Crown Point High School

Navigating the College Admissions

Process

Welcome Parents!

Please welcome our guests from various universities:

Maureen Harangody, Admissions,

Valparaiso University

Char Connelly, Admissions, Indiana University Northwest

Topics for this evening….

• Choosing the right College

• Naviance

• Applying to College

• Requesting Transcripts

• Requesting Letters of Recommendation

• Deadlines

• Financial Aid and Scholarships

• Resources

Which Colleges To Apply To?

Make a list of 3 – 5 colleges to Apply to.

Before applying, make a decision based

on the following:

1)An Informed Decision

2)A Reasonable Decision

3)A Heartfelt Decision

4)The Right Decision

INFORMED DECISION

GET THE FACTS:

• Admissions requirements

• Location – Size - Cost

• Academic offerings

• Visit the College

• Application Deadlines

Reasonable Decision

• Your son/daughter meets the

requirements for acceptance to the

colleges on their list.

• College costs have been researched and

you have a good chance of being able to

afford it.

• You and your son/daughter are

comfortable with the location and size of

the college/campus.

HEARTFELT DECISION

• Go with your intuition and instincts—follow

your gut. Your son/daughter should feel

good about each campus and the people

there. Each school should fit their

personality and challenge them

academically and socially.

The Right Decision

• The right decision means your

son/daughter would be happy

attending any college on their list.

College Application Process

Where to Begin…

Log onto Parent or Student Access in RDS.

Student Name Student Name

NAVIANCE • An online service that gives students

parents, and counselors one easy-to-

use place to manage everything. This

includes: researching college

options, choosing where to apply,

request recommendations, delivering

electronic transcripts, and tracking

scholarship applications.

Letters of Recommendation

• Give the person sufficient time to do a

good job and return the letter to the

student in ample time to meet your

deadline.

• Also tell the person writing a letter what

criteria needs to be addressed in the letter.

Complete the Application

• Most Colleges/Universities prefer the

application is completed online.

• Students can either:

• 1) Find a direct link via Naviance

• 2) Go to college website (admissions)

The Common Application

• Allows the application to be

filled out once online and

submitted to all schools with

the same information going to

each.

• Direct link via Naviance

Freshman Admission Criteria

- Accepted or Denied -

• Admission committees use a variety of

factors to determine whether the student is

a good fit for their campus.

• Factors include: transcript, including SAT

or ACT scores, gpa, course rigor, letters of

recommendation.

• Availability in a program/department.

• Time of year student applies.

TRANSCRIPT

• The transcript gives the admissions

committee a very good picture of the

student’s academic capabilities.

• ACT and/or SAT scores are very

important. Many colleges will request that

the scores come directly from ACT or

College Board. Students must request the

scores.

What happens after the

application is sent…

• Colleges will typically communicate via

email if they are missing something –

transcript, letter of recommendation, test

scores.

• Most colleges will not contact the student

to let them know they have received the

application.

• Colleges will notify student once a

decision has been made.

Financial Aid

• Complete the FAFSA online between Jan 1st

and March 10th.

• December – Financial Aid Night at CPHS

• Research Scholarships:

• Naviance

• CPHS Guidance website

• Google Search online

Scholarships and Financial Aid

• Colleges send out a financial aid award

letter in the spring which includes:

• Grants: $$ that does not have to be

repaid.

• Loans: $$ that is paid back with interest.

• Work-study: Student works 10 – 15 hrs a

week on campus for pay.

What’s next….

• Colleges will continue to be in

touch with the student to offer

housing and other campus

related opportunities.

College Representatives

• Various colleges representatives visit CPHS

throughout the school year. They bring to

students the most current information and

details about what they have to offer and their

admission requirements.

• A list of Colleges/Reps are available in

Naviance. Students sign up in Naviance to see

a college rep.

PANEL DISCUSSION

Maureen Harangody – Valparaiso

University

Char Connelly – Indiana Univ. Northwest