Senior News and workshops
Amazing Article from the Wall Street Journal about College Admissions Disappointments
Colleges/universities with late deadlines or rolling admissions

The WESTERN UNDERGRADUATE EXCHANGE (WUE) is a program of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). Students who are residents of WICHE states are eligible to request a reduced tuition rate of 150% of resident tuition at participating two- and four-year college programs outside of their home state.

Click Here for Link

Special addition: Video from University of California on how to write your personal Statement.

Click here for link

A special announcement for seniors requesting letters of recommendation:  If you are requesting a letter of recommendation from a teacher or a counselor, please note that you MUST go to the teacher or counselor in person and supply them with the proper information, please see Senior/Scholarship Website for details “Letter of Recommendation Request Form”.  If you have not personally spoken with the teacher and/or counselor and just had the automated request form sent, the letter will not be completed.

Important news from the USC Counselor News: "At USC, we do not routinely check students' Facebook pages during application review. Yet, like other universities and employers, if we become aware of some specific concern, we also reserve the right to do so. It's always wise to stay on the safe side and think before you post!"

College Workshops for Seniors!!

West Ranch offers a number of college workshops for students, on campus. Please check back for specific dates and times.

  1. *College Information for seniors and your parents:
  2. Common Application Workshop (Seniors only)
  3. College Essay Workshop(Seniors ONly)
  4. UC Application Workshop (Seniors Only)
  5. CSU Application Workshop
  6. USC Application Tip Workshop ( No Powerpoint)
  7. Q&A Application Lunch
  8. Q&A Application Lunch
  9. *Financial Aid Workshop Presented by COC Financial Aid Director for parents and students

*Please note that these workshops are intended for students and Parents. All other workshops are designed for students only. The power point presentations will be posted following the workshop so parents can access the information that we covered.

 

 

download recommendation request

Seniors! Please note that counselors will NOT be writing letters over the winter break. therefore, you should have made contact with your counselor by now regarding your letter. If not, your letter may not be received by the universities by the deadline (remember, it falls during the winter break).

Letter of Recommendation Request Form

 

Financial Aid Links

FAFSA on the WEB :File your FAFSA online. You can also download a PDF version of the FAFSA or call toll free 800-4FED-AID (800-433-3243) to have a paper FAFSA sent to you. A downloadable PDF version of the 2010-2011 FAFSA will be available in December.

CSS Profile: "The PROFILE, the financial aid application service of the College Board -- a national, not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Many of the member colleges, universities, graduate and professional schools, and scholarship programs use the information collected on PROFILE to help them award nonfederal student aid funds." (collegeboard.com). Many private and some public unviersities will require that you fill out the CSS Profile as well as the FAFSA. Click here for list of schools who require and/or recommend the CSS Profile Please check with the individual school for details.

Cal Grant Information : Applying for a Cal Grant Takes Two Forms!  FAFSA + Your Verified GPA = a Cal Grant Application.  File your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Cal Grant Grade Point Average (GPA) Verification form by the March 2 deadline for a Cal Grant – that’s money you don’t have to pay back.

 

Senior COLLEGE NEWS AND UPDATES
What is FAFSA? Video in English and Spanish
Click Here Career Center College Rep Upcoming Visits to WR
SAT — CSUMentor Code for SAT is 3594
Click here for Senior Month by Month Calendar
"One of the first rules to remember when using the Web (or any other scholarship resource) is this: never pay to conduct a scholarship search." There are a number of scams out there. For a complete listing see the Scholarship Scams Link listed under "Scholarships and Resources"
Financial Aid information cannot be submitted to FAFSA until after January 1st. If you plan on submitting electronically (recommended) you "must first secure a personal identification number (PIN) for the students and at least one parent if the student is classified as a dependent for financial aid purposes." This can take a few days to process so we recommend you take care of it during the fall of your senior year. PINs can be requested at www.pin.ed.gov.

"Some colleges, usually private, will require the CSS/Profile in addition to the FAFSA. The Profile is a financial analysis form, which colleges use to disperse institutional funds and can be found on the College Board's Web site. This form can be filed as early as October 1 of the senior year." There is a fee attached so make sure your school requires it before you acquire the profile.

 

Application Links

Common Application
The Common App is the application of choice for over 300 public and private colleges in the United States. This excellent web site allows students to access information on colleges, to download many application supplements, and to complete the Common App online. Coming soon is our Common Application Workshop. But if you can't wait or you are applying ED or EA then visit the following site for a brief video tutorial. Tutorial is also great for parents!!

CLICK HERE for Tutorial

UC Online Application: The University prefers that applicants use the online application for admission. It helps you file a more accurate and complete application by using error messages to highlight common mistakes and missing information before you file. Privacy guards help ensure your information stays secure.

Application Filing Periods

Guide to UC Online Application : Quick Step-by-step guide to lead you through the process

CSU Online Application: Apply online (i.e., Graduating High School entering as First-Time Freshman, Transfer from Community College)

Application Filing Periods
Early Action and Decision Defined
College Application Checklist

 

List of Scholarships
Organized by Scholarship Due Date
Scholarship Database