College Application Process

App ProcessQuestionsTest Reportforms

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During your junior year you developed alist of prospective colleges. It is now time to refine your college application list. You should take into consideration your grade point average (GPA), class rank, test scores, course selections, extra-curricular activities, and special talents as you make your final choices. In order to ensure acceptance, the list should be balanced and represent three categories: reach, target, and safety (likely) schools.

Focus on the following variables when developing your final selections: student enrollment, programs, cost, campus culture, geographic location, faculty availability, crime statistics, professors verse a graduate assistant teaching courses, travel needs, etc. This is a decision that most certainly will affect the rest of your life, so choose wisely.

Procedures and tasks necessary to complete the application process:

  1. Fill out your applications. Determine whether you will apply online or with a paper application. If you apply online, make sure you fill out the entire application, including any supplements and essays. Paper applications should be filled out neatly, completely, and signed. Directions for application fees must be followed. Feel free to consult with your counselor if you need help reviewing your applications.
  2. In order for your counselor to write you a letter of recommendation, you must make an appointment for an interview and provide him/her with a Counselor Recommendation questionnaire and Activity Sheet/Resume. Make an appointment as soon as possible.
  3. If there is a section entitled "Secondary School Report" - fill out the student section and give it to your counselor. Some counselors prefer to use the common application school report or the Stamford High School form. Check with your counselor.
  4. You should fill out the top section fo the Teacher Recommendation form and give the form to two or three teachers you have chosen to write a recommendation. You should also provide each teacher with an Activity Sheet/Resume, a Teacher Recommendation Worksheet, and make arrangements for an interview. Make sure that you give each teacher enough time to complete the recommendation. Make sure that the teachr(s) has turned in the rcommendation form from the college application, give it to the teacher(s) or provide the one enclosed. Some colleges want teachers to sent their recommendation directly to the college.
  5. The policy of the Stamford High School Guidance Department requires students to mail their own application(s), but check with your counselor to clarify the issue. Make sure that your counselor knows whether you are applying early decision, early action, or regular decision and that they know your deadlines. Your counselor will need at least two weeks notice in order to process your application and school records. Good communications is a must.
  6. The two week notification is initiated by the student filling out and giving the counselor the following forms:
    • Release of Records form
    • College Selection Address Sheet
    • Couselor Recommendation Worksheet
    • An Activity Sheet/Resume
    • Secondary School Report form
    • Mid-Year Report form (if required)
  7. You should give the counselor a large addressed envelope(9X12) with three (42 cent) stamps for the mailling of your school records to each college. Your school records include: the high school transcript(s) which includes courses and grades, present courses, weighted and unweighted grade point averages (GPA), weighted and unweighted class rank, a test card which includes Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) score, SAT scores, ACT scores, a counselor recoomendation, teacher recommendations, and a Secondary School Report (if required).
  8. Sending official test scores is the student's responsibility. If you included the school code for Stamford High School (070750) when you made the application for testing, then we received a scoring label. We place that label on the test card. If a college requires test scores sent directly from the testing company, then you must allow enough time for them to arrive before the application deadline. The Stamford High School test card is an unofficial testing record, but most colleges will accept it if ti is sent with the official transcript. Review your test card with your counselor.

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