By Melanie Cho
Staff Writer
During college application season, students may feel overwhelmed by the combination of fulfilling academic responsibilities and assembling a college portfolio. However, those beginning their post-high school planning can access a variety of resources offered by TCHS, the Department of Education and College Board.
“I can confidently say that I’ve completely failed at balancing my academics with the application process,” senior Anson Mok said. “I haven’t made as much progress on it as I would’ve liked. My grades have also dropped as a result.”
Amy Sisson, the College & Career Center Technician, is available from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to address student inquiries and arrange college conferences to guide students in choosing the schools they will apply to. She manages the C&CC Instagram account, Canvas page and Weebly website, which notify students about scholarship and internship program opportunities.
Students planning to attend a four-year college should consider participating in the college application workshops at the College & Career Center, held during lunch and office hours on Mondays and Wednesdays until Nov. 29.
Along with Sisson, counselors are reaching out to seniors to address application concerns. Counselors also complete evaluation forms and write letters of recommendation for college applications. Seniors must provide their recommender with a three-week notice, not including holidays or breaks.
The FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is an essential component of the college application process offered by the U.S. Department of Education. It allows students to apply for federal grants, work-study programs and loans at no cost, and colleges will review it to determine financial aid eligibility.
If seniors intend to apply to private colleges, they can complete the College Scholarship Service Profile, an application run by College Board. Families making under $100,000 a year can apply for free. Over 400 colleges and scholarships use the information to offer their own need-based financial aid.
In addition to running the CSS Profile, College Board hosts BigFuture Days in the spring, four events based on geographic regions that include meetings with college representatives. BigFuture Days West + Southwest includes 11 CSU schools and 8 UCs.
This allows students to gain a better understanding of schools they are interested in, connect with college representatives and explore new universities. Participation in BigFuture Days can show colleges a student’s level of demonstrated interest, which some schools consider during the admissions process.
“I think attending college conferences has been helpful,” senior Sarah Wu said. “After going to the college presentation, I realized that the school I was originally considering wasn’t for me. But another conference I went to made me fall in love with another school, and now I really want to get in.”
Students can also use Naviance, which helps them narrow down potential job interests and colleges. Naviance’s College Match tool connects students to universities that would be a good fit for them. It also gives information about schools, including acceptance rates, student demographics and educational programs.
In addition, students can use Naviance to sign up for college presentations, view available scholarships and request letters of recommendation from teachers.
Juniors who plan to apply to schools next year should concentrate on narrowing down their prospective majors and attending college presentations to discover which colleges are best fit for them.
They can ask Sisson or their counselors questions about future plans, as well as research different programs and scholarships that are available to juniors.
Furthermore, if juniors are interested in composing or improving application essays, Sisson is organizing OH! My Essay, which will take place in March and April.
OH! My Essay consists of three or four workshops where students learn what colleges look for in personal essays. During the workshops, students will brainstorm topics, write one essay and peer review each other’s work.
“I am so proud of the support and resources our counselors provide to our students and am honored to be able to provide support as well,” Sisson said. “Please don’t suffer in silence; we’re here for you every single day.”