Financial Aid Workshop This Week!

Hello Cowboys!  There will be a Financial Aid Workshop this Late-Start Wednesday, October 14th.  The workshop will be held twice.  Once at 7:45 am in the library and again at 6:30 pm in the library.  Parents and students are welcome to attend either session.  We will cover topics such as:

• How much will college really cost?
• How do I find scholarships?
• What is the FAFSA and how do I apply? 

We hope to see you there!

Are You Starting To Apply To Colleges?

Seniors, as you begin to tackle your college applications there are some common questions that come up.  For the next few weeks we will try to answer as many of those as possible.  If you don’t see your questions answered here, please stop by the counseling office and talk to your counselor.  Also, don’t forget that October 19^th through October 23^rd we will be in the library during 7^th period to answer questions, narrow your college search, or assist with your applications.

Where do I apply to college?  If you are applying to a UC school, you will apply online at this website:  https://admissions.universityofcalifornia.edu/applicant/login.htm   This handbook will answer a lot of your questions about the UC application: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/apply-online-freshman-cal.pdf  

There will also be an online workshops hosted by the UC schools to help you through the UC Application.  There will be two workshops, October 13^th at 3:30 pm or November 18^th at 3:30 pm.

If you are applying to a CSU school, you will apply online at csumentor.edu. This handbook will answer a lot of your questions about the CSU application:

http://www.calstate.edu/sas/documents/freshmaninstructions.pdf

 If your school is not a UC or Cal State school, you will want to check the college’s website to see how they want you to apply.  If you are applying to a private university or an East Coast school there is a good chance they are using the Common Application.  This is also an online application that can be found at www.commonapp.org.  

As you apply to schools you are going to be introduced to some new vocabulary.  Let’s review a few of these terms:

Regular Decision:  This is most common option to choose while completing the Common App.  You will apply before the deadline and receive notification of your acceptance by March or April.  You will have time to look at the financial aid packages that come in and make your decision by May 1^st.

Early Decision: If students chose the Early Decision application their application will be due in early November, usually November 1^st.  If students choose this option they will be given a decision in early December.  You can only apply to one school Early Decision.  Usually you will pick this option if this is the school that you have researched well and it is your very top choice.  With Early Decision, if you are accepted you are committed to attend that school.  The positive is that you will know by Winter Break what school you are attending and the acceptance rate for Early Decision is about fifty percent higher than regular decision.  One downside is if you don’t accepted then you have very little time to apply to other schools.  Also, you would be accepting admission without knowing the financial aid package you will receive.  If you at all worried about financial aid, this is not a good option for you.

Early Action: This is similar to Early Decision.  You apply by November 1^st and you hear back by early December.  However, with option you do not have to accept the offer of admission.  Also, you can apply to more than one school Early Action.  With this option you are telling schools that it is your top choice, but you have the freedom to wait until March and see what your financial aid options will be.  

Single Choice Early Action:  Some schools like Harvard and Yale offer this option.  This is similar to Early Action with the exception that you can only apply to one school as Early Action.  You can still apply to other schools as regular decision. 

**Some schools have their own rules regarding Early Decision and Early Action.  If you are considering these choices make sure to check the website for each school before applying.

What is FERPA? The Common App and some scholarships will ask you to waive your FERPA rights.  FERPA stands for the The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act.  Basically this act says that you have a right to review your academic records.  As you ask counselors and teachers to write you letters of recommendation, these letters become a part of your academic record, if you are accepted to a college.  By waiving your rights, you are saying that you won’t look at the letters of recommendations.  In general, you will want to waive your rights.  Here is why:  admission officers want teachers and counselors to be as honest and candid as possible when writing about you. If you haven’t waived your rights, some schools will not consider the letters of recommendation because they don’t feel the recommenders were free to say how they really feel.   

     In general, you shouldn’t be worried about what your recommenders are going to write about you.  If you have any concerns, don’t ask for a letter of recommendation from that person!  Your teachers and counselors obviously don’t want to be a stumbling block on your road to college; they want to support you in your efforts.  You can help yourself by making sure to ask for letters of recommendation at least two weeks before they are due and returning any materials that they ask for by their due dates.  If you have any questions about this, please stop by and visit with your counselor.

Workshop For This Late-Start Wednesday

Hey Cowboys!  If you haven't taken a look at our previous post with all of the updated workshop information, please make sure to read that and mark your calendars.  This Wednesday, September 30th at 7:45 am in the library we will discuss how to begin your college search.  We hope to see you there!

Preview Days

     Individual and group college tours are available throughout the school year.  If you have a few colleges you are interested in attending, it is always a good idea to visit the campus and see if it feels like a fit.  Colleges keep track of students that schedule visits and it can give you extra points for your admission application.  Colleges like to see that you are interested in them.  

     To help get you interested, some colleges will offer a “preview day” in the fall season.  These preview days are usually held on a Saturday and are much like a Canyon Open House.  The school will be open for you to visit with the different colleges and majors having booths for you to gain information.  You can also learn about support programs, clubs, admissions, and much more.  Below is a list of a few of the CSU and UC schools that have preview days coming up.  Please note that the campus events are subject to change so make sure to go the individual school’s website for the most up-to-date information and exact times.

SCHOOL	DATES
CSU Channel Islands	10/3      10/15   11/7
CSU Chico	10/24
CSU Dominguez Hills	11/7
CSU East Bay	10/17
CSU Los Angeles	11/14
CSU Monterey Bay	10/10
CSU Sacramento	10/24
CSU San Bernardino	10/24
Stanislaus	10/17
UC Irvine	10/24
UC Riverside	11/7
UC Santa Cruz	10/7

Upcoming Workshops....Updated!

Seniors: Most of you are either starting or in the middle of your college selection process.  We have many upcoming activities to help you.

First, our Financial Workshop for this Wednesday, Sept 30th (both the morning and evening sessions) has been moved to October 14th.  However, we have a great workshop planned for this Wednesday, Sept 30th at 7:45 am in the library.  We will be showing you how to start your college search using Naviance.  If you are confused about how to start the college process, this workshop is going to be perfect for you!  Please mark your calendars for this essential workshop.

The next day, October 1st, a representative from the UC system will be in our library at lunch to present a workshop on the UC Application. 

Then on October 14th, the counselors will do a presentation called Financial Aid 101.  They will be discussing how to narrow your college choices based on financial aid, how to search for scholarships and grants, and how to apply for financial aid and fee waivers.

You have another week after that to do some research on your own and then October 19th through October 23rd the counselors in will be in the library during 7th period to sit down with you and help with your college searches or give help with college applications.

On October 26th, a representative from the CSU system will be in the library at lunch to host a workshop on the CSU mentor application process.

Finally, November 9th through November 25th during 6th and 7th period the counselors will be in the library to help any student with their college applications and questions. 

Students can create an account on CSUmentor now and start their search for CSU schools.  The application will open on Thursday, October 1st and will be due November 30th.

The UC application is open NOW.  Students can submit the application starting November 1st.  This application is also due November 30th.

For students that need to apply through the Common Application, there are many schools that will have early decision applications due in October and November. Please check your deadline dates. 

Upcoming Workshops at Canyon

On Wednesday, September 23^rd , Canyon’s Parent Advisory Council is hosting a workshop about College Financial Planning.  Their guest speaker will be Justin Duncombe, a financial planner.   The workshop will be at 7:45 am or 6:30 pm in the library.  This workshop might best be appreciated by our Freshman and Sophomore parents looking for long-term financial aid planning advice.

The following week on Wednesday, September 30^th, Canyon’s Counseling Department will be presenting a workshop on Financial Aid.  We will be discussing how much college will really cost your family each year, how to search for colleges that fit within your budget, what kind of financial aid is available, and how to apply for scholarships and grants.  This presentation will be most beneficial for our Junior and Senior students and parents, but all families are welcome to attend!  This presentation will be given twice, first at 7:45 am and again at 6:30 pm.  Both presentations will be in the library.