Good luck to those of you who took the SAT earlier this week! We anticipate scores will be available by October 24. If you have any questions about standardized tests and/or score reporting to colleges, don't hesitate to reach out to your college counselor.

College rep visits are in full swing! Seniors are highly encouraged to attend in-person or virtual meetings with college representatives during the fall semester. These are often the admission officers that will review applications from our Central Coast region, which provides a wonderful opportunity to create more personable relationships.

  • Students can register for college visits by logging into their Scoir account, clicking on the "Me" tab in the top right, and then clicking on "Visits & Deadlines."
  • Ask your teachers for permission to miss class. Remember, you are responsible for make-up assignments. 
  • Attendance will be taken at each session.

The University of California (UC) application is now available and can be submitted anytime before December 2, 2024. For seniors planning to apply to the UC system, be sure to join us on October 10 from 10:00-10:45 a.m. in Keck for a workshop on completing the Academic History section of the application. Be sure to create your UC application account ahead of time. 

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available December 1, 2024. Families applying for financial aid should complete the FAFSA as soon as possible. All schools require the FAFSA as part of their financial aid process, and many require the CSS Profile as well. The CSS Profile can be completed now. Here is a list of the schools that require the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA. 

California Governor, Gavin Newson, recently signed a ban on the practice known as legacy admissions. This will impact in-state private colleges and universities (legacy admissions are already illegal at the University of California and the California State University). 

It was great to see so many parents at our Senior Parent College Night on September 17. Here is a recording of the event if you were unable to attend live.

Here is the slidedeck from the Senior Class Workshop on September 13.

__________

Seniors applying to the California State University are encouraged to attend our CSU Application Workshop on Monday, October 7, from 3:15-4:30 p.m. in the Treasure Room. Be sure to create your CSU application before you attend the workshop.

__________

Parents, be sure to join us at our Senior Parent Coffee on October 8 at 9:00 a.m. Co-directors of college counseling, Martha Allen & Jon Burke, will provide some brief updates and then be available to answer your questions. Register via your Pirate Page. 

__________

On Wednesday, October 9, during individual advising time, the College Center is offering three options for seniors to help them with their college applications:

  • Application Q & A with Ms. Allen (Rosen 115)
  • University of California – how to complete the Academic History section of your application (Keck Auditorium)
  • Quiet application work on your own

__________

In July, we shared a series of video recordings with you, as well as an important application timeline. We highly recommend that you take the time to view the recordings and reference our application timeline, so that you can attend to any items you weren't able to complete during the summer months.

At this point, your Common Application should be nearing completion. Additionally, we hope that you are close to completing a draft of your personal statement to share with your college counselor. And, as these items wrap up you can focus your attention on the University of California (UC) application, the UC personal insight questions and your writing supplements.

__________

Be sure to review all of the important information below, paying particular attention to the What Should I Be Doing Now? section and reach out to your college counselor if you have any questions. We value our partnership and having the opportunity to support you during these exciting times.

The College Center

__________

What Should I Be Doing Now?

    • Moving colleges you plan to apply to to your "applying" list in Scoir and indicating the admissions plan you intend to use (i.e. early action, early decision, regular decision, etc).
    • Moving colleges you have applied to to your "applied" list in Scoir. 
    • Making sure that the college lists in your Common Application and Scoir mirror each other. 
    • Completing the Recommenders and FERPA section of your Common Application. Note: When entering information for your counselor and teachers, DO NOT enter their email addresses. Here is a video tutorial to take you through the steps.
    • Signing up for college rep visits in Scoir (see details above).
    • Working on your college applications, personal statement and school supplements.
    • Student-athletes hoping to be recruited for Division I or Division II schools should register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
    • Financial aid: Using the Net Price Calculator for each school of interest to gauge what your family may expect to pay for college at that particular school. 
    • Financial aid: Watching Winning Strategies for Finding the Right School at the Right Price.
    • Financial aid: Reviewing the Sallie Mae FAFSA sheet.

__________

Upcoming College Center Events

California State University (CSU) Application Workshop | Monday, October 7, 3:15-4:30 p.m. | Treasure Room

Senior Parent Coffee | Tuesday, October 8, 9 a.m. PT | Virtual | Register via your Pirate Page

College Application Support  | Wednesday, October 9, 10:00 a.m. | See workshop options above

ACT Virtual Practice Test | Saturday, November 2, 9:00 a.m. | Register here

Senior Parent Tea | Tuesday, November 12, 3:00 p.m. PT | Virtual | Register via your Pirate Page

__________

College Applications

Here is the link to the Common Application. As a reminder, there are a number of helpful recorded workshops on your Pirate Page that provide valuable information and tools for you to use when completing your Common Application. There are over 1,000 Common App member schools and the Common Application should always be used when applying to any of the member colleges. 

The University of California (UC) application is now available to fill out and can be submitted between October 1-December 2, 2024. Be sure to watch Dr. Hiles YouTube recording on the UC Personal Insight Questions (PIQ) before you begin working on your PIQs. 

The California State University (CSU) application is now available to fill out and can be submitted between October 1-December 2, 2024.

You may have noticed a feature in Scoir that allows you to apply to college using the Scoir application platform. At this point, you may have even received invitations from the colleges to apply using the Scoir application. DO NOT apply to college using the Scoir platform. We strongly encourage

__________

SAT & ACT

SAT registration & dates

ACT registration & dates

If registering for the ACT or SAT, please be sure to register as early as possible, as test site availability varies by region.

When registering for an off-campus SAT, students who receive financial aid may be eligible for a College Board fee waiver. If you have questions about qualifying for a fee waiver, stop by the College Center.

For boarding students who are registered to take the SAT or ACT off-campus during the fall semester, the College Center may be able to drive you to your testing site. Please contact the College Center to inquire and to reserve transportation. Our department email address is [email protected]. 

FREE Test Prep – Khan Academy

Here is an updated document which lists test prep companies and tutors Stevenson students have hired and used in the past. 

__________

College Research

Here are some suggested resources to assist you with your college research:

Scoir

Fiske Guide

Niche

BigFuture

Campus Reel

We also wanted to take a moment to highlight a wonderful college resource for students with learning differences. This indispensable guide will help students with ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder or learning differences discover a number of best-fit colleges.

__________

College Essay Guy

Here is an excellent resource for support with your personal statement, school supplements and the UC personal insight questions. 

__________

NACAC Virtual College Fairs

NACAC Virtual College Fairs are a great opportunity to connect with colleges and pursue your college dreams from the comfort of your own home. Have a quick video chat with a rep, drop in on a virtual presentation, send a question through chat – make a connection YOUR way! Remaining fall dates are October 13 and November 3. 

View the 2024 NACAC virtual college fairs schedule

_________

Financial Aid

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

CSS Profile – required by these colleges

If you are planning to apply for financial aid in the fall, or if you just want to learn more about paying for college, we highly recommend that you watch Winning Strategies for Finding the Right School at the Right Price. Lynn O'Shaughnessy is the author of the Amazon bestseller, The College Solution. Her higher-ed commentary has been featured in national media outlets including Forbes, NPR, the New York TImes, Money, and U.S. News & World Report.

Net Price Calculators

Paying for college can seem expensive. However, many students pay less than their college's published price, thanks to financial aid and scholarships. So, instead of looking at the published price, it is important to research your net price. Your net price is a college's published price for tuition and fees minus the grants, scholarships and education tax benefits you receive. The net price you pay for a particular college is specific to you because it's based on your personal circumstances and the college's financial aid policies. You can get an estimate on how much college might cost you by running "Net Price Calculators." Search "Net Price Calculator + College Name" and fill out the Net Price Calculator form available on each college's website. Here are three websites for reference:

https://collegecost.ed.gov/net-price

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/calculate-your-cost

https://myintuition.org/

Financial Aid Resources

Western Undergraduate Exchange – The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is an agreement through which 160+ participating public colleges and universities provide steep nonresident tuition savings for Western students. Click here for the full list of participating WUE schools. 

U.S. Department of Education – The College Scorecard – Search and compare colleges: their fields of study, costs, admissions, results and more.

The office of Federal Student Aid – Provides publications, fact sheets, online tools and other resources to help you prepare and pay for college or career school.

FastWeb – Free scholarship search platform that connects students to scholarships and financial aid tools. 

Finaid – Information on financial aid for college and tips on how to help ease the burden of college expenses.

Contact Us

Martha Allen, Co-Director of College Counseling
[email protected]

Jon Burke, Co-Director of College Counseling
[email protected]

Katie Bell, College Counselor
[email protected]

Alicia Parker, College Center Coordinator
[email protected]