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A Guide to the Application Process

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INTRODUCTION
SOME HELPFUL HINTS BEFORE YOU GET STARTED

DECIDING WHEN TO APPLY

APPLICATION MATERIALS
I. PERSONAL PART OF THE APPLICATION

II. COLLEGE LIST FORMS
III. SENDING YOUR STANDARDIZED TEST RESULTS

IV. SCHOOL REPORT/COUNSELOR RECOMMENDATION FORM
V. TEACHER RECOMMENDATION FORM
VI. MID-YEAR SCHOOL REPORT/REPORT OF SENIOR GRADES
VII. FINANCIAL AID FORMS
VIII. SUBMITTING APPLICATIONS
IX. THE BUCKLEY AMENDMENT
X. INTERVIEWS

XI. SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT ITEMS

This document is given out to seniors and parents at the family meeting with the college adviser in the spring of junior year or fall of senior year. Please also view our position paper on ethics in the college application process. This paper is also provided to seniors and parents at the family meeting.

INTRODUCTION

College applications are an important part of the admissions process because they reflect you as a person and as a student. Indeed, unlike any other information colleges receive about you, the application comes directly from you. Standardized test scores, grades, and recommendations are all other people’s comments about your performance and about you; the application can allow others to see you as you want to present yourself. The neatness, organization, and timeliness of submission of your application all contribute to the evaluation process, which centers, of course, on content. It is therefore very important that you do a first-rate job and take the utmost care in completing each application. Do not wait until the last minute to complete your applications.

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While the application process is not a difficult one, it can be confusing at times, and it certainly can be time-consuming. What follows is designed to help ease your way through some of the more technical aspects of filling out an application.

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Even if you are not going to fill out applications immediately, we strongly urge you to read through this material now. There are numerous things you need to do, deadlines to plan for, and people you might need to speak to long before you ever actually sit down to fill out an application.

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SOME HELPFUL HINTS BEFORE YOU GET STARTED

1. You will need to register on the Common Application in August. Do not register before the new Common Application appears on the website (www.commonapp.org) on August 1.

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 2. The College Office will be using Naviance, an online system that allows us to send documents electronically and is, therefore, much more efficient and much quicker. You will receive detailed instructions on how to link your Common Application account to your Naviance account.

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3. You must still register on and carefully consult the website of every college you apply to. College websites contain a good deal of invaluable information about, for example, standardized test requirements (which may change from one year to the next), financial aid deadlines and procedures, receipt of your application materials, admission status, or policy on deferrals (for the year in Israel).

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4. Print and save copies of everything you send to a college.

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DECIDING WHEN TO APPLY

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Colleges use various deadlines and terminology, and it is important to understand the terms and meet these deadlines to maximize your chances for admission. “Early Decision” is a binding commitment to enroll at a particular college if you are offered admission. If admitted under an early decision plan, you must withdraw all other applications. Several colleges now offer Single Choice Early Action, which means that a student may not apply early elsewhere (except, in most cases, to public universities); the student will get an early result, but the college may not consider this decision as binding on the student. Other colleges, including many state schools, have unrestricted early action plans. These function like priority deadlines or rolling deadlines, and the college will allow a student to apply to other colleges without restriction.

While we respect the colleges’ early application policies, Ramaz expects students who are admitted to a private college under any early plan to accept that early offer. Ramaz will not submit supporting credentials to other regular decision colleges for students admitted early to private colleges. Please see our companion document, Ethical Issues in the Application Process, for further information about early decision and early action.

Many state schools (such as Binghamton and Michigan) use the term Early Action to refer to their priority deadline. “Priority” deadlines (such as Maryland’s) are typically in November and give students priority in the review process and the best chance for admission. We urge students to meet these early deadlines when applying to state schools because late applicants may not be admitted, even with sufficiently strong academic records.

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“Regular Decision” uses a set deadline, often January 1 or January 15, and students learn their results in March or April. “Rolling Decision” schools (such as Pittsburgh and Indiana) send decisions on a rolling basis, usually within six weeks of the college receiving a completed application.

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Applicants to the City University of New York (CUNY) are encouraged to apply early. CUNY uses a rolling decision model and has a limited number of spaces at each campus. Furthermore, the student portion of the application must be submitted online before the College Office can send the transcript, so a delay in applying online will mean even more of a delay before the application can be reviewed. See Section IV. for more information about CUNY applications.

It’s never too early to start! We’ve seen too many people ruin their Thanksgiving and/or winter vacations because they left applications for the last minute. Start collecting all the information that you need now (social security number, family history, a list of extracurricular activities, etc.) and keep it on a separate sheet of paper. Start thinking about the essays that individual colleges require. Remember that fall and winter will be filled with chagim, midterms, papers, and exams, as well as applications. We strongly encourage you to begin working on your essays over the summer.

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APPLICATION MATERIALS

Applications usually consist of a number of different forms, each of which must be at least partially filled out by you. Some of them must then be given to other people for completion. Here are instructions for completing these forms.

I. PERSONAL PART OF THE APPLICATION

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1. Make sure that you proofread very carefully before submitting your application.

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2. Read the instructions carefully. If you are asked to restrict yourself to a particular space or particular number of words, you should do so. If you have any questions, ask your friendly college adviser.

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3. Keep a list handy of the standard information that almost every school requires. Take time to find the most honest, yet impressive way of listing your extracurricular activities and work, volunteer, and travel experiences.

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4. If you are asked to list your senior courses, remember to list all of them, including Judaic and General Studies. On the Common Application, this is in the "Academics" section. The instructions do not account for our dual curriculum, so use the following as a guide:
   

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5. The personal essay is probably the most important, and certainly the most time-consuming, section of this part of the application. Start early!

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II. COLLEGE LIST FORMS

 

The Ramaz College Office requires students to submit a list of the schools to which they intend to apply, signed by a parent. College List forms are available in the College Office. As the advisers will be submitting forms through Naviance, the college list is the only means for the advisers to accurately keep track of students' applications and process college materials on time. Although Naviance is linked to the Common Application, the College List must include all colleges to which a student will apply, whether or not the colleges accept the Common Application.

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Students planning to meet any November deadline, whether it is early decision, early action, priority, or rolling, must submit the Early College List form by Monday, September 24, 2012. All applicants must submit the College List form for their regular decision schools (including the early schools) by Thursday, November 1, 2012. While these lists may be revised if necessary, it may be difficult to ensure timely processing if colleges are added after the deadlines listed below.

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• The Early College List form is due to the College Office by Monday, September 24, 2012.

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• The regular College List form is due to the College Office by Thursday, November 1, 2012.

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III. SENDING YOUR STANDARDIZED TEST RESULTS

It is the individual student's responsibility to have his or her SAT I and SAT II Test or ACT test results officially sent to colleges. Writing the scores on the application is not sufficient. Students must request that the College Board (SAT) or the American College Testing Program (ACT) send score reports to the colleges involved. 

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As part of your online registration for the ACT or SAT, you can request that your test scores be sent to the colleges you list. You may wish to choose this option when you register for your last standardized test as four college notifications will be included at no extra cost. For a fee, you can order score reports from the website at any time you choose. Consult your college adviser about optimal timing.

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It is imperative to save all score reports, correspondence, and acknowledgements of sent scores that you receive from SAT or ACT.

           

Again, Ramaz will not forward standardized test results to colleges. Only the student is authorized to release these scores.

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IV. SCHOOL REPORT/COUNSELOR RECOMMENDATION FORM

By registering on the Common Application and on Naviance, you give your adviser access to the School Report, which he or she will submit on your behalf, meeting the appropriate deadline for each of your schools. Advisers will know your application deadlines by the Early College List and the regular College List you will submit by September 24/November 1 (see above).

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College advisers will submit School Reports for state school applications by the early (priority) deadlines, even for those students applying early decision elsewhere, so as not to jeopardize chances for admission. Materials for an early applicant’s other private colleges will be held until a decision is rendered by the early school. Students admitted under binding early decision plans must immediately withdraw all other applications by writing to each college.

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• For Non-Common Application Schools
  As long as you have included the colleges on your Early or regular College Lists, your adviser will submit your transcript along with a School Report on your behalf WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CITY UNIVERSITY.
  
• The City University of New York (CUNY) has its own High School Transcript Request Form. Once a student has completed and submitted the CUNY application online, a link to the confirmation/summary section will appear. You must open this link and find the Transcript Request Form (which includes the Application Control Number); print and give this document to your college adviser, as CUNY will need your application number to file your transcript properly.

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V. TEACHER RECOMMENDATION FORMS

1. In-house teacher reports are not forwarded to colleges by the College Office. You must now formally ask the same or different teachers to write directly to the colleges for you. If you haven't already done so, consult with your college adviser about whom to ask for teacher recommendations. Check your applications for instructions regarding the number of teacher recommendations required and whether the recommendations must be given to a teacher of a particular discipline (humanities, sciences, math, etc.). So long as such requirements are fulfilled, it is perfectly acceptable to ask the same teacher(s) to write to all colleges to which you apply.

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2. Use College Office deadlines for college list forms as a guide. For early decision/action colleges, we suggest requesting teacher recommendations by September 24. We suggest requesting regular decision teacher letters some time in October. Do not delay requesting regular decision recommendations beyond November 1.

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3. All teacher recommendations will be submitted via Naviance. You will not be giving teachers forms or envelopes. Once your teachers have agreed to write to college for you, it is imperative that you inform your adviser which teacher(s) will write for you by using the appropriate form. Submit this form to your adviser by September 27 (early) or November 1 (regular).

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4. Very important: Thank the teachers who write for you, preferably in writing, and remember to inform them of your college decisions.

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VI. MID-YEAR SCHOOL REPORT/REPORT OF SENIOR GRADES

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Yes, your senior grades do count! Ramaz will automatically send midyear or seventh term grades to all colleges to which you are applying. You may disregard this form.

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VII. FINANCIAL AID FORMS

Be aware that some colleges (Brandeis and Boston University, for example) require applicants to fill out financial aid forms in order to be considered for merit awards, as well as need-based aid.

 

Some schools have their own financial aid form that is part of the application. If you intend to apply for financial aid, you should complete this form and submit it with your application. Do not wait to send it in until after you have been accepted. Failure to meet deadlines for financial aid applications will result in no aid for the applicant. Students applying for financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available on the Internet: www.fafsa.ed.gov. Aid applicants may also have to complete the College Scholarship Service's Profile Form (application available on the Internet at www.profileonline.collegeboard.com/index.jsp) in addition to the FAFSA and whatever other forms the individual colleges may request. The College Office advises delaying submission of the initial Profile request until your list of schools is somewhat firm. Profile requests, however, may not be filed later than January 15.

 

Please note: Early decision applicants must also file early for financial aid. We recommend sending in both the application for admission and the CSS Profile at the same time. Check the college admissions office for deadlines and details.

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VIII. SUBMITTING APPLICATIONS AND OTHER MATERIALS

Unfortunately, there are horror stories about college applications that were sent but never received. Therefore, we strongly advise you to take these precautions:

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1. Be aware that you must submit electronically both your basic application and, when applicable, your supplement. These are two separate submissions, and one may be required to be submitted before the other can be submitted. It is a two-step process.

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2. Print a copy of any applications completed by computer. Save any online confirmations or emailed receipts you receive from colleges.
   
3. If something appears to be missing, or even if you receive a notice from the college stating that something is missing, investigate further, inform your adviser, but do not panic. Be aware that colleges may take weeks to update their records. By submitting your supporting credentials online through Naviance, the College Office can confirm receipt of these documents and can put your mind at ease.

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IX. THE BUCKLEY AMENDMENT

The Buckley Amendment is legislation designed in part to guarantee a student the right to view any document in his or her application dossier. The Naviance system asks an applicant to waive his or her right to view recommendations. We feel that it is important for colleges to know that recommendations were completed with the knowledge that they would not be read by the applicant, and we therefore suggest that the Buckley Amendment waiver be signed. Students who object to signing such a waiver should speak to their college adviser.

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X. INTERVIEWS

For many colleges, interviews are an optional part of the application process. Some colleges do not offer interviews at all; others offer only informational rather than evaluative interviews. A few colleges still require interviews.

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Students should not seek interviews unless conversation is a particular strong point. To learn more about the interview process at particular schools, consult the college's website and your college adviser. While a few colleges offer on-campus interviews, some selective colleges offer only local alumni interviews. If a college admission or alumni representative contacts you and asks to interview you, agree, and please do all of the following:

1. When the individual calls, make a note of his or her full name and get his or her telephone number and email address just in case you need to reach him or her.

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2. Most alumni interviews will take place in public places. The interviewer's office, an alumni club, or even a Starbucks are appropriate places for interviews to take place. Under no circumstances should you agree to meet any stranger at his or her apartment. Should an interviewer suggest that you come to his or her home, please let your adviser know immediately.

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3. After the interview, write a brief thank-you note to your interviewer.

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XI.  SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT ITEMS

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1. Plan ahead, start early. 

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2. Be sure to meet the internal deadlines set by the Ramaz College Office.

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3. Strongly consider meeting early (priority) application deadlines for state schools. Discuss this plan with your adviser.

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4. Proofread everything you submit very carefully.

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5. Make sure your name and social security number or other college ID number appear on every page of your applications.

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6. Don't forget to have your test scores sent to your colleges by the appropriate testing agency (College Board or ACT).

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7. Ask your teachers for recommendations by our deadlines.

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If you have any questions about the information contained herein, please do not hesitate to approach a friendly college adviser. We are here to help you.

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