Final College Advisory Classes meet virtually the week of May 4.  All seniors must attend a virtual session to take care of important steps (Schoology and Naviance messages have been posted with instructions):

• FINAL HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT: You must request a final high school transcript to be sent to your chosen college.  We will do this in college advisory.  (If you are later accepted from a waitlist and choose to go to that school, make arrangements with Mrs. Byrne to have your final transcript sent to that school.)
• Senior Counseling Department Exit Survey: To be completed during college advisory
• Refer to your Final College Decision Checklist to be sure you have completed all necessary tasks.
• If you are still unsure where you would like to attend, check out colleges still accepting applications on the National Association of College Admissions (NACAC) College Openings Update

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
Historically many seniors who attend a UC campus would need to take the Analytical Writing Placement Exam in May. This year, because of Covid-19, the exam has been cancelled. Here is UC’s statement: “Students intending to take the AWPE on May 9th will have other opportunities to satisfy UC’s Entry Level Writing Requirement and will hear more about these options from their intended UC campus in the coming months” For more information about this exam go to: http://www.ucop.edu/elwr/

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
English and Math placement testing (ELM & EPT) is no longer used; instead assessment and placement is determined by SAT/ACT scores, High School grades, and courses completed in senior year.  This year, because of Covid-19, placement procedures and summer start programs will be modified. Here is CSU’s statement in this regard: “CSU campuses will assess and initially place students in first-year English/Math based on multiple measures: high school and college courses completed, GPAs and test scores (SBAC, ACT, SAT) that students have submitted thus far. The CSU will not facilitate a system-wide Early Start Program in summer 2020; individual CSU campuses may offer summer transitional programs (e.g. Summer Bridge) in virtual formats.” Check the Cal State website for updates for admitted students: https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/freshman/Pages/first-time-freshman-guidance.aspx

PRIVATE AND OUT-OF-STATE COLLEGES
Students attending a private college or out-of-state public school should check with their chosen college about placement tests that may be required.

As you make plans to head off to college, remember to read and respond to everything that your college sends you. Finalizing housing and financial arrangements, registering for orientation (the sooner the better in most cases), and getting needed vaccinations, etc. are all an important part of getting off to a successful start. This year, because of COVID-19, many campuses are holding required orientations online. Check your college’s website for current information about this year’s orientation and other preparations for the fall semester.

Community colleges, including Diablo Valley College, require all entering students to complete a math and English assessment process for placement and advising purposes as a required part of the enrollment process.  Check your college website for enrollment steps, including the assessment process.

If you are planning on attending DVC in the fall, go to DVC Enrollment Steps for Graduating High School Seniors to follow all of the enrollment steps required. These steps include completion of the Spring 2020 and Summer 2020 applications, the assessment process, online orientation and completion of student advisement through enrollment in Counseling 095. Priority registration in fall classes for those who have completed these steps starts on May 9th. 

Even though you can’t get out there to visit or re-visit your colleges, make use of the many virtual tools to get a good sense of your college’s environment and opportunities. The individual colleges’ admissions office representatives remain available to students and families and we encourage you to reach out to College Representatives, Professors, & Students. 

Here are some tools to use to reach out to them, and other virtual tools to help you learn more about the colleges you’re considering:

• College Rep list of colleges who visited DLS/CHS in the fall 2019. If you are interested in other colleges not listed, then search their admission webpages and there is often a lookup to find the representative assigned to our State/County. 
• Questions to ask College Reps - Always include a greeting in your email Dear Mr./Ms. and always conclude with a signature- your full name, name of your high school, high school city, State and your grade level 
• National list of college events and important date updates 
• Virtual College Admission Events – check our email and college websites for more events. 
• Virtual Campus Tours- YouVisit and Campus Reel. Plus, check colleges social media accounts for pictures & videos. 

A number of colleges realize that this will make for a difficult year for students/families to choose among their final college choices by May 1. There is a list being compiled of Colleges who have announced an extension of the May 1 College Decision deadline. We imagine more colleges will be added in the coming weeks. 

See more tips and tools for making your decision, handling waitlists, appeals, and a May 1^st checklist on Decision Time Spring 2020.

There are Required Enrollment Steps to complete now for DVC:

1. Complete the spring 2020 AND summer 2020 online applications. Go to DVC Steps to Enrollment for Graduating Seniors for complete instructions
2. After receiving your DVC ID number, complete the online orientation using the link on your Insite Portal on the DVC website.
3. Complete the online English/Math assessments/placements here
4. Get a copy of the Special Admit form and transcript (attached here)
5. Register for academic advisement (Counseling 095) in April to get priority registration for Fall classes. These sessions will be online. Priority registration for Fall classes starts on May 9 Priority registration is essential to students’ success at DVC.

Seniors who will attend a UC campus may be required to take the UC Writing Placement Exam (AWPE) in May.  Students should receive information about this test directly from UC in April; information may also be found at http://www.ucop.edu/elwr/index.html. Look for updates on this site or in emails from your UC campus about administration of this exam for Fall 2020 admits.

Students who submitted their financial aid applications (FAFSA and/or CSS Profile) will receive their Financial Aid offers at this time.  Most financial aid letters will arrive in the mail but for CSU’s, UC’s and some other colleges, they will not mail but rather post the information in the student’s web portal.  To help compare the financial aid offers, it may be helpful to organize the information on a spreadsheet: College Cost Estimator

Some other sources of Financial Aid information that may be helpful are:
Evaluating Financial Aid Award Letters and Understanding your Financial Aid Award Letter

Families are welcome to contact Mrs. Appel (last names L-Z) or Ms. Lopez (last names A-K) with questions about financial aid. The college financial aid offices are also excellent sources of information and they’re happy to answer students’ and families’ questions

Students should be planning a productive and relaxing summer. While the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities such as summer pre-college programs, volunteer work and part-time jobs is uncertain right now, some of these activities may become available in time.

In the meantime, students might explore local non-profits for assistance they could give remotely, take the opportunity to begin or continue a co-curricular activity on their own—such as music, art, reading, running, working out at home, etc.

Please also see the links above, in the seniors’ section, to continue to explore colleges virtually over the spring and summer months.

We realize that none of this is easy to take on, but it does provide opportunities to develop creativity, resourcefulness and perseverance. Please also be assured that colleges are committed to being flexible with the admissions process this coming year and that all students are facing the same challenges.

Local volunteer organizations to check out are: Volunteer Match Covid-19 Contra Costa County and Hands on Bay Area Covid-19 as well as the Monument Crisis Center to see their offerings for remote and in-person opportunities.

For students interested in participating in summer programs, please see the DLS List of Summer Programs and the sample of CA and Free programs below. If interested in any of these, please go to the links provided to get current information about their status and possible online alternatives.

Below is a shortened list of the FREE programs and the California programs—please check out their websites for current information as well:

• ALSF’s Student Leadership Academy (SLA) at Villanova University (FREE)
• Holberton School FREE Summer Coding Camp
• Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project in Sacramento or Berkeley (FREE) 
• Future Latino Leaders Law Camp- George Washington University (DC) (FREE)
• UC Berkeley Summer Session
• California College of the Arts Pre-College
• Cal State East Bay - Reading Skills & Speed Reading Programs for K-12 graders - Call: 1-800-903-0162
• Diablo Valley College (DVC) Career Academics (grade 9-12) 
• Hands on Bay Area Service-Learning
• Loyola Marymount University Pre-College Programs 
• Sacramento State University Summer Academies
• Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies (This program has moved to an online format; click the link for current information)
• UC Davis Young Scholars Summer Research Program
• UC Santa Barbara Sports Industry Academy

Testing Recommendations in general: 

• Juniors should take the SAT and ACT by June.  Once scores are received compare scores and determine the highest (use chart in Junior College Guide given to students in January meetings).
• Once the best test is determined, study over the summer.  Use account created on www.methodtestprep.com in junior groups in January (free for DLS students).
• Retake the best test in July/August/September/October of Senior year.

Because of the current coronavirus situation, the April ACT and March and May SAT’s were cancelled. As of now, the June tests (dates above) are being held.

Please register for each of these tests ASAP. There will be more students attempting to register for these tests than there will be space for. CollegeBoard has indicated that additional SAT test dates will be offered, but details are not yet available. There is no word yet from ACT on whether additional tests will be held. There is an opportunity to take the ACT on July 18 if no other dates are available.

Please go to: SAT Covid-19 Updates and ACT Covid-19 Updates for current information.

SAT Subject Exams: 
Students applying to highly selective private colleges (http://www.compassprep.com/subject-test-requirements-and-recommendations/)  will also need to take at least 2 SAT Subject Tests, and may want to take 3 of them (e.g. in U.S. History, Chemistry, World Language, Literature or Math).

UC’s no longer require Subject Tests, but recommend them at some campuses and for some majors. If Math is chosen as a subject test, Math Level 2 should be taken (UC’s do not accept Math Level 1). Sophomores who are high achievers in Biology (either regular Biology or AP Biology) may want to take the SAT Subject test in Biology in June. 

Again, because of the current coronavirus situation, colleges are very likely to be flexible about these Subject Test requirements or recommendations. Also, as evident in the link above, fewer and fewer colleges are requiring SAT Subject tests in general.

DLS and CHS are pleased to present the annual The De La Salle and Carondelet College Preview Night for Juniors and their Parents, scheduled for April 22nd has been cancelled. 

Because of the current situation with the corona virus, the East Bay College Fair at St. Mary’s College and the National College Fair at Santa Clara have been cancelled.

The regional and national college admissions organizations, and individual colleges are working with the Strive Scan organization to create a 3-day Strive for College Knowledge Virtual College Exploration Week with a variety of panel presentations by individual colleges. This event is planned for April 20-23 and is FREE, but students will need to register ahead of time. We will get information out to junior and senior students’ families as it becomes available.

Final College Decisions will be released this month.  Check email and web portals for application status and any missing documents.

As you narrow down your top choices, make plans to visit/re-visit those 3-4 that you are most seriously considering, at the latest over spring break. Many schools have special programs for admitted students; the college counselors may also provide names of former DLS students who could talk with you about their colleges. You may also want to take advantage of the opportunity to visit campuses on Friday, March 20^th, a student holiday at De La Salle.

Seniors interested in DVC/Community College have been completing their online applications and orientation in February. 

The college counselors have a field trip planned for March 11 for students to tour, complete the Math & English assessments, register for COUNS 95-Advising.  Students must turn in their “blue form”/Special Admission form and their field trip forms, plus complete their application and orientation in order to attend. 

We will have our final college advisory session the week of April 27. 

All seniors are required to attend. 

Seniors will complete evaluations and add final admission decisions in Naviance.  Seniors will also request their Final Transcript. 

March 2 is the California State deadline to complete the FAFSA (free application for federal student aid):  www.fafsa.gov

After applying:

• Login to Review the Student Aid Report (SAR) for accuracy
  o Make corrections if there are errors
  o   Add or delete colleges from your list 
  o   If you have applied to more than 10 colleges, wait a few weeks to ensure that the originally listed colleges have received your FAFSA information, then delete some in order to add additional colleges and submit it as a correction)
   
• Check email and webportals to find financial aid offers from your individual colleges.  Some may request additional paperwork from you before an offer is provided.
   
• You will receive a separate communication from the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) about the Cal Grant. The letter will have instructions for you to create your WebGrants 4 Students account (WGS) to monitor your Cal Grant status.
   
• If you are admitted to the college, you will receive a financial aid offer, usually before May 1st. When the offer arrives, read the whole package and follow all instructions.
   
• Contact the college Financial Aid Office (FAO) if you have any questions.
   
• If you have applied to a community college, your offer of financial aid may come later (June or July).
   
• Decide which college you will attend, before May 1st. Make sure that your financial aid offer is manageable before you make a deposit, and work out any financial concerns before May 1st.
   
• Notify the college FAO immediately if there are other significant changes in your financial circumstances.
   
• If you receive a student loan offer, you will be required to complete an “entrance loan counseling” session and sign a master promissory note before getting your loan.
   
• If you receive a Federal Work Study offer, find out from the college how you get an on-campus job.

Remember to check our DLS Monthly Scholarship list.

Also, check out the Mega-list of Scholarships that are available to apply for. 

Spring break is the best time to visit colleges, many of which will be in regular session. Call the admissions office or check online at the college’s website to arrange for a tour. Also, spend some time on your own at the campus. This is the most important way to narrow your list of possible choices. If you’re looking for ideas about colleges to explore, make an appointment with Ms. Lopez or Mrs. Appel.

Juniors need to register to take their first SAT and ACT. Since all colleges accept both the SAT and ACT, and because many students perform differently on the two tests, it is recommended to take them both. If desired, a test can be repeated in the fall in plenty of time for college admissions. Students applying to highly selective colleges must also take SAT Subject tests. These are one-hour exams and as many as 3 may be taken on one test date. While UC’s no longer require SAT Subject Tests, they are recommended at some UC campuses for some majors. Some highly selective private schools require 3 Subject Tests. May or June is the ideal time for juniors to take the SAT Subject Tests. Sophomores who are especially strong in biology may want to take the May or June SAT Subject Test in biology, only.

DLS and CHS are pleased to present the annual College Preview Night for Juniors and their Parents, on April 22^nd at 6:00 p.m. in the DLS Hofmann Center. The evening will begin with a short mini-college fair.  We will have a panel of Guest Speakers representing the following university systems: University of California, California State Universities, Private California Colleges/Universities, Out-of-State Universities, and California Community Colleges. The representatives will give an overview of their type of college and their admissions policies, as well as take you through an mock application review process. Don’t miss this informative evening that will help juniors in their college planning.

Students, particularly juniors and your parents, mark your calendars for the 29th annual East Bay College Connection on Saturday, May 2nd from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga.

Representatives will be there from over 150 colleges and universities throughout the country.  Look for details in the April edition of the newsletter.

College Advisory for Juniors will meet once a week for two weeks, the week of March 23 and 30 during 7th period. Students will be assigned a day of the week to attend and will receive an email notification from their college counselor.  Students who are enrolled in a 7th period will be assigned to Fridays. The purpose of this program is to provide juniors with a head start on the college list and application process. 

Students will be enrolled in College Advisory for Seniors next year. College Advisory meets once a week during 7th period and students will be assigned to a day of the week. Student who are enrolled in a 7th period will be assigned to Fridays (or Thursdays if 7th is at CHS). College Counselors will coach seniors through the college selection, application, and enrollment process.  College Advisory for Seniors meets every week during the fall semester and select weeks in the spring semester.

Now is the time to begin the required enrollment steps for DVC (and other community colleges).   Interested students who plan on attending or who are interested in having DVC as an option should attend the following programs listed below. 

1. Attend the Enrollment Presentation from DVC at CHS on Wednesday, February 11th during 6th period. Sign up in Naviance in advance. The five required steps for enrolling at DVC will be explained. 

2. Attend two College Advisory sessions, one per week on Feb. 11 or 12 and Feb. 18 or 19 to complete the DVC application, online orientation and other required steps.

3. Attend the DVC Assessment Process at DVC on March 12th to determine Math and English placements.

Other Community Colleges: If students are considering other community colleges, attend the College Advisory sessions in February because many of the steps are similar to DVC.

Important Note: If these steps are not completed on these dedicated dates with the DLS College Counselors, students will need to complete them on their own and arrange time at DVC. Our goal is to help students complete all the necessary enrollment steps early to qualify for priority registration.  Once an incoming freshman receives priority registration they will have it each semester.  If a student does not qualify for priority registration as an incoming student, they cannot qualify in future semesters.  Priority registration is essential to get the courses you want and need while you’re a student at DVC.

Course Placement
CSU applicants no longer need to take EPT/ELM Math & English Placement exams.  Instead grades earned in Senior year English & Math courses and SAT/ACT scores will help determine placement. For more detailed information CLICK HERE

Housing
For seniors planning on attending a CSU campus, NOW is the time to apply for housing at many campuses, before the student has actually decided to attend. Many CSU campuses do not have enough housing for all freshmen and to have an opportunity to live on campus students must submit a preliminary application ASAP.

Check on the individual campus websites for the housing application policies; they vary by campus and while many of them encourage early housing applications, some do not allow students to apply before they make their decision to attend. Some out-of-state public universities also have limited housing and advise students to apply for it early. Check individual college websites for information.

Scholarships
For scholarships at CSU campuses, follow this link then scroll down to check on Scholarships by Campus

February & March are the big months with many scholarship deadlines.  There are some scholarships and special programs available to juniors and sophomores as well.  Check our monthly scholarship list.

Also, www.fastweb.com and www.scholarships.com are scholarship search sites.

The best source of scholarships are usually the colleges themselves; check each colleges financial aid webpage for scholarship applications and deadlines. 

• FAFSA
  Seniors should check Financial Aid deadlines and forms required on each of their prospective colleges’ websites.  Individual colleges may have their own financial aid deadlines in January or February and may also require forms in addition to the FAFSA (The Free Application for Federal Student Aid—required by all colleges). Don’t miss a deadline and miss out on financial aid available from your college! Students and parents filling out the FAFSA need to complete it online at www.fafsa.gov before the earliest deadline. Some merit based scholarships and awards also require submission of the FAFSA, so it is a good idea for all students to fill it out, even those who feel they won’t qualify for financial aid.

• Cal Grant
  The De La Salle Registrar has sent the GPA Verification information to the Cal Grant Program for all Seniors. Seniors do NOT need to send in a separate form for this program, but must submit their FAFSA by March 2 in order to be considered for a Cal Grant.

Beginning the third week of January, DLS College Counselors began meetings with small groups of juniors to formally start the college planning and selection process, providing materials and information crucial to making informed, realistic choices for college. We encourage parents to sit down with their junior students to begin discussing the college search process and a possible trip during spring break to visit different schools. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Esther Lopez (A-K), lopeze@dlshs.org, 288-8103, or Janet Appel (L-Z), appelj@dlshs.org, Ext. 288-8128.

Announcements and brochures for summer academic and enrichment programs, both state and nationwide, are posted on the bulletin board near the attendance area, on Naviance, and on the College Counseling page of the DLS website. Juniors, especially, are invited to explore the possibility of summer programs as a valuable addition to their activities. These programs offer a variety of new and exciting experiences, and can also help in the college admissions process. Some of these programs have deadlines as early as February, so it’s a good idea to check out possibilities this month.

The following are just a small sample of what’s available:

• https://summerinstitutes.stanford.edu (Stanford University)
• http://atdp.berkeley.edu  (UC Berkeley)
• www.nd.edu/~precoll  (Notre Dame University)
• www.csssa.org (California State Summer School for the Arts)
• www.ucop.edu/cosmos (California State Summer School for Math, Science & Engineering)
• https://epic.calpoly.edu/ (Engineering Camp at Cal Poly, SLO)
• http://www.usna.edu/Admissions/NASS/index.php  (United States Naval Academy Summer Seminar)
• http://summerprograms.usc.edu/  (University of Southern California)
• www.thesca.org (Student Conservation Association; local and national outdoor projects)
• www.nslcleaders.org (National Student Leadership Conferences—variety of topics)
• www.oxbridgeprograms.com  (Oxford University)

For a listing of many more programs, check Naviance and the College Counseling page (under link for Juniors) on the DLS website.

All colleges and universities accept either the ACT or the SAT, and we encourage students to take both.

• Go to the websites to register: www.actstudent.org and www.sat.org.
• Both SAT and ACT offer an optional writing section. If a student is applying to UC’s or other highly selective colleges, it is recommended to take the exams with the optional writing/essay section since they require it. Otherwise, students may not need to take the writing/essay portion. Go to the Compass Prep website for information about the essay/writing section and which colleges require it.
• Students may want to use the May or June SAT test date for SAT Subject tests if the colleges they are applying to require them.  For information about which colleges require or recommend SAT Subject tests, CLICK HERE.
• Recommended testing strategies, timeline, and information about the SAT were covered at the Junior Parent Night and with the students in their junior groups.  See the information about testing in the booklets distributed at the parent and student college planning meetings and contact the College Counselors if you have any questions.

Wednesday, January 15 at 8:05 a.m. Early Start- Class Meetings

Juniors will meet to with the College Counselors to review PSAT results and plan for spring ACT and SAT exams.  They will also re-introduce all of the college planning tools available on the Naviance web portal to begin college selection.

Sophomores will meet to go over PACT test results with the Student Support Services Department staff. They will also remind students about important Academic and Co-Curricular goals

Junior Parents' College Planning & Academic Advising Night is Wednesday, January 28 at 7:00 pm in the DLS Theatre.

The College Counselors will offer an informative presentation to help parents of juniors embark on the college exploration and selection process with their son. Please mark your calendars for this essential meeting.  Please note, this meeting will also include the academic advising information for next year’s course selections for junior parents.

College Counselors will have classroom workshops with Juniors to begin their college search process. These meetings will provide Juniors with information about college options and the selection process, admissions requirements, and a planning schedule in preparation for completing college applications in the Fall.  Juniors will also create their Method Test Prep accounts, to be able to access on-demand SAT and ACT test prep. 

1. The general recommended testing strategy is that students take their first set of SAT and ACT exams in the spring semester (March/May/June) with minimal study, basically looking at sample tests on each testing website. 
2. Once they are able to view and compare results, they can determine which test is their best to focus on. 
3. Because their grades from junior year are so important and we want them to focus on doing the best they can, we recommend committed studying to SAT/ACT in the summer.  Then they have more time to dedicate and they have identified a focus. 
4. Students then retake the exam in early fall of senior year for their best score.  So many students retake their exams, so it seems that spending time on studying for the first round of tests is not as efficient.  
5. For Test Preparation there are free online study tools available.   At DLS we subscribe to Method Test Prep and students will create accounts with us in January and be able to access self-paced on-demand study for both SAT and ACT.  SAT also partners with Khan Academy, and after students get their PSAT results via email in December they can connect to Khan Academy and receive customized online study tools based on how they did on the practice exam. 

Athens Advisors (a private college tour company) is offering a student group tour during spring break for 10th and 11th graders. 

The trip is April 12-18, 2020 and will tour the following schools:
Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Loyola University-Chicago, DePaul University, Marquette University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Notre Dame, Purdue University, Michigan State University, and the University of Michigan

The tour cost is $2600 and includes airfare, coach bus transportation between schools, lodging, and breakfast each day.  Counseling staff from Carondelet HS and other local schools will be on the trip. The priority registration deadline for the tour is November 14, however space is limited so sign up early.  Late registration is subject to actual cost of airfare at the time of booking.  To register for the tour, please visit the Athens Advisors’ website. 

Please note:

• This program is sponsored by a Private College Tour Company, Athens Advisors (not DLS).  De La Salle is offering this information as a service to our families. 
• There will not be chaperones from DLS.  Current and former College Counselors from Bellarmine College Prep are part of this program.  
• There is no financial aid available for this program from De La Salle.

Oct. 31^st was the FINAL deadline for students to make initial requests for both teacher and counselor letters of recommendation for all college deadlines. Students should refer to the College Advisory Schoology course for specific steps and instructions.  Students should notify teachers and counselors if they have deletions or additions to their college list after submitting their written requests.  

Sent Materials:  Letters that were requested by Sept. 27 for Early Decision/Early Action/Priority Deadlines for Nov. 1 and 15 will be/have been submitted through Naviance to the Colleges by the deadlines students listed in Naviance & Spreadsheet.  Students can check in Naviance>College>Apply to College>Letters of Recommendation to confirm teacher recommendation submission. In Naviance “Colleges I’m applying to” in the “Office Materials” column if it indicates “Initial Materials sent” that includes Transcript and, if required, Counselor Letter and Report.  Students can check their Common App>My Colleges Tab>Recommenders and Ferpa section to see the date and confirmation of submission.  Students can also check the status of their application on college webportals (emailed to students).  Please note that it may take colleges up to 3 weeks to process all received materials and update their webportals.

Students must add transcript requests in Naviance.  To send to a College- They must list the colleges in “Colleges I’m Applying” to and add the request.  To send to a Coach or Scholarship Program, they must go to Colleges>Apply to College>Manage Transcripts>and Select Add Other Request.  Transcript requests are sent by the deadlines listed in Naviance.  For Common App Colleges, the transcript must be sent with the Counselor School Report and, if required, the Counselor Letter. 

Students must order official SAT and/or ACT scores to be sent directly from the College Board or ACT to all of the colleges to which they are applying, in addition to self-reporting the scores on the application itself. See the College Advisory Schoology Course or the Senior Application Guide for detailed instructions.  Students must login to their SAT or ACT account to order (this is not done through Naviance).  There is a growing trend of colleges who will accept self-reported scores for admission purposes and only require official scores if the student attends, you may find an updated list here: https://www.compassprep.com/self-reporting-test-scores/

Both UC and CSU applications are due Nov. 30.

For CSU:  www.calstate.edu/apply and For UC:  www.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply.

If a student has difficulty with internet access, see one of the college counselors for help.

• The UC system requires 4 Personal Insight Questions as part of the application; CSU’s do not require any essays.  If a student is applying to the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) for low-income students at the CSU then they do complete the short written responses.
• Letters of Recommendation are NOT required or accepted by CSU or UC (unless specifically requested via email from the UC after application is submitted).  If a student is applying to CSU EOP program they will need 2 letters of recommendation.
• Transcripts are not required or accepted, unless requested via email/webportal.  Students self-report A-G approved coursework on the application.

Deadlines vary and students should check each college’s website. 

Many early action/decision deadlines are Nov. 1 or Nov. 15.

Check out www.commonapp.org for expediting applications to multiple member colleges.

Consider applying early to colleges with “rolling admissions” policies.

Colleges use email as an official means of communicating with students.  It is important that students provide accurate, up-to-date email addresses to colleges, that they check email regularly, and that they check their “spam” or “junk mail” folders in case messages end up there. If a student changes his email address, he must notify the colleges. In addition, many colleges provide an ID Number to the student when the application is received.  The student is expected to use this number to access his application status on the college’s website and to respond to requests for additional information found there.

For many CSU’s and some out of state public colleges with impacted housing, it is important to apply for housing as soon as possible—even this fall, before a student knows whether he will attend or not. Some applications are free; some require a deposit which may be refundable. Check the policies of individual colleges and make plans now to assure on-campus housing, which is strongly recommended for freshman year, at the least. Information is available on the college websites by following the links for housing.  For private colleges and UC’s, housing usually does not need to be reserved until admissions are finalized in later spring and is often guaranteed.

       Check the Financial Aid section of each college’s website to learn about scholarship offerings directly from the University.  These tend to be the most generous scholarships. 

       Students also need to check the Scholarship list on a regular basis posted on the College Counseling page on the DLS website: https://sites.google.com/a/dlshs.org/college-counseling/college-information-for-seniors-1/scholarships-and-financial-aid-information/monthly-scholarship-list .  Students may also access many scholarships via the internet on www.fastweb.com, www.scholarships.com and other sites.

·         Now available online:  The 2020–21 FAFSA opens Oct. 1, 2019 at www.fafsa.gov  

·         Income Information reported: From 2018 Income Tax Report.  There is an online DRT- Data Retrieval Tool- within that FAFSA that links to our IRS report. It is highly recommended to use this tool to ensure quick and accurate processing and avoid time consuming verification follow-up.

·         California State Deadline is March 2, 2020.  Some colleges and universities may have earlier priority deadlines in Jan/Feb or even earlier.  Check each college’s financial aid webpage for deadlines.

·         Helpful Blog with tips: https://blog.ed.gov/topic/federal-student-aid/

More Information:  https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/

About 400 private colleges require a secondary financial aid form called the CSS Profile.  This form must be completed online at http://student.collegeboard.org/css-financial-aid-profile. This form may be filed as early as October 1^st. A list of colleges that require the profile is also available on the website.  Be sure to check now if the colleges your son is applying to require the CSS profile and when their deadline is for submission.   

The most important preparation that juniors can do this fall in regard to college admissions is to stay as focused as possible on their academic course work. Grades in their academic classes this year are the most important ones that colleges will see on their initial applications because it is the most advanced coursework for the most recent full academic year. It’s never too late to turn around a GPA if a student has struggled in the past, colleges pay attention not only to the GPA itself but also to its trend over the last 3 years of high school.

1. The general recommended testing strategy is that students take their first set of SAT and ACT exams in the spring semester (March/May/June) with minimal study, basically looking at sample tests on each testing website. 
2. Once they are able to view and compare results, they can determine which test is their best to focus on. 
3. Because their grades from junior year are so important and we want them to focus on doing the best they can, we recommend committed studying to SAT/ACT in the summer.  Then they have more time to dedicate and they have identified a focus. 
4. Students then retake the exam in early fall of senior year for their best score.  So many students retake their exams, so it seems that spending time on studying for the first round of tests is not as efficient. 
5. For Test Preparation there are free online study tools available.   At DLS we subscribe to Method Test Prep and students will create accounts with us in January and be able to access self-paced on-demand study for both SAT and ACT.  SAT also partners with Khan Academy, and after students get their PSAT results via email in December they can connect to Khan Academy and receive customized online study tools based on how they did on the practice exam. 

Junior Parents College Planning & Academic Advisement Night on January 28^th.

Students should take time to rest and rejuvenate during the summer months along with planning some productive activities.  Students may want to apply for jobs, internships, job shadowing, etc. Many colleges offer Pre-College programs on campus during the summer.  This gives students an opportunity to stay on campus if it is a residential program, and take courses from the college.  It is a wonderful opportunity to consider.  Some programs have early deadlines to apply.  A full list of summer programs for summer of 2020 will become available in the spring on the College Counseling webpage, the 2019 list is listed for your reference: https://sites.google.com/a/dlshs.org/college-counseling/home/summer-programs

Some summer programs for Summer 2020:

Battles Won Academy- Due Dec. 31
Every year since 2017, the Marines Corps has taken around 100 high school juniors to Washington D.C. for the Battles Won Academy, an all-expenses paid summer camp.  Student applicants must be juniors, with a 3.5 GPA, active in community service, member of an athletic team, and hold a student or community leadership position.You can find more information and submit applications at https://sfaap.marines.com/. You can also find more information, photos and videos at https://www.facebook.com/SemperFidelisAllAmericans/.

Notre Dame University Pre-College Program- Deadlines Vary in Jan/Feb
Pre-College programs offer high school students a taste of college life, academics, and the Notre Dame community. Check out the website for more information.

Summer Discover- Deadlines vary
Pre-College Enrichment offered at 14 different Universities and Internship Programs in New York, Boston, and London.  300+ courses offered and afternoon, evening, and weekend activities and trips included. 
Website: www.summerdiscovery.com

Oxbridge Academic Programs
Programs in Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews, Paris, Montpellier, Barcelona, Salamanca, New York, Boston, and Los Angeles. 
Website: www.oxbridgeprograms.com

Athens Advisors (a private college tour company) is offering a student group tour during spring break for 10th and 11th graders. 

The trip will run Sunday, April 12-Saturday, April 18, 2020 and will tour the following schools:
Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago, DePaul University, Marquette University, University of Wisconsin Madison, University of Notre Dame, Purdue University, Michigan State University, and the University of Michigan

The tour cost is $2600 and includes airfare, coach bus transportation between schools, lodging, and breakfast each day.  Counseling staff from Carondelet HS and other local schools will be on the trip. The priority registration deadline for the tour is November 14, however space is limited so sign up early.  Late registration is subject to actual cost of airfare at the time of booking.  To register for the tour, please visit the Athens Advisors’ website. 

Please note:

• This program is sponsored by a Private College Tour Company, Athens Advisors (not DLS).  De La Salle is offering this information as a service to our families. 
• There will not be chaperones from DLS.  Current and former College Counselors from Bellarmine College Prep are part of this program.  
• There is no financial aid available for this program from De La Salle.

Now is the time to begin the required enrollment steps for DVC (and other community colleges).   Interested students who plan on attending or who are interested in having DVC as an option should attend the following programs listed below. 

1. Attend the Enrollment Presentation from DVC at CHS on Wednesday, February 13^th during 1^st period. Sign up in the College Center or in Naviance in advance.  The 5 required steps for enrolling at DVC will be explained. 

2. Attend two College Advisory sessions, 1 per week on Feb. 13 or 14 and Feb. 20 or 21 to complete the DVC application, online orientation and other required steps.

3. Attend the DVC Assessment Process at DVC on March 12^th to determine course placements, tour campus, and register for the Counseling 95 course.  This will be an off-campus event that requires missing 6^th period. Students need to pick-up then return the Field Trip consent form to the College Center by Thur., March 7.

Important Note:  If these steps are not completed on these dedicated dates with the DLS College Counselors, students will need to complete on their own and arrange time at DVC.  Our goal is to help students complete all the necessary enrollment steps early to qualify for priority registration.  Once an incoming freshman receives priority registration they will have it each semester.  If a student does not qualify for priority registration as an incoming student, they cannot qualify in future semesters. 

Other Community Colleges:  Students who are considering other community colleges, should attend the College Advisory sessions in February because many of the steps are similar to DVC.

Course Placement
Grades earned in Senior year English & Math courses and SAT/ACT scores will help determine placement.  For more detailed information: https://www2.calstate.edu/apply/freshman/getting_into_the_csu/pages/after-admission-placement-and-other-tests.aspx

Housing
For seniors planning on attending a CSU campus, NOW is the time to apply for housing at many campuses, before the student has actually decided to attend. Many CSU campuses do not have enough housing for all freshmen and to have an opportunity to live on campus students must submit a preliminary application.

Check on the individual campus websites for the housing application policies; they vary by campus and while many of them encourage early housing applications, some do not allow students to apply before they make their decision to attend. (Some out-of-state public universities also have limited housing and advise students to apply for it early. Check individual college websites for information.)

Scholarships
Follow this link then scroll down to check on Scholarships by Campus

https://www2.calstate.edu/attend/paying-for-college/financial-aid/types/Pages/scholarships.aspx

February & March are big months with many scholarship deadlines.  There are some scholarships and special programs available to juniors and sophomores as well.  Check our monthly scholarship list:

https://sites.google.com/a/dlshs.org/college-counseling/college-information-for-seniors-1/scholarships-and-financial-aid-information/monthly-scholarship-list

Also, www.fastweb.com and www.scholarships.com are scholarship search sites.

The best source of scholarships are usually the colleges themselves, check each colleges financial aid webpage for scholarship applications and deadlines. 

• Seniors should check Financial Aid deadlines and forms required on each of their prospective colleges’ websites.  Individual colleges may have their own financial aid deadlines in January or February and may also require forms in addition to the FAFSA.
   
• The FAFSA (The Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is required by all colleges. Apply online at: www.fafsa.gov
   
• Cal Grant- Is a grant from the state of California for California residents who will attend a California College. Students qualify based on income (provided on FAFSA) and GPA.  The DLS Registrar has sent the GPA Verification information to the Cal Grant Program for all Seniors. Seniors do NOT need to send in a separate GPA verification form.  The deadline to submit the FAFSA for Cal Grant consideration is: March 2.

In January, DLS College Counselors met with Juniors in a full Class Meeting and then in small groups during Religious Studies block periods to formally start the college planning and selection process, provide materials and information crucial to making informed, realistic choices for college. We encourage parents to sit down with their junior students to begin discussing the college search process and a possible trip during spring break to visit different colleges. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Esther Lopez (A-K), Ext. 8103, or Janet Appel (L-Z), Ext. 8128.

Upcoming College Counseling for Juniors

• Individual College Counseling appointments- students will be called in this semester to discuss college goals and interests.  Student must complete the Naviance “Junior Survey:  Making the College Match” prior to their appointment.
   
• College Advisory for Juniors the weeks of March 25 and April 1^st, juniors will be assigned and expected to attend a 7^th period one day a week for the two weeks to begin narrowing down their college list and preview the college application process.
   
• DLS/CHS College Preview Night in the Hoffman Center on Wed., April 3 at 6 PM with guest speakers representing the UC, Cal State, Community College, Out-of-State, and Private colleges.

Every summer many colleges host pre-college programs geared to high school students.  These are wonderful opportunities for students to experience a slice of what “going away to college” may be like.  What are the academic expectations?  What is dorm life like?  Students gain independence, confidence, and often motivation.  Some programs are week-long while others may be longer.  Some programs are open to all who sign up while others are competitive and require an application for selection.  Some programs are costly and others are affordable or offer financial aid.  While many are residential-based programs, we also have local programs at UC Berkeley and DVC that students where students can commute.  Each month, we will post offerings as we become aware.  Many who have applications, have deadlines coming up in the next few months.

Here is a link to programs that have been offered in the past:  https://sites.google.com/a/dlshs.org/college-counseling/home/summer-programs

Here is a list of Programs that have recently contacted us and may have deadlines soon:

• Adelphi University in New York Pre-College- www.precollege.adelphi.edu
• Belmont Abbey Schola Summer Program- https://belmontabbeycollege.edu/schola/
• Boston University Summer Journalism Institute - https://combeyond.bu.edu/workshop/bu-summer-journalism-institute/
• UC Berkeley Summer Session- http://summer.berkeley.edu/student-types/high-school-students
• California College of the Arts Pre-College- www.cca.edu/precollege
• Cooper Union Summer Arts Intensive- http://cooper.edu/academics/outreach-and-pre-college/summer-art-intensive/apply
• Cornell University Summer College- www.summercollege.cornell.edu
• Cornell University Diversity Program in Engineering- https://sites.coecis.cornell.edu/catalystacademy/
• Denison College Young Writers Workshop- www.reynolds.denison.edu
• Lewis & Clark College Fir Acres Writing Workshop- www.go.lclark.edu/firacres
• Loyola Marymount University Pre-College Programs- www.summer.lmu.edu
• McGill University Summer Academy- https://www.mcgill.ca/summeracademy/apply-now
• National Student Leadership Foundation career-focused programs- www.nslcleaders.org
• Northwestern University High Theatre Arts School Institute- www.nhsi.northwestern.edu
• Notre Dame Pre-College Programs- https://precollege.nd.edu/
• Rhode Island School of Design- www.precollege.risd.edu
• Ringling College Summer of Creativity- www.Ringling.edu/PreCollege
• University of Rochester Eastman School of Music- www.summer.esm.rochester.edu
• Rutgers University Pre-Engineering Summer Academy
• Sacramento State University Summer Academies- https://www.cce.csus.edu/acads
• St. John’s College Summer Academy- www.sjc.edu/summer-academy-2019  
• Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies- www.spcs.stanford.edu/find-yourself
• Summer Discover- www.summerdiscovery.com
• UC Davis Young Scholars Summer Research Program- https://ysp.ucdavis.edu/forms
• University of Chicago Pre-College Program- www.summer.uchicago.edu
• Washington University in St. Louis- www.summerexperiences.wustl.edu
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Pre-College STEM programs- www.wpi.edu/+frontiers

All colleges and universities accept either the ACT or the SAT, and we encourage students to take both.

• Student must Register at: www.actstudent.org and www.sat.org.
• Both SAT and ACT offer an optional Essay section, many colleges do not require the essay but the UC’s are among the several that do require this section. Click here for a list of colleges that require the SAT/ACT essay writing section. Click on the arrow next to the column header for SAT essay required to sort the list.
• SAT Subject exams are required by a handful of colleges but highly recommended at highly selective colleges.  Students may want to use the May or June SAT test date for SAT Subject tests if the colleges they are applying to require them.  Click here a list of colleges that require/recommend/consider SAT Subject exams.
• Recommended testing strategies, timeline, and information about the new SAT were covered at the Junior Parent Night and with the students in their junior groups.  Contact the College Counselors if you have any questions.  Click here for a complete Compass Guide to College Admission Testing.