College Application Process

CHS COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS

The Following presentations were sent to  all Juniors in May of 2020 to help guide them through the college application process. Both presentations have a wealth of information:

"Future Seniors" College Planning Presentation

The Common App- A Detailed Look (with video/audio)

1. APPLY ONLINE: Apply Early! The CHS Counseling Department recommends that students complete their applications by October 31st.  Application deadlines, however, vary by school. Be mindful of deadlines! Links to online applications can be found at each college's admissions website.

Some helpful application info:

• The Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrar's & Admissions Officer's (MACRAO) also provides direct links to each of Michigan’s higher educational institutions and their online applications.
• The Common Application: Many colleges and universities across the country subscribe to The Common Application, which allows students to complete a single college application and have it sent to any participating school.
• If an essay is required, check out these helpful essay tips: 
  • WOW Writing Workshop - College Essay Writing Tips
  • The College Board Big Future: 8 Tips for Crafting Your Best College Essay
  • Princeton Review: Crafting an Unforgettable College Essay
• Our school code is 230630
• CHS operates on a weighted 4.0 grading scale
• We rank students individually
• Your rank, cumulative GPA and UIC code can be found on your transcript (see step 2 below)

2. SEND YOUR TRANSCRIPT: Clarkston High School does not send transcripts to colleges on behalf of students. CHS participates in the Michigan e-transcript initiative, in which all student transcripts are submitted online via Parchment. Students must create an account at www.Parchment.com and request to have their transcript sent to the college(s) that they are applying to. More detailed information can be found on the CHS Counseling website under Requesting Your Transcript

• When requesting a transcript through Parchment, order an “unofficial self-view” transcript first to check for accuracy before sending to colleges.
• If a college is asking for your cumulative GPA and/or your class rank, it can be found on the unofficial self-view transcript.
• If a college asks for your UIC (Unique Identification Code), it can be found on the unofficial self-view transcript. This is a code issued by the State of Michigan (also sometimes referred to as the State ID Code) and is different than your student number.
• ACT/SAT scores are NOT listed on the transcript (see step 3 below).

3. SEND YOUR STANDARDIZED TEST RESULTS: CHS does not provide standardized testing results to colleges. Therefore, it is the student's responsibility to have their official scores sent to the colleges to which they are applying. Scores must be “official” and sent directly from the testing agency.

**As of August 2020, we still do not have confirmation that we will be able to hold a school day SAT this fall.  We highly recommend that if the college you are applying to requires an ACT or SAT for admissions or scholarship purposes that you register to take the test on one of the national Saturday test dates this fall. As soon as we recieve confirmation about whether or not we will be able to hold a school day SAT, we will e-blast the information out. Registration information for both the SAT and ACT can be found at: https://chs.clarkston.k12.mi.us/counseling/standardized-testing

• SAT scores can be sent from www.collegeboard.org
• ACT scores can be sent to colleges from www.actstudent.org

4. ASK FOR LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION (IF NEEDED): If the college or university that you are applying to requires a letter of recommendation from a teacher or a counselor, please complete the Class of 2021 Senior Questionnaire and share it with whomever you are asking to write a letter for you so that they may reference your specific information/accomplishments when writing your letter.

Student Do’s and Don’ts when requesting a letter of recommendation:

• DO ask a minimum of two weeks (10 days) in advance. Some teachers may require more notice.
• DON’T send a letter if a college does not require it. If a college does not require a letter of recommendation then one should only be sent to explain extenuating circumstances or if student falls below average acceptance criteria
• DO make sure your recommendations come from a core teacher unless applying to a specific program. (i.e.fine arts)
• DO ask your recommenders for letters IN PERSON
• DON’T ask for more letters than what is required. They will not all get used.
• DO provide teachers with actual deadline (do not ask for advance completion)
• DO send your recommenders a personalized thank you note. They are writing for you out of the kindness of their hearts and should be thanked properly.

ADDITIONAL INFOrmation:

• If you’d like to re-take the SAT or ACT, you will need to do so ASAP in order to meet admissions and scholarship deadlines. 
• Go to www.collegeboard.org to register for the the SAT
• Go to www.actstudent.org to register for the ACT
• CHS hosts “Paying for College Night” in the PAC each fall. This year, due to the unsuual circumstances we find ourselves in, we will be releasing a virtual presentation of Paying for College Night.  Check back on our Website on September 30th to access the presentation.  Our presenter will discuss grants, loans, scholarships, and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• If you are still undecided about which college/university to apply to, we have many college admissions representatives that visits CHS each fall. You may sign up to attend three sessions per year. Sign up via the College Information link on the CHS Counseling website This is a great opportunity for you to find out more about what specific colleges have to offer, meet with admissions reps, and have your questions answered.
• You are allowed three school-related absences per year to visit college campuses. Make sure to grab a college visit form from the attendance office and have it signed by the admissions office of the college you are visiting. Getting on campus for a visit is a crucial factor when deciding if you want to spend the next four years of your life there.
• If you get “deferred” or “wait-listed” by a college, this means they want to see your 1^st semester grades before making an admissions decision. You will need to put in another request through Parchment in January after the 1^st semester grades have been entered. You will need to put in a completely new order…. If you just log in and look at your transcript all you will see is the PDF that was generated from your first request in the fall.
• You will need to decide which college you will be attending and send your deposit in by May 1^st in order to reserve your spot.
• Most colleges require a final transcript be sent to them in June for final review, and your admission can be revoked! Be sure to keep your grades up throughout your senior year. You will need to put in a new order in Parchment in June after 2^nd semester grades have been entered. Do not assume this is automatically done for you.