED II plan (1-7)]

MAINE Bates College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Bowdoin College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Colby College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] College of the Atlantic (12-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-15)]

MARYLAND Goucher College (11-15) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] Johns Hopkins University (11-1) Maryland Institute College of Art (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] McDaniel College (11-1) [also supports EA (11-15), EA II (12-15) and ED II (1-15) plans] Saint Mary’s College of Maryland (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1)] Salisbury University (11-15) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] Washington College (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (12-1) and ED II (12-15)]

MASSACHUSETTS Amherst College (11-1) Assumption College (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1)] Babson College (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (1-2)] Becker College (11-15) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-15)] Bentley University (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-7)] Boston College (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Boston University (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-2)] Brandeis University (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Clark University (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1)] College of the Holy Cross (12-15) Hampshire College (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (12-1) and an ED II (1-1) plan] Merrimack College (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (11-15) and an EA II plan (1-15)] Mount Holyoke College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Northeastern University (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (1-1)] Smith College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Springfield College (12-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-15)] Stonehill College (12-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (2-1)] Tufts University (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Wellesley College (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Wheaton College (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (1-1)] Williams College (11-15)

MICHIGAN Hillsdale College (11-1) Kalamazoo College (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (2-1)] 13

MINNESOTA Carleton College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-15)] Hamline University (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] Macalester College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Saint Olaf College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-8)]

MISSOURI Washington University in Saint Louis (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-2)]

NEW HAMPSHIRE Dartmouth College (11-1) Saint Anselm College (12-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-15)]

NEW JERSEY Drew University (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (12-15) and an ED II plan (1-15)] Ramapo College of New Jersey (11-1) Stevens Institute of Technology (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-15)] The College of New Jersey (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)]

NEW YORK Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (12-1)] Alfred University (12-1) Bard College (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1)] Barnard College (11-1) Clarkson University (12-1) Colgate University (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-15)] Columbia University (11-1) Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (11-1) [School of Architecture] or (12-3) [Schools of Art and Engineering] Cornell University (11-1) Five Towns College (12-1) Fordham University (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1)] Hamilton College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Hartwick College (11-1) Hobart and William Smith Colleges (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-15)] Ithaca College (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] Jewish Theological Seminary of America, List College Joint Program with General Studies at Columbia (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-15)] Jewish Theological Seminary of America, List College Double Degree Program with Barnard College (11-1) Manhattan College (11-15) Marist College (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (11-15) and an ED II plan (2-1)] Nazareth College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-10)] New York University (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Pace University, New York City (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] Pace University, Briarcliff/Pleasantville (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (12-15)] Rochester Institute of Technology (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Saint John Fisher College (12-1) Saint John’s University (11-15) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] Saint Lawrence University (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (2-1)] Sarah Lawrence College (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (1-2)] Siena College (12-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (2-15)] Skidmore College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-15)] SUNY College at Geneseo (11-15) SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (12-1) SUNY Maritime College (11-1) Syracuse University (11-15) Union College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-15)] University of Rochester (11-1) Utica College (11-15) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-15)] Vassar College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] 14

Webb Institute (of Naval Architecture) (10-15) Yeshiva University (11-1)

NORTH CAROLINA Davidson College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-2)] Duke University (11-1) Elon University (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-10)] Guilford College (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] High Point University (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-15) and an ED II plan (2-1)] Lees-McRae College (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] Meredith College (10-30) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-2)] Queens University of Charlotte (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (12-1) and EA II (2-1)] Wake Forest University (11-15) [this is a rolling ED plan—decisions will be made as applications are received up until deadline; also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Warren Wilson College (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-15)]

OHIO Case Western Reserve University (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and ED II (1-15)] College of Wooster (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-15) and an ED II plan (1-15)] Denison University (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-15)] Kenyon College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-15)] Miami University of Ohio (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (12-1)] Oberlin College and Conservatory (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-2)] Ohio Wesleyan University (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (12-1) and an ED II plan (1-15] Wittenberg University (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (12-1)]

OREGON Lewis and Clark College (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1)] Reed College (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (11-15) and an ED II plan (12-20)] Willamette University (11-15) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-15)]

PENNSYLVANIA Allegheny College (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (12-1) and an ED II plan (2-1)] Bryn Mawr College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Bucknell University (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-15)] Carnegie Mellon University (11-1) Dickinson College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-15)] Drexel University (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1)] Duquesne University (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] Franklin and Marshall College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-15)] Gettysburg College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-15)] Grove City College (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (12-1)] Haverford College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Juniata College (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (12-1) and an EA II plan (1-15)] Lafayette College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (2-1)] Lebanon Valley College (11-1) Lehigh University (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Lycoming College (11-15) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] Muhlenberg College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (2-1)] Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (11-15) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] Saint Joseph’s University (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (1-15)] Susquehanna University (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and an EA II plan (12-1)] Swarthmore College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] University of Pennsylvania (11-1) Ursinus College (12-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (2-1)] Villanova University (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1)] Washington and Jefferson College (12-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (1-15)]

RHODE ISLAND Brown University (11-1) Bryant University (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-15) and an ED II plan (1-15)] Providence College (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (1-15)] 15

Rhode Island School of Design (11-1)

SOUTH CAROLINA College of Charleston (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] Furman University (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1)] Wofford College (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-15)]

TENNESSEE Rhodes College (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-15) and an ED II plan (1-1)] Sewanee: The University of The South (11-15) [also supports EA (12-1) and ED II (1-15)] Vanderbilt University (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)]

TEXAS Austin College (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (12-1) and an EA II plan (2-1)] Baylor University (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1)] Rice University (11-1) Southern Methodist University (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and ED II (1-15)] Southwestern University (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (12-1)] Texas Christian University (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-1)] Trinity University (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (1-1)]

VERMONT Bennington College (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (12-1) and an ED II plan (1-15)] Champlain College (11-15) Marlboro College (11-15) [also supports an Early Action plan (1-1)] Middlebury College (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Sterling College (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (12-15) and an ED II plan (1-15)]

VIRGINIA Christopher Newport University (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (12-1)] College of William and Mary (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)] Hampden-Sydney College (11-15) [also supports an EA plan (12-15) and EA II (1-15)] Hollins University (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-15)] Longwood University (11-1 for nursing applicants only) [also supports an EA plan (12-2)] Roanoke College (11-15) University of Lynchburg (11-15) University of Mary Washington (11-1) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-15)] University of Richmond (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (1-15)] University of Virginia (10-15) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-1)] Virginia Military Institute (11-15) Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (12-1)] Washington and Lee University (11-1) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)]

WASHINGTON University of Puget Sound (11-15) [also supports an Early Action plan (11-15)] Whitman College (11-15) [also supports an ED II plan (1-1)]

WISCONSIN Beloit College (11-1) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and an EA II plan (12-1)] Lawrence University (10-31) [also supports an EA plan (11-1) and an EA II plan (12-1)]

This list was compiled by Cigus Vanni. Sources consulted included Big Future, 2019 by the College Board; the National Center for Education Statistics; individual college websites; the College Board Common Data Set; and various college admissions offices via website and by telephone (telephone—how quaint!). As is the case with all aspects of college admission, use lists as guides and be certain to double check with individual admissions offices. Permission to share and duplicate is freely given—distribution trumps attribution.

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE US WITH EARLY ACTION (NON-BINDING) ADMISSION DECISION PLANS (cross referenced with schools with Early Decision [ED] plans) [last modified July 15, 2019]

ALABAMA 16

Birmingham-Southern College (11-15) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)]

ARKANSAS Hendrix College (11-15) [also supports an EA II plan (2-1)] University of Arkansas (11-1)

CALIFORNIA Azusa Pacific University (11-15) Biola University (11-15) [also supports an EA II plan (1-15)] California Baptist University (12-1) California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) (11-1) California Lutheran University (11-1) California State University Maritime (10-31) Chapman University (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Concordia University Irvine (11-15) [also supports an EA II plan (2-15)] Loyola Marymount University (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Menlo College (11-15) Mills College (11-15) Mount Saint Mary’s University (12-1) Point Loma Nazarene University (11-15) Saint Mary’s College of California (11-15) Santa Clara University (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision (11-1) plan] Soka University of America (11-1) Stanford University (11-1) [restrictive plan as follows:  applicants agree not to apply to any other private college/university under an Early Action, Restrictive/Single-Choice Early Action, Early Decision or Early Notification plan;  applicants may apply to other colleges and universities under their Regular Decision option EXCEPTIONS:  the student many apply to any college/university with early deadlines for scholarships or special academic programs as long as the decision is non-binding;  the student may apply to any public college/university with a non-binding early application option;  the student may apply to any college/university with a non-binding rolling admission process;  the student may apply to any foreign (i.e., international) college/university on any application schedule

University of Redlands (11-15) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-15)] University of San Francisco (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] University of the Pacific (11-15) Vanguard University of Southern California (12-1) Westmont College (10-15) [also supports an EA II plan (11-1)] Whittier College (11-15)

COLORADO Colorado College (11-10) [also supports Early Decision (11-10) and ED II (1-15) plans] Colorado State University (12-1) University of Colorado at Boulder (11-15) University of Denver (11-1) [also supports Early Decision (11-1) and ED II (1-15) plans]

CONNECTICUT Fairfield University (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision (11-15) and ED II (1-15) plans] Sacred Heart University (12-15) [also supports an Early Decision plan (12-1)] United States Coast Guard Academy (10-15) University of Hartford (11-15) University of New Haven (12-15) [also supports an Early Decision plan (12-1)]

Yale University [restrictive plan as follows: . a student may apply to any college’s non-binding rolling admission program; . a student may apply to any public institution at any time provided that admission is not binding; . a student may apply to another college’s ED II program, but only if the notification of admission occurs after January 1. If the student is admitted through another college’s ED II binding program, s/he must withdraw her/his application from Yale; . a student may apply to another college’s EA II program; 17

. a student may apply to any institution outside the US at any time

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Catholic University of America (11-1) [also supports an ED (11-15) and an ED II plan (1-15)] Georgetown University (11-1) [restrictive plan as follows:  students applying to Georgetown under the Early Action program may not apply to a binding Early Decision program. Georgetown does, however, give students the option to apply both under the Georgetown EA program and under EA programs of other schools. Georgetown EA applicants who have been deferred to Regular Decision may subsequently apply to an ED II program at another school Howard University (11-1)

FLORIDA Eckerd College (11-15) Lynn University (11-15) Ringling College of Art and Design (11-1) University of Miami (11-1) [also supports Early Decision (11-1) and ED II (1-1) plans] University of Tampa (11-15)

GEORGIA Agnes Scott College (11-15) [also supports Early Decision (11-1) and EA II (1-15) plans] Berry College (11-1) Covenant College (11-15) Georgia College and State University (11-1) Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) (10-15) Georgia State University (11-15) Mercer University (10-15) Morehouse College (11-1) Oglethorpe University (11-15) Spelman College (11-15) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] University of Georgia (10-15) University of North Georgia (11-15)

HAWAII Hawaii Pacific University (11-15)

IDAHO College of Idaho (11-15) [also supports an EA II plan (1-15)] Northwest Nazarene University (1-15)

ILLINOIS Augustana College (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] DePaul University (11-15) Elmhurst College (11-1) Governor’s State University (11-15) Illinois College (12-1) Illinois Wesleyan University (11-15) Knox College (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1) and an EA II plan (12-1)] Lake Forest College (11-1) [also supports Early Decision (11-1) and ED II (1-15) plans] School of the Art Institute of Chicago (11-15) University of Chicago (11-1) [also supports Early Decision (11-1) and ED II (1-2) plans] University of Illinois at Chicago (11-1) University of Illinois, Shampoo-Banana (11-1) Wheaton College (11-1)

INDIANA Butler University (11-1) DePauw University (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Earlham College (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Grace College (11-1) Hanover College (12-1) Indiana University Bloomington (11-1) Purdue University (11-1) 18

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (11-1) Taylor University (12-1) University of Evansville (12-1)

University of Notre Dame (11-1) [restrictive plan as follows:  a student applying Restrictive Early Action may apply to other Early Action programs;  a student applying Restrictive Early Action may not apply to any college or university via a binding Early Decision program;  students do not indicate a first-choice preference by applying Restrictive Early Action and may still wait until May 1 to indicate decision to attend

Wabash College (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)]

IOWA Coe College (12-10) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-15)] Cornell College (11-1)

KENTUCKY Bellarmine University (11-1) Centre College (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-15)] Transylvania University (10-31) [also supports an EA II plan (12-1)]

LOUISIANA Centenary College of Louisiana (11-15) [also supports an EA II plan (12-15)] Loyola University of New Orleans (11-15) Tulane University (11-15) [also supports ED (11-1) and an ED II plan (1-7)]

MAINE Maine College of Art (12-1) Maine Maritime Academy (11-30) Saint Joseph’s College of Maine (11-15; EA II 12-15 nursing applicants only) Thomas College (12-15) Unity College in Maine (12-15) University of Maine (12-1) University of Maine at Farmington (11-15) University of New England (12-1) University of Southern Maine (11-15)

MARYLAND Goucher College (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-15)] Loyola University in Maryland (11-15) Maryland Institute College of Art (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] McDaniel College (11-15) [also supports EA II (12-15), ED (11-1) and ED II (1-15)] Morgan State University (11-15) Mount Saint Mary’s University (12-1) Salisbury University (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-15)] Saint John’s College (11-15) Saint Mary’s College of Maryland (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] University of Maryland Baltimore County (11-1) University of Maryland College Park (11-1) Washington College (12-1) [also supports Early Decision (11-15) and ED II (12-15) plans]

MASSACHUSETTS Assumption College (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Babson College (11-1) [also supports ED (11-1) and an ED II plan (1-2)] Bay Path University (12-15) Becker College (11-15) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-15)] Berklee College of Music (11-1) Bridgewater State University (11-15) Clark University (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Curry College (12-1) Dean College (12-1) Emerson College (11-1) 19

Emmanuel College (11-1) Framingham State University (11-15) Gordon College (11-1) [also supports an EA II (12-1) plan] Hampshire College (12-1) [also supports Early Decision (11-15) and ED II (1-1) plans] Harvard/Radcliffe Colleges [11-1; restrictive plan as follows:  a student may apply Early Action to any public college/university or to any foreign (i.e., international) universities;  a student may not apply Early Action or Early Decision to any private institutions in the United States  after notification of EA decision in mid-December, a student is free to apply to any institution under any plan, including such binding programs as Early Decision II Lasell College (11-15) Lesley University (12-1) Massachusetts College of Art and Design (12-1) Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (12-1) Massachusetts College of Pharm & Health Sciences University (11-1)[also supports EA II(12-1)] Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (11-1) Massachusetts Maritime Academy (11-1) Merrimack College (11-15) [also supports an EA II plan (1-15) and an ED (11-15)] Nichols College (12-1) Northeastern University (11-1) [also supports ED (11-1) and an ED II plan (1-1)] Regis College (11-15) Salem State University (11-15) Simmons University (11-1) [also supports an EA II plan (12-1)] Stonehill College (11-1) [also supports ED (12-1) and an ED II plan (2-1)] Suffolk University (11-15) University of Massachusetts at Amherst (11-5) University of Massachusetts at Boston (11-1) University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth (11-18) University of Massachusetts at Lowell (11-1) Wheaton College (11-1) [also supports ED (11-1) and an ED II (1-1) plan] Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) (11-1) [also supports an EA II plan (1-1)] Worcester State University (11-15)

MICHIGAN Albion College (12-1) Central Michigan University (5-1) College for Creative Studies (12-1) Hope College (11-1) Kalamazoo College (11-1) [also supports Early Decision (11-1) and ED II (2-1) plans] Kettering University (11-15) Michigan State University (11-1) University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (11-1)

MINNESOTA College of Saint Benedict (12-15) Gustavus Adolphus College (11-1) Hamline University (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Minneapolis College of Art and Design (12-1) Saint John’s University (11-15) [also supports an EA II plan (12-15)] University of Saint Thomas (11-1)

MISSISSIPPI Millsaps College (11-15)

MONTANA Carroll College (12-1)

NEW HAMPSHIRE Colby-Sawyer College (12-1) New Hampshire Institute of Art (12-15) Rivier University (11-15) 20

Saint Anselm College (11-15) [also supports an Early Decision plan (12-1)] Southern New Hampshire University (11-15) University of New Hampshire (11-15)

NEW JERSEY Bloomfield College (11-30) Drew University (12-15) [also supports Early Decision (11-15) and ED II (1-15) plans] Felician University (11-15) Kean University (12-1) Monmouth University (12-1) Montclair State University (12-1) New Jersey Institute of Technology (11-15) [also supports an EA II plan (12-15)]

Princeton University (11-1) [restrictive plan as follows:  a student may not apply to an early program at any other private college or university but may apply early to any public institution or service academy, as long as the decision is non- binding;  a student may apply to any international institution, as long as the decision is non-binding;  a student may apply early to any college with a non-binding rolling admissions process

Rider University (11-15) Rutgers University Camden (11-1) Rutgers University New Brunswick (11-1) Rutgers University Newark (11-1) Saint Peter’s University (12-15) Seton Hall University (11-15) [also supports an EA II plan (12-15)]

NEW MEXICO Saint John’s College (11-15)

NEW YORK Adelphi University (12-1) Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (12-1) [also supports ED(11-1)] Bard College (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Canisius College (11-1) College of Mount Saint Vincent (11-15) College of Saint Rose (12-1) Concordia College (11-15) Elmira College (11-1) Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts (11-1) Fordham University (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Hofstra University (11-15) [also supports an EA II plan (12-15)] Iona College (12-1) Ithaca College (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Le Moyne College (11-15) LIM College (11-15) Long Island University Brooklyn (12-1) Long Island University Post (12-1) Manhattanville College (12-1) Marist College (11-15) [also supports Early Decision (11-15) and ED II (2-1) plans] Molloy College (12-1) New School College of Performing Arts (11-1) New York Institute of Technology (2-15) Niagara University (12-15) Pace University, New York City (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Pace University, Briarcliff/Pleasantville (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Parsons The New School for Design (11-1) Pratt Institute (11-1) Saint John’s University (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-15)] Sarah Lawrence College (11-1) [also supports Early Decision (11-1)and ED II (1-2) plans] Siena College (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (12-1)] State University of New York (SUNY) College at Cortland (11-15) 21

SUNY College at New Paltz (11-15) SUNY College at Oneonta (11-15) SUNY College at Oswego (12-1) SUNY College at Purchase (11-15) SUNY Polytechnic Institute (11-15) SUNY University at Albany (11-1) SUNY University at Binghamton (11-1) SUNY University at Buffalo (11-15) The King’s College (12-15) The Sage Colleges (12-1) Utica College (11-15) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-15)] Wagner College (12-1)

NORTH CAROLINA Appalachian State University (11-1) Elon University (11-10) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Guilford College (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] High Point University (11-15) [also supports ED (11-1) and an ED II plan (2-1)] Lees McRae College (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Lenoir-Rhyne College (11-7) Meredith College (12-2) [also supports an Early Decision plan (10-30)] North Carolina State University (10-15) Queens University of Charlotte (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (10-15) University of North Carolina at Charlotte (11-1) University of North Carolina at Greensboro (12-1) University of North Carolina at Wilmington (11-1) Warren Wilson College (11-15) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Western Carolina University (11-15)

OHIO Case Western Reserve University (11-1) [also supports ED (11-1) and ED II (1-15) plans] Cleveland Institute of Art (12-1) College of Wooster (11-15) [also supports Early Decision (11-1) and ED II (1-15) plans] John Carroll University (12-1) Miami University of Ohio (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-15)] Ohio State University (11-1) Ohio Wesleyan University (12-1) [also supports ED (11-15) and an ED II plan (1-15)] University of Akron (11-1) University of Cincinnati (12-1) University of Dayton (11-1) Wittenberg University (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-15)]

OKLAHOMA University of Tulsa (11-1)

OREGON George Fox University (12-1) Lewis and Clark College (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Linfield College (11-1) Oregon State University (11-1) Reed College (11-15) [also supports Early Decision (11-15) and ED II (12-20) plans] University of Oregon (11-1) Willamette University (11-15) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-15)]

PENNSYLVANIA Allegheny College (12-1) [also supports Early Decision (11-15) and ED II (2-1) plans] Drexel University (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Duquesne University (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Juniata College (12-1) [also supports EA II (1-15) and an Early Decision plan (11-15)] La Salle University (11-15) Lycoming College (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-15)] 22

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-15)] Pennsylvania State University (11-1) Saint Joseph’s University (11-1) [also supports ED (11-1) and ED II (1-15) plans] Susquehanna University (11-1) [also supports ED and (11-15) and EA II (12-1) plans] Temple University (11-1) University of Scranton (11-15) Ursinus College (11-1) [also supports Early Decision (12-1) and ED II (2-1) plans] Villanova University (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Washington and Jefferson College (1-15) [also supports an Early Decision plan (12-1)] Westminster College (11-15)

RHODE ISLAND Bryant University (11-15) [also supports Early Decision (11-1) and ED II (1-15) plans] Providence College (11-1) [also supports Early Decision (11-15) and ED II (1-15) plans] Roger Williams University (11-15) Salve Regina University (11-1) University of Rhode Island (12-1)

SOUTH CAROLINA College of Charleston (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Furman University (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] University of South Carolina at Columbia (10-15) Wofford College (11-15) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)]

TENNESSEE Fisk University (11-1) [also supports an EA II plan (2-1)] Rhodes College (11-15) [also supports Early Decision (11-1) and ED II (1-1) plans] Sewanee: The University of the South (12-1) [also supports ED (11-15) and ED II (1-15)]

TEXAS Abilene Christian University (11-1) Austin College (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1) and an EA II plan (2-1)] Baylor University (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Our Lady of the Lake University of San Antonio (11-14) Southern Methodist University (11-1) [also supports and ED (11-1) and ED II (1-15) plans] Southwestern University (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Texas A&M (10-15) [for engineering majors only] Texas Christian University (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Trinity University (11-1) [also supports Early Decision (11-1) and ED II (1-1) plans] University of Dallas (12-1) University of Saint Thomas (12-1)

UTAH University of Utah (11-1)

VERMONT Bennington College (12-1) [also supports Early Decision (11-15) and ED II (1-15) plans] Marlboro College (1-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-15)] Saint Michael’s College (11-1) Sterling College (12-15) [also supports ED (11-15) and an EA II plan (1-15)] University of Vermont (11-1)

VIRGINIA Christendom College (12-1) Christopher Newport University (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-15)] George Mason University (11-1) Hampden-Sydney College (1-15) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Hampton University (11-1) Hollins University (11-15) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] James Madison University (11-1) Longwood University (12-2) [also supports an ED plan for nursing applicants only (11-1)] Old Dominion University (12-1) Patrick Henry College (11-1) 23

Radford University (12-1) Randolph College (11-15) Randolph-Macon College (11-15) University of Mary Washington (11-15) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1)] University of Richmond (11-1) [also supports ED (11-1) and ED II (1-15) plans] University of Virginia (11-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (10-15)] University of Virginia’s College at Wise (12-1) [also supports an EA II plan (2-1)] Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) (12-1) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-1) and an ED II plan (12-15)]

WASHINGTON Northwest University (11-15) [also supports an EA II plan (1-15)] Seattle Pacific University (11-15) Seattle University (11-15) University of Puget Sound (11-15) [also supports an Early Decision plan (11-15)] Whitworth University (11-15) [also supports an EA II plan (1-15)]

WEST VIRGINIA Shepherd University (11-15)

WISCONSIN Beloit College (11-1) [also supports EA II (12-1) and an Early Decision plan (11-1)] Lawrence University (11-1) [also supports ED (10-31) and an EA II plan (12-1)] Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (12-1) University of Wisconsin (11-1)

This list was compiled by Cigus Vanni, longtime member (that’s a kind way of describing “really old”) of the New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling Executive Board and former member of the NACAC Professional Development Committee (2007-2010). Sources consulted included Big Future, 2019 by the College Board; individual college websites; the College Board Common Data Set; and various college admissions offices on websites and by telephone (telephone—how quaint!). As is the case with all aspects of college admission, use lists as guides and be certain to double check with individual admissions offices

-2019-2020 EARLY ACTION DEADLINES FOR UNIVERSITIES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM FOR APPLICANTS IN THE UNITED STATES-

OCTOBER 1 – CONSERVATORY PROGRAMMES  Birmingham Conservatoire  Conservatoire for Dance and Drama  Leeds College of Music  Royal Academy of Music  Royal College of Music  Royal Northern College of Music  Royal Conservatoire of Scotland  Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama  Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

OCTOBER 15 – COMPREHENSIVE UNIVERSITIES

 Cambridge University  Oxford University (important note: candidates from the US cannot apply to both Oxford and Cambridge; applicant must choose one and only one)

OCTOBER 15 – SPECIFIC PROGRAMMES  All programmes in Dentistry  All programmes in Medicine  All programmes in Veterinary Medicine

(important note: there are some individual exceptions for which an applicant must complete a secondary application specific to the university and apart from UCAS. These deadlines may be later than October 15). 24

-Applying Early as an Admission Strategy-

In March of 2016, the Washington Post published an article on the advantages of early decision and included the data that evidenced an improved admission rate for ED applicants at the colleges identified. Typically, Early Decision applicants at these colleges also include recruited athletes and legacies, which results in higher percentages being admitted early. Nonetheless, ED proves to be an advantage for qualified applicants at many colleges, but nonetheless, applying Early Decision must be reserved for a student’s first-choice college, and the student must closely exam the college’s financial aid policies and his or her own financial need. Here is the most recent data for students entering college this fall (2019).

Early Decision and Regular Decision Acceptance Rates - Class of 2022 (August, 2019) Compiled by Jennie Kent and Jeff Levy

Institution Early Regular Percent ED to Additional Source Decision Decisio of Class RD Admission Acceptan n Filled ED Accepta Plans ce Rate Accepta nce nce Ratio Rate

Agnes Scott College 90.6% 64.1% 10.7% 1.4 EA, EA II CDS 2018-2019 Alfred University 84.4% 62.5% 6.2% 1.3 CDS 2018-2019 Allegheny College 39.5% 64.4% 14.9% 0.6 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 American University 81.2% 28.9% 45.1% 2.8 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Amherst College 38.3% 11.5% 36.8% 3.3 CDS 2018-2019 Augustana College (Illinois) 66.0% 63.5% 4.9% 1.0 EA CDS 2018-2019 Austin College 100.0% 55.1% 4.4% 1.8 EA, EA II CDS 2018-2019 Bard College 89.1% 64.3% 8.4% 1.4 ED II, EA, CDS 2018-2019 EA II Barnard College 29.9% 13.2% 49.3% 2.3 CDS 2018-2019 Bates College 45.1% 14.9% 64.0% 3.0 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Beloit College 26.8% 56.9% 7.1% 0.5 EA, EA II CDS 2018-2019 Boston University 28.3% 21.6% 35.1% 1.3 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Bowdoin College 22.9% 8.5% 49.0% 2.7 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Brandeis University 39.1% 30.5% 37.2% 1.3 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Brown University 21.1% 6.2% 44.6% 3.4 CDS 2018-2019 Bryn Mawr College 52.5% 31.9% 45.3% 1.6 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Bucknell University 55.6% 31.3% 41.1% 1.8 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Carleton College 26.5% 18.9% 42.5% 1.4 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Carnegie Mellon University 21.1% 16.8% 22.0% 1.3 CDS 2018-2019 Case Western Reserve University 42.0% 29.0% 17.1% 1.5 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Catholic University 85.5% 83.6% 13.4% 1.0 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Centre College 96.5% 68.6% 15.4% 1.4 EA CDS 2018-2019 Chapman University 68.6% 53.4% 8.5% 1.3 EA CDS 2018-2019 Christopher Newport University 80.8% 67.0% 28.7% 1.2 EA CDS 2018-2019

Claremont McKenna College 25.0% 7.3% 59.6% 3.4 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Clark University 63.0% 59.4% 5.8% 1.1 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Clarkson University 78.0% 70.9% 15.6% 1.1 CDS 2018-2019 Colby College 38.2% 11.4% 50.7% 3.4 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Colgate University 40.7% 23.2% 48.1% 1.8 ED II CDS 2018-2019 College of the Atlantic 75.8% 66.7% 30.5% 1.1 ED II CDS 2018-2019 College of the Holy Cross 81.3% 35.2% 50.1% 2.3 ED II CDS 2018-2019 College of William and Mary 58.2% 35.7% 34.8% 1.6 ED II CDS 2018-2019 College of Wooster 65.2% 53.9% 17.8% 1.2 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Colorado College 27.4% 14.1% 57.6% 1.9 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Connecticut College 62.4% 33.3% 44.5% 1.9 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Cornell College 33.8% 72.5% 9.4% 0.5 EA CDS 2018-2019 Cornell University 24.5% 8.7% 47.0% 2.8 CDS 2018-2019 Dartmouth College 25.3% 6.8% 49.1% 3.7 CDS 2018-2019 Davidson College 46.1% 15.6% 65.0% 2.9 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Denison University 64.8% 31.8% 50.2% 2.0 ED II CDS 2018-2019 DePauw University 66.7% 62.5% 8.9% 1.1 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Dickinson College 67.9% 47.9% 41.9% 1.4 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Drew University 81.8% 68.8% 21.4% 1.2 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Drexel University 84.3% 76.9% 8.0% 1.1 EA CDS 2018-2019 Duke University 21.6% 7.3% 50.4% 3.0 CDS 2018-2019 Earlham College 73.3% 54.0% 16.2% 1.4 EA, EA II CDS 2018-2019 Elon University 87.0% 71.6% 19.7% 1.2 EA CDS 2018-2019 Emory University/Oxford College 26.0% 17.7% 48.8% 1.5 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Fairfield University 88.2% 59.9% 13.0% 1.5 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Flagler College 60.6% 56.3% 30.6% 1.1 CDS 2018-2019 Fordham University 53.4% 46.0% 6.9% 1.2 EA CDS 2018-2019 Franklin and Marshall College 57.8% 31.0% 56.8% 1.9 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Furman University 86.3% 60.5% 14.2% 1.4 EA CDS 2018-2019 George Washington University 70.3% 40.4% 32.0% 1.7 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Gettysburg College 70.8% 43.5% 41.4% 1.6 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Goucher College 84.2% 80.4% 7.4% 1.0 EA CDS 2018-2019 Grinnell College 57.8% 22.7% 44.1% 2.5 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Hamilton College 42.0% 19.2% 50.7% 2.2 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Hamline University 94.7% 67.0% 3.3% 1.4 EA CDS 2018-2019 Harvey Mudd College 18.9% 13.9% 37.6% 1.4 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Haverford College 44.1% 16.1% 54.9% 2.7 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Hillsdale College 42.3% 35.1% 35.5% 1.2 CDS 2018-2019 Hobart and William Smith 81.4% 54.8% 47.3% 1.5 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Colleges Hollins University 100.0% 63.8% 5.0% 1.6 EA CDS 2018-2019 26

Ithaca College 89.8% 68.3% 7.9% 1.3 EA CDS 2018-2019 Kalamazoo College 84.7% 72.6% 12.3% 1.2 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Kenyon College 69.8% 33.9% 43.2% 2.1 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Knox College 67.9% 74.3% 5.5% 0.9 EA, EA II CDS 2018-2019 Lafayette College 51.6% 27.4% 54.3% 1.9 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Lake Forest College 61.1% 36.1% 2.8% 1.7 ED II, EA, CDS 2018-2019 EA II Lawrence University 83.3% 62.3% 5.1% 1.3 EA, EA II CDS 2018-2019 Lehigh University 60.3% 19.7% 55.7% 3.1 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Lewis and Clark College 73.6% 73.8% 6.9% 1.0 EA CDS 2018-2019 Loyola Marymount University 50.0% 47.1% 12.7% 1.1 EA CDS 2018-2019 Lycoming College 81.5% 65.4% 6.8% 1.2 EA CDS 2018-2019 Macalester College 52.1% 40.6% 25.9% 1.3 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Marist College 88.9% 45.0% 21.0% 2.0 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Marlboro College 83.3% 92.7% 13.2% 0.9 EA CDS 2018-2019 Miami University of Ohio 81.1% 74.4% 17.6% 1.1 EA, EA II CDS 2018-2019 Middlebury College 46.8% 13.6% 63.5% 3.4 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Morehouse College 100.0% 57.1% 10.1% 1.8 EA CDS 2018-2019 Mount Holyoke College 57.7% 50.2% 32.8% 1.1 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Muhlenberg College 85.6% 60.1% 43.2% 1.4 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Nazareth College 87.5% 61.1% 65.6% 1.4 ED II CDS 2018-2019 New York University 34.7% 17.5% 58.9% 2.0 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Northeastern University 41.0% 9.2% 16.5% 4.4 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Northwestern University 26.5% 6.4% 55.8% 4.1 CDS 2018-2019 Nova Southeastern University 31.1% 80.1% 7.0% 0.4 EA CDS 2018-2019 Oberlin College and 49.0% 35.3% 30.8% 1.4 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Conservatory Occidental College 47.9% 36.7% 32.2% 1.3 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Ohio Wesleyan University 59.7% 69.1% 10.1% 0.9 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Pace University (New York) 64.5% 75.9% 3.0% 0.8 EA CDS 2018-2019 Pitzer College 29.6% 11.4% 49.5% 2.6 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Pomona College 16.6% 6.4% 50.2% 2.6 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Providence College 80.6% 47.7% 32.6% 1.7 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Quinnipiac University 66.9% 72.5% 9.2% 0.9 CDS 2018-2019 Ramapo College of New Jersey 80.3% 62.3% 19.4% 1.3 EA CDS 2018-2019 Reed College 52.3% 34.3% 33.9% 1.5 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 46.8% 42.7% 31.5% 1.1 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Rhodes College 62.6% 44.0% 17.9% 1.4 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Rice University 22.1% 10.2% 38.5% 2.2 CDS 2018-2019 Roanoke College 81.7% 72.3% 13.2% 1.1 EA, EA II CDS 2018-2019 Rochester Institute of 46.8% 42.7% 31.5% 1.1 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Technology 27

Rollins College 58.3% 67.2% 35.9% 0.9 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Sacred Heart University 85.4% 60.0% 11.6% 1.4 EA CDS 2018-2019 Saint Mary's College - Indiana 86.0% 81.7% 18.7% 1.1 CDS 2018-2019 Salisbury University 55.9% 62.4% 15.6% 0.9 EA CDS 2018-2019 Santa Clara University 72.6% 49.4% 17.1% 1.5 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Scripps College 321.4% 21.6% 35.7% 14.9 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Sewanee: The University of the 86.1% 64.1% 30.0% 1.3 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 South Siena College 65.4% 80.5% 14.2% 0.8 EA CDS 2018-2019 Skidmore College 50.8% 25.3% 52.8% 2.0 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Smith College 49.5% 28.9% 46.7% 1.7 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Southern Methodist University 61.4% 50.8% 18.7% 1.2 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Spelman College 36.1% 39.4% 14.7% 0.9 EA CDS 2018-2019 St. John Fisher College 87.6% 64.0% 14.1% 1.4 CDS 2018-2019 St. Lawrence University 76.2% 44.4% 39.3% 1.7 CDS 2018-2019 St. Olaf College 75.8% 48.0% 34.5% 1.6 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Stonehill College 92.4% 69.3% 11.2% 1.3 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 SUNY College at Geneseo 84.3% 64.2% 18.9% 1.3 CDS 2018-2019 SUNY College of Environ. Science 80.4% 59.7% 33.9% 1.3 CDS 2018-2019 and Forestry Swarthmore College 26.3% 8.0% 54.6% 3.3 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Texas Christian University 33.4% 41.2% 18.3% 0.8 EA CDS 2018-2019 The College of New Jersey 60.1% 49.3% 26.6% 1.2 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Trinity College 57.6% 31.3% 51.6% 1.8 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Trinity University 79.2% 33.4% 16.5% 2.4 ED II, EA, CDS 2018-2019 EA II Tufts University 42.3% 11.4% 64.5% 3.7 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Tulane University 32.2% 16.7% 28.0% 1.9 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Union College 56.2% 37.6% 39.8% 1.5 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 University of Denver 39.6% 56.8% 9.9% 0.7 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 University of Detroit Mercy 51.3% 87.7% 44.5% 0.6 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 University of Miami 55.6% 31.3% 29.2% 1.8 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 University of Pennsylvania 18.5% 6.3% 52.1% 2.9 CDS 2018-2019 University of Puget Sound 89.1% 88.3% 15.0% 1.0 EA CDS 2018-2019 University of Richmond 48.2% 29.1% 38.3% 1.7 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 University of San Francisco 47.4% 64.6% 3.0% 0.7 EA CDS 2018-2019 Utica College 76.5% 84.5% 4.4% 0.9 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Vanderbilt University 20.6% 8.1% 53.2% 2.5 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Vassar College 43.7% 22.9% 43.4% 1.9 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Villanova University 61.1% 28.3% 24.2% 2.2 EA CDS 2018-2019 Virginia Military Institute 62.2% 48.0% 54.3% 1.3 CDS 2018-2019 Virginia Tech 45.4% 66.8% 21.4% 0.7 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019

Wabash College 93.1% 64.4% 9.9% 1.4 EA CDS 2018-2019 Wake Forest University 41.0% 27.4% 56.0% 1.5 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Warren Wilson College 87.0% 85.6% 8.0% 1.0 EA CDS 2018-2019 Washington and Jefferson 85.7% 82.3% 3.4% 1.0 EA CDS 2018-2019 College Washington and Lee University 50.5% 18.1% 58.2% 2.8 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Washington University in St. 42.0% 13.4% 43.2% 3.1 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Louis Wellesley College 30.9% 18.0% 40.4% 1.7 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Wells College 76.9% 78.8% 27.2% 1.0 EA CDS 2018-2019 Wesleyan University 37.6% 15.6% 50.6% 2.4 ED II CDS 2018-2019 Wheaton College (MA) 73.5% 69.7% 21.8% 1.1 ED II, EA CDS 2018-2019 Willamette University 70.6% 83.7% 3.1% 0.8 EA CDS 2018-2019 Williams College 34.5% 11.1% 48.4% 3.1 CDS 2018-2019 Wittenberg University 89.4% 71.4% 176.4%1 1.3 EA CDS 2018-2019 Yeshiva University 72.7% 59.1% 18.1% 1.2 CDS 2018-2019

Some Early Action Acceptance Rates - Class of 2023 Institution EA EA EA EA EA Source Applicati Admitt Accepta Deferr Deferral ons ed nce ed Rate Rate Georgetown University 7,802 919 11.8% The Hoya 1.3.19 Harvard University 6,958 935 13.4% Harvard Gazette 12.13.18 Massachusetts Institute of 9,600 707 7.4% 6,182 64% The Tech Technology 12.15.18 Notre Dame University 7,317 1,532 20.9% 1,375 19% The Observer 1.16.19 Princeton University 5,335 734 13.9% Princeton website Yale University 6,016 794 13.2% 3,369 56% Yale News 12.14.18

Early, Regular, and Overall Admit Rates for Fall of 2019 Compiled by Karen A. Mason, Director of College Counseling, Germantown Academy

School Early Admit Rate Regular Admit Rate Total Admit Rate Brown University (ED) 18% 5.17% 6.6% Columbia University (ED) 14.57% 4.04% 5.14% Cornell University (ED) 22.65% 8.82% 10.55% Dartmouth College (ED) 23.2% 6.15% 7.93% Duke University (ED) 18% 5.7% 7% Harvard University (SCEA) 13.44% 2.79% 4.5% MIT (EA) 7.36% 6% 6.62% Princeton University (SCEA) 13.93% 4.19% 5.78% Stanford University (SCEA) 7.77% 3.35% 4.93% University of Pennsylvania (ED) 17.99% 5.46% 7.44% Vanderbilt University (ED) 20% 6.3% 8% Yale University (SCEA) 13.19% 4.49% 5.91%

- College Applications-

Today’s college application process has been streamlined thanks to on-line applications and the ability to transmit school credentials securely and electronically, yet the purpose of the application remains the same: to provide students with a means of showcasing their talents and interests.

At GA, students begin to work on their college application in Junior College Seminar, when they compile a list of their activities and craft descriptions of their roles, and in Personal Essay Writing (the final required course at the end of junior year), when they write a response to one of the essay questions posed on The Common Application (an application accepted by over 500 colleges and universities). Personal essay teachers critique the response and then students have a chance to revise it and resubmit it by the end of the course for an additional critique. Students can then continue to revise their response over the summer.

By August 1st, the Common Application (www.commonapp.org) and other colleges that have their own unique applications typically post them on their websites. Rising seniors can then begin to complete them and get a jump on the process prior to school starting.

COLLEGE APPLICATION FORMS  The Common Application (www.commonapp.org) - Students complete the electronic application and can then submit it to any of the 822 colleges and universities that accept it. Because so many of the colleges that GA students apply to are on the Common Application, we tend to use it as our template. In addition, most college applications require similar information, so if students complete the Common Application, they should easily be able to transfer the information to any other application. o Writing Supplements – many colleges that accept The Common Application require a supplement. The supplement may consist of a few simple questions, a couple of short answer responses, or one or two long responses. Once a student knows the colleges to which he or she is applying, they should make a list of all of the supplemental questions and determine if one response could be used to satisfy multiple questions. One word of caution: if a college asks, “Why are you interested in _____ college?” be certain to craft a very specific response outlining why you perceive yourself as a good match for that specific college. o Some colleges only employ The Common Application while others allow students to apply via The Common Application, but also have their own application. What should students do if a college accepts The Common Application but also has its own application? Use The Common Application. Why? Because every college that pays to be a member of The Common Application signs an agreement to treat students who apply via The Common App the same as they treat students who apply using the college’s own application. If you worry that the college will not think you are as interested in the college if you use The Common Application, take other steps to demonstrate your interest (visit the college campus, arrange for an interview, respond to all of the college’s inquiries, attend the visit with the admission representative who visits GA, etc). Clearly, there are lots of other ways to demonstrate your interest, and by using The Common Application, GA can securely submit your information to the college or university electronically.

 The Coalition Application (http://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/) - accepted by 162 colleges and universities (many are on the Common Application). University of Maryland, University of Washington, and Virginia Tech exclusively use the Coalition Application, so if you are applying to these colleges you must use the Coalition App. For colleges on both the Common Application and the Coalition Applications, we recommend completing the Common Application because it is a refined application. In addition, the Common Application integrates with Naviance Student for

smooth submission of you GA materials. See below for a complete list of colleges accepting the Coalition Application.

 The Universal Application (https://www.universalcollegeapp.com/) – accepted by only 10 colleges and universities.

 Unique College Applications – some colleges (for example, College of Charleston) do NOT accept The Common Application, the Coalition Application, or The Universal Application. Instead, they have their own application that you can access from their website. The Military Academies also have unique applications and a process that requires nominations. Consult your college counselor if applying to an Academy.

COALITION APPLICATION SCHOOLS 2019-2020 (subject to updates—current as of 07-02-2019)

As noted below, there are four colleges that are Coalition Exclusive:  University of Maryland, College Park;  University of Washington, Bothell;  University. Of Washington, Seattle;  Virginia Tech

The below list delineates the other applications accepted by Coalition School Members:

Adelphi University (NY) – also accepts Common Application and has own “home-grown” application Allegheny College (PA) – also accepts Common App and own home-grown app American University (DC) – also accepts Common App Amherst College (MA) – also accepts Common App and Questbridge (QB) Application Arizona State University – also accepts Common App and own home-grown app Austin College (TX) – also accepts Common App and ApplyTexas Application Babson College (MA) – also Common App and home-grown app Barnard College (NY) – also Common App Bates College (ME) – also Common App Beloit College (WI) – also Common App and home-grown app Binghamton University (NY) – also Common App and State University of New York (SUNY) App Boston University (MA) – also Common App Bowdoin College (ME) – also Common App and QB App Brown University (RI) – also Common App and QB App Bryn Mawr College (PA) – also Common App Bucknell University (PA) – also Common App California Institute of Technology – also Common App and QB App Carleton College (MN) – also Common App and QB App Carroll University (WI) – also Common App and home-grown app Case Western Reserve University (OH) – also Common App Champlain College (VT) – also Common App and home-grown app Christopher Newport College (VA) – also Common App Claremont McKenna College (CA) – also Common App and QB App Clemson University (SC) – also home-grown app Colby College (ME) – also Common App and QB App Colgate University (NY) – also Common App College of the Holy Cross (MA) – also Common App College of William and Mary (VA) – also Common App College of Wooster (OH) – also Common App Colorado College – also Common App and QB App Columbia University (NY) – also Common App and QB App Cornell University (NY) – also Common App and Universal College Application Davidson College (NC) – also Common App, QB App and home-grown app Denison University (OH) – also Common App DePauw University (IN) – also Common App and home-grown app Drew University (NJ) – also Common App 31

Drexel University (PA) – also Common App Duke University (NC) – also Common App and QB app Elon University (NC) – also Common App, home-grown app and College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) Application for residents of North Carolina Emory University (GA) – also Common App and QB App Florida Southern College – also Common App and home-grown app Florida State University – also Common App and home-grown app Franklin and Marshall College (PA) – also Common App Franklin Olin College (MA) – also Common App Georgia Institute of Technology – also Common App Hamilton College (NY) – also Common App and QB App Harvard University (MA) – also Common App and Universal App Harvey Mudd College (CA) – also Common App Haverford College (PA) – also Common App and QB App Illinois State University – also home-grown app Indiana University – also Common App and home-grown app Iowa State University – also home-grown app and Iowa Public Universities Application Portal James Madison University (VA) – also home-grown app Johns Hopkins University (MD) – also Common App Juniata College (PA) – also Common App Kenyon College (OH) – also Common App Knox College (IL) – also Common App and home-grown app LaSalle University (PA) – also Common App and home-grown app Loyola Marymount University (CA) – also Common App Loyola University Maryland – also Common App Lycoming College (PA) – also Common App and home-grown app Manhattan College (NY) – also Common App Marist College (NY) – also Common App and home-grown app Maryville University of Saint Louis (MO) – also Common App and home-grown app Mercyhurst University (PA) – also home-grown app Miami University of Ohio – also Common App Michigan State University – also Common App and home-grown app Middlebury College (VT) – also Common App Mississippi State University – also home-grown app Mount Holyoke College (MA) – also Common App North Carolina State University – also Common App North Central College (IL) – also home-grown app Northeastern University (MA) – also Common App Northwestern University (IL) – also Common App and QB App Oberlin College and Conservatory (OH) – also Common App and QB App Ohio State University – also Common App Pennsylvania State University – also Common App and home-grown app Pomona College (CA) – also Common App and QB App Presbyterian College (SC) – also Common App and home-grown app Princeton University (NJ) – also Common App, Universal App and QB App Purdue University (IN) – also Common App Ramapo College of New Jersey – also Common App and home-grown app Reed College (OR) – also Common App Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY) – also Common App and home-grown Candidate’s Choice Application for “students who have shown interest in Rensselaer” (please consult website) Rice University (TX) – also Common App and QB App (not part of ApplyTexas App) Rollins College (FL) – also Common App and home-grown app Rutgers University Camden (NJ) – also home-grown app Rutgers University New Brunswick (NJ) – also home-grown app Rutgers University Newark (NJ) – also home-grown app Saint John’s College (MD and NM) – also Common App and home-grown app Saint Mary’s College of Maryland – also Common App and home-grown app Saint Mary’s University (TX) – also home-grown app and ApplyTexas App Saint Michael’s College (VT) – also Common App Saint Olaf College (MN) – also Common App and home-grown “Saint Olaf Application” 32

which must also be completed for either Common App or Coalition App Simmons College (MA) – also Common App and home-grown app Skidmore College (NY) – also Common App Smith College (MA) – also Common App Southern Methodist University (TX) – also Common App, ApplyTexas App and home-grown app Southwestern University (TX) – also Common App, ApplyTexas App and home-grown app State University of New York College at Geneseo – also Common App and SUNY App Stanford University (CA) – also Common App and QB App Stetson University (FL) – also Common App and home-grown app Stony Brook University (NY) – also Common App and SUNY app Susquehanna University (PA) – also Common App and home-grown app Swarthmore College (PA) – also Common App and QB App Sweet Briar College (VA) – also Common App and home-grown app Texas A&M University – also ApplyTexas App Texas State University – also ApplyTexas App The College of New Jersey – also Common App Trinity University (TX) – also Common App and ApplyTexas App Tufts University (MA) – also Common App and QB App Union College (NY) – also Common App University at Albany (NY) – also Common App and SUNY App University of Arizona – also Common App and home-grown app University at Buffalo (NY) – also Common App and SUNY App University of Chicago (IL) – also Common App and QB App University of Connecticut – also Common App University of Dayton (OH) – also Common App and home-grown app University of Delaware – also Common App University of Florida – also Common App University of Georgia – also home-grown app University of Illinois – also home-grown app University of Iowa – also Common App, home-grown app and Iowa Public Universities Application Portal University of Kentucky – also Common App and home-grown app University of Maryland College Park – Coalition exclusive University of Michigan – also Common App University of Minnesota – also Common App and two separate home-grown apps: one for students residing in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin (reciprocity agreement), other for students residing in all other states University of Missouri – also Common App and home-grown app University of Montana – also home-grown app University of Nebraska – also Common App and home-grown app University of New Hampshire – also Common App University of New Mexico -- also home-grown app University of North Carolina Chapel Hill – also Common App University of Notre Dame (IN) – also Common App and QB App University of Oklahoma – also Common App and home-grown app University of Oregon – also Common App and home-grown app University of Pennsylvania – also Common App and QB App University of Pittsburgh (PA) – also Common App and home-grown app University of Richmond (VA) – also Common App University of Rochester (NY) – also Common App University of South Carolina – also Common App and home-grown app University of South Florida – also home-grown app University of Tampa (FL) – also Common App and home-grown app University of Texas Austin – also ApplyTexas App University of Texas Dallas – also ApplyTexas App University of Vermont – also Common App University of Washington, Bothell – Coalition exclusive University of Washington, Seattle – Coalition exclusive Ursinus College (PA) – also Common App Vanderbilt University (TN) – also Common App and QB App Vassar College (NY) – also Common App and QB App 33

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) - Coalition exclusive Wake Forest University (NC) – also Common App, home-grown app and CFNC App Washington University in Saint Louis (MO) – also Common App and QB App Wellesley College (MA) -- also Common App and QB App Wesleyan University (CT) – also Common App and QB App Williams College (MA) – also Common App and QB App Yale University (CT) – also Common App and QB App

Please consult the colleges directly to confirm preferred application(s), since this document is static, and changes occur rapidly.

-Cheat Sheet for Completing The 2019 – 2020 Common Application- (www.commonapp.org) HERE IS YOUR STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE! Think, the Common App for Dummies! I’ve tried to anticipate questions you may have and answered them. As you work through the application, record all your questions so you can ask your counselor when you meet with him/her to review the Common App! Good Luck!!

1. Google Common Application or enter the address above in your browser 2. You should have created a Common Application account in College Seminar, so as of August 1, 2019, you will be able to roll-over your information. 3. Click on the “log in” button at the top right-hand corner of the home page. Log in using the username and password you created in College Seminar. If you do not remember, use the help key for retrieval. Your username should be your GA email address – that is what we told you to use. The College Counseling Office does not have access to this information. a. If you did not create an account already, click “Apply Now.” Create a username (your GA email address) and password (must have a special character). Be sure to record them! Follow the directions adding your official name (as it appears on your GA transcript and other official documents) address, phone number, etc. Now, you’ve created your account! 4. When you enter the account you created in College Seminar, you will be asked what year you are applying for (2019, 2020) and a few other questions. Then, you will access your Common Application, which now has a more modern look.

If you added any colleges to “My Colleges” in the Common Application, they will appear under that tab. You are able to delete them or add others by clicking on the “College Search” tab and entering the college’s name, searching for it, clicking on it, and then clicking on “add to My Colleges.”

5. Click on “The Common App” tab once you log in to your account and begin reviewing the information you entered and ensuring all information is up-to-date and all questions are answered. In the left navigation bar, you will see the sections of the Common App, “profile,” “family,” “education”, etc. Here are some notes on each section of the Common Application that will help you to complete them if you have not already done so.

 Profile Section – You should be able to complete this section easily. 34

o “Languages” – if you have studied a modern language and have proficiency in any of the areas indicated, add it! o “Citizenship” – if you are applying for financial aid, add your social security number (when you add it, it will be xx’d out, so don’t worry). If you don’t know if you will apply for aid, talk to your parents. This question must be answered accurately! o “Fee Waiver” – you would only check yes to this question if you were notified by your college counselor that you qualify for fee waivers for standardized tests (the guidelines are very strict). If you are uncertain, email Karen Mason. o If you answered every question, a green check mark should appear next to Profile in the left navigation bar as it does in my screen shot above.  Family Section o “Parent 1” and “Parent 2” - Make sure to complete all the questions accurately – I strongly recommend reviewing this section with your parents. Do not guess!  Education Section o “Current or Most Recent School” – all of this information refers to high school, so your date of entry should be August of 2016 if you began at GA in 9th grade. o “Date of Graduation” - June 2020 o “Counselor Information” – Type in your college counselor’s name and information from list below: . Karen A. Mason, Director of College Counseling, [email protected]; 267-408-7268 . Susan J. Merrill, Associate Director of College Counseling, [email protected]; 267-405- 7266 . Jonathan Na, Assistant Director of College Counseling, 267-405- [email protected] . Peter Drewniany, College Counselor, [email protected]; 267-405-7384 . Dan St. Jean, College Counselor, [email protected]; 267-405-7254 o “Other Secondary/High Schools – only identify high schools you have attended. The Common App is not interested in Middle or Lower School information.

o “Colleges and Universities” - an update to the CA is that you can now identify in this section if you took a summer course at a college (yeah!).

o “Grades” – . Class Rank – None . Graduating Class Size – 140 . Cumulative GPA – if you do not know it, you can find it in your Naviance Student account . GPA Scale – 4.0 . GPA weighting – Weighted

o “Current or Most Recent Courses” – . This section must include your senior year courses. If you added courses last year, delete and add your new ones. . How Many Courses would you like to report? Add up all the courses you will take throughout the year (Example: English Elective, English Elective, AP Psychology, Marine Bio, Pre-Calculus, AP 35

European History, French 4 = 7 courses in total) . Course Scheduling System- Semester . Course 1 credit value – All year-long courses are worth 1 credit. All semester long courses are worth .5 credits. You are going to report the courses you will take in the fall and in the spring semesters. . NOTE: Once you send the Common Application to a college, if you make any course changes, you must report the change to the college where you submitted the application.

o “Honors” – . Limited to 5 academically related honors. If you have more than 5, list the most significant 5. You can ask your counselor when you review your application with her/him. . Do include – Cum Laude, Dean’s List, National Language Awards, Science Research Awards, Prize Day academic awards, National Merit, etc. . Should you include commendations? You can if you like (no one at GA tracks commendations). These honors are more of a way for a teacher to “give you a pat on the back” then something to report to colleges. However, if you have received a number, you may want to list as “Received 5 commendations from teachers” - you are very limited in how much space you have so you may need to abbreviate.

o “Community Based Organizations” . Most will answer “0” here unless you are a Steppingstones Scholar.

o “Future Plans and “Career Interests” – . if you are uncertain about the career you will pursue, check “undecided” or if yours is not listed, check “other.”

 Testing Section o Do you want to self-report scores? That’s up to you, but I would (if you are applying to some colleges that are Standardized Testing Optional, you will be able to repress them when you complete specific institutional questions under “My Colleges.” . Note: You must also send your official scores for ACT, SAT, and Subject Tests to colleges through the testing agencies websites. Official AP scores are only required to be sent to the college in which you enroll. o What scores can you add in this section? ACT, SAT/SAT Subject, and AP Keep in mind that you can add past scores and future test dates so colleges know to look for an updated score o Test Dates For AP Scores: you need to list the month and year of the AP tests taken. As all AP’s are given in the month of May, you just need to indicate that the month was May and specify the year (freshman year: 2016, sophomore year: 2017, junior year: 2018, senior year: 2019) that the test was taken. We recommend that you only list scores of 4 and 5 on your application o Test Dates for SAT and ACT-somehow, I doubt each of you recall the precise day on which you took exams, so here are past test dates:

SATs, SAT Subject Tests, and ACTs offered since freshman fall for the Class of 2020 SAT January 21, 2017 SAT August 26, 2017 ACT February 11, 2017 ACT September 9, 2017 SAT March 11, 2017 SAT October 7, 2017 ACT April 8, 2017 ACT October 28, 2017 SAT May 6, 2017 SAT November 4, 2017 SAT June 3, 2017 SAT December 2, 2017 ACT June 10, 2017 ACT December 9, 2017 36

ACT February 10, 2018 SAT November 3, 2018 SAT March 10, 2018 SAT December 1, 2018 ACT April 14, 2018 ACT December 8, 2018 SAT May 5, 2018 ACT February 9, 2019 SAT June 2, 2018 SAT March 9, 2019 ACT June 9, 2018 ACT April 13, 2019 ACT July 14, 2018 (new) SAT May 4, 2019 SAT August 25, 2018 SAT June 1, 2019 ACT September 8, 2018 ACT June 8, 2019 SAT October 6, 2018 ACT July 13, 2019 ACT October 27, 2018

Activities Section This is one of the MOST SIGNIFICANT sections of the Common Application! In most cases, colleges are NO longer allowing students to send a resume; they want you to put resume information into this section . You can list up to 10 activities (so pick those that are most significant to you; if you don’t have 10 activities, don’t fret! If you have more than 10, pick the most significant and review with your college counselor) o Include all time spent outside of the classroom, including any job (babysitting and lawncare are jobs), volunteer work, sports (even those you did one season), instruments played, clubs and organizations, internships, hobbies, religious groups, etc.) o List your activities in reverse chronological order (most recent first) o Be sure to identify your role (see examples) . Member . Play first violin . Tenor/Soprano . Varsity, butterfly, breast, and relay . Layout Editor . Third base and outfielder o Weeks in the school year: 35 Weeks in the summer: 11 o Each sports season is roughly 15 weeks. o In details, honors, and accomplishments, you are limited to 150 characters so you need to be succinct! Hint: Write your descriptions as succinctly as possible and share with your college counselor who can help you refine them! Start with action verbs. For example, “Selected to….” , “Initiated…”, “Received…”

 Writing Section o Some colleges require you to submit the personal essay and other do not. Submit the personal essay whether it is required or not. o You received these essay questions in College Seminar and then you wrote (and re-wrote) a response to the question you selected in Personal Essay Writing with an English teacher. I hope that the response you crafted is one you will use! Hint: Now is the time to revise based on your teacher’s comments. Be sure to share this response with your college counselor before pasting it in this section.  Disciplinary History o Most students will be able to answer no to the question posed here; however, if you have been suspended at any point in high school, you will need to respond honestly (with a yes) and craft an explanation. Hint: Be sure to share this response with your college counselor. Your college counselor will also have to answer the question and write an explanation, so you MUST discuss your suspension and response with your college counselor so your responses sync!

 Additional Information 37

o Most students do not need to include anything in this section, but occasionally students exceed the slots allowed in the activity section or there is something that requires more extensive explanation than the 150 characters allow. Some examples: an academy scholars project or a science research project. Some students may have had a health or personal situation they wish to explain such as a concussion or a death in the family that interfered with the student’s performance in school. You should speak with your counselor about this section.  Courses and Grades o Most colleges do not require you to input courses and grades into this section. If a college does, you need to complete it. You can find a copy of your transcript in Veracross.

Adding Specific Colleges to Your Common Application and Locating Supplements

 Click on the “College Search” Tab  Type in the name of a college you wish to add.  Click on the college name and then click on “add to My Colleges”  The name of the college you added will appear under the “My Colleges” tab  You can also see under this tab what, if any, additional writing requirements a college might have.

 Under each college name, there is a tab labeled “recommenders and FERPA.” Do NOT complete this section! We will show you how to do so during Senior College Seminar.

Great Resource for Application Deadlines and Due Dates – “Application Requirements” is an electronic chart of all Common App members with ED, EA, Regular deadlines, testing requirements, and app fees. You can find it by clicking on the College Search tab and then on the button “Application Requirements.”

Here’s a screen shot of the Requirement’s Grid:

-SUPPLEMENTAL COLLEGE ESSAYS AND PORTFOLIOS-

Regardless of the application employed, colleges often require additional essays or short responses beyond the main personal essay. You can find these additional requirements several ways (keep in mind that colleges provide access to these questions at varied times, some as early as July and others into September):

o Consult the admission section of the college’s website for supplemental essay questions and items that you may submit as a supplement.

o If using the Common Application, follow instructions in previous section. Typically, if a college allows you to submit a portfolio (visual or performing arts typically, but some colleges allow STEM portfolios [MIT, for example], the college will ask if you want to submit a portfolio and then provide you a link to either Slideroom or their own service if you click yes. Check both sections so you don’t miss anything.

o If using the Coalition Application, add colleges to your Coalition profile (you will need to complete the Coalition general application before you can get to the supplements).

Types of College Application Supplements & How to Write Them

Colleges pose additional questions to get to know you better. Remember that no matter what they are asking, you need to be the subject of your response. Colleges may ask you to identify what you want to study, your favorite books, how you spent your summer, and very frequently why you are interested in attending “x” college (commonly referred to as the “Why Us” essay. Since “Why Us?” is the most commonly asked and most challenging for students to write, here are some tips and examples.

Answering the “Why Us?” Question in 5 Steps

1. Identify your “MUST HAVE” criteria for the college search. 2. How do you perceive the college meeting your MUST HAVES? 3. If you have already visited the college, record here what you found appealing about it. Consider “the head” facts and “the heart” reactions. 4. Now, research the college with a focus on how the college is a good match for you, given your extracurricular, academic, and personal interests (primarily use the college’s website, but feel free to consult on-line guides as well). Record your notes here. 5. Write your response following the college’s specific directions.

Why the “Why This College?” Question Matters — And How to Answer It Amy Yvette Garrou • Dec 24, 2015

It may be phrased succinctly — “Why Brown?” to name one highly selective school — or as part of a more complicated question: “Which aspects of Tufts’ curriculum or undergraduate experience prompt your application?” or: “How will you explore your intellectual and academic interests at the University of Pennsylvania? Please answer this question given the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying.” Whether concise or wordy, these prompts are really asking the same thing.

Why “Why”? Students are often surprised that they are asked to defend their choice of college; shouldn’t the effort they’ve put into (researching, applying, and paying a fee) be enough? It depends.

Yield In the first place, colleges want to admit students who will enroll. Their yield rates (the percentages of accepted students who choose to attend) are crucial factors in a their publicity campaigns and perceived prestige; they're also used in rankings. One way that colleges look desirable to prospective students is, in short, to be desirable to accepted applicants.

Demonstrated Interest Generally speaking, the more selective a school, the greater the number of factors it’ll consider to determine whom to admit. Colleges want to know how much you want them, a factor they call demonstrated interest. Other parts of an application — grades, test scores, activities, recommendations — being roughly equal, decisions at selective colleges are often made because a student does a good job of conveying the desire to be there.

Fit The “Why School X?” question speaks to the idea of fit. Colleges want students who will come back after their first year, and eventually graduate (preferably within six years). Schools use these rates of first-year retention and graduation (when they’re favorable) in marketing materials. Plus, college rankings often take them into account, as well. So, the “Why?” question is important! In my experience, however, most students answer this question last, as something of an afterthought — perhaps with the notion that the response is (or should be) self-evident. I’d bet that most applicants spend a fraction of the time answering this question that they spend on their other essays. But the answer to this question needs to be just as compelling as anything else you write. Here are some examples of what to do and what not to do, followed up by a discussion of what made the good ones good and what would help make the not-so-good ones better.

Other Students Explain “Why?” Here are some (totally unedited) student responses to the ever-important question: “Why?”

Student 1: Boston University I want to study at a reputed university, with a stimulating environment as I have always lived in major cities where I can go to cafes, to hear music, to museums and sports events as part of my everyday life. Boston University has become one of the best in the US; it has top professors and is located in the middle of a historic city, and accessible to everything. It has a strong international relations program which would be perfect for me since I have attended a diverse international school. I noticed all these things when I visited. Given Boston University’s notable reputation and history, I would be excited by the opportunity to attend such a strong and knowledgeable institution . . .

Student 2: Northwestern University The most unique trait of Northwestern University is its focus on undergraduate research. I am very interested in biology and chemistry; I just love working in laboratories. In the “Gymnasium”, the Swiss pre-university school, we were often confronted with a problem that we had to solve in groups. Such problems could be as easy as distinguishing water from ethanol, or as complex as building a hydrogen fuel cell. To find a solution we were given time in our laboratory and could ask for practically anything we needed . . . A further very good quality of Northwestern University is its rather high rank and great reputation. I seek a good education and definitely appreciate it, if the university I attend is renowned. If I went to a second-rank college I would be better off studying in Switzerland . . . A last point is the location: It’s just great; right next to the lake, in the nice and cozy town of Evanston. You have the advantages of a small town, such as lots of greenery and a quiet environment, and yet Chicago is very close and accessible . . .

Student 3: Northwestern University (This is a different student, applying six years after Student 2.) Because I intend to pursue a career in photojournalism, I see the Medill School of Journalism as the Holy Grail of education. Offering the impressive intellectual and technical resources of a prestigious research university, Northwestern would provide me the confidence of knowing that I would be getting the most forward-focused education in journalism.. . . The quarter system and Medill’s internship requirements create an ideal confluence for exactly that experience . . . Northwestern has a gorgeous location. When I visited the campus, I was smitten with Evanston’s cozy feel. Although I initially pictured myself in the heart of a city, Evanston eclipsed this vision. The small town environment is comforting without being limiting, offering plenty of cafés, restaurants, and shops to explore . . . Meanwhile, Northwestern’s scenic lakeside location is the perfect retreat for studying or relaxing . . . Brimming with enthusiasm, Northwestern has infectious school spirit. Because I assume leaving home after eighteen years will be difficult, I count on school pride to bring me a sense of community and belonging. From the famed painted rock to the fountain spewing purple water, the robust loyalty to the university captures my heart . . . In short, Northwestern is my dream school because it embodies everything I value: journalism, incomparable internship opportunities, dance, and an inspiring atmosphere . . .

Student 4: New York University (You may find this essay posted on Parke Muth's blog) I’m done being a New Yorker born and raised in sheltered suburbia — I’m ready to get slapped in the face by the unforgiving hand of NYC and to become a true Noo Yawk-ah. While not an accurate representation of what all NYU students think, the NYU Secrets Facebook page constantly posts the thoughts of NYU students resenting the bittersweet independence of such a large, non-traditional school, but at the same time falling in love with the knowledgeable and nurturing faculty and classes. I’m done dancing around on the outskirts of the arena — I’m ready to plop myself right into the frenzied mist of action. No walls insulate NYU from the sprawling labyrinth of NYC, which is ideal for a unique and exciting college experience . . .

Breaking Them Down

Would Student 1 get into BU? Her response could have been used for nearly any large or mid-sized urban university. Do I, an admissions officer, believe that this student has chosen my unique university with care? No. Do I learn anything from this response that I don’t already know from elsewhere in the student’s application? No. And why not? 41

Student 1 speaks in generalities: Boston University is prestigious, located in a historic city, provides access to concerts and museums, and has an international relations major. She lists facts that the admission staff already knows — facts that are not even unique to BU. The personal things she writes, about living in cities and attending “a diverse international school,” would be featured on her Common Application. Boston University receives some 50,000 undergraduate applications every year. If you read hundreds like this every cycle, would you be compelled to admit any of the students who wrote them?

What about Students 2, 3, and 4? Though they’ve been edited for length here, their essays are much more detailed and convincing than Student 1’s response. They all got into the schools they applied to, but let’s examine their responses closely to find out why. Notice that the two Northwestern applicants, six years apart and from different countries, not only described the college’s physical setting but talked about the same things — the lake, coffee shops, and coziness. Student 1 talked only about her own life and not what drew her to the school. In other words, she didn’t do a great job of demonstrating interest. While it’s a good idea to mention the location and vibe of a campus, applicants should be aware that thousands of other students, year after year, have done the same thing. It’s a paradox: Colleges attempt to distinguish themselves through their locations — mountainous backdrops, subway stops, — but talking too much about this stuff can lead you astray. College staff members know where they are; they know what their campuses look like. Spending valuable space describing a school’s location leaves you with less room to talk about how good a fit you’d be. Despite colleges’ intense self-promotion, parroting facts back at admissions officers in your essay can waste valuable application real estate — especially when you’re working with a low word limit. Students 2 and 3 both mention rank and prestige, but they’re sure to tie these to their own application and plans. Student 1, on the other hand, uses phrases so generic they’re basically meaningless. Colleges asking the “Why us?” question know they are good schools, and they know their rankings. You don’t need to remind them of these facts. In fact, I suspect colleges that cap applicants’ responses to 100 words are doing so in order to keep students from discussing things that don’t connect with them personally. “Why us?” essays, especially the shortest ones, need you to focus on heart, not head. Perhaps you’ve worked as a barista — then you should say you’re happy that School X has three coffee shops on campus so you can land a part-time job easily. If you’re a painter from the desert, say how thrilled you are by the prospect of living near a lake and learning the subtleties of using blues and greens rather than browns and oranges. These are more personal, and ultimately more effective, than reciting statistics from brochures. That’s what I mean by heart.

Answering the “Why?” Question Yourself Here are some things to avoid, followed by some things I encourage you to do.

Don’ts Don’t mention a college’s reputation or rank. In my opinion — unless you’ve got a very strategic reason for doing so — this will only occupy valuable space.

Don’t mention the college’s founder. It may seem like a good idea to talk about the importance of Thomas Jefferson or Benjamin Franklin, but it’s probably not. Admissions officers at the University of Virginia and the University of Pennsylvania don’t need to be reminded of who started their institutions!

Do’s This sounds obvious, but many students skip this step:

Be sure you know why you are applying to a college! If the best you can muster is its reputation or ranking, then you haven’t looked closely enough to find a good match for your needs and interests. Believe it or not, a student who is happy at one top-tier institution may be totally unhappy at another. Doing research before answering this question is crucial. Visit the school, talk to current students, go to prospective-student programs, and dig into websites. 42

Keep a journal as you do research. Each entry should have two columns: head and heart. One column should lay out something factual about the school, while the other should connect this quality with your personal application.

Start with the “head.” This includes facilities, scenery, the strength of a particular department, location, size, and course offerings. But don’t stop there.

Connect it to “heart.” Ask yourself why these objective qualities are meaningful to you. How will you use these elements of the campus or its community to your advantage if you’re admitted? How will you contribute to each if you’re admitted?

Think in terms of high school. Is this college like or different from your high school? Why are these similarities or differences important to you? Maybe — like Students 2, 3, and 4 — you want your college experience to be a big change. On the other hand, you can say that you're looking forward to attending a small liberal arts college because you spent your formative years in an elementary school with only six other students in your class.

A Final Word: Because I hope these suggestions are helpful as you search for colleges and write applications. Considering why you want to attend a school isn’t just important in helping colleges determine the ultimate admissions decision, it’s also important for you — after all, you’re deciding where to spend the next four years of your life! Just don’t save the “Why us?” question for 11:30 p.m. the night before the application is due, and you’ll be fine!

The College Essay Guy on the Why College Essay PART 1: HOW NOT TO WRITE YOUR WHY THIS COLLEGE ESSAY DON'T: Write about the school's size, location, reputation or the weather. Why? Because that's what half of America is writing about. Take a hint from Emory University, whose “Why This College” essay prompt used to read: "Many students decide to apply to Emory University based on our size, location, reputation, and yes, the weather. Besides these valid reasons as a possible college choice, why is Emory University a particularly good match for you?" Why do you think they say don't write about those things? Because they're tired of reading about those things.  In fact, here's what to do after you've written your first draft: Go back through your essay and underline anything that sounds like it could have appeared in another student's essay. Then delete it.  In your "Why This College" essay you're making a case, and the case is this: "You [the school] and I [the student] are a perfect match." But... DON'T: Simply use emotional language to make your case. A bad Why This College example: "I really really want to go to Northwestern because I just have this feeling that it's the place for me" does not a good case make. It doesn't show how you are a.) qualified or b.) a good match for the school. And for that matter, neither does the statement, "I can see myself rooting for the Wildcats at MetLife Stadium on Sundays." DON'T: Screw up the mascot, stadium, team colors or names of any important people or places on campus. Why? It's the quickest way to show you're a crappy researcher. In the example above, the Wildcats play neither at MetLife Stadium nor on Sundays. Also, know that the "I can see myself in purple and white / maroon and gold / [any color] and [any other color]" is a cliche of the "Why This College" essay, but some students can't resist. Fine. If you're going to use it, though, at least get the team names and colors right. I've heard more than one admissions officer say that a screwup like this can immediately disqualify an application. I'm not saying it definitely will, or that this is true for all admissions officers--some probably don't care--but don't give them a reason to put you in the "no" pile. Do your research. (And the USC colors are not red and yellow, incidentally, but "USC Cardinal" and "USC Gold.") DON'T: Think of this as a "Why Them" essay. In other words, don't tout the school's bus system. "I know we have a good bus system, I take it every day!" says Erica Sanders, Director of Recruitment at University of Michigan. And don't parrot the brochures or website language--it could be that your reader actually wrote the words you’re copying and pasting. Again, look at Emory’s (new) "Why This School" prompt, which reads: "Undergraduates at Emory 43 and Oxford Colleges are offered countless opportunities to engage with the student body, the faculty, and your academic program of choice—from hands-on research opportunities to student organizations to volunteering. What are some of the programs and/or activities you would plan to get involved with on either campus, and what unique qualities will you bring to them?"  Tip: Even if the school doesn’t ask for that last part, include it. PART 2: WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR WHY THIS COLLEGE ESSAY DO: Think of this as a "Why we are perfect for each other" essay. Imagine you're on a date and the person sitting across from you leans in to ask, "So, why do you like me?" You can't just say, "Because you're hot." You're gonna need to be a little more specific. How do you do this? Here’s how: DO: Fold a piece of paper in half to create two columns, then at the top label one "What I want" and the other "What they have." As you're researching the school, bullet-point 10-15 specific, concrete reasons why you and the school are a great match for one another. So, for example, if the school has a music and medicine program, put that in the right column. Next to it, in the left column, say why that's the perfect program for you. Or maybe you're interested in studying Chinese? Put that it in the left column and then look for something related to learning Chinese that the school offers—either academically or extracurricularly (an actual word but don't use it in your essay)—and put that it in the right column. How does this help? It takes your essay from:"Michigan's well-known legacy, its fantastic football team and spectacular location in Ann Arbor are just a few reasons why I believe UM is the place for me." #supergeneric. to... "I look forward to Academic Argumentation (225) and Professional Writing (229), as I believe these courses will provide me with a firm basis in journalistic writing technique and improve my abilities to write analytically and develop well-supported arguments. Furthermore, the Professional Writing course will teach me how to write in a concise, straightforward style, a skill vital to a journalist." #likeaboss. See what he's done there in this Why This College example? DO: Mention specific classes, professors, clubs and activities that you will actually be excited about being a part of. And don't BS it. Imagine yourself on campus as a freshman. What are you doing? What conversations are you having? How are you involved? I want to say "You can'tget too specific," although I'm sure you could if you try... On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being "I want to be involved in all the campus activities!” and 10 being "There was a particular student's dorm window I looked in during the campus walking tour and I saw her reading a Microecon book and drinking a Strawberries Wild from Jamba Juice-- my favorite--and I thought--" (Slow down, creeper. And how did you know what flavor it was??) Anyway, keep it at like a 7 or an 8. And make sure all your details are relevant and appropriate. Here's a good gauge to know what’s relevant and appropriate. Ask:  Am I showing that I've done my research?  Am I demonstrating my intelligence?  Am I connecting what they have to with what I have? If you’re doing all three, keep it in. If you’re not doing any of these, consider cutting. And I know I said that third thing already, but it's worth repeating: often students only say why the school is awesome. But remember that this essay is not about why the school is awesome. The school knows it’s awesome; the admissions readers spend alot of their time telling students like you why it's awesome. DO: Remember this is another chance to show a few more of your skills/talents/interests/passions. Make a list of 10 things you definitely want the school to know about you. Ask yourself: are all these values/qualities in my main essay or another supplement? If not, the "Why This School" may be a place to include a few more details about who you are. But remember: connect it to some awesome opportunity/program/offering at or near the school. If the school doesn't have a particular program/opportunity you're looking for, don't freak out. Look at this not as a dead end, but as an opportunity. DO: Offer to start something. And by “something” I mean a club, group, or activity. Fair warning here, though: DON'T: Offer to start something that you probably can't start. Your freshman year, for example, you probably won't start a brand new International Studies and Dance double major. You might, however, offer to start the school's first West Indian Dance Company. Which reminds me: MAKE SURE THEY DON'T ALREADY HAVE A WEST INDIAN DANCE COMPANY. Or whatever it is you're offering to start. And I'm not saying you shouldn't push for that International Studies and Dance double major once you're there… just get into the school first. You can push for the double major your sophomore year. PART 3: ALL THE RESOURCES YOU NEED TO LEARN ABOUT A PARTICULAR SCHOOL

1. Google – Obvious, but true. Search interesting phrases like “What students really think about LMU” or “Grinnell students' forum.” Find students’ perspective. What do alumni say? You’re collecting quotations, ideas and phrases. Don’t be afraid to quote, borrow and re-phrase. 2. Fiske Guide Online – It's long been one of the best resources for info about schools. It’s online, it’s searchable, and it’s worth the $20. 3. Unigo.com – Read real student reviews. They’re great because they’re by actual students who aren’t worried what the school thinks of what they say. (Official publications don’t want to say anything too bad about a school, so most schools seem great.) Go to the Unigo section that asks “What’s the stereotype of the students at your school?” and “Is the stereotype true?” If ten students in a row say the school is “intellectual, Jewish, white,” chances are there’s some truth to it. TIP: If the “stereotype” comments contradict one another (one student says “hippie school,” another says “nerdy,” and another says “jocks and fratboys,” that could be a sign that it’s actually a pretty diverse school). 4. Books – Remember books? The paper kind? Though much of the info is online, there are still a few good books with good info (available at your local bookstore or on Amazon.com):  The Insider's Guide to the Colleges, 2013: Students on Campus Tell You What You Really Want to Know  Colleges That Change Lives (Loren Pope)  The Best 377 Colleges (Princeton Review) 5. Real and virtual tours – The single best way to get to know a school is to go there. If you can, do it. If you can’t visit the school in person, go here:  youniversitytv.com - Tons of online tours.  campustours.com - More online tours.  youtube.com - Even more. Type in the name of the school and “online tour.” TIP: Take at least five online tours (it’ll take you about 30 minutes) so you can compare schools. And here’s the best/most important step…but before you do it you have to have particular questions in mind: 6. Contact the admissions office and, if possible, talk to your local rep – Most colleges have particular reps for particular regions of the country (and the world). And you can talk to them. And they're really nice! Three reasons why talking to your admissions rep is a good idea: 1. It shows them you’re really interested in the school AND willing to do your homework. You’ll be able to write “when I spoke to so-and-so in the Admissions Office, she told me…” Schools love that–it shows you’re willing to take initiative. 2. It’s the single best way to find out about the school. There are people who get paid to answer your questions. (My best friend was one of them.) Don’t be afraid. They’re not going to be mad at you; they’ll be happy you asked. They want to meet you. 3. It lets them help you write the essay. What do I mean? Say you have a specific question. You play the santur, for example, and you’re trying to figure out if a school has a santur club. Ask! The college rep may say, “We don’t--you should start one!” (or) “What’s the santur?” (in which case you get to explain/talk about this very interesting part of yourself... see where this is going?) Warning: don’t abuse this! Admissions officers are pretty smart; they can tell when a student is trying to ingratiate him/herself. But having a frank conversation about particulars of the school is great! It’s what these reps do. If that conversation happens to lead to you talking about why you may be an awesome candidate for the school... great! To close, let me say something I said above in a slightly different way: don't ask the admissions officer anything that you or anyone else could Google in five minutes. Don't ask about the faculty-to-student ratio or if the school has a Biology major (spoiler: it does). Ask instead how easy it is for non-majors to take the advanced musical theater classes (assuming you've already Googled this), if the admissions officer attended that school and, if so, what's one thing s/he wished he'd done differently in undergrad--or one opportunity s/he would have liked to have taken advantage of. Don't be afraid to make it personal, make a connection, and just be a curious human. Your college reps, like me, want the very best for you.

Tufts University offers this advice on the Why Essay (admissions.tufts.edu/apply/advice/past- essays/why-tufts-essays) These are some admissions essays that Tufts’ officers liked best from last year.  Jonathan Marc Leon-Salans '20; Chevy Chase, MD The Super Show was, for me, the defining moment of the Voices of Tufts program. From students “Banging Everything At Tufts” to slam poetry, and from African to Indian dance, Tufts' amazing diversity

45 was on full display. People from all different backgrounds were not only performing in the show but also watching it, and all of us were having the best time. It was clear to me that, at Tufts, differences are not only accepted, but celebrated. It was the moment I realized Tufts is the place for me. On no other campus have I felt so welcome and embraced.  Yang Lowe '21; Beijing, China I never imagined I would be talking to Jumbos about everything from ethics in politics to squid in bibimbap, but my conversations with students during my visit confirmed everything I love about the school. Tufts is a uniquely curious, playful and collaborative platform that exudes intellectual diversity like none other. I can study anything from genetics to psychology,and pursue anything from the Entrepreneurship to the Culinary Society. As a metal guitarist who enjoys woodworking and reading up on human behavior, I've never feltlike I fit neatly into one category. At Tufts, I won't have to.  Jesse Ryan ’21; Concord, MA I spent my Tufts campus visit in a "Sociology of War and Peace" class. The discussion was rich as ideas were tossed back and forth, comparing and contrasting modern warfare in different regions and cultures. The dialogue instantly excited me, but when the students I was sitting with invited me to come to lunch with them, to continue talking about the Middle Eastern conflict, I knew that Tufts was the kind of environment I was looking for: an open community that values dialogue, and a campus with a strong intellectual pulse, even outside of the classroom.  Isaac Joon-hyuk Choi ’21; Saint Joseph, MO As an artist, I believe that one's work should reflect the world beyond it. Thus, I'm most attracted to Tufts SMFA's combination of rigorous artistic study with a challenging liberal arts curriculum at the School of Arts and Sciences. I want to inform my art-making with in-depth exploration of sociology, justice, and international relations, creating works that comment on global issues--a prospect uniquely possible at Tufts SMFA. With numerous opportunities for combining art and community work on campus and in Boston, the SMFA program shows art isn't only meant for the classroom; it's meant for the world.  Christopher Sprunt ’21; Hudson, OH I vividly remember stepping onto the roof of Tisch Library and seeing a group of kids sitting in hammocks, overlooking the Boston skyline. I briefly tuned out my tour guide's presentation and began to eavesdrop. The students covered everything from physics to what they had for lunch that day. When they spoke about physics, they did not speak with pretension; instead they spoke with passion. Likewise, when they spoke about something as simple as lunch, they did so with witty intrigue. Tufts students are as interesting as they are interested. This description not only resonates with me, it defines me.  Plearn Arronchote ’21; Bangkok, Thailand I'm not a picky person, but in the college search, I sure was. Luckily, I found Tufts, a school that checked every box. At Tufts, the many facets of my personality will be embraced. I can be an environmental engineer who does research in the Water: Systems, Science and Society program, takes US Foreign Policy in the Middle East, and stage-manages a musical. At Tufts, an institution that celebrates interdisciplinary learning, my diverse interests won't be met with judgmental indifference. Instead, they will be encouraged by peers who are just as enthusiastic about pretty much everything as I am.  Yarmina Kamal ’21; Mesa, AZ I fell in love with Tufts Engineering because of its extended focus on society. With the school's emphatic value on civic engagement and a larger global conversation, the engineering program allows me to supplement my profound fascination for math and physics with my impassioned value on service and learning. My love for the world and for its people empowers me. I see this same kind of love reflected within the Tufts community, which is why I know with wholehearted certainty that Tufts University is where I belong in order to be both the engineer and person I aspire to be.  Esther Tzau ’21; Weston, MA As a girl interested in computer science it's common when visiting university websites to utter "you go, girl" to the lone female faculty member smiling proudly amidst a male dominated CS department. However, Tufts is a unique community that not only encourages minorities in STEM, but actively recruits female faculty like the spunky and inspirational activist/engineer/professor/entrepreneur Dr. Laney Strange, who I met at Girls Who Code. With my passions ranging from multimedia art to Latin American culture to CS, Tufts excites me since it's where diverse interests are celebrated and where I can have stimulating conversations with anyone I meet on campus.

Examples from GA Graduates of “Why Us” essays.

What in particular about Yale has influenced your decision to apply? (Please answer in 100 words or less.) Tyler Petrochko, Class of 2014 When I visited Yale, I attended the Intelligent Robotics class, half-expecting an esoteric and somewhat confusing lecture. Instead, Professor Scassellati presented a fascinating slideshow detailing the often- overlooked role of the neural gap between the right and left halves of the brain – a topic undoubtedly on the fringes of a traditional comp-sci curriculum. His gem-of-a-lecture left me stunned and inspired – and I remain equally astounded by the possibility of having an equally mind-expanding experience every day at Yale, whose integration of far-reaching areas of study within each major would allow me to find my own unique path within computer-science. The Admissions Committee would like to learn why you are a good fit for your undergraduate school choice (College of Arts and Sciences, School of Nursing, The Wharton School, or Penn Engineering). Please tell us about specific academic, service, and/or research opportunities at the University of Pennsylvania that resonate with your background, interests, and goals. (400- 650 words) Tyler, Petrochko, GA Class of 2014 At the mention of Penn, I think of the mossy cobblestones of Locust Walk, the sharp cinnamon flavor of an Auntie Anne’s pretzel, and the army of tiny robotic workers mirthfully exploring the GRASP laboratory. In a single word, I describe the University of Pennsylvania as “unique,” due to the academic and research opportunities that match my distinct interests perfectly. Ever since watching Vijay Kumar’s TED talk on cooperative quadcopter swarms, I’ve hoped to attend a university with the resources of Penn’s legendary GRASP lab. In fact, RHex, the tiny hexapedal robot renowned for its ability to jump between picnic tables and climb stairs, actually inspired me to purchase my own Arduino Uno Microcontroller to experiment with simple robotics systems. I can picture myself designing robotic soccer minions on the UPennalizer team, implementing control theory to stabilize autonomous aerial vehicles, or developing code for cooperative robot swarms. With Penn’s cutting-edge technology and impressive research facilities, I could easily combine my fascination for robotics and embedded systems with my main passion, computer science. As the birthplace of the general-purpose computer, it’s no surprise that Penn offers courses in both abstract and programming-oriented topics. The Penn Database Group, for example, devotes itself entirely to data-management – a subject I gained an appreciation for after developing my own data-structure for a science fair competition (a Binary-Tree variant, similar to the Treebank data structure pioneered at Penn). The following year, I began exploring an exploitable flaw in the SSL-protocol, and would love to research similar topics under network security specialists Matt Blaze or Jonathan Smith. However, after three years of coding exclusively in Java for my most recent project (an open-source, user-friendly, geography teaching environment), I can also appreciate Penn’s combined emphasis on high-level programming concepts and low-level computer architectures. In addition to providing all the technological resources a computer geek (like me) could ever imagine, Penn would allow me to extend my education beyond the confines of the classroom and into the world of commercial enterprise. When a logistical conflict between wrestling and my piano-teaching career arose, I took a chance and started my own line of musical workshops. I worked with my music studio’s owner to design pamphlets, bring in musical guests, and encourage parents to sign up their children. My new endeavor allowed me to continue my lifelong athletic and musical commitments, ended up a commercial success, and has continued ever since! Despite the occasional grumblings of a disgruntled parent with regards to my young age, the music studio’s owner invited me to organize her summer camp sessions – and I wholeheartedly agreed. Whether in the dual-degree M&T Program or the Engineering Entrepreneurship minor, I know that I would learn the skills necessary to satisfy my entrepreneurial ambitions in the field of technology. Even Penn’s location – an oasis of higher education amidst the cheesesteak-scented backdrop of my hometown – matches my interests perfectly. I’ve strolled across Penn’s campus countless times with friends or fellow wrestlers, munching on some Auntie Anne’s delicacy while speculating on the significance of the enormous broken button statue. The diverse array of student organizations available (Glee Club and Ultimate Frisbee in particular) promises that Penn offers not only a first-rate education, but a continuation of the robust social life I’ve come to appreciate at my high school.

Why Tufts? Nicole Nadwodny, Class of 2015

The minute our regional admissions representative went on a tangent about the Black Divas class at Tufts and the sociological science behind Beyoncé, I knew I was looking at the right place. Tufts is a place where I won't be the only one who's excited about learning and random little things, from what's lost in translation in the works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez to why Beyoncé is so "flawless." I immediately imagined my time at Tufts taking that Black Divas class, going to arts festivals with friends on the weekends, adoring Jumbo the elephant, and meeting fellow nerds like myself.

Why Tulane? Hannah Mills, Class of 2015 When I untangled my legs out of the rental car seat and took my first official, stiff, tired step onto Louisiana soil, there was one thing on my mind: find the nearest bathroom. However, the beating pull of the city, the salty soil under my feet, and the promise of real jambalaya awaiting me propelled me out of the car and washed my mind in a refreshing cool wave of Louisiana spirit. After a ten-hour car ride consisting of only one rest stop at one of the shockingly uniform Waffle Houses sprinkled through the south, my mother and I had finally finished the second leg of our trip down to New Orleans from Philadelphia. Two days, twenty hours, 1,200 minutes. However you wanted to split the time, it was a long drive- and we were drained. Arriving at the information session, I thought I knew exactly what to expect. Being a seasoned pro with college information sessions, I could anticipate the order of slides and weigh their pertinence to my own situation. Preparing to recline back in my seat and listen to numbers and statistics being thrown menacingly into the room, I instead suddenly sat up straight in my chair. A woman had entered the room and had begun speaking about her time at Tulane. She introduced herself as Rachel Thompson. Rachel was witty, personable, knowledgeable, and humble. I found myself leaning forward in my seat, clinging to every anecdote and lesson she was kind enough to share with us. She explained the importance of community- a feeling I deeply desired in a college. She spoke of ideas, and how there is always something new to be discovered- a thought I clung to in hopeful anticipation. And finally, she spoke of the true Tulane- a school with enormous resources and personal care, a school that relished tradition and strode confidently into the future. Straddling the line between a big school’s fame and rankings while still maintaining a small school’s personalized care and spirit, Tulane had everything I wanted in a school. Before I knew it, we were separated and off on our tours. Edging my way to the front, I soaked in every word from our tour guide Peter. A business major who is also minoring in English, his interests fit mine like a puzzle piece. The buildings towering on either side were cloaked in a proud, sun baked history, but on the inside revealed a lethal assortment of modern technology and cutting edge teaching tools. Slowly making my way towards the back of the group, I smiled to myself. I had found my school. As the tour slowly came to an end and we were graciously herded back to the admissions building, I found myself not quite ready to leave. As parents and children slowly dispersed chattering about majors and program standards, I slowly wandered away from the others and back to the main heart of campus. To my delight, students around me stuffed colorful flyers into my hands, advertising things such as “Come to the bake club tonight, 7PM!” or “Ethics Club- Is God real?” I cheerily promised the other students that I would be there, spatulas blazing and icing bags ready to go. I could debate the existence of a God and practice quidditch, then make my way over to Audubon Park to meet up with friends. The questions and possibilities swirled in my mind as I stood surrounded by Tulane’s history and potential for the future- I smile. “Come tonight at 6:30 P.M.” Perhaps not this year, I think, but next year. Tulane already feels like home.

Interested in more examples of essays Admission Officers love, check out these links: https://apply.jhu.edu/application-process/essays-that-worked/ https://www.conncoll.edu/admission/apply/essays-that-worked/ https://www.hamilton.edu/admission/apply/college-essays-that-worked/2014-essays-that- worked https://blogs.mprnews.org/oncampus/2010/12/a-closer-look-at-a-winning-college- application-essay/ https://www.smith.edu/news/student-applications

-THE PROCESS OF APPLYING TO COLLEGE-

For each college to which you apply, you need to:

1. Complete and submit your application. 2. Request your transcript and supporting credentials from GA. 3. Send your official standardized scores from the testing agency (either College Board for the SAT or ACT).

Students often question when they need to take each step. In general, as soon as you one hundred percent certain that you are applying to a college, you should request your transcript and your test scores. Both GA and either the College Board or ACT need time to process your request. GA advises that you make these requests at least 3 weeks before you want them to arrive at the college.

The pieces needed to complete your application arrive at the admission office at different times. If your transcript or test scores arrive first, they float in the “cloud” until your application arrives. Your application triggers the admission office to create a file for you, and then the admission office matches your transcript and test scores to your application. This graphic illuminates the process.

Once you have decided that you are CREDENTIALS applying to a college, TEST SCORES request your credentials and test scores in plenty of APPLICATION Apply at least 48 hours prior time for them to arrive before the deadline. to the deadline!

Credentials = transcript and recommendations REVIEWED BY ADMISSION WHEN ALL DOCUMENTS from GA ARRIVE. The submission of your application triggers the college to create a file for you.

-How to Request Transcripts & Supporting Documents for All Applications-

When you are 100% certain you are going to apply to a college, you can request transcripts and all supporting documents (teacher letters of recommendation, counselor letter of recommendation, school profile, and transcript )in Naviance Student by clicking on “Colleges I’m Thinking About.”

NOTE: Please allow 3 weeks to process your requests for transcripts and supporting credentials. The College Counseling Office typically processes over 800 requests between September and December.

Step 1: Add colleges to “Colleges I’m Applying to” and identify the deadline you prefer.

If the college you wish to apply to is NOT in “Colleges I’m Thinking About,” add it by clicking on “Add Colleges to List.” If the college you wish to apply to is already in your “Colleges I’m Thinking About,” then click on the check box before the college name and click on “Move to Application List” at the top of the screen.

A box will pop up and allow you to indicate the deadline you prefer. It is imperative that you answer this question correctly.

Step 2: Request Transcripts.

After you select the deadline, you can simply click on “Add an Request Transcripts in the box above. If you added colleges to “Colleges I’m Applying to” earlier without requesting transcripts, click on “Request Transcripts” when you are on the “Colleges I’m Applying to” page.

Click on “Initial” and then click on the downward arrow to see the colleges for which you want to request transcripts.

Then, check the box next to the colleges you want to request transcripts for, click on DONE and then click on Request and Finish.

Step 3 (only for those applying to colleges on the Common Application): Add College to My Colleges on the Common Application

College Counseling cannot submit your transcript and supporting credentials to Common App colleges unless the college is listed under “My Colleges” in the Common Application. Listing the college under My Colleges links it to your Naviance Student account, allowing us to submit.

How can I modify the deadline for a college after I have added it to Colleges I’m Applying to?”

Access Colleges I’m Applying to. The Edit feature (clicking on the pencil icon and edit) allows you to confirm deadlines. When you click on Edit, a box appears, and the college’s deadlines will be listed under “App Type.” Always double-check deadlines on the college’s website.

WHAT COLLEGE COUNSELING SUBMITS TO COLLEGES WHEN YOU REQUEST A TRANSCRIPT

 The Transcript (includes all courses taken at GA from 9th grade through the time of application; a cumulative weighted GPA; GA does not rank its students). For students who attended another high school, we will also submit that transcript.

 The School Profile (provides information about the competitive nature of GA, our course offerings, our school community, and our policies and procedures). It is available for review on the GA website (in the College Counseling section).

 Teacher Recommendations (that you requested)

 The College Counselor’s letter of recommendation (a comprehensive recommendation that advocates for the student on behalf of GA) and any counselor forms. The Common Application requires counselors to complete a School Report Form that poses the following question among others:

GA’s school policy is to report to colleges whenever a student has been suspended. We must also report suspensions to colleges after applications have been sent. Students who are suspended are encouraged to inform the colleges to which they will apply or have applied in consultation with their college counselor.

-How to SEND STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES THROUGH THE TESTING AGENCY-

 Unless you are applying to a college that does not require standardized tests or allows you to self- report your scores, you will need to send your scores to each college through either: o the College Board website (www.collegeboard.org) or o the ACT website (www.act.org).

 Keep in mind that these agencies take between three to five weeks to get your scores to the college, so you need to ensure you request the scores well in advance of the college’s deadline.

 You will need a credit card to send your scores through College Board and/or ACT. Students who received a fee waiver for either exam will also have fee waivers to send their scores.

-How to REVIEW YOUR APPLICATION WITH YOUR COLLEGE COUNSELOR-

Once a student completes The Common Application, The Coalition Application, or a college’s unique application, the student should review the entire application with his/her college counselor. Simply schedule an appointment with your college counselor and bring your laptop or tablet so that you can access the electronic version of the application.

Some students also like to share their essay with their English teacher or another adult. While students should definitely have their essays critiqued, they want to be careful about having too many adults reviewing their essay. College admission counselors read many essays and are very savvy at discerning an essay written by an adult versus one crafted by a high school student. The student’s voice and unique story should put his or her stamp on the application. Recommendation: GA’s College Counseling team has attended numerous workshops and conferences on writing college essays and are therefore the best individuals to offer a critique.

Process for having an essay reviewed by your college counselor: 1. Email your college counselor asking if the counselor will review the essay. 2. Send your essay via a Google Doc or attach a copy of the essay to the email. Include your name at the top of the essay and the question you are answering. 3. Please send one essay at a time. Send an essay upon completing it. Too often students will send several essays and they make the same mistake throughout all of them. One at a time please! 4. Schedule an appointment with your college counselor to review the essay together.

Recommended Timeline for Essay Reviews by Your College Counselor: Submit your essay for review at the latest three weeks before the application deadline. Why this timeline? Your counselor will need time to review the essay; you will need to schedule an appointment with your counselor, and most importantly, you will need time to revise! Remember, writing is a process

-How to SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION-

 Submit applications electronically regardless if you are using The Common Application and the college’s supplement/The Universal Application/The Coalition Application/The College’s Unique Application o All applications generally have a submit button and a means of confirming that the application was sent.  Submit an Application Fee or a Fee Waiver (speak with your college counselor if needing an application fee waiver). College websites list application fee as do their applications. Typically, you pay these fees with a credit card.  Submit any supplemental materials such as: a visual arts portfolio; a link to a performance of dance, theater, or music; an abstract of science research; a creative writing portfolio; a sample of a research paper. 53

 When to Press Submit o Once your application has been carefully proofed and all errors have been corrected, you are ready to submit. o You can submit your application well in advance of the deadline or as late as two days prior to the deadline, but do not wait until the night before the deadline in case you have technical difficulties.  College counselors often help students submit their applications. If you need help, just ask.

-WHAT TO DO AFTER YOU APPLY TO COLLEGE-  Students need to check their email to ensure they are receiving notifications from colleges.

 Most colleges provide students with an on-line account where they can track materials received. Even though GA sends materials electronically, colleges may still misplace them or fail to download them. It is prudent to check to ensure that an application is complete (be sure to allow a couple of weeks after a transcript and supporting credential request has been submitted; colleges process a lot of materials and sometimes take weeks to enter all items).

 Some colleges will have a member of their alumni network contact students to interview them once the student applies.

 GA will send fall semester interim grades and the end of fall semester grades to all colleges to which students apply. Seniors often underestimate the influence their senior year performance can have on admission decisions. Senior year grades can tip the decision in either direction!

 Unless applying via Early Decision, students will have until May 1st, the National Candidate’s Reply Deadline, to inform those colleges in which they have been admitted if they intend to enroll. Once a student is certain about where he or she wants to matriculate, the student should enroll, pay the enrollment deposit, complete all necessary paperwork and withdraw their applications from the other colleges to which they were admitted.

 Many colleges with regular admission deadlines inform students of decisions between the beginning and the end of March. Financial aid and college-based scholarships are typically awarded with the admission decision or shortly thereafter.

 Seniors are encouraged to re-visit the campuses of one to three colleges if they are conflicted about where to enroll. All colleges offer accepted student programs and some will host students overnight or allow students to attend classes. Students should alert their House Head if they intend to miss school at GA to visit a college.

 GA’s College Counseling Office will send a final transcript to the college in which the student enrolls once the student officially graduates from GA.

-Interviews- Campus Interviews Many small to medium size colleges offer campus interviews with either an admission counselor or a current senior. GA College Counseling strongly encourages you to schedule an interview, even if it is optional! Some small colleges consider interviewing as a way of demonstrating your interest in the college, an important step beyond visiting and touring the campus. The admission section of the college website will identify if the college offers interviews and how and when to schedule them (a typical time frame is between April of a student’s junior year and November of a student’s senior year). How to Prepare for your Interview.

Alumni Interviews After you apply to a college that offers alumni interviews (check the website of the college to learn if it offers alumni interviews and for specific details about its process), an alum from the college/university will contact you be email to schedule a time to chat in a public space or the interviewer’s office.

What to wear? Dress neatly. At a minimum, GA gear. No jeans. No flip flops. Strive for business casual attire.

Be on Time. Do not bring your parents, a portfolio, or other items.

Do your research. You need to be an expert on the college, so you can talk excitedly about why you want to attend, how you will contribute, what academic programs/offerings intrigue you. Researching also equips you with questions to pose of the alum. One of the best ways of demonstrating interest is being enthralled with the interviewer’s experiences at the college. Prepare go-to-questions in advance.

Sample Alumni Interview Questions

The interviewer wants to chat with you and get to know what you like, what excites you, how you think, how you express yourself. As a result, practicing is important, so you include details and anecdotes that make you stand out and to make you feel more comfortable and relaxed. While every interviewer will ask different questions, these prompts stimulate your thinking, and by practicing responses to these questions, you will be better prepared for your interview. o Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? o How would your friends describe you? o What experiences have you had with people who are different from you? o What would you like the Admissions office to know that might not appear in your application? o What do you most like learning about? o How do you learn best? o What is your favorite part of your school experience? o What topics or assignments have you found particularly intriguing? o Is there anything that you would change about your high school experience? o How do you spend your time when you're not in school? o What's the biggest challenge you've overcome? o What draws you to the undergraduate school/program/major to which you’ve applied? o What on-campus opportunities are you most excited about? o What is interesting to you about “x” college? What led you to apply? o What is your favorite subject, and why? o Who is your favorite teacher, and why? o What is your favorite book? Who is your favorite fictional character from a book? Why? o What is your favorite activity outside the classroom? It could be an extracurricular, a job, or any other ways you spend your non-school time. o What is your favorite memory? o What is your most vivid memory or experience that you have learned from? o If you had no internet and no phone for an afternoon, what would you do? o If you had 4 hours to do anything you wanted and did not have to account for it, what would you do, and why? o What is your favorite place to go to? What has been your favorite place—city, area, landmark, building, or another place of your choice—to visit? Why? o If you could go to dinner with any historical figure, who would that be, and why? o How do you respond to challenges? Is there a time that you didn’t get what you wanted, but learned a good lesson or came back stronger? o What’s something recently that you tried for the first time, and why? What did you learn?

The 14 College Interview Questions You Must Prepare For blog.prepscholar.com/college-interview-questions-you-should-prepare-for

A Short Introduction to College Interviews A college interview provides a college with an opportunity to give you more information about the school and answer any questions. In addition, the interview gives the college a chance to learn more about you, your interests, and how you’ll be able to contribute to the school. Very few colleges require interviews, although a fair number offer optional or recommended ones. These are typically highly selective or small private colleges, such as Columbia, Occidental, and Bates. Most large public universities don’t even offer interviews because there are simply too many applicants.

Check a college’s website or contact its admissions office to determine whether interviews are offered and how to schedule one. Interviews can be on-campus, usually with an admissions representative, or off- campus near where you live, usually with an alumnus of the college. If you have the option of getting interviewed, do it. It’s to your benefit to take advantage of an opportunity to interview because it shows the school that you’re genuinely interested in attending. And demonstrating interest can greatly help your chances of admission. Finally, the interview gives the school another chance to get to know you outside of what’s in your application. Try not to stress about the interview too much, though. As long as you’re polite, attentive, and prepared, it should only help your chances of getting accepted. The interview will also give you an opportunity to learn more about the school, and help you decide whether or not it might be a good fit for you.

The 14 Most Common College Interview Questions The questions I’m listing and explaining were either referenced in multiple admissions websites and interview advice guides, or are general enough that you’ll be able to answer a number of similar questions by preparing for them. Below, I provide you with each question. I then explain why colleges are asking it, what they're looking for in a response, and how you can prepare for the question ahead of time. Question 1: Tell Me About Yourself This isn’t even actually a question, but it’s something you might be asked to do in an interview. Because it’s so general, you might have trouble figuring out where to begin. Why they're asking this: Colleges are asking you to do this because they really do want to know more about you. That's one of the primary purposes of the interview, after all! What they're looking for: You need to paint a unique portrait of who you are to separate yourself from other applicants. Avoid clichés or descriptions that would be too common. For example, don’t just say you’re hardworking—explain what has driven you to become as diligent as you are and why you feel it is important. How to prepare: Rehearse answering this question. Try talking about your passions, hobbies, and interests. You can discuss what inspires you or what your friends like about you. Be specific. Again, you want to make yourself memorable. Question 2: Why Are You Interested In This College? Why they're asking this: This is an important question and one you should definitely prepare for, since colleges want to see that you’re taking the application process seriously and have a legitimate interest in attending the school. What they're looking for: Talk about your interest in a major or academic program, the cultural values of the school, or extracurricular activities that drew you to the college. Again, be thorough and specific. Don’t talk about prestige or rankings, and don't say you just want to go there because it’s close to home; none of this shows genuine interest in this specific college! How to prepare: To answer this question well, you'll need to conduct extensive college research before the interview. You should be able to cite specifics when answering this question. Follow the same advice as if you were writing the answer to this question for your application essay. Question 3: Why Do You Want to Major in _____? If you've indicated that you want to major in a certain subject, you might be asked why you’re interested in that particular field. Why they're asking this: Colleges are interested in your academic goals and want to see that you’re academically inclined. What they're looking for: Talk about why a certain subject inspires you or why you're passionate about it. Don’t say that you’re pursuing a certain major to make a lot of money or have job security. That doesn’t demonstrate genuine academic interest; it just makes you seem shallow. How to prepare: Think deeply about why you want to pursue a specific major. Why do you find it fascinating? What experiences provoked your interest in the subject? How will the major enable you to reach your future professional goals? Question 4: What Are Your Academic Strengths? Why they're asking this: In an effort to get to know you as a student, colleges are interested in getting your perspective on where you excel academically. What they're looking for: Don’t make this answer too short. Don’t just say, "I’m good at science." When discussing your academic strengths, explain how you’ve capitalized on your strengths. If you’re an

56 excellent writer, for example, how have you used your writing skills to excel in school? How do you plan on continuing to use your strengths? How to prepare: Make sure you know your academic strengths. You should be able to explain how you recognized your strengths, how you're currently using them, and how you plan to use them in the future. Question 5: What Are Your Academic Weaknesses? How Have You Addressed Them? Why they're asking this: Colleges want to admit good students, but they’re aware everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Colleges want to see that you have the persistence and work ethic to succeed despite your challenges. What they're looking for: Schools want students who can demonstrate their ability to confront and overcome challenges. Try revealing strategies or specific approaches you’ve taken to improve your academic weaknesses. You could also tell a specific story about how you managed to do well in a subject that was especially difficult for you. How to prepare: Be aware of your academic weaknesses and how you've addressed them. It's not good to say that you don't have any weaknesses. That's not very believable, and you'll come off as arrogant. Question 6: What Do You Plan to Contribute to This School? Why they're asking this: Colleges want to admit students who will make positive contributions to campus and academic life. Essentially, they’re looking for students who will make the school better. What they're looking for: In short, specifics. Don’t limit your answer to vague positive traits. Don’t just say you’ll contribute a good work ethic and a regard for others. Is there specific research you wish to pursue? Do you want to have a leadership position in an extracurricular activity? Are there specific community service projects you want to do? How will your presence on campus and in the classroom make a difference? How to prepare: Know the specific contributions you want to make to the school. Identify your college goals as well as the activities you want to pursue while you're in college. Question 7: What Do You Expect to Be Doing 10 Years From Now? Why they're asking this: Just to set the record straight, you don’t need to have your entire future figured out. Colleges understand that you probably won’t have everything decided and your plans are likely to change. What they do want is students with direction. What they're looking for: Colleges want students who are motivated to achieve their goals. The bad, general answer is to only say you expect to have a fulfilling career and be making a positive impact on the world. What are some specific activities you’d like to do? How do you plan on impacting the world? You don’t have to limit your plans to professional goals. Do you want to take your mom on a vacation? Or have weekly gatherings with your best friends from high school? How to prepare: You can write down some detailed notes answering this question. Paint a picture of the life you want to have in 10 years. That picture should reveal your uniqueness. Question 8: What Would You Change About Your High School? Why they're asking this: With this question, colleges are looking for your ability to identify problems and get a better understanding of what you’re looking for in a school. By learning what you’d change, they get a chance to learn more about what matters to you. What they're looking for: Colleges want a thoughtful response. Be specific and respectful. Don’t say, "I’d get better teachers." Say that you’d allocate more resources to the music department so that more students can have the opportunity to learn how to play new instruments. Discuss how learning an instrument helped you and describe the current state of the music department. Try to make it clear that you want to improve your school to benefit the personal and academic growth of all of its students. How to prepare: Think about the strengths and weaknesses of your high school. What are some specific problems it has? What are the consequences of those problems? What steps would you take to make improvements? Question 9: Whom Do You Most Admire? Why they're asking this: From this question, colleges can get a sense of your values. If the person you most admire is Justin Bieber, for example, colleges might wonder about your priorities. What they're looking for: Don’t limit your answer just to naming the person. Why do you admire that person? For instance, many people say that the person they most admire is a parent. But what specifically has that parent done that you admire so much? In short, don’t forget the details. How to prepare: Think deeply about your response to this question. If the person you admire is somebody you know, practice by giving your answer to that person. You'll know you've answered the question well if you're rewarded with a hug or even a few tears from your audience.

Question 10: What Is Your Favorite Book? Why they're asking this: This question is designed to help schools learn more about your interests. Colleges also probably want to make sure that you actually read books. What they're looking for: Don't limit your answer to the name of a book; think about why you like the book so much. How did it inspire you? Did a particular character resonate with you? Did you learn something from this book that influenced your opinions or behavior? Did this book help shape your perspective or values? How to prepare: Really think about books you've read that you connected with and why. I've also seen similar questions asking about a news article you recently read, so try to stay up to date with the news, too! Question 11: Why Do You Want to Go to College? Why they're asking this: For this question, schools are trying to understand why you’re motivated to pursue higher education. What they're looking for: Colleges want to see you have clear goals you’re trying to accomplish by attending college. Obviously, they don’t want to hear that you want to go to college because your parents are making you or so you can attend wild parties. In your answer, emphasize how college will allow you to pursue your passions, aid in your personal development, and enable you to fulfill your future goals. Be specific. What are your passions and goals? How will college give you an opportunity to pursue these passions? What college activities will increase your awareness and facilitate your intellectual and emotional growth? Question 12: What Do You Like to Do for Fun? Why they're asking this: This question is designed to get a better sense of your general interests and overall personality. What they're looking for: Your answer doesn’t only have to include activities that are academic. After all, you probably wouldn’t be believed if you said all you do for fun is read science textbooks and do math problems. If some of what you do for fun is intellectual, though, explain why you find these activities fun. Finally, try to avoid general answers such as "hang out with friends." How to prepare: You shouldn't have to prepare much for this question since I assume you already know what you like to do for fun. However, spend some time thinking about why you enjoy these activities. Question 13: What Is an Obstacle You've Faced and How Did You Get Through It? Why they're asking this: Colleges want to know if you've faced (and overcome) any significant challenges in your life. They also want to see that you’re persistent and willing to work hard in order to overcome these obstacles. What they're looking for: It’s fine if you haven’t had some awful, incredibly difficult obstacle in your life. Think of a time when you faced a problem that challenged you, and you put in a lot of effort to solve it. Your obstacle could be related to your home life, school, or an extracurricular activity. In your response, explain how the obstacle challenged you and emphasize what exactly you did to overcome it. How to prepare: Think of a significant challenge you've had in your life and how you dealt with it. What did you learn from the problem? How did you solve it? Did it change or influence the way you address similar problems? Question 14: What Makes You Unique? Why they're asking this: Why they're asking this: This question is essentially what all the other questions above are meant to determine. It's another general question that's often difficult to answer. We are all unique, but it can be hard to put into words exactly what separates you from other people. What they're looking for: Schools ask this question because they want to get to know you better. You can discuss a trait or multiple traits you possess. Give examples and stories that demonstrate these qualities. Do you have any uncommon interests or goals? Is your background very unique? How to prepare: I recommend doing some serious brainstorming to address this question. Write out specific attributes and anecdotes you can share that demonstrate your uniqueness. When do you feel most comfortable? What makes you the proudest? What makes you special? How to Prepare for College Interview Questions For each of these questions, I recommend jotting down some notes so that you can remember key points or details. Don’t try to completely write out your answers and memorize them. The way you speak in an interview is supposed to appear conversational and not rehearsed. Also, if you try to memorize your answers and forget your script during the interview, you’ll end up looking confused and unsure of yourself.

Practice your responses by having somebody ask you these questions and then answering them as if you were actually in the interview. Remember that you want to be as specific and detailed as possible. Learn to separate yourself from all the other applicants being interviewed. For some of these questions, it'll be helpful to review your personal statement. Your personal statement likely has some details or stories you can incorporate into some of your answers. How Do You Answer Questions You Didn't Prepare For? Undoubtedly, the questions above aren’t the only possible interview questions. Regardless of how much you prepare, you’ll almost definitely be asked a question you weren’t expecting. There’s no need to be too nervous, though. Just try to give honest, detailed answers. As long as you’re thoughtful and professional, you shouldn't worry too much about surprise questions. Also, you might be able to incorporate some details from the other questions you prepared for in your responses. For example, for any question related to academics, you could probably include details from your response to the question, "What are your academic strengths?" If you want to get more comfortable with the interview process, have a friend or parent ask you questions about yourself, and respond as if you were in the interview. This is an excellent way to prepare you for the real deal and will give you more confidence.

-FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS-

As you sort out where to apply, you may be wondering how you will afford college. You and your parent(s) need to sit down and discuss how much your parents are able and willing to commit financially to meet your educational goals. This conversation must take place in the “search” part of the process before applications are mailed because your conclusions will affect where you apply.

Step 1: Research the Financial Aid Policies of Colleges of Interest Once you determine the dollars you are willing to commit toward your education, you need to examine your list of colleges and gather the following information from each college:

 What are the average first-year costs for tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation, and other expenses? How much should we anticipate that the total costs will increase each year?  Are admission decisions at this institution “need blind” (financial status has no impact on the decision) or “need sensitive/need aware” (financial status can be a factor in the decision)?  How is eligibility for college-sponsored aid programs determined? What college-specific adjustments, if any, are made to standard need analysis formulas?  What types of financial aid programs does the institution offer? Does the institution offer merit or other scholarships that do not include consideration of financial need?  What forms are required to complete the financial aid process? What is the priority deadline for applying for financial aid? When will we be notified about the financial decision?

Step 2: Complete the Net Price Calculator for each college to gain insight into what that college will expect your family to contribute financially. Completing several of these will also illuminate differences among college financial aid package. https://collegecost.ed.gov/netpricecenter.aspx

STEP 3: Consider these steps when finalizing a college list if cost is a concern.  Include a college with a total cost you can afford - PA State Universities – 14 universities throughout the state varying in size and setting. Total costs are around $18,000. State-related universities in PA - PSU, Temple and Pitt (Total costs are around $38,000)  Include private colleges and universities that fall within a student’s “Likely” range and offer merit aid. Sometimes these colleges can be more affordable than public colleges and universities. See the next section on Merit Aid.  Look in varied geographic regions. Southern colleges are sometimes less expensive than Northern and Mid-Atlantic colleges, for example.  If you have completed the Net Price Calculator for each college and know you will qualify for need- based aid, include colleges that meet 100% of demonstrated need.  Apply to a number of colleges to ensure ample comparisons of packages.

STEP 4: Complete the required Financial Aid Forms? 1. FAFSA (The Free Application for Federal Student Aid): Required by all colleges and universities. http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. The first date FAFSA can be filed is October 1. The prior year’s tax information is used to the complete the FAFSA. Some colleges even require the FAFSA from students seeking merit aid. At any time, you can use FAFSA4caster to receive an estimate of your eligibility for federal student aid. https://fafsa.ed.gov/spa/fafsa4c/?locale=en_US#/landing

2. CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE: The PROFILE is required by most private colleges. Registrations are accepted beginning September 15, and deadlines vary by college. If a student is applying via an early plan, the deadline for the Profile often coincides with the admission application deadline. https://profileonline.collegeboard.com

SCHOOLS THAT REQUIRE THE CSS PROFILE The CSS Profile is the financial aid application that some private schools require in order to be eligible for some types of aid. This is completely separate from the FAFSA as the FAFSA is only for federal aid and the profile is for school-based aid. To determine if you need to complete the CSS Profile in addition to the FASFA, you should consult the financial aid section of each college’s website or contact the financial aid office. The below list is for reference only; always check with the school.

CSS Code Institution Name CSS Code Institution Name 7011 Abraham L Buckwalter Fund 6252 Grinnell College 540 American Foreign Srvc Assoc SF 6253 Gustavus Adolphus College 5007 American University 2286 Hamilton College (NY) 3003 Amherst College 3447 Hampshire College 193 Armenian Student Assoc of Amer 3434 Harvard College 3075 Babson College 4341 Harvey Mudd College 2037 Bard College 2289 Haverford College 3795 Bard College at Simons Rock 1295 Hillsdale College 2038 Barnard College 2294 Hobart and William Smith Coll 3076 Bates College 206 Horace Greeley Scholarship Fd 6032 Baylor University 1320 Illinois Wesleyan University 3080 Bennington College 2325 Ithaca College 3096 Bentley University 5332 Johns Hopkins University 3107 Berklee College of Music 5532 JHU: Peabody Conservatory 5059 Berry College 149 Joseph Tauber SP - NBF 1064 Birmingham-Southern College 2340 Juilliard School, The 3083 Boston College 274 Kamehameha Schools 3087 Boston University 1370 Kenyon College 3089 Bowdoin College 2361 Lafayette College 9785 Boyce College 1398 Lawrence University 3092 Brandeis University 2365 Lehigh University 3189 Brown University 4384 Lewis & Clark College 2049 Bryn Mawr College 5370 Loyola University Maryland 2050 Bucknell University 6390 Macalester College 29 Buttonwood Foundation 2396 Manhattan School of Music 4034 California Institute of Tech 4392 Marshall B. Ketchum University 6081 Carleton College 3514 Massachusetts Inst of Tech 2074 Carnegie Mellon University 935 McGill University 1105 Case Western Reserve University 186 MES Fund, Inc. 5104 Catholic University of America 3526 Middlebury College 4054 Claremont McKenna College 4167 Montessori Inst of North Texas 3279 Clark University 3529 Mount Holyoke College 1124 Cleveland Institute of Music 2424 Muhlenberg College 3280 Colby College 85 National Merit Schol Corp 2086 Colgate University 7929 New Canaan HS Schol Foundation 3282 College of the Holy Cross 4546 New College Franklin 5115 College of William and Mary 3855 New Saint Andrews College 4072 Colorado College 2785 New York University 2116 Columbia U: College and Engineering 3667 Northeastern University 3284 Connecticut College 1565 Northwestern University 2098 Cornell University 1587 Oberlin College 3351 Dartmouth College 4581 Occidental College 5150 Davidson College 1595 Olivet College 1164 Denison University 2804 Patrick Henry College 1166 DePauw University 4619 Pitzer College 2186 Dickinson College 4607 Pomona College 2194 Drexel University 1630 Principia College 7059 Duke Kunshan University 3693 Providence College 5156 Duke University 949 Queens University at Kingston 2224 Eastman School of Music: Rochester 4654 Reed College 5183 Elon University 6202 Reformation Bible College 3367 Emerson College 2757 Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst 5187 Emory University 3726 Rhode Island School of Design 3390 Fairfield University 1730 Rhodes College 2259 Fordham University 6609 Rice University 467 Francis Ouimet Schol Fund 696 Ridgewood HS Scholarship Prg 2261 Franklin and Marshall College 3780 Sacred Heart University 5222 Furman University 4744 San Francisco Conservatory of Music 5246 George Washington University 4851 Santa Clara University 5244 Georgetown University 4693 Scripps College 2275 Gettysburg College 1842 Sewanee: The University of the South 5314 Global Citizen Year 2815 Skidmore College 62

CSS Code Institution Name CSS Code Institution Name 3762 Smith College 1841 Univ of Notre Dame 9856 Southern Baptist Theo Sem 2495 Univ of Penn: Law School 6660 Southern Methodist University 2933 Univ of Pennsylvania 3748 St. Anselm College 5569 Univ of Richmond 6638 St. Olaf College 2928 Univ of Rochester 4704 Stanford University 4850 Univ of San Francisco 5630 Stetson University 4852 Univ of Southern California (USC) 2819 Stevens Institute Technology 5820 Univ of Virginia 3770 Stonehill College 1871 Vanderbilt University 2821 Swarthmore College 2956 Vassar College 2823 Syracuse University 1240 Vermont Law School 188 Teaneck Community Schol Fund 127 Viele Scholarship Trust 6820 Texas Christian University 2959 Villanova University 550 The 200 Club of Morris County 5885 Wake Forest University 6033 The Minerva Schools at KGI 5887 Washington and Lee University 3899 Trinity College (CT) 6929 Washington University: St. Louis 6831 Trinity University 2279 Weill Cornell Medical School 3901 Tufts University 3957 Wellesley College 6832 Tulane University 3959 Wesleyan University 2920 Union College (NY) 3963 Wheaton College (MA) 7152 Univ of California: San Francisco 4951 Whitman College 1832 Univ of Chicago 6941 William Jewell College 4842 Univ of Denver 3965 Williams College 5815 Univ of Miami 7245 Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship 1839 Univ of Michigan 3969 Worcester Polytechnic Institute 5816 Univ of North Carolina Chapel 3987 Yale University

Sources of Scholarship Colleges and Universities – Many colleges and universities offer scholarships or merit aid for academic and/or extracurricular accomplishments. Each college will delineate on its website if it offers merit aid and how it awards aid. Here’s a website that allows you to search for college scholarships: https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/by-college

Top National Schools That Offer Full-Ride Scholarships (compiled by Mary Ann Barge, April 2019) The below link provides a list of schools ranked in the top 50 national US universities by US News that offer full-ride scholarships. Consider this list the exception to the rule: these are the rare, top-ranked universities that offer merit-based scholarships in addition to standard need-based scholarships. The schools are ordered by US News. All of these scholarships are exceptionally competitive. The strongest academic students at GA students should consider applying to compete for a FREE undergraduate education. https://blog.prepscholar.com/colleges-with-full-ride-scholarships

Outside scholarships Throughout the school year, notices will be posted via email to students about opportunities for outside scholarships. In some cases, your college counselor will inform you of a particular scholarship for which you meet the guidelines. You can also conduct scholarship searches on the Internet and research local scholarships at your public library. Before you invest a significant amount of time tracking down scholarships, you should be aware of how college financial aid officers treat outside scholarships. Federal Law requires that outside scholarships be incorporated into the aid package. The manner in which outside scholarships are treated, however, varies by individual colleges; some will allow the entire amount to offset self-help while others will deduct the entire amount from the need-based grant being provided by the college. It is probably worth your while to explore such opportunities, but limit the time you invest in searching, and by all means avoid companies that conduct searches for a fee. The best scholarship searches are free!

Here are Free Scholarship Search Engines GA recommends:

https://www.fastweb.com/

https://www.cappex.com/

The Complete List of Community Service Scholarships

64 https://blog.prepscholar.com/community-service-scholarships-complete-list The scholarships identified in this blog are grouped according to type of community service or other special requirements. You'll notice that many of these scholarships are available to students who have done any type of community service, as long as you can show significant involvement. Some of these scholarships should fit into more than one category (such as a social activism scholarship that also requires a high GPA).

The 52 Art Scholarships https://blog.prepscholar.com/art-scholarships This blog highlights scholarships for these specific disciplines: Performing arts, such as drama, film, television, and broadcasting; Dance; Photography; Fine arts, such as drawing, painting, and sculpture; Video game design; Music, including voice and instrumental; Design, including graphic design, interior design, sound design, and industrial design.

The 54 Best Engineering Scholarships https://blog.prepscholar.com/engineering-scholarships While not comprehensive of the myriad STEM scholarships, this list provides an excellent starting point.

-APPENDICES- Appendix A

-COLLEGE ADMISSION TERMS AND DEFINITIONS-

TYPES OF POST SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS  Art School (Arts College, Art Institute, Conservatory): An institution specializing in the visual, performing, and/or creative arts.  College: An institution of higher learning, often referred to as a “four-year” institution, which grants the bachelor's degree in liberal arts or science or both.  Community College: Community colleges, sometimes called junior colleges, technical colleges, or city colleges, are primarily two-year public institutions providing higher education and lower-level courses, granting certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees. Many also offer continuing and adult education. After graduating from a community college, some students transfer to a four-year liberal arts college or university for two to three years to complete a bachelor's degree.  Historically Black College: Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community.  Liberal Arts College: A degree-granting institution where the academic focus is on developing the intellect and instruction in the humanities and sciences, rather than on training for a particular vocational, technical, or professional pursuit.  Private Institution: This is a college or university funded by private sources without any control by a government agency. The cost of attending a private institution is generally higher than the cost at a public institution.  Public Institution: A college or university that receives public funding, primarily from a local, state, or national government that oversees and regulates the school’s operations is considered a public institution.  University: A "post-secondary institution” that consists of a liberal arts college, a diverse graduate program, and usually two or more professional schools or faculties, and that is empowered to confer degrees in various fields of study.

College Search/Evaluation  Accreditation: Certification that a college meets the standards of a state, regional or national association.  Competitive College: A college with a rigorous, highly selective admissions process.  Reach School: A college where admission might be a stretch for you, based on the average GPA and test scores of accepted students and the college’s overall admission requirements.

 Possible School: A college where your academic profile matches that of accepted students, but other factors such as activities, recommendations, essays can tip the decision in one direction or another.  Likely School: A college where, based on the average GPA and test scores of accepted students, you have a high likelihood of being admitted.  Student-Faculty Ratio: The number of students at a college compared to the number of faculty. Some colleges see this as an indicator of class size and professor accessibility, but a lower ratio doesn’t guarantee either. For a true indication of class size and professor accessibility, speak with students and professors at a college.  Retention Rate: The percentage of students who return to a college for their sophomore year. An indicator of student satisfaction.

Application and Admissions  Acceptance Rate: The percentage of applicants a college accepts.  Deferred Admission: A student’s option to defer an offer of admission for up to two years.  Candidates Reply Date Agreement (CRDA): This agreement, sponsored by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, states that in order to allow students to consider all their college options, students have until May 1 to accept any college’s offer of admission.  Common/Universal Application: Standardized application forms accepted by many colleges. After you fill out the Common or Universal application, you can send it to any college that accepts it in lieu of the institution’s own application.  Legacy Applicant: A college applicant with a relative (usually a parent or grandparent) who graduated from that college. Some colleges give preference to legacy applicants (also called “legacies”).  Personal Statement: Sometimes referred to as a college application essay. Personal statements are essays that give admissions officers insights into your character, personality and motivation.  Supplemental Material: Items you include in your college application to provide more information about your talents, experiences and goals. Materials could include work samples, additional essays, newspaper clippings, music CDs or art slides. Verify if a college welcomes (or requests) these materials before sending.  Transcript: An official record of classes you have taken and the grades you received. Usually you must provide a high school transcript with your college application.  Waitlist: A list of students a college may eventually decide to admit if space becomes available.  Yield: The percentage of accepted students who go on to enroll at a college. Competitive colleges have high yield rates.

Financial Assistance  Award Letter: Official notification of the type and amount of financial aid a college is offering you.  CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE®: A financial aid form produced by the College Board required for students seeking aid at approximately 10 percent of the nation's four-year colleges (including the most highly selective institutions).  Demonstrated Need: The difference between what your family can contribute toward college expenses and the actual cost of attending college.  Expected Family Contribution (EFC): How much money you and your family are expected to contribute toward college expenses. EFC is based on your FAFSA application and a calculation by the federal government.  Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): The application every student must submit in order to be eligible for federal financial aid.  Grant: Money for college that does not have to be repaid. Most grants are need-based and are awarded by the state or federal government.  Institutional Aid (or Campus-Based Aid): Financial assistance given by a college.  Merit Aid: Financial aid awarded based on your individual achievements and talents.  Need-Based Aid: Financial aid given based on the ability of you and your family to pay for college.  Net Price Calculator: an online device that offers customized approximations of college costs based on standardized inputs − family size and savings, for example. The calculator estimates a prospective student’s financial aid; subtracts that amount from a college’s “list price,” or full cost, and spits out a “net price,” the amount a particular student must pay or borrow to enroll. 66

 Scholarship: Money for college that does not have to be paid back. Usually awarded based on specific criteria, such as your academic performance, extracurricular activities, ethnic heritage or religious affiliation.  Student Aid Report (SAR): After you file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you will receive a SAR stating your EFC (expected family contribution) and eligibility for financial aid. This report is also sent to colleges you indicate on the FAFSA.  Student Loan: Financial aid that must be repaid. Student loan programs are available through the federal government and private lenders.  Work-Study: Financial aid given in exchange for work (typically at a job on campus). To qualify for the Federal Work Study (FWS) program, you must complete the FAFSA

Appendix B

-STANDARDIZED TESTING RESOURCES-

-US COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT REQUIRE OR RECOMMEND ESSAY PORTION OF ACT OR SAT FOR ADMISSION- (updated 06-26-2019)

Abilene Christian University (TX) – recommend Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (NY) – recommend Augsburg College (MN) – recommend (note: Augsburg is a test-optional school) Berry College (GA) – require ACT, neither require nor recommend SAT College of Charleston (SC) – recommend Duke University (NC) -- recommend Eastern Illinois University – recommend ACT; neither require nor recommend SAT Manhattan College (NY) – recommend; used for placement in writing courses, not for admission Martin Luther College (MN) – require ACT, neither require nor recommend SAT Michigan State University – recommend Montana State University – recommend; used for placement in writing courses, not for admission Oregon State University – recommend SAT; neither require nor recommend ACT Rhode Island College – require ACT, neither require nor recommend SAT (note: this is not the University of Rhode Island) Saint Anselm College (NH) – recommend (note: Saint Anselm is a test optional school) Saint Norbert College (WI) -- recommend Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania – recommend Soka University of America (CA) – require State University of New York at Buffalo – recommend Texas State University – recommend ACT United States Military Academy (NY) – require University of California Berkeley – require University of California Davis -- require University of California Irvine – require University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) – require University of California Merced – require University of California Riverside – require University of California San Diego – require University of California Santa Barbara – require University of California Santa Cruz – require University of Evansville (IN) – require (note: Evansville is a test optional school) University of Mary Hardin Baylor (TX) – require University of Minnesota, Twin Cities – recommend University of Montana – recommend University of Montana Western – require ACT, recommend SAT VanderCook College of Music (IL) -- require Webb Institute of Naval Architecture (NY) – recommend

NOTE: All information current with the updating of this list on June 26, 2019. Be sure to check with each college to which you apply before you register for any standardized test as requirements can change 67

-ACT/SAT Official Concordance Table- Here’s how to compare your score on the SAT to the ACT and vice versa.

-Colleges and Universities that Supersore SAT or ACT & Their Score Choice Policies- Updated 2/25/19 by Compass Prep

School Superscore SAT Superscore ACT Score Choice Abilene Christian Yes Yes Recommends all University Adelphi University Yes Yes Score choice OK Agnes Scott College Yes No Score choice OK Albion College Yes Yes Score choice OK Allegheny College Yes Yes Score choice OK American University Yes No Score choice OK Amherst College Yes Yes Recommends all Appalachian State Yes Yes Score choice OK University Arizona State University— No No Score choice OK Tempe Auburn University No No Score choice OK Augustana College No No Score choice OK Austin College Yes Yes Score choice OK Babson College Yes Yes Score choice OK Baldwin Wallace University Yes Yes Score choice OK Bard College Yes Yes Score choice OK Barnard College Yes No Requires all SAT or ACT Bates College Yes Yes Score choice OK Baylor University Yes Yes Score choice OK Beloit College Yes Yes Score choice OK Bennington College Yes Yes* Score choice OK Bentley University Yes Yes Score choice OK Berea College Yes Yes Score choice OK Berry College Yes No Recommends all Binghamton University— Yes Yes Score choice OK SUNY Biola University Yes No Score choice OK Birmingham-Southern Yes Yes Score choice OK College Boston College Yes Yes Score choice OK Boston University Yes Yes Recommends all Bowdoin College Yes* Yes Score choice OK Bradley University No No Score choice OK Brandeis University Yes No Score choice OK Brigham Young No No Score choice OK University—Provo Brown University Yes Yes* Score choice OK Bryn Mawr College Yes No Score choice OK Bucknell University Yes No Score choice OK Butler University Yes Yes Score choice OK California Institute of Yes No* Score choice OK Technology California Lutheran Yes Yes Score choice OK University California Polytechnic State Yes Yes Score choice OK University—San Luis Obispo California State Polytechnic Yes Yes Score choice OK University—Pomona California State Yes Yes Score choice OK University—Fresno California State Yes Yes Score choice OK University—Fullerton 69

California State Yes Yes Score choice OK University—Long Beach California State Yes Yes Score Choice OK University—Los Angeles California State Yes Yes Score choice OK University—Monterey Bay California State Yes No Score choice OK University—Northridge Carleton College Yes No Score choice OK Carnegie Mellon University Yes No Requires all SAT or ACT Carroll College No No Recommends all Case Western Reserve Yes Yes Score choice OK University Centre College Yes Yes Recommends all Chapman University Yes No Recommends all Christopher Newport Yes No Score choice OK University Claremont McKenna Yes Yes Score choice OK College Clark University Yes Yes Recommends all Clarkson University No No Score choice OK Clemson University Yes No Score choice OK Coe College No No Score choice OK Colby College Yes Yes Recommends all Colgate University Yes Yes Score choice OK College of Charleston Yes Yes Recommends all College of New Jersey Yes No Score choice OK College of St. Benedict Yes Yes Recommends all College of the Holy Cross Yes Yes Score choice OK College of William and Yes No Score choice OK Mary College of Wooster Yes Yes Score choice OK Colorado College Yes No Score choice OK Colorado School of Mines No No Score choice OK Colorado State University Yes Yes Recommends all Columbia University Yes Yes Score choice OK Concordia College— Yes Yes Score choice OK Moorhead Connecticut College Yes Yes Score choice OK Cooper Union Yes Yes Recommends all Cornell College Yes Yes Score choice OK Cornell University Yes* No Requires all ACT; SAT Score Choice OK Creighton University Yes Yes Score choice OK CUNY—Baruch College Yes Yes Score choice OK Dartmouth College Yes No Score choice OK Davidson College Yes Yes Recommends all Denison University Yes Yes Score choice OK DePaul University No No Score choice OK DePauw University Yes Yes Score choice OK Dickinson College Yes Yes Score choice OK Drake University No No Score choice OK Drew University Yes No Score choice OK Drexel University Yes No Recommends all Drury University No No Score choice OK Duke University Yes* Yes* Score choice OK Duquesne University Yes Yes Recommends all Earlham College Yes Yes Score choice OK Elmhurst College No No Score choice OK 70

Elon University Yes Yes Recommends all Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Yes Yes Score choice OK University Emerson College Yes Yes Score choice OK Emory University Yes No Recommends all Fairfield University Yes Yes Score choice OK Florida Institute of Yes Yes Recommends all Technology Florida State University Yes Yes Recommends all Fordham University Yes Yes Score choice OK Franklin and Marshall Yes Yes Score choice OK College Furman University Yes Yes Score choice OK Gallaudet University Yes No Score choice OK George Mason University Yes No Recommends all George Washington Yes No Score choice OK University Georgetown University Yes No Requires all scores Georgia Institute of Yes Yes Recommends all Technology Gettysburg College Yes Yes Score choice OK Gonzaga University Yes Yes Score choice OK Goshen College Yes Yes Recommends all Goucher College Yes Yes Score choice OK Grinnell College Yes Yes Score choice OK Gustavus Adolphus College No No Score choice OK Hamilton College Yes Yes Score choice OK Hampden-Sydney College Yes Yes Recommends all Hampton University Yes No Score choice OK Hanover College Yes Yes Score choice OK Harvard University Yes No Score choice OK Harvey Mudd College Yes Yes Recommends all Haverford College Yes Yes Recommends all Hendrix College Yes Yes Score choice OK High Point University Yes Yes Score choice OK Hillsdale College No No Score choice OK Hobart and William Smith Yes Yes Score choice OK Colleges Hofstra University Yes Yes Recommends all Hollins University Yes Yes Score choice OK Hope College No No Score choice OK Howard University Yes No Score choice OK Humboldt State University Yes Yes Score choice OK Illinois Institute of Yes Yes Recommends all Technology Illinois Wesleyan No No Score choice OK University Indiana University— Yes Yes Score choice OK Bloomington Iowa State University No No Score choice OK Ithaca College Yes Yes Score choice OK James Madison University Yes Yes Score choice OK John Brown University No No Score choice OK Johns Hopkins University Yes Yes Recommends all Kalamazoo College Yes Yes Score choice OK Kenyon College Yes Yes Recommends all Knox College Yes Yes Score choice OK Lafayette College Yes Yes Score choice OK Lake Forest College Yes Yes Recommends all 71

Lawrence University Yes Yes Score choice OK Lehigh University Yes Yes Score choice OK Lewis & Clark College Yes Yes Score choice OK Lipscomb University No No Score choice OK Louisiana State No No Score choice OK University—Baton Rouge Loyola Marymount Yes No Score choice OK University Loyola University Chicago Yes* Yes* Score choice OK Loyola University Maryland Yes Yes Score choice OK Loyola University New Yes Yes Score choice OK Orleans Luther College Yes No Recommends all Macalester College Yes Yes Recommends all Marist College Yes Yes Score choice OK Marquette University No No Score choice OK Massachusetts Institute of Yes Yes Score choice OK Technology Mercer University Yes Yes Score choice OK Miami University—Oxford Yes Yes Recommends all Michigan State University No No Score choice OK Michigan Technological No No Score choice OK University Middlebury College Yes Yes Recommends all Mills College Yes No Score choice OK Millsaps College Yes Yes Recommends all Milwaukee School of No No Recommends all Engineering Mississippi State University No No Score choice OK Missouri University of No No Score choice OK Science & Technology Morehouse College Yes Contact college Score choice OK Mount Holyoke College Yes Yes Score choice OK Muhlenberg College Yes No Score choice OK New College of Florida Yes Yes Recommends all New Jersey Institute of Yes No Recommends all Technology New School No No Score choice OK New York University Yes Yes* Score choice OK North Carolina State Yes Yes Recommends all University—Raleigh Northeastern University Yes Yes Score choice OK Northwestern University Yes No Score choice OK Oberlin College Yes Yes Score choice OK Occidental College Yes Yes* Score choice OK Ohio State University— No No Score choice OK Columbus Ohio University Yes No Recommends all Ohio Wesleyan University Yes Yes Recommends all Oklahoma State University No No Recommends all Oregon State University No No Recommends all Pacific Lutheran University Yes Yes Score choice OK Pennsylvania State No No Recommends all University—University Park Pepperdine University Yes No Score choice OK Pitzer College Yes Yes Score choice OK Point Loma Nazarene Yes Yes Score choice OK University Pomona College Yes Yes Recommends all 72

Pratt Institute Yes No Score choice OK Presbyterian College (SC) Yes Yes Score choice OK Princeton University Yes No Recommends all Providence College Yes Yes* Recommends all Purdue University—West Yes Yes* Score choice OK Lafayette Queens University of Yes Yes Score choice OK Charlotte Quinnipiac University Yes No Recommends all Randolph-Macon College Yes Yes Recommends all Reed College Yes No Recommends all Rensselaer Polytechnic Yes No Score choice OK Institute Rhode Island School of Yes Yes Score choice OK Design Rhodes College Yes Yes Score choice OK Rice University Yes Yes* Recommends all Ripon College No No Score choice OK Rochester Institute of Yes Yes Score choice OK Technology Rollins College Yes No Score choice OK Rutgers, The State Yes No Recommends all University of New Jersey— New Brunswick Rutgers, The State Yes No Recommends all University of New Jersey— Newark Saint Louis University No No Score choice OK Samford University Yes Yes Score choice OK San Diego State University Yes Yes Recommends all San Francisco State Yes No Score choice OK University San Jose State University Yes Yes Score choice OK Santa Clara University Yes Yes Score choice OK Sarah Lawrence College Yes Yes Score choice OK Scripps College Yes Yes Score choice OK Seattle University Yes Yes Recommends all Seton Hall University Yes Yes Recommends all Sewanee—University of Yes Yes Score choice OK the South Siena College Yes No Recommends all Simmons College Yes Yes Score choice OK Skidmore College Yes No Score choice OK Smith College Yes No Score choice OK Soka University of America Yes Yes Requires all SAT or ACT Southern Methodist Yes Yes Score choice OK University Southwestern University Yes No Recommends all Spelman College Yes Yes Score choice OK St. John Fisher College Yes Yes Score choice OK St. John's College Yes Yes Recommends all Annapolis St. John's University (NY) Yes Yes Score choice OK St. Lawrence University Yes Yes Score choice OK St. Mary's College (IN) Yes Yes Score choice OK St. Mary's College of Yes Yes Recommends all California St. Mary's College of Yes No Recommends all Maryland 73

St. Michael's College Yes Yes Score choice OK St. Olaf College Yes Yes Score choice OK Stanford University Yes** No** Score choice OK Stetson University Yes Yes Score choice OK Stevens Institute of Yes Yes Score choice OK Technology Stonehill College Yes Yes Score choice OK Stony Brook University— Yes No Recommends all SUNY SUNY College of Yes Yes Score choice OK Environmental Science and Forestry SUNY—Geneseo Yes Yes Score choice OK Susquehanna University Yes Yes Recommends all Swarthmore College Yes Yes* Score choice OK Syracuse University Yes Yes Requires all scores Taylor University Yes Yes Score choice OK Temple University Yes No Recommends all Texas A&M University— No No Score choice OK College Station Texas Christian University Yes Yes Recommends all Texas Lutheran University Yes Yes Recommends all The Catholic University of Yes No Score choice OK America The Citadel Yes No Requires all SAT or ACT Thomas Aquinas College Yes Yes Score choice OK Transylvania University Yes Yes Score choice OK Trinity College (Hartford) Yes Yes Score choice OK Trinity University Yes Yes Score choice OK Truman State University No No Score choice OK Tufts University Yes Yes Recommends all Tulane University Yes No Score choice OK Union College Yes Yes Score choice OK (Schenectady, NY) United States Air Force Yes Yes Score choice OK Academy United States Coast Guard Yes Yes Score choice OK Academy United States Military Yes Yes Score choice OK Academy United States Naval Yes Yes Score choice OK Academy University at Albany— Yes Yes Score choice OK SUNY University at Buffalo— Yes No Score choice OK SUNY University of Alabama No No Score choice OK University of Arizona No No Score choice OK University of Arkansas— Yes Yes Score choice OK Fayetteville University of California— No No Recommends all Merced University of California— No No Recommends all Riverside University of California— No No Recommends all Berkeley University of California— No No Recommends all Davis University of California— No No Recommends all Irvine 74

University of California— No No Recommends all Los Angeles University of California— No No Recommends all San Diego University of California— No No Recommends all Santa Barbara University of California— No No Recommends all Santa Cruz University of Chicago Yes Yes Recommends all University of Cincinnati No No Recommends all University of Colorado— Yes Yes Recommends all Boulder University of Connecticut Yes Yes Score choice OK University of Dallas Yes No Recommends all University of Dayton Yes Yes Score choice OK University of Delaware Yes Yes Recommends all University of Denver Yes Yes Score choice OK University of Florida Yes No Score choice OK University of Georgia Yes Yes Score choice OK University of Hawaii at Yes Yes Score choice OK Manoa University of Illinois— No No Score choice OK Chicago University of Illinois— Yes* Yes* Score choice OK Urbana-Champaign University of Iowa No No Score choice OK University of Kansas No No Score choice OK University of Kentucky Yes Yes Recommends all University of La Verne Yes Yes Score choice OK University of Mary Yes Yes Score choice OK Washington University of Maryland— Yes Yes Score choice OK College Park University of Yes Yes Score choice OK Massachusetts—Amherst University of Miami Yes Yes Recommends all University of Michigan— Yes* Yes* Score choice OK Ann Arbor University of Minnesota— No No Recommends all Twin Cities University of Mississippi No No Score choice OK University of Missouri No No Score choice OK University of Nebraska— No No Score choice OK Lincoln University of New Yes No Recommends all Hampshire University of North Yes Yes Score choice OK Carolina—Chapel Hill University of North Yes Yes Recommends all Carolina—Wilmington University of Notre Dame Yes Yes Score choice OK University of Oklahoma No No Score choice OK University of Oregon Yes No Score choice OK University of Pennsylvania Yes Yes Score Choice OK University of Pittsburgh Yes No Recommends all University of Portland Yes Yes Score choice OK University of Puget Sound Yes Yes Score choice OK University of Redlands Yes Yes Recommends all University of Richmond Yes Yes Score choice OK

University of Rochester Yes Yes Score choice OK University of San Diego Yes No Score choice OK University of San Francisco Yes Yes Recommends all University of South Yes No Score choice OK Carolina University of South Florida Yes Yes Recommends all University of Southern Yes No Score choice OK California University of St. Thomas Yes Yes Recommends all (MN) University of Tennessee Yes Yes Recommends all University of Texas—Austin No No Recommends all University of Texas—Dallas Yes No Score choice OK University of the Pacific Yes Yes Recommends all University of Tulsa Yes Yes Score choice OK University of Utah No No Score choice OK University of Vermont Yes Yes Recommends all University of Virginia Yes* Yes* Score choice OK University of Washington Yes Yes Score choice OK University of Wisconsin— No No Recommends all Madison Ursinus College Yes Yes Score choice OK Valparaiso University Yes Yes Recommends all Vanderbilt University Yes No Recommends all Vassar College Yes Yes Score choice OK Villanova University Yes Yes Recommends all Virginia Commonwealth Yes No Score choice OK University Virginia Military Institute Yes Yes Recommends all Virginia Polytechnic Yes Yes Recommends all Institute and State University Wabash College Yes Yes Score choice OK Wake Forest University Yes Yes* Score choice OK Washington and Jefferson Yes Yes Score choice OK College Washington and Lee Yes Yes Recommends all University Washington College Yes No Score choice OK Washington State Yes Yes Recommends all University Washington University in Yes Yes Score choice OK St. Louis Wellesley College No No Score choice OK Wesleyan University Yes Yes Score choice OK Westmont College Yes Yes Score choice OK Wheaton College (IL) Yes Yes Score choice OK Whitman College Yes Yes Score choice OK Whittier College Yes No Score choice OK Willamette University Yes Yes Score choice OK Williams College Yes Yes Score choice OK Wofford College Yes Yes Score choice OK Worcester Polytechnic No No Score choice OK Institute Xavier University Yes Yes Score choice OK Yale University Yes Yes Requires all SAT or ACT Yeshiva University Yes** Yes** Score choice OK

-COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WORLDWIDE THAT REQUIRE SUBJECT TESTS FROM SOME OR ALL APPLICANTS, SCHOOL YEAR 2019-2020-

The following schools require Subject Tests from all applicants, regardless of what other standardized testing results are shared: California Institute of Technology Harvey Mudd College (CA) Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Puerto Rico Bayamon (applicant may take the Prueba de Aptitud Academica [in Spanish] in lieu of both SAT and Subject Tests) University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez (applicant may take the Prueba de Aptitud Academica [in Spanish] in lieu of both SAT and Subject Tests)

The following schools require Subject Tests from all applicants from the United States, unless the student selects to “substitute” AP or IB exam results for the corresponding Subject Test: University of Toronto (ON) L’ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne (Switzerland) King’s College of London (United Kingdom) The following school requires Subject Tests from all applicants from the United States if they submit an SAT but NOT if they submit an ACT: McGill University (PQ)

The following schools require Subject Tests from some applicants, regardless of what additional standardized testing is submitted: Cornell University (NY) – required for applicants to the College of Arts and Sciences Northwestern University (IL) –three required only for students applying to Integrated Science and Engineering Program—only one in US that requires three; will also consider AP, IB or college courses to fulfill requirement

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT RECOMMEND SAT SUBJECT TESTS 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR

These schools recommend Subject Tests for ALL admissions candidates

Brown University (RI) Lehigh University (PA) Dartmouth College (NH) Princeton University (NJ) Duke University (NC) Rice University (TX) Georgetown University (DC) University of Pennsylvania Harvard University (MA) (except “if the cost of taking Webb Institute of Naval Architecture (NY) the tests represents a financial hardship or if you Yale University (CT) prefer to have your application considered without them”)

These schools recommend Subject Tests for SOME admissions candidates

Carnegie Mellon University (PA) – engineering, humanities/social science, information systems, science, computer science and business applicants Catholic University of America (DC) – arts/sciences and philosophy applicants University of California, Berkeley – chemistry and engineering applicants University of California, Irvine – engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, physical sciences, public health sciences and public health policy applicants University of California, Los Angeles – engineering applicants University of California, Riverside – engineering and natural/agricultural science applicants University of California, San Diego – engineering, biology and physical sciences applicants University of California, Santa Barbara – engineering, math, biology, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, computing and College of Creative Studies applicants University of the Pacific (CA) – engineering, physical science, life sciences, engineering management, pre-medical, pre-dental and pre-pharmacy applicants

-STANDARDIZED TESTING OPTIONAL COLLEGE-

Appendix C

-PROSPECTIVE RECRUITED ATHLETE RESOURCES -

GA’s Athletic Recruitment Process and Advice Each year anywhere from 25% to 35% of GA’s graduating class moves on to play a sport in college. While most will play at the Division III level, others are recruited to DI or DII programs. Student who are most successful in the process take advantage of the resources GA offers.

All prospective college athletes have a team of individuals to support them:  Mr. James Fenerty serves as the College Counseling Athletic Liaison. Students and parents should contact Mr. Fenerty about the athletic recruitment process as soon as they realize the student may have an interest in playing a sport in college. Mr. Fenerty can explain the recruitment process and contact college coaches for the student-athlete.  GA’s Athletic Director and coaching staff. GA coaches often reach out to college coaches as well. They can also provide insight into the student-athlete’s level of competitiveness for a division or a particular college or university.  The College Counseling team. A student’s assigned college counselor can also help students and parents navigate the athletic recruitment process. College counselors provide a link to the admission office. Involving all of the above professionals in the process is imperative. While outside club coaches are also involved in the recruitment process, especially for some sports, it is vital to include the GA support system as well. Sometimes outside coaches are not as well versed in the college admission process as our team.

Advice for Prospective Student-Athletes (from NCAA.ORG and modified by Karen Mason) The first step in your journey as a college-bound student-athlete is to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/. All Division I and II colleges and universities requires prospective athletes to register on this site. Once you have registered, College Counseling will access our account with the NCAA and upload your official transcript. You will not be deemed qualified until you graduate and GA submits your final transcript.

Questions to ask coaching staff  What positions will I play on your team? It is not always obvious. Most coaches want to be flexible, so you might not receive a definite answer.  What other players may be competing at the same position? The response could give you an idea of when you can expect to be a starter.  Will I be redshirted my first year? The school's policy on redshirting may impact you both athletically and academically.  What expectations do you have for training and conditioning? This will reveal the college or university's commitment to a training and conditioning program.  How would you best describe your coaching style? Every coach has a particular style that involves different motivational techniques and discipline. You need to know if a coach's teaching style matches your learning style.  When does the head coach's contract end? How long does the coach intend to stay? Do not make any assumptions about how long a coach will be at a school. If the coach leaves, does this change your mind about the school or the program?  What are preferred, invited and uninvited walk-on situations? How many do you expect to compete? How many earn a scholarship?  Who else are you recruiting for my position? Coaches may consider other student-athletes for every position.  Is medical insurance required for my participation? Is it provided by the college? You may be required to provide proof of insurance.  If I am seriously injured while competing, who is responsible for my medical expenses?  What happens if I want to transfer to another school? You may not transfer without the permission 80

of your current college’s athletics department. Ask how often coaches grant this privilege and ask for an example of a situation in which permission was not granted. Questions to ask admissions staff Academics  What are the strengths of the department in my major? How many students are in the department? What credentials do faculty members hold? What are graduates of the program doing after school? What percentage of players on scholarship graduate? The response will suggest the school's commitment to academics. You might want to ask two follow-up questions: o What percentage of incoming students eventually graduate? o What is the current team's grade-point average?  What academic support programs are available to student-athletes? Look for a college that will help you become a better student. Some athletic programs discourage athletes from pursuing certain majors. If you are interested in a program such as nursing or engineering, find out if there are athletes on the team in those majors.  If I have a diagnosed and documented disability, what kind of academic services are available? Special academic services may help you achieve your academic goals.  How many credit hours should I take in season and out of season? It is important to determine how many credit hours are required for your degree and what pace you will follow to obtain that degree.  Are there restrictions in scheduling classes around practice? NCAA rules prevent you from missing class for practice.  Is summer school available? If I need to take summer school, will it be paid for by the college?  You may need to take summer school to meet academic and/or graduation requirements. College life  What is a typical day for a student-athlete? The answer will give you a good idea of how much time is spent in class, practice, study and travel. It also will give you a good indication of what coaches expect.  What are the residence halls like? The response should give you a hint of how comfortable you would be in your room, study areas, community bathrooms and at the laundry facilities. Also ask about the number of students in a room, coed dorms and the rules governing life in the residence halls.  Must student-athletes live on campus? If the answer is “yes,” ask about exceptions.  Do all student athletes live together? Financial aid  How much financial aid is available for both the academic year and summer school? What does your scholarship cover?  How long does my scholarship last?  What are my opportunities for employment while I am a student? Find out if you can be employed in season, out of season or during vacation periods.  Exactly how much will the athletics scholarship be? What will and will not be covered? It is important to understand what college expenses your family is responsible for so you can arrange to pay those. Educational expenses can be paid with student loans and government grants, but it takes time to apply for them. Find out early so you can get something lined up.  Am I eligible for additional financial aid? Are there any restrictions? Sometimes a student-athlete cannot accept a certain type of scholarship because of NCAA limitations. If you will be receiving other scholarships, let the coach and financial aid officer know so they can determine if you may accept additional dollars.  Who is financially responsible if I am injured while competing? You need to understand your financial obligations if you suffer an injury while participating in athletics.  Under what circumstances could my scholarship be reduced or canceled?  Coaches should be able to give you some idea of how players are evaluated from year to year and how these decisions are made. The college or university may have a policy governing renewal of athletics aid. Ask if such a policy exists and read it.  Are there academic criteria tied to maintaining the scholarship? Some colleges or universities add academic requirements to scholarships (e.g., minimum grade-point average). 81

 What scholarship money is available after eligibility is exhausted to help me complete my degree? It may take longer than four years to complete a college degree program. Some colleges assist student-athletes financially as they complete their degrees. Ask how such aid is awarded. You may have to work with the team or in the athletics department to qualify for this aid.  What scholarship money is available if I suffer an athletics career-ending injury? Not every institution continues to provide an athletics scholarship to a student-athlete who can no longer compete because of a career-ending injury.  Will my scholarship be maintained if there is a change in coaches? A coach may not be able to answer this, but the athletics director may.

ATHLETIC RECRUITMENT TIMETABLES & DEFINITIONS OF TERMS The 2018-19 Guide for College-Bound Student-Athletes identifies the following recruiting timelines. National Letter of Intent A National Letter of Intent is signed by you agreeing to attend a Division I or II college for one academic year. Participating colleges agree to provide financial aid to you for a minimum of one academic year as long as you are admitted to the school and are eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules. The NLI is voluntary and not required for you to receive financial aid or participate in sports. Signing an NLI ends the recruiting process because participating schools are prohibited from recruiting student- athletes who already have signed letters with other participating schools. If you sign an NLI but decide to attend another college, you may request a release from your contract with the school. If you sign an NLI with one school but attend a different school, you lose one full year of eligibility and must complete a full academic year at the new school before being eligible to compete. If you have questions about the NLI, visit the website at nationalletter.org. Important Terms Celebratory Standardized Signing Form: (A form used by Division III institutions.) The Celebratory Standardized Signing Form is a standard NCAA-provided, nonbinding athletics celebratory signing form after a college-bound student- athlete has been accepted for enrollment at a Division III school. Contact: A contact happens any time a college coach says more than hello during a face-to-face meeting with you or your parents off the college’s campus. Contact period: During a contact period, a college coach may have face-to-face contact with you or your parents, watch you compete, visit your high school and write or telephone you or your parents. Dead period: A college coach may not have any face-to- face contact with you or your parents on or off the college campus at any time during a dead period. The coach may write and call you or your parents during this time. Evaluation: An evaluation happens when a college coach observes you practicing or competing. Evaluation period: During an evaluation period, a college coach may watch you compete, visit your high school and write or telephone you or your parents. However, a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with you or your parents off the college’s campus during an evaluation period. Financial aid: (scholarship) Any money you receive from a college or another source, such as outside loans or grants. Financial aid may be based on athletics ability, financial need or academic achievement. Five-year clock: If you play at a Division I school, you have five calendar years in which to play four seasons of competition. Your five-year clock starts when you enroll as a full-time student at any college. Thereafter, your clock continues, even if you spend an academic year in residence as a result of transferring, decide to redshirt, do not attend school or attend school part time during your college career. Full-time student: Each school determines what full-time status means. Typically, you are a full-time student if you are enrolled for at least 12 credit hours in a term, but some schools de ne a full-time student as someone who takes fewer than 12 credit hours in a term. International student: An international student is any student who is enrolled in a secondary school outside the United States, U.S. territories or Canada (except Quebec). Institutional Request List: An Institutional Request List is a list of college-bound student-athletes who an NCAA Division I and/or II school is interested in recruiting. The action of activating a college-bound student-athlete to the IRL informs the NCAA Eligibility Center of the school’s interest in having an academic certification decision for the student-athlete. Official commitment: When you of officially commit to attend a Division I or II college, you sign a National Letter of Intent, agreeing to attend that school for one academic year.

Official visit: During an official visit, the college can pay for transportation to and from the college for you, lodging and meals (Division I allows for up to three meals per day) for you and your parents or guardians, as well as reasonable entertainment expenses including three tickets to a Division I home sports event or five tickets to a Division II home sports event. Before a college may invite you on an official visit, you will have to provide the college with a copy of your high school transcript and ACT, SAT or PLAN score (test scores are required for Division I only) and register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Quiet period: During this time, a college coach may not have any in-person contact with you or your parents off the college’s campus. The coach may not watch you play or visit your high school during this period. You and your parents may visit a college campus during this time. A coach may write or call you or your parents during this time. Recruited: If a college coach calls you more than once, contacts you off campus, pays your expenses to visit the campus, or in Divisions I and II, issues you a National Letter of Intent or a written offer of financial aid, you are considered to be recruited. Recruiting calendar: NCAA member schools limit recruiting to certain periods during the year. Recruiting calendars promote the well-being of college-bound student-athletes and ensure fairness among schools by defining certain periods during the year in which recruiting may or may not occur in a particular sport. Season of competition: Generally, NCAA rules say that any competition in a season — regardless of the amount of time — counts as having played a season in that sport. If you play any time during a season, regardless of how long you played, it counts as having played for an entire season in that sport. Your season of competition starts when you spend one second in competition on the field, court, gym or track. Ten-semester/15-quarter clock: If you play at a Division II or III school, you have the first 10 semesters or 15 quarters in which you are enrolled as a full-time student to complete your four seasons of participation. You use a semester or quarter any time you attend class as a full-time student or are enrolled part time and compete for the school. You do not use a term if you only attend part time with no competition or are not enrolled for a term. Two-year college: A school where students can earn an Associate of Arts degree, an Associate of Science degree or an Associate of Applied Science degree within two years. Some people call these schools community colleges or junior colleges. Unofficial visit: Any visit by you and your parents to a college campus paid for by you or your parents. The only expense you may receive from the college is three complimentary admissions to a Division I home athletics contest or five complimentary admissions to a Division II home athletics contest. You may make as many unofficial visits as you like and may take those visits at any time. The only time you cannot talk with a coach during an unofficial visit is during a dead period. Verbal commitment: A verbal commitment happens when you verbally agree to play sports for a college before you sign or are eligible to sign a National Letter of Intent. The commitment is not binding on you or the school and can be made at any time. Walk-on: Someone who is not typically recruited by a school to participate in sports and does not receive a scholarship from the school, but who becomes a member of one of the school’s athletics teams.

Appendix D

-TOP HONORS PROGRAMS - Honors colleges can be a cost-effective and highly rewarding undergraduate experience for top-notch students. In the best-case scenario, you can enjoy all the benefits of a large university (research opportunities, athletics, and a diverse student body) while still benefiting from an intimate, rigorous, and individualized experience usually reserved for students attending elite liberal arts colleges. Below, College Transitions compiled a list of the nation’s top honors colleges/programs. Selection was based on the following indicators of program quality:  Selectivity of the college/university (overall)  Selectivity of the honors program  Average honors class size  Number of honors classes  Availability of honors housing  Whether priority registration is offered to honors students

Schools marked with an asterisk (*) rated especially high on several indicators and were ranked among the top 20 honors programs according to our methodology.

Appendix E

College Admission Rates for Select Colleges Compiled by Karen A. Mason, Director of College Counseling, Germantown Academy

School 2000 Admit Rate 2010 Admit Rate 2019 Admit Rate Amherst College 19% 15.3% 11% Boston College 32% 31% 27% Boston University 60% 58% 18% Bowdoin College 24% 20% 9% Brown University 16% 9% 6.6% Colby College 33.8% 32% 10% Columbia University 13% 10% 5.1% Cornell University 31% 18% 10.6% Dartmouth College 20% 13% 7.9% Duke University 19% 7% Franklin and Marshall College 55% 45% 30% Georgetown University 20.1% 20% 14% George Washington University 49% 32% 41% Georgia Tech 57% 51.8 19% Harvard University 10.88% 9% 4.5% Johns Hopkins University 20.6% 21% 9% Lehigh University 45.6% 33% 24% Massachusetts Institute of Tech. 9.2% 10% 7% New York University 29% 38% 16% Northeastern University 40% 38% 18% Northwestern University 32.8% 23% 9% University of Pennsylvania 23% 14% 7.44% Princeton University 8.2% 9% 6% Rice University 23% 21% 9% Richmond University 42% 33% 27% Tufts University 26% 25% 14.6% Tulane University 72.9% 27% 13% University of Chicago 18.38% 18% 5.9% Vanderbilt University 55% 18% 6.3% Wake Forest University 49% 40% 29% Washington University in St. Louis 21% 14% William and Mary 40.6% 32% 34% Williams College 18.6% 17% 12% University of Wisconsin-Madison 71.2% 56.5% Yale University 16% 8% 5.9%

-GAP YEAR OPTIONS-

Taking time off in between high school and college provides some students with a needed respite from academic work that allows them to refine their major and career plans and focus their energies on a community service activity or developing some personal skill or talent. GA encourages students to consider a GAP year, and many colleges value the mature student who typically emerges from a GAP year experience.

Not all high school students are academically and emotionally ready to start college immediately upon graduation. While high-achieving students may need a “gap” year to de-stress and learn about themselves instead of how to achieve a 4 or a 5 on an Advanced Placement exam, other students need a year to mature, decide what they want to study, and learn the responsibility that only comes from holding down a full-time job or volunteering daily for a service project. Students who pursue gap-year programs benefit enormously from the experience, embarking on college with a genuine excitement for learning and an appreciation for the incredible privilege of attaining a bachelor’s degree. While parents worry that once their offspring steps out of the academic world they will lose interest in college, most students are reinvigorated about learning. In addition, most jobs that are attainable today with only a high school diploma offer neither the glamour nor paycheck that will capture the interest of someone truly interested in an education and advancing in the world.

William Fitzwilliams, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, makes a case for a Gap Year in an article posted on Harvard’s website (http://admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/time_off/index.html). Most college officials share Mr. Fitzwilliams’ enthusiasm for students taking a year off, and as a result are willing to defer an accepted student’s admission to college for a year as long as the student has a legitimate plan for that time. GA recommends that students contemplating a GAP Year:  Discuss GAP year options with your college counselor.  Follow through on applying to college during the traditional timeline.  Check college websites to gain insight into their policies about GAP year deferrals.  Choose a college where the student has been admitted to defer admission.

The Gap-Year Advantage identifies low-cost programs as well as money- saving tips for families concerned about costs. The following list provides additional resources for students considering taking time off.  Paying for a post-high school ‘gap’ year need not deplete the college savings – Boston Globe Article  www.gapyearprograms.net – a good starting point in exploring gap year options.  www.interimprograms.com/ - leading gap year expert, Holly Bull’s website.  http://www.planetgapyear.com/- a comprehensive website devoted to gap year experiences.  Americorps: Service in the United States, along the model of the Peace Corps  City Year: A year of structured service in urban environments. Provides a stipend for college.  National Outdoor Leadership School: Wilderness training across the country.  Semester at Sea: An around-the-world cruise aboard a ship that serves as the classroom between ports.  Leap Now: Overseas cultural and adventure travel.  Where There Be Dragons: Focus on adventure and cultural explorations of Asia

-OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH COLLEGE ADMISSION COUNSELORS THIS FALL-

COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVES VISITING GA

Each fall over 130 colleges send admission representatives to meet with GA students. These meetings provide a great opportunity for your son or daughter to gain insight into a particular college and be educated about the college search and application processes. o These meetings occur throughout the school day and occur in the Upper School Conference Room. o Students can find a list of college representatives visiting GA in Naviance Student under the “College” tab. Typically, these visits are entered into Naviance in late August and early September. o Juniors and seniors are strongly encouraged to meet with representatives from colleges in which they are interested. o Juniors and seniors may ask teachers (at least one day in advance) if they may miss class to attend a meeting with a college representative. o Sophomores may attend these meetings if they have a free period (they are not allowed to miss class).

o Benefits of attending these meetings o Early in the search process, these meetings provide an opportunity for students to learn about the college search process, options among colleges, and colleges that pique their interest and warrant a visit. o College representatives often track students who attend the sessions and refer to this information when evaluating applicants to the college. Attending one of these meetings is a way that students “demonstrate their interest” in a college. o In the later stage of the search process, these sessions provide an opportunity to ask specific questions and establish a relationship with the admission representative who will most likely be one of the readers of applications from GA students.

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL MULTICULTURAL FAIR AT WESTTOWN (https://www.westtown.edu/page.cfm?p=1000232)

 WHEN: SATURDAY OCTOBER 19, 2019  HOST: WESTTOWN SCHOOL, 975 WESTTOWN ROAD, WEST CHESTER, PA 19382  LOCATION: TWENTY-FIVE MILES WEST OF PHILADELPHIA, FIFTEEN MILES NORTH OF WILMINGTON  INVITED: STUDENTS AND PARENTS FROM DIVERSE RACIAL, ETHNIC, AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS FROM MORE THAN 100 INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS, CHARTER SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS.  DIRECTIONS: CLICK HERE.  COST: STUDENTS AND PARENTS: $10/PERSON INCLUDES LUNCH; WESTTOWN FAMILIES: NO CHARGE

NACAC’S STEM COLLEGE AND CAREER FAIR (https://www.nacacfairs.org/attend/stem-college-and-career-fairs/)  Saturday, October 12th, 2019 at Rider University, NJ  Sunday, October 13th, 2019 in NYC

NACAC’S PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS COLLEGE FAIR  Saturday, November 4, 2019 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA)

GA College Counseling – It’s all about the fit!