Section IV: Applying for College Admissions

SECTION IV APPLYING FOR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS A. Applying to college – how many colleges?

B. College Applications - what colleges are looking for C. Application Procedures D. Resume details E. Letters of recommendation F. Facebook in College Admissions G. Actual Letters from College Admissions Offices

APPLYING TO COLLEGES HOW MANY COLLEGES SHOULD I APPLY TO? The number of applications you send depends on the strength of your record, the competitiveness of the colleges, and several other factors. For most students, four to six applications would be sufficient. Each of the colleges on your list should have academic programs and a campus environment, which genuinely interests you; in other words, you should not apply to any college JUST because you think you can get admitted or just because you think you can afford to attend. If you and your parents are realistic and you have done a careful job of reading catalogs and view books, have visited campuses, and have talked with admissions counselors and/or alumni representatives, you should have a good idea about what your chances are for acceptance. Remember that admissions decisions are made on several factors, are sometimes unpredictable and do vary somewhat from year to year. As you are thinking about the final application process, try to have colleges in each of the following three categories:

1. Those colleges that have the right academic programs and campus environment for you, but there may be some doubt as to your qualifications for admissions. Consider these "reach schools".

2. Those colleges that have strong programs in your interest areas and to which you are more likely to be accepted. You would call these "possible" ones where you have about a fiftyfifty chance or better.

3. Those colleges that have strong programs in your interest areas and to which you are very likely to be accepted. These are your "back-up" or "safety" schools.

COLLEGE APPLICATIONS WHAT COLLEGES ARE LOOKING FOR 1. High School Transcript ■ The quality of work during all four years Types of classes taken - Did the student challenge him/herself? What classes is the student taking his/her senior year? How many academics did the student take? What are the grades in the academic classes? Did the student take advantage of the rigorous and demanding courses available to them? What is the student's overall grade point average? What is the student's recomputed academic grade point average?

■ Colleges and universities like to see a minimum of four academic classes per semester. Many prefer five (Academics include English, Science, Social Studies, Math and World Languages.)

■ Overall trend of the student Consistent grade point average upward trend; overall improvement ■ If there appears to be a problem during a particular semester, is there a reason for the discrepancy? (This could be due to illness, family problems, etc., and may have to be explained.)

2. Standardized Test Scores ■ The more selective the school, the higher the test scores are expected to be. Some colleges and universities use the test scores for placement rather than admission.

3. Extra-curricular Activities ■ These can include involvement in clubs, organizations, athletics ■ Community Service

4. Family alumni can also be used to add dimension to the applicant 5. High school reputation and accreditation are also important factors 6. Letters of Recommendation ■ These should come from teachers and/or counselors. Juniors should plan to ask for letters at the end of their Junior year. A thank you letter should always be sent to the recommender.

7. Essay(s)

■ Colleges and universities are looking to hear your "voice". Essays should be well-written, personal and thoughtful.

8. Colleges Strive to Match Applicants to Their Student Body ■ Most college admission staff dislike saying "no" to applicants. However, they are striving to match applicants appropriately based on the historical success of their student population.

■ Admissions staff are willing to assist in looking at possible transfer opportunities in one or two years. Evaluating a high school senior and a college sophomore are very different processes.

9. Most colleges use grades 9-12 to calculate cumulative and academic grade point averages

â– The University of Michigan uses only grades 10-12

10. When Two Students are Equally Academically Competitive

■ If two students are fairly equal in most components, the college or university will look for uniqueness between applicants.

11. Acceptance

■ Each college/university uses a variety of factors to determine admission. Talk to individual college admission staff to determine what those factors are.

■ College admissions is very competitive. A student may be admissible and have all of the necessary requirements to be admitted to a particular university/college and may still be deferred or denied admission. This has been happening frequently due to the competitive applicant pool. Students need to remember that they may not be admitted to their first choice, but may be able to transfer after 1-2 years of study at another college/university.

12. Advanced Placement Credit

■ Most colleges/universities do give credit to students who perform at a high level on advanced placement exams. Each college or university has its own standards for this credit. Ask individual college admission staff for this information.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES Once you have met with the post secondary counselor or your counselor and decided to which schools you will apply, you must complete the following steps: •Contact the university's admission office via phone or email and request an application. If the option is available, consider applying on-line. This is a good option because it is faster and neater, and it is much less likely that your application will be misplaced.

•Make a copy of the application before you begin (even if you apply online), so that you can have a practice copy to work on. You will need to practice the typed spacing or handwriting to make sure that your work fits in the spaces provided.

•Note all deadlines.

•Include application fee (payable by check, credit card, or money order) •Include your email address •Submit the required personal statement and essay. Have your English teacher review your essay prior to submitting it.

•Letters of Recommendation: see letters of recommendation section •Read the online application slowly and answer all questions carefully. Before you submit your application review everything for accuracy.

•Save your work frequently.

•Print and bring into the counseling office the counselor recommendation form and any other forms that may need to be mailed. Most forms such as the teacher recommendation form are now submitted online by the teacher.

•Notify the Counseling Office so they can send your official high school transcript.

You must register with Parchment to request transcripts to be sent electronically to the colleges and/or universities you are applying to. Follow the directions below if you are a Cousino student: Go to Cousino’s website www.wcskids.net/cousino Click on “School Information” drop down menu Choose “Transcript Request” Read the information and scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the link shown below to register and request transcripts.

•When taking the ACT or SAT, indicate which colleges should receive a copy of your test scores.

•If you didn’t indicate a college when you registered for the ACT/SAT test, no scores will be mailed. Some colleges are now requiring that ACT/SAT scores be sent directly from the testing agencies. Remember to check with each college/university to determine whether test scores may be sent from Cousino High School or directly from the testing agency.

• Some universities may require your first semester grades. As applications are often due before the first semester is complete, many of these schools will include a form called a "Mid-Year Report" in

their applications. Please also give your Mid-Year Report Forms to your counselor. (Don't forget to fill out the student section on all forms.) Your grades will be sent as soon as they are available.

•If you receive a notice from a university that part of your application is missing, DON’T PANIC!! Wait about a week, call the university back to double check. Often times they have been received after notification cards are being mailed.

•You should receive a notification regarding your application by April 15th for all regular decision deadlines.

DID I GET INTO COLLEGE? MAYBE…..

The following are terms used by admissions offices in the application process, as defined by the National Association for College Admission Counseling:

REGULAR DECISION is a plan in which institutions review most of their applications before notifying the majority of candidates of their admission. In this process, colleges set a deadline for completing applications and will respond to completed applications by a specified date. If you are applying for financial aid you will follow aid application deadlines set by the school. You may apply to other colleges. You will not be required to make a decision regarding enrolling before May 1.

ROLLING ADMISSION describes the application process in which an institution reviews applications as they are received and offers decisions to students soon after the decisions are made. If you are applying for financial aid, you will follow aid application deadlines set by the school. You may apply to other colleges and you will not be required to make a decision regarding enrolling before May 1.

OPEN ADMISSION - is a college's policy to admit high school graduates, generally without regard to conventional qualifications, such as high school subjects, high school grades, and admissions test scores.

Thus, virtually everyone who applies is accepted.

WAIT LIST – is a term used by institutions to describe a process in which they may initially delay offering or deny you admission but rather extends to you the possibility of admission in the future.

Colleges offer admission to wait list candidates if insufficient numbers of regularly admitted candidates accept their offers of admission. Please refer to the Statement of Students' Rights and Responsibilities for your rights if you are placed on a wait list.

EARLY ACTION permits you to apply to a college or university of your choice and receive a decision early in the senior year, well in advance of the normal spring response dates. Though you will hear early regarding your admission, you are not committed to attend and you may apply to other colleges. If you are applying for financial aid you will follow the aid application deadlines set by the institution. You are not required to make a commitment before May 1, but you are encouraged to do so as soon as a final choice is made.

EARLY DECISION requires you to commit to a college or university at the time of application that, if admitted, you must enroll. You should apply under an Early Decision plan only if you know that you can make a well-reasoned, first-choice decision. Upon admission the institution will require a nonrefundable deposit well before May 1. You may apply to other colleges but may have only one Early Decision application pending at any time. If admitted to a college under Early Decision, you must withdraw all other applications and may not generate new ones. Colleges will respond to requests for financial aid at or near the time admission is offered.

RESUME DETAILS Simply stated, this is a list of all of your activities over the 3 ½ years of your time here at Cousino High School and in the surrounding communities. This is your opportunity to highlight everything that you have accomplished both within and outside of the school day.

•It provides a thumbnail sketch of your accomplishments •It should include all of your high school activities, clubs, sports, community service, enrichment programs, etc.

•It allows the admissions officer to see you as a well-rounded person •It can be used as a basis for your letters of recommendation •It saves time when filling out your college applications. You may write “See attached resume” when information is required.

Your resume should reflect: •Commitment and passion outside of the classroom •Honors/Awards •Leadership – Colleges will be looking for your level of involvement in activities •Community Service – Go above and beyond what is minimally required •Work Experience •Music Accomplishments •Athletics •Outside Study •Other Accomplishments

RESUME INFORMATION WHAT IS A RESUME? A resume is a good way to introduce yourself and tell people about you. It's just a piece of paper, but you will need one if you are applying for a job/internship. A resume summarizes on one piece of paper all the basic information about who you are, what you have done and how you contribute.

CREATING A RESUME: •

CONTACT INFORMATION

The top of your resume should include your contact information: 1. Name 2. Address 3. Phone number 4. E-mail address (Make sure this is appropriate. E-mail addresses are very telling about a person.)

This information is often centered on the page. You might want to print your name in a larger font size or in bold so that it stands out. Remember, you want to make it easy for an employer to contact

you! Make your resume easy to read by leaving lots of white space and a font size that is larger than 10 point.

•

OBJECTIVE

Why do you want this job/internship? Your objective is a short statement, usually just one sentence. It explains why you want the job/internship. It could mean why you want to obtain a job as a sales associate. Your objective might say, "I would like to gain experience in the retail business."

•

EDUCATION

•

List expected date of graduation, high school and its location.

- List specific coursework that might assist you with the position for which you are applying.

- List academic awards/achievements.

•

EXPERIENCE

In this section, list any paid or volunteer jobs you've held. Describe each position briefly using bullet points. You can also list extracurricular activities or community service, especially if these activities show your skills or your responsibility and dedication.

•

SKILLS AND STRENGTHS

This section can be combined with the "Experience" Section. In this section of the resume, list your skills and strengths. Even if you've never held a paid job before, you have strengths and skills. What are they?

Maybe you have tutored younger students or know how to develop a website. Maybe you have run for office at school or organized a school event. When you write about your skills and strengths: •

Use short bullet points rather than complete sentences.

Use action words.

Use numbers and percentages to quantify your accomplishments.

Mention your technical or computer skills.

REFERENCES

List two - three adults (include their addresses and phone numbers) you know who could give you a positive recommendation to a prospective employer. Think about asking a family friend, neighbor, teacher, coach, etc. They should not be relatives. (Always ask the person for permission before listing him/her as a reference.)

Requesting Transcripts You must register with Parchment to request transcripts to be sent to your college or university.

▪Go to Cousino’s website www.wcskids.net/cousino ▪Click on “School Information” drop down menu ▪Choose “Transcript Request” ▪Read the information and scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the link shown below to register and request transcripts.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION A letter of recommendation is between you and the person recommending you. It is a description of you as he/she perceives you. Your recommender should be someone who is familiar with you, as a subject teacher, coach, advisor, etc. He/She should be able to write about YOU, not restate your resume verbatim. He/she should be able to discuss your particular talents in the classroom, in a play, both on an off the field, etc.

Please note that letters of recommendation are confidential. You cannot see your letters of recommendation. Keep in mind that the people you ask for recommendations should be those with whom you have had a positive experience. Students should request two letters of recommendation.

One of the letters should be from an 11th grade teacher.

RECOMMENDATION GUIDELINES Personally ask your teacher, coach, or advisor if he or she would be willing to write a letter of recommendation. This could be done at the end of your junior year, but certainly by September.

•Give a copy of your resume to whoever is writing your letter so they can speak more clearly about you and your accomplishments.

•Be aware of application deadlines and give plenty of advance notice so that those writing have enough time to write the letter.

•Provide pertinent information to your recommenders: -List the major you are planning to pursue -Why you want to attend this college -Why you feel you should receive a scholarship -Special projects you may have completed -Special contacts at this college -Something about yourself that makes you unique •Offer to meet with your recommender to discuss any questions they may have prior to writing the letter.

•Don’t wait until the last minute to ask for a letter. You want the recommender to represent you as best as possible.

•Send a personal thank you note to anyone who will be providing a letter of recommendation. He/she is helping you to get into the college of your choice and teacher recommendations are highly regarded in the admissions process.

RECOMMENDATION LETTER PROCEDURES Many colleges request counselor/teacher recommendations to be included in the materials that are sent with their application. We suggest that you follow the procedure below. •Counselor Recommendations to be included with the College Application Turn into the Counseling Office your completed application OR counselor page that was printed from the on-line application. These materials will be completed by your counselor and mailed to the appropriate university. If they are sent online they will be returned electronically as well. •Recommendations from Teachers/Counselors for College Applications and Scholarships -Ask your teacher/counselor for a recommendation in advance. Give them at least two weeks' notice prior to the date you wish it sent and indicate the deadline date.

-Supply information for your teacher/counselor about yourself in written form, (i.e., senior questionnaire, resume, etc.) If there is a specific form, complete your identifying information before giving it to the teacher or counselor. Do not leave it on a desk or at the door.

-If there is a specific form that needs to be filled out, provide written information as to the purpose of the recommendation, where it is to be sent and the deadline date.

-DO NOT ask more than two teachers for recommendations.

-DO NOT ask the teacher/counselor for a copy of the recommendation. Recommendations are meant to be kept confidential.

-Wait two weeks - then confirm with your teacher/counselor that the recommendation was mailed.

-VERY IMPORTANT - follow up with a personal thank you note to the teacher or counselor.

CORRESPONDING WITH COLLEGES VIA EMAIL The nature of email is informal compared to standard business mail but it is important not to be too informal. The following are a few thoughts and suggestions regarding corresponding with colleges via email:

DO •Remember that your email messages may be added to your admissions file •Choose an appropriate email address. You may want to rethink addresses like partygirl@hotmail.com or hatetostudy@yahoo.com •Give your full name, address, phone number, and high school in each message •Spell-check your email and use proper punctuation •Use salutations (for example “Dear Admissions Officer”).

•Be as polite and respectful in an email as you would be in a face-to-face meeting or phone conversation.

•Check the email address of the recipient before hitting the “send” button.

•Check the school’s website for answers before sending an email. If you still have specific questions, it is better to call the school and have an actual conversation.

DON’T •Don’t use all lower or upper case letters. All lower case is difficult to read and all upper case can give the impression of SHOUTING! •Don’t use “IMPORTANT INFORMATION” OR “Please read” as subjects for your email. These are commonly used for junk emails or viruses. Include your name and/or question as the subject.

•Don’t send anything confidential in an email. Emails are more like a postcard than a letter in a sealed envelope.

•Don’t send a blanket email to a lot of schools at once. Do some research and then ask questions indicating a genuine interest to a specific school.

FACEBOOK IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS FACEBOOK IN COLLEGE ADMISSION National Association for College Admission Counseling You've been working hard trying to get into college—researching schools, refining your essay, collecting glowing recommendations, studying on nights and weekends for the SATs or ACTs, maybe even preparing for a campus interview. Throughout all of this process, you've made a great impression as a serious, promising college student. Wait, though. Before you can relax on the couch to watch "American Idol," there's one more detail to take care of— your online blog.

BLOGS PRIVATE OR PUBLIC INFORMATION? Whether it's through MySpace, Facebook, Xanga, LiveJournal, or Friendster, students are online—online sharing details with friends, online for everyone to see.

These sites help you keep in touch with friends and allow you meet new people. Many students spend hours each day updating their profiles, messaging their friends and clicking through photo albums. It's harmless fun, right?

Now, how would you feel if your teachers saw your site? A college admission officer?

"Well, I would be a little angry because there are things in my profile that I don't want them to see," said Aubrey Fait, a freshman at Saint-Mary-of-the Woods College (IN). "There is some information that I want to keep private between me and my friends, so I would prefer if my parents and college faculty not look at my Facebook profile."

Other students don't think what they do in their free time influences their school work, so it shouldn't matter what information they have online. They may be right: You can be a great student, regardless what you do outside of school. When the embarrassing details of your social life are online for anyone to look up, though, you might want to re-consider what you post.

You might not like it, but you should know that adults—from your schools, families and even law enforcement—are looking at your pages.

THE CONSEQUENCES: WHAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED TO SOME STUDENTS Most colleges are not surfing the Web for your profile. However, when other people bring students' blogging to their attention, schools do respond.

•At least one college applicant was denied admission in part because of his blog on LiveJournal. The admission dean said the student's blog, which was brought to his attention, included seemingly hostile comments about certain college officials.

•Swimmers at Louisiana State criticized coaches on Facebook and were kicked off the team.

•A high school freshman in Maryland was reportedly suspended because of online photos.

•Police busted an underage drinking party at George Washington University after they found invitations online.

HOW YOUR SCHOOL MIGHT REACT Many middle and high schools have banned the use of these social networking Web sites on campus.

Some private schools have even banned students from joining these sites altogether.

I've been on MySpace and I can see that for kids it's like their hangout place, their place to vent, their place to maintain instant contact—it's hard for them to give it up," said Judy Oberlander, a counselor at Ojai Valley School (CA). However, "since MySpace was taking a toll on study time and classroom engagement, in addition to the danger of the imprudent things being posted by students, we decided to outlaw MySpace use at school or any time."

It's happening all across the country: Students in middle school, high school and college are being suspended and expelled for their online indiscretions. Even if you disagree with these policies, they can affect you. And as much of a cliche as it is, your school officials are just trying to protect you.

THE COLLEGE ADMISSION EFFECTS With the MySpace bans, students need to be careful of what they post. Some zero-tolerance polices make it fair game to punish someone who is in a photo even holding what appears to be an alcoholic drink. Explaining this type of suspension to a college doesn't really make a good bullet-point for your resume.

Even if your school doesn't have these rules, your postings could affect your college admission. Most colleges do not look up students on these sites, but when other people draw attention to these possibly offensive blogs, then schools often take action.

"We have just started letting students know that employers, college admission personnel, and others may be checking their postings...Our students seemed very surprised by this," said Julie Davis, Thomas Worthington High School (OH).

"In terms of college admission, I talk with the students about the importance of projecting a professional impression through voice mail messages, e-mail account titles and MySpace postings. I tell them a story once told to me by an admission counselor who said a student gave her e-mail address as partygirl@hotmail.com. She didn't get accepted to that college," said Margi Wieber, college counselor, Providence Academy (MN).

Some college admission officers make themselves available for students on these sites as a convenient forum for Q & A. "I have accounts on Friendster, Facebook, LiveJournal, Xanga, and MySpace. I do interact with a variety of students via these communities, however, it's our strict policy that the Internet should only help applicants, not hurt them...I, personally, don't think it's fair for college officials to take advantage of [these online interactions]—the one exception being a student's safety," noted Ben Jones, communications manager for the MIT Office of Admissions.

"I don't 'research' applicants online using their pages in these communities—although other schools do, from what I read in the news. My interactions with applicants and current MIT students are initiated by them—not by me."

Jeannine Lalonde, assistant dean of admission at the University of Virginia, also talks to students online who contact her. "After seeing current UVA students answer questions on MySpace, I decided to step in and offer some advice to the high school students who were posting. I knew it would open the door, but I also knew that seeing an admission officer on MySpace might: •Make a few kids stop and think before posting info about questionable behavior on their sites; and •Make some students realize that admission officers aren't as scary as they might have thought."

Sometimes students include Web-based communications such as blogs in their college application. Daniel Creasy, from Johns Hopkins University (MD), explains his experiences with student blogs as part of the

application: "Many times, the work the students have done adds substance to their file and truly helps, but there have been occasions where this information raises questions and concerns."

Creasy also cautions that when students contact admission officers through the school's message boards and blogs, the information becomes part of the formal correspondence and can be factored in to the admission decision.

BEYOND SCHOOL: YOUR JOB SEARCH Applying to college isn't the only thing you should worry about when you post your information online.

Your profile can follow you as you try to get a job.

According to the 2005 study by executive job-search agency ExecuNet, cited in the Chicago Tribune, 75 percent of recruiters use Web research as part of the applicant screening process.

The same article notes that a recruiter withdrew a job offer after seeing the candidate's blog.

One recent grad took down his profile when someone called him about a friend he went to school with.

The caller identified himself as an employee at a consulting firm who was "facebooking" all the applicants and contacting their friends to check them out (Sposato 2005).

An intern was fired when the CEO discovered that the intern's Facebook profile noted that he would "'spend most of [his] days screwing around on IM and talking to [his] friends and getting paid for it"' (Conlin 2006).

There's even a verb for people who get fired for what they put on their Web sites—dooced—named after the blog of a woman who was fired for writing about her job in her blog.

Basically, the point is that whatever you post, it never goes away. Once your information is online—even if you take it down—it becomes public information, as your page can be saved on anyone's computer.

WHAT YOU CAN DO •

First, be safe! Never post personal information such as your address, daily schedule, phone number, etc. Check out these safety guidelines from the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use and Wired Safety.

•Make your profile private so that strangers can't look at your information, and be cautious about adding new friends who you do not personally know.

•Take down any questionable photos or exchanges between you and your friends. Give it the "Grandma Test." If you wouldn't want your grandmother to see it, then you don't want other adults to either.

Remember, pictures and references of you on your friends' pages can be damaging too. You can ask them to take down this kind of information.

•Don't get a false sense of security on sites like Facebook, where you need an academic address, to view pages. It's easy for faculty, alumni and random people to get on and look at your wall and photos.

PEOPLE CAN SEE EVERYTHING

Although blogs can be fun, remember that what you post is for public view, like broadcasting it on the six o'clock news. So when it's time to apply for college, give your blog a second look to make sure you feel comfortable sharing everything you have posted with an admission officer and, later, with potential employers because your site becomes permanent, public information about you.

ACTUAL LETTERS FROM COLLEGE ADMISSIONS OFFICES: DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!!

The following are abstracts from actual letters recently received by students regarding their senior year coursework. Most colleges require mid-year grades to be sent from the high school. The college you ultimately select will likely get your final transcript in June. If a change in your academic status is noted, colleges have the right to revoke your acceptance and any scholarships awarded.

TUFTS UNIVERSITY 1)”In April we were pleased to offer you admission to the entering freshman class. This offer was extended to you contingent upon your continuing demonstration of the academic and personal qualities that led the committee to offer you admission to the university. A recent review of your final grades showed a decline in your academic performance. Our experience is that students who have a weak final semester in secondary school often have difficulty regaining their motivation for the challenging freshman year at Tufts.”

2) “I was distressed to receive your final grades which showed a substantial drop in the level of your performance. Please write to me as soon as possible explaining your low grades in Physics and Economics, and your withdrawal from Probability and Statistics.”

SUNY AT STONYBROOK “I have recently reviewed your final high school transcript and am disappointed to note the significant decline in your senior year grades. In your acceptance letter I reminded you that enrollment is ‘contingent upon successful completion of your high school graduation requirements.’ I must ask you to write a letter of explanation as soon as possible and by August 12 at the latest. Please provide reasons for your poor grades and suggest to me how you intend to improve your grades in a more rigorous and competitive environment. I am sorry to alarm you at this point, but frankly I am very concerned by the downward trend in your high school performance. “You would not have been accepted based on your senior year.”

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA “The Admissions Office is in the process of reviewing final school reports for the incoming freshman class. We note that your grades include a ‘D’. As you know, you were offered admission primarily on the basis of your outstanding academic performance. Since the final report represents a departure from your previous level of achievement, we would like to emphasize that Pennsylvania is a competitive institution which will demand your most diligent efforts during your undergraduate years. As you prepare to matriculate in September, I hope that you plan to pursue your academic goals with the same commitment you have previously demonstrated. It is advisable that you make an appointment when you come to campus with the Dean’s office to discuss your academic standing.

COLGATE UNIVERSITY “We expect all of our students to be achieving at the same or higher level as they were upon admission.

The rigor of the curriculum and progress reports are very important to us up until a student’s graduation and we won’t hesitate to be in touch with them should their record change. We have rescinded offers of admission in the past due to poor senior records.”

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY "You were admitted to Michigan State University earlier in March. At this time we sent you a certificate of admission and an admissions letter. I am sending you another copy of that letter highlighting the last

sentence of the fourth paragraph. We recently received a copy of your seventh semester grades. You have declined in the second quarter in Writing, Pre-Calculus, and Physics. You will want to get yourself back on track. We’ll be expecting to see much improved academic work when we receive your final transcript.�

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND "Research indicates that students whose senior grades show a downward trend often face academic difficulties their first year at the University of Rhode Island. The University would like to make the transition to college as smooth as possible thereby avoiding an unsuccessful freshman year. Therefore, the University of Rhode Island is adopting a new review policy for senior transcripts effective this fall. After review of the final transcript, if we note a serious decline or reason for concern in academic performance, the student and high school guidance office will be sent one of the following letters: A LETTER OF CONCERN - A letter of concern expresses our disappointment and asks the student to question their motivation and ability to handle the challenges of a college curriculum.

A LETTER OF SUSPENSION - A letter of suspension cancels the acceptance and requires the student to contact the Admissions Office in writing regarding their circumstances. Upon receipt of written communication, the application will be reevaluated and may or may not be reinstated.

A LETTER OF REVOCATION - A letter of revocation is the cancellation of the original acceptance. If a revoked student wishes to be considered at a later date, an interview would be required with an admissions counselor to discuss the possibility. " THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON Dear Guidance Director: In May we sent the enclosed list of students from your school who has been admitted as freshmen to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since most, if not all, of these students were admitted with high school work in progress, I am asking that you report any changes in performance which might affect a student's admissibility. A change in which we are most interested is: Failure or withdrawal of an 'academic' course during the senior year. Please pay particular attention to change in senior year mathematics or foreign language."

LOYOLA, MP: "This offer of admission is contingent upon your successful completion of current coursework and graduation. A final transcript should be provided to our office should you plan to enroll for the upcoming semester. Should you encounter any disciplinary issues, in or out of school, please contact your admission

counselor immediately."

FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY: "Every offer of admission is contingent upon the successful completion of your senior year. We expect you will maintain your current level of academic performance and continue to represent your school and community in good standing."

MANHATTAN COLLEGE: Students' poor grades in the second semester have disqualified them from admission even after they had received an acceptance letter from us.

UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE: As noted in your acceptance letter: the Admissions Committee reviews the final transcripts of every student enrolling in our Fall 20— entering class. We expect that students will put forth their best efforts throughout the whole of their senior year, and, indeed, the vast majority of our entering students present senior grades of A's and B's.

We were therefore surprised to see such a marked decline in your grades during your senior year. We are particularly concerned when we see students earning any grade that is below a C. I am writing to insist that you comment on these grades. Please address your letter of explanation and any supporting documentation directly to me. This must be received within 14 days of the date of this letter.

UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE (continued): I realize there may be extenuating circumstances that can explain a student's poor performance. I invite you to share with us any information that will shed light on what happened. Your explanation should give us confidence that this trend in grades is not indicative of your academic ability nor is it a reflection of your commitment to your education. Please know that your enrollment at the University of Delaware is in jeopardy.

Without a reasonable explanation, your admission can be rescinded.

UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE We received a report of your final grades for the academic year and consider them unacceptable. I refer specifically to your second semester grades of: 65 in Algebra, 60 in Expository Writing and 60 in Psychology.

It is clear that your admission status must be reevaluated, and consequently, I have suspended your admission.

If you wish to communicate with us about your circumstances, please do so in writing within the next five days.

It is our preference not to talk with you or your parents until we have received your written communication.

We will contact you again once we have received and reviewed your statement. At that time we will make a determination as to whether it is appropriate for you to meet with us. It is possible that you will receive materials from other departments and organizations on campus. You should not interpret these communications as an indication that your admission status has been reinstated. We will contact you in writing when a final decision has been made on your case."

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY 1: Letter to Early Decision Applicant: We have reviewed your mid-year grades and have noticed that there was a noted downturn in your grades from the time that we offered you admission in December. One of the contingencies of enrolling at Lehigh is maintaining an equal or superior level of academic achievement throughout the senior year.

Even students who have had the most rigorous academic program in high school find challenges with college level coursework and associated expectations. It is our hope that every student who enrolls at Lehigh will achieve admirably in the classroom. For these reasons, it will be useful to understand the reasons for the departure from your previous level of performance. Please provide an explanation for your drop in performance within two weeks.

On behalf of the Committee on Admissions, I look forward to hearing from you.

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY 2: Final Transcript Letter 1 to Applicant: We have reviewed your final high school transcript and have noticed that there was a downturn in your grades from the time that we offered you admission until the end of the year.

One of the contingencies of enrolling at Lehigh is maintaining an equal or superior level of academic achievement throughout the year.

Even students who have had the most rigorous academic program in high school find challenges with college level coursework and associated expectations. It is our hope that every student who enrolls at Lehigh will achieve admirably in the classroom.

Although your grades have not slipped to a level where we would request an explanation from you, we still have concerns about the downturn. To that end, please understand that we will notify, Associate Dean of, so that he/she is aware of this letter. We want to do everything we can to facilitate a smooth transition to Lehigh, including scholastic success during your first year. Please feel free to be in touch with Dean during your first couple of weeks on campus.

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY 3: Final Transcript Letter 2 to Applicant: We have reviewed your final high school transcript and have noticed that there was a downturn in your grades from the time that we offered you admission until the end of the year. One of the contingencies of enrolling at Lehigh is maintaining an equal or superior level of academic achievement throughout the year.

Even students who have had the most rigorous academic program in high school find challenges with college level coursework and associated expectations. It is our hope that every student who enrolls at Lehigh will achieve admirably in the classroom. For these reasons, it will be useful to understand the reasons for the departure from your previous level of performance. Please provide an explanation for your second quarter grades by put in date.

On behalf of the Committee on Admissions, we look forward to hearing from you.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY: In December, it was my privilege to offer you admission to Indiana University Bloomington. I have recently received your High School transcript with your fall grades.

As you may recall, your official letter of admission from Indiana University contained the sentence: "Naturally, this offer of admission is contingent upon the successful completion of any present work outlined on your application. " For us the minimum level of "successful completion " is a grade of C or above. I am concerned with the declining grades on your transcript, and 1 have no recourse but to rescind your admission to Indiana University Bloomington. I am sorry to have to write this letter. I wish you success in your future academic endeavors.

EMORY UNIVERSITY: I have received your final transcript from your high school. You will recall that the admission acceptance letter you received stated the following: "Your admission is contingent upon receipt of your final secondary school transcript and documentation of graduation. Be advised that the Admission Committee expects the same level of academic achievement and personal conduct through the completion of your senior year. Failure to maintain this level of performance could result in a withdrawal of our admission offer. "

Your case has been reviewed by the Dean of Emory College and myself. I am sorry to inform you that our decision is to revoke your admission to the Emory College Class of 20--. I realize this turn of events is of great disappointment to you. On behalf of the Admission Committee, I want to extend our sincere appreciation for your interest in Emory. Should your interest in Emory persist, you may apply again to Emory College as a transfer student next year. Please note that we require one full year of college work and have a postmarked deadline of June 1st for transfer. Lastly, I offer you my best wishes for a productive, and above all, rewarding college career. Sincerely, Dean of Admission for Emory University