Lake Center Christian School

College Bound

Overview of the College Application Procedure

Please read this document carefully and follow the outlined procedure in making your college applications. The application process is extremely important and could “make or break” whether or not you are accepted at your school of choice.

This is not a hard and fast rule but, ideally, November 15th should be your deadline for all applications. College admissions counselors will love you for this because their workload is much less at this time of the year. Meeting this deadline will give you the rest of your senior year to work on gaining the finances that you need.

Step 1: The Consent To Release Transcript Information card (yellow card) must be signed and returned to the Guidance Office – only one time. Each time you request your transcript sent, Guidance staff will write down the school name, date requested, materials sent, and date sent. The Guidance Office cannot send anything without this signed card on file.

Step 2: Update your high school activity list or resume covering your high school years, including everything that you are doing in your senior year. List the courses that you are taking in your senior year. It will be very helpful to you as you complete your applications. You will also give a copy of this to anyone writing a recommendation for you and also one to the Guidance Office. [This step is optional but extremely helpful.]

Step 3: Go to the college or university’s web site and fill out the online application for undergraduate admissions. At the website, click on either “Admissions” or “Future/Prospective Students.” You can use a paper application at most schools too, but an online application allows you to check your admission status. Please complete this very carefully. You should make no errors in spelling, grammar or punctuation. All short answer questions and essays (or “personal statements”) should first be typed in a Word document, printed out, edited and proofed by a parent or other trusted individual, corrected, then copied and pasted into the applications. For those schools that require an essay, up to one third of the time that an admissions official spends examining your application will be evaluating your essay. If you do a poor or even mediocre job on the essay, it could mean that your application is rejected. If the essay is optional, do it.

Step 4: Once the online application is done, you still have work to do! The “supporting documents” need to be mailed to the college. This mailing of transcripts, test scores, and even recommendations will come through the Guidance Office. Inform the Guidance Office where you have applied online, and bring to the office any items that are needed as part of the application.

Supporting Documents

The official school transcript is supplied by our school, along with the LCCS school profile which assists in interpreting the transcript. No envelope or stamp is necessary since the school will pay the postage.

1. SAT or ACT scores- These will be included with your transcript if you registered with our high school code (365-120). Some colleges require the tests scores be sent directly from College Board or ACT, and this can be requested by you from the company through their website or phone number. If we have test scores that you do NOT want sent, indicate that to the Guidance Office.

Optional Items

Find out what each college requires by looking at their admissions website, as requirements vary.

1. Letters of recommendation- Schools may ask for one or more and may specify teacher, pastor, or other. It is the student’s responsibility to request letters or forms of recommendation. If the college wants all your materials to arrive in one envelope, students must make sure the recommender forwards their letters to the Guidance Office. Remember to give your recommender a copy of your resume/high school activity sheet and an addressed, stamped envelope. Allow at least two weeks before the deadline, and show gratitude. Small gifts of appreciation are appropriate.

2. Counselor form (also referred to as Secondary School Report or other names) - About 50% of colleges require this form. It is usually available in a PDF that you can print, and give to Mrs. Norman to complete. No envelope or stamp is necessary.

3. Some schools require that you schedule an interview with them. Follow their timelines closely.

Application Information

· Our school code is 365-120.

· If asked for GPA, write in your cumulative GPA. Our student GPA is unweighted and we are on a 4.3 scale.

Suggestions - Multiple Applications

· Create a master spreadsheet (due dates, required forms, supplemental forms, etc.)

· Make a folder for each college/university to which you plan to apply. Inside the folder write:

- Application deadline (postmark or due date)

- Teacher/Pastor Recommendation Forms (date given to teacher, date due)

- Transcript request made (date request made at Guidance Office)

- ACT and/or SAT scores (date sent to college from LCCS or testing agency)

- Date acceptance (or rejection) letter is received