High School College Application Calendar 2009 - 2010

FIRST SEMESTER      2009

October 3	London College Day	Opens 10.00 am	London www.fulbright.co.uk
October 10	SAT
October 14	PSAT (Grades 10 and 11)
November 07	SAT
November 20	DEADLINE for Seniors’ Applications
December 05	SAT

 

SECOND SEMESTER      2010

January 18	College Information Evening	7.00 pm	TBA
January 23	SAT
May 01	SAT (Juniors take SAT)
June 05	SAT

 

 

Brief guide to college applications

JUNIOR YEAR - First Semester

-Work with advisers to prepare for the PSAT in October - Attend College Fairs - Meet with College Admissions representatives - Analyse career interests - Make general plans as to the type of campus and locations that interest you - Update your resume or CV and keep it current

 

JUNIOR YEAR - Second Semester

- Analyze your PSAT results and prepare for the SAT Reasoning Test - Register for the SAT Subject Tests and TOEFL (if required) - Make an appointment to meet with your college counsellor - Attend the College Information Meeting (18th January 2010 at 7 pm) - Attend College Fairs - Visit the ACS College Library - Meet College Admissions representatives - Make a long College list and reduce it by April or May - Contact Colleges on your list and make plans to visit a few - Ask Colleges to send you application forms and materials - Become familiar with applications procedures - many forms are completed online - Keep your college counsellor informed of your plans and progress - Take SAT Reasoning tests in May and consider taking the SAT Subject tests in June - Consider a summer job or work experience - Write drafts of college essays (US) and/or Personal Statements (UK)

 

SENIOR YEAR - First Semester

- Request official transcripts from any previous high school(s) - Register to re-take admissions tests (if appropriate) - Register for any external examinations required for UK entrance - Request one or two teacher references (as required) in September - Write college essays (if required) - Arrange cheques to pay application fees - Attend College Fairs - Meet with College Admissions representatives - Meet with your college counsellor on a regular basis - Plan to send your applications through your college counsellor (via Dean's Office) except for online forms - Meet with your college counsellor to submit all applications materials at least two months before due dates - Turn in all remaining applications to your college counsellor by November 20th 2009

 

SENIOR YEAR - Second Semester

- Ensure that all applications are complete - Provide follow-up (if requested) - Prepare for interviews (if required) - Liaise closely with your college counsellor as the replies come in - Send a deposit to hold your college place - Inform those colleges that you will not be attending

For applications on-line, or for other information, www.collegeboard.org NOTE: our high school code (CEEB number) is 724190, our test center code number is 57-110.

Also, many of the leading private institutions in the U.S. use the Common Application (www.commonapp.org)

 

UK APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Brief Overview

University degree courses traditionally focus on a single subject and they last only three years. Entry requirements can be more demanding, therefore, than the normal U.S. high school diploma. For instance, the IB Diploma, three or four AP exams or a year at a U.S. college or university can typically be expected of applicants. In recent years, however, the situation has become much more complex and flexible in the wake of the expansion of higher education. As a result:

• There are many more degree courses that offer a combination of subjects (e.g. German and Management, rather than just one or the other). • There are many more four-year courses. Some of these include a foundation year, for students without the required prerequisites. Some of them include professional work experience ("sandwich" courses). Some of them include language study or work experience abroad. Some of them lead to a Master's degree. • Entry, though competitive, is more flexible. For instance, there are many foundation courses. There are also two-year Higher National Diploma courses, which enable successful students to enter the second year of the three-year degree courses. There is also a variety of foundation courses that include professional training.

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

With very few exceptions, students must apply to college or university online through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Students apply to specific courses in a specific department or faculty, rather than to an institution. They can apply to only 5 courses. Thus the choice of courses is extremely important. Of great importance also is the level of competitiveness for each course. In general, the more popular the course, the higher the entry requirements tend to be. Thus students must assess their competitiveness in order to select courses appropriately. Students apply using a special code available through the Dean's Office, and the online application will be processed and forwarded through the Dean's Office. Applications may be made any time after September 1st. For Medicine or for Oxford or Cambridge candidates, the external deadline is October 15th. For others, the deadline is January 15th, if they wish to guarantee that their application will be considered. Students will want to complete their applications well before these deadlines, however, in order to give the school several weeks to process them and in order to be among the earlier applicants to be considered. Students are advised to attend Open Days, Fairs, taster courses or other events to acquaint themselves fully with campuses in which they might be interested. For further details, including a search program, the following site is highly recommended: www.ucas.ac.uk

 

Admissions visits

COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS REPRESENTATIVES

Dozens of college and university admissions representatives, most of them from private institutions in the U.S., visit ACS each year. These visits are advertised to the students in the Morning Announcements and in occasional posters in their Homerooms. Interested students are invited to meet with these representatives in the College Library. Please get permission in advance from your teacher(s).

 

Further Links

Frequently asked questions
Useful web sites