Notre Dame Academy
Guidance Newsletter
Attention: Juniors
“Applying to College”
Meeting
for Juniors and Their Parents
Thursday evening, February 7,
7:00 pm - 9:00 pmNATIONAL COLLEGE FAIRS
Eastern States Expo
West Springfield
Sunday, March 2, 12:00 pm-4:00 pmBay Side Expo Center, Boston
Tuesday, April 8, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pmRhode Island Convention Center,
Providence
Saturday, April 26, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pmSome Expert Advice
The guidance department invites and encourages you and your daughters to join us Thursday evening, February 7, from 7:00-9:00 pm, for a presentation by Paul Lynskey on the college application process both from the point of view of the college and that of families, including such elements as interviews, essays, financial aid, and decisions by competitive colleges. Each year parents of juniors have appreciated this overview of the process and have felt much more knowledgeable about this next important step.
Mrs. Begun and Sister Mary Sharon will touch on resources available to students and parents and steps you and we can take during the spring, summer and fall to facilitate your daughter’s transition from NDA to the college of her choice.College Exploration / Self Exploration
Your daughters have begun the exciting first steps to their college future with their junior college search seminar. Since December Mrs. Begun has been meeting with small groups of juniors to help them explore their interests, research college profiles, consider types of admission, plan and register for standardized testing, and become familiar with the academic requirements of the colleges to which they expect to apply. During the seminar, to help students articulate who they are, students will be asked to complete a college preference worksheet; a comprehensive activities and interest inventory of school–related, community-related, interest and talent-related activities; a self-recommendation; and a self-evaluation based on experiences, personality and relationships
A Seal of Approval
Your daughter will ask a peer to write a recommendation. She is also expected to ask four teachers to complete a form assessing her class performance, and next fall to ask four more teachers to do the same. These forms will be helpful to guidance but not forwarded to colleges. However students should ask two teachers to write full recommendations to colleges, based on course content and the student’s contribution and level of performance in class. Besides the obvious benefit of collecting the necessary data to present to the college, these exercises enable the student to evaluate herself in the light of her experiences and strengths. Often by such exercises in “selling herself” to the college, the student increases her self-esteem, realizing just how much she has actually achieved!
A second benefit of all this writing is that it enables the counselors to write stronger, more specific, and more accurate letters of recommendation. The more information the student shares, the better we will know her. Although it is not mandatory, we would be happy to have parents write a letter of recommendation for their daughter this spring. This letter would not be sent to colleges, but we would profit greatly from the perspective and insights that only a parent can provide.
With every application to college the guidance department forwards a transcript, current grades, school profile, and the counselor’s recommendation. This spring juniors will meet individually with their counselors to review all materials they have submitted to the guidance office and their possible college choices. In the fall your daughter will continue with a seminar on more immediate issues involved with the college application process. Mrs. Begun or Sr. M. Sharon will meet with each family to answer questions, gain insights, and review the application process and college choices.Visit! Visit! Visit!
February and April vacations are an excellent opportunity to visit colleges. It is the last time you will be able to see them in operation until next fall. Summer visits are always helpful, but to get the flavor of the place, it is nice to be able to visit classes, see dorms, and visit the library and student centers with the student body present. Each college has its unique “personality” which will become apparent as you tour the campus. If a trip is not possible, students can learn a lot by visiting the many colleges in the immediate Worcester area. One can see almost every variety of school from two-year, pre-professional programs to very competitive four-year settings. Boston, only a short ride away, provides a host of different types of college experiences. It is not too early to begin writing or e-mailing colleges for books and information. Once you are on their mailing list, you’ll be amazed at how much mail you will receive!Plan Now For Interviews
It is also not too early to make appointments for spring or summer interviews and campus tours. By August, the more selective schools have their appointments booked well into November. Don’t lose out! Plan to call several months in advance, particularly if you are interested in specific dates. Since attendance is as important senior year as it has been in all other years, make late summer appointments before school begins and appointments on “no school” days such as Columbus Day, Veterans’ Day, NDA Testing Day, and Saturdays. Good luck!Making the Grade
After the counselors have collected all the student’s references, it is time to write the Counselor Statement. By the time we begin writing, we have an excellent profile of each girl which enables us to portray her strengths, interests and achievements in the best possible light. Undeniably, the most important credential of all is an excellent academic record. There are still two quarters to bring up grades! Remember, this is the last completed year available to colleges when making an admission decision. In choosing courses for senior year, we remind the juniors that colleges look not only at grades, but at the kind of program the student has followed. It is important to take the most challenging course of study possible. Colleges want to see progressively more difficult levels of thinking as a step toward the college curriculum.
SAT Exams ASAP
Students have been encouraged to register for the SAT 1 exam in either March or May and to repeat the SAT 1 in October or November. SAT 2 subject tests are expected by some colleges and can be helpful in demonstrating the student’s mastery of the subject. Math Level 1 and/or 2 and another subject of choice are usually expected by selective schools (check websites). These tests are usually taken in June and November or December. The ACT is also accepted by a majority of colleges, and since it is a subject-based test, it is often substituted for both the SAT 1 and 2. If a student is planning an early action or early decision application, it is especially important to do the basic required testing this spring. While paper applications are available, most students find it more convenient to apply online. For deadlines, test dates and registration check www.collegeboard.com and www.ACTSudent.org. Students are encouraged to sharpen skills and become familiar with the test by reviewing their PSAT tests and taking sample SAT tests (available in paperback). NDA’s School Code is 222-460.Computer Search
Students are encouraged to begin with a broad range of colleges to explore at this time. Later, the list can be narrowed down to a manageable three to six or seven applications. Students have become quite familiar with the web sites of colleges they are researching and with programs (e.g. www.collegeboard.com) that provide opportunities to match colleges to their criteria: size, location, selectivity, and majors. Don’t forget the video and CD collection in the guidance office library. Students are encouraged to borrow videos, CD’s and college reference books. Increasingly students and parents are finding the Internet of value in researching colleges and financial aid. Web sites can provide a great deal of information, and often colleges provide virtual toursFinancial Aid
It is imperative that parents and daughters talk about financing college now and not wait until next spring. Everyone should have a realistic picture of the family finances before choosing colleges. This allows both student and parents to form contingency plans; i.e., a couple of ‘economic insurance schools’ added to the list along with the academic safety schools. Remember, however, the high priced colleges often have generous financial aid and merit grants. Don’t rule out a school on cost alone. You may find the following sites helpful for college and financial aid information:The College Board: www.collegeboard.com
Princeton Review: www.review.com
Mass. Educational Financing Authority: www.mefa.org
FinAid: www.finaid.org
FAFSA: www.FAFSA.ed.gov
FASTWEB: www.fastweb.com
Dept. of Education: www.ed.gov
Citibank: www.studentloan.com
Online Scholarships: www.mapping-your-future.org/paying
Student Rewards: www.studentrewards.com
A Profitable Summer
Colleges are always impressed by a variety of summer experiences - perhaps a challenging academic program. There are literally hundreds of such programs. Check the guidance office for details. Consider also an interesting job which pursues an academic or artistic interest or a volunteer experience which provides a window on a career possibility. The guidance office has a large number of brochures for summer programs covering a broad range of interests.
Notre Dame Academy
425 Salisbury Street, Worcester MA 01609
Phone: 508-757-6200/ FAX: 508-757-1888