Checklist for your Applications (Who Does What?)

Student Responsibilities 
  • By the end of Junior Year, provide your counselor with all the materials she will need to write your recommendation: 
                 Student Questionnaire (your responsibility)
                 Activity Sheet (filled out by you)
                 Parent Information Form (completed by one or both parent)
                 Descriptive Summary Sheets (ask 2 teachers)  
  • Create a Common Application account.  The new Common Application form is usually available in early August.
  • Sign FERPA agreement and complete the list of “Colleges I’m Applying to” in Naviance.

  • Ask Teachers for recommendations and ensure they are aware of all application deadlines.  (Note:  Some teachers send via Naviance while others send via mail.  Check with each teacher to understand what their requirements are. If they send by mail they will ask you for stamped/addressed envelopes.)
  • Give Record Release Forms to your Counselor at least 10 school days before application deadline (one form for each of the schools you plan to apply to).
  • Complete the Common App (and any other applications) including Essay and Supplements (if required; you must check for each school).
  • Request that Test Scores be sent (from The College Board for SATs or from ACTstudent.org) and pay fees.  Note if schools require SAT IIs/Subject tests).
  • Pay the application fee
  • Check that each school to which you have applied has received all of the information you and your counselor have sent before the application deadline.  Many schools, once you have applied, will assign you an account so that you can track the status of the application materials. 
  • Complete local Scholarship form and give to your counselor (form available in early January; deadline for submission is early March).

Counselor Responsibilities
The following items are sent to each of the Colleges you’ve chosen to apply to by your Counselor.
  • Secondary School Report
  • School Profile
  • Counselor Recommendation
  • Your transcript through the end of Junior Year
  • 1st Quarter grades (unless you request that they not be sent)
  • Mid-Year grades
  • Final grades (sent only to the school at which you plan to matriculate)

Parent Responsibilities
  • At the end of Junior Year, complete the Parent Information Sheet (give to your student and/or their counselor so that counselor may use the information in their recommendation.
  • For Financial Aid, complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and the CSS Profile, in required (only some schools require this form).  Check deadlines for submission.