Summary of College Night to Prepare Senior Parents

By Published College

Our Summary, if you could not attend:

Senior Parents College Night

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

The annual Senior Parents’ College Night was held on Wednesday. Thanks to Mr. Jeff Makris, Director, Ms. Jeaurel Wilson, College Office Counselor, and Mrs. Elizabeth Hughes, College Office Counselor, for a comprehensive presentation of the deadlines for senior student’s college applications. The countdown has begun!

Here are some notes from the presentation:

  • Deadlines are Firm!
  • Don’t contribute to a last minute rush. Counselors and teachers have heavy workloads. Get your applications done ahead of time.
  • 50 college reps will be visiting Stuy over the next few weeks and students can arrange with teachers to get out of class and go to these presentations.
  • College counselors will schedule meetings with all senior students in the next week
  • College Office will notify 128 seniors they are National Merit Semifinalists with instructions
  • College Office advises students to apply to no more than 10 private college in order to make the workload of servicing the applications manageable
  • Naviance is your essential friend – use the tools and links there. Parents should get a Naviance account via their student
  • Students should share college application plans with their counselors and give them advanced warning regarding any special needs or deadlines
  • Read college admissions pages carefully
  • Tell your college counselor of any Early Action or Early Decision plans and input in Naviance by 10/22/18 in order to give counselors time to review and prepare
  • Understand “early” policies and legal commitments ($$)
  • Early Action = non restrictive, non binding; Early Decision = binding; Restrictive Early Action = non binding
  • Commonapp.org – complete one college, complete the FERPA waiver, link Common App and Naviance accounts. The counselor can then send documents to colleges via Naviance
  • Use college counselors names not guidance counselors in applications
  • Allow time for teachers to upload letters of recommendation etc
  • Add teacher recommendation requests to Naviance
  • Students should thank teachers for recommendation letters with cards or notes
  • Regular decision application – in Naviance by 1/2/19
  • Rolling decisions – MUST inform counselors so they can work with the changing deadlines
  • Macaulay Honors – 12/1 deadline
  • UK colleges – very early applications required. Entry exams required for OxBridge.
  • Inform College Office of any unusual deadlines
  • College Office sends to colleges: October – transcript, class schedule, reports, profile, and letters from teachers and counselors; February – first term grades (don’t slack off in this first term, grades count); June – final transcript.
  • Student submits test scores to colleges via College Board
  • FAFSA.ed.gov open 10/1
  • Complete the CSS profile with your student via College Board website
  • New York State financial aid – TAP, Excelsior, HESC.ny.gov

More information:

The slideshow that our College Office presented to the meeting is in your Naviance account (senior students and parents.)

College Office online – pages of important information at the school website

Note the next College Office presentation on paying for college:

Wednesday, October 17, 6:00 pm: Financial Aid Night.  Learn all about the financial aid process (FAFSA, TAP, CSS Profile, etc.) from the experts.  Financial aid counselors from Columbia University will serve as our presenters for the evening.  This event is for parents only.  A workshop for students will be held during the school day for seniors earlier in October.

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