Activity 33
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Overview
Self-Advocacy
Assistive Technology
Planning for College
Applying to College
Introduction
Getting Started
Activity 26
Activity 27
Activity 28-29
Activity 30
Activity 31
Activity 32
Activity 33
Activity 34-35
Summary
Disability Services
Adult Services
Complete and Submit College Applications
What Students Do
Students complete the tasks necessary to apply and be admitted to a college of their choice. Depending on the college under consideration, this activity may involve a great deal of work. Whether the college has an elaborate admission procedure that includes interviews, letters, an essay, a transcript, admission tests, placement tests or simply requires the completion of an online registration/application form; the process and related timelines are obviously important.Planning
Become familiar with application forms and deadlines for local colleges. Pair mentors with students likely to need support. Late in the junior year or early senior year, assess the magnitude of the application task ahead for each student and help develop realistic timelines. For students intending to apply to colleges requiring writing samples, consider how you can combine this requirement with compositions you might otherwise have assigned. As you are aware, teachers are besieged with requests for letters of recommendations during the late fall and early winter when many colleges require that applications be submitted. Advise your students to make their requests early.
Letters of Recommendation - Ask teachers about the lead time they need to write letters of recommendation. Role-play and demonstrate with students the best way to request a letter. Discuss what they want to see in their letters of recommendation and who it is in the school that has had an opportunity to see those qualities. Have students develop a personal fact sheet or resume that gives teachers a starting point. A search of Google using the term "Sample College Letters of Recommendation" will yield examples. Explain that not all of the examples will be good but they can be used to analyze what is helpful to your students' application.
Transcript - Explain the function of the transcript and the difference between an official transcript and an unofficial document of courses taken. Investigate the procedure for requesting transcripts in your school and any cost involved. Some colleges may request a transcript at the time of admission and another to confirm continuing eligibility based on the senior year.
Introducing the Activity
Although the directions for this lesson are simple, the task should be explained to them as having several time consuming components. Advise them that before doing this activity, they should gather the necessary information for the application. The information most likely includes admission and/or placement test scores, a high school transcript, an essay from the student, and letters of recommendation. Pulling all of this information together will require students to use organizational and self-advocacy skills as well as the information that they have previously compiled.
Develop a bulletin board that illustrates the process for local 2 and 4 year colleges using magnified facsimiles of applications, transcripts, essays, letters of support, etc. Refer to the board and add your students work to it as appropriate (not disclosing confidential information, of course).