COLLEGE OFFICE

CLASS OF 2008 NEWSLETTER #7

· October 23, 2007·

* All November 15 deadline ED or EA applicants must give Mrs. Lombard their Secondary School Report(s) (SSR) by Wednesday, October 24. We cannot guarantee that your materials will reach the schools in time if you miss this deadline. No envelopes are needed. See “applying early” bullet below for more information.

* For November 1 early applications, the LAST DATE to submit your essay draft(s) for review is October 26 (THIS FRIDAY) by 3:00 p.m. Counselors will get the draft(s) back to you as soon as they can. Please remember to put your name somewhere on the essay, so that we know which essay belongs to which student.

* The registration deadline for the December 1 SAT is October 30.

o Please look at www.collegeboard.com to note when various SAT Subject Tests are offered. Not all SAT Subject Tests are offered on every test date!

o In the past, colleges have received scores from the November test date in time for consideration of early applications. DO NOT RUSH YOUR SCORES unless the college specifically asks you to do so.

* The registration deadline for the December 8 ACT is November 2. If you are driving to an ACT site or need a ride, please make an announcement in assembly or on the Class I conference. (The ACT is not held at Milton.)

* If you are applying early, the following steps are necessary:

o Hand in your SSR form(s) to Mrs. Lombard in the College Office - one SSR per school, with the name of the school to which you are applying, indication of EA or ED, and the application deadline clearly noted on the top. (We do not need envelopes.)

o Send your test scores officially from the College Board to the college(s) through www.collegeboard.com. The College Office will not send any scores to colleges and scores do NOT appear on your transcript.

o Give Teacher Recommendation forms to teachers with stamped, addressed envelopes. Envelopes should be standard size, preferably pull-and-stick closure, with the return address of teacher name, c/o Milton Academy, 170 Centre Street, Milton, MA 02186.

* You should self-report your AP scores when filling out your applications. You should not pay to have the scores sent officially through AP Services.

* Seniors who are not applying early should be working on their lists and essays, gathering applications and visiting with us.

* Fee waivers are here for the SAT, Subject Tests, and applications. If you qualify, please see Mrs. Lombard.

* If you must answer "yes" to the question about Disciplinary Action on your applications, you need to come by and talk to one of us about your response. You are expected to answer these questions honestly.

* Please continue to sign up for meetings. New sign up sheets are posted every Thursday morning in the College Office for the upcoming school week. If you do not need the full period time, please include a slash after your name on the sign up sheet to allow for an additional meeting that period. Or, if you have questions but don't need a full appointment, stop by at the end of any period, email us, or find us during recess. We can fit you in. Also, if you have signed up for a meeting and can’t make it, please come by and tell us. Parents who want to come in are also welcome and should call Mrs. Lombard at 617-898-2310 to set up an appointment.

* If you are applying to U. Michigan*, U. Wisconsin, U. Colorado, or any other rolling admission university, please inform us as soon as possible. In most cases, the earlier you apply to these schools, the better. If you apply online, please download and bring the SSR form to the College Office. *See University of Michigan information in the “College Info” section of this newsletter.

* The Buckley Amendment gives the student the right to examine his or her recommendations at the school where he or she finally matriculates. Students have the option to waive this right of access. While this is a choice, we strongly encourage students to waive their right of access. Admission offices will weigh more seriously what writers say if the student has waived his or her rights.

* When approaching a teacher about writing your letters of recommendation, please ask first in person; don't make assumptions and don’t email teachers to ask! You should ask the teacher ASAP for early applications and before Thanksgiving break for regular applications. If the teacher is willing to write, offer to sit down with that teacher and have a conversation about the work you did in the course and about you as a person. Most importantly, you need to discuss whether or not that faculty member feels he/she can write a positive letter for you. For more details, please refer to the Etiquette of the Ask sheet that you received in assembly.

* If you are an athlete who is being recruited or might be recruited by a Division I or Ivy League school, you must file an NCAA Clearinghouse Form before you can have an official visit. Visit the website at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net and from the home page choose “Prospective Student-Athletes.” Please be sure to download and submit the appropriate Student Release Form to Mrs. Lombard.

* For those of you who are applying for financial aid, you need to file a CSS/Profile form; there are forms available in Mrs. Lombard’s office, but we recommend that you instead register online at www.collegeboard.com. They began to accept forms on October 1, 2007.

* The Boston Independent School College Counselors Association (BISCCA) will be hosting a College Financial Aid Information Night on Wednesday, December 12. The seminar will be held at The Cambridge School of Weston’s Kluchman Theatre at 7:30 p.m. and will address topics such as the FAFSA, searching for scholarships, available types of financial aid, and alternative financing options.

* There are a number of different days on which you could visit colleges without missing school:

o Scheduled day: Monday, October 29 (the Monday after Parents’ Weekend) classes are not in session.

o Floating days: Seniors can miss two academic days of their choosing between Monday, September 17 – Friday, November 9 for visits. After November 9, exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis. You will need to pick up a Special Absence form from Mrs. Lombard and have it filled out and signed a week before your chosen day.

* We have Activities Update forms in our office. If you have taken on new activities or have done something interesting over the summer that we should know about, please see Mrs. Lombard for an update form. This is not necessary if you have already discussed any updates and/or your summer activities in a college meeting.

COLLEGE INFO

Boston University: Boston University School of Education will host an Open House Sunday, October 28 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at the School of Education. To RSVP, visit www.bu.edu/visitcampus.undergraduatevisitcampus.htm.

Denison University: A representative from the Admissions Office will be in Straus tomorrow (October 24) at 10:00 a.m.

Duke University: A representative from the Admissions Office will be in Straus October 25 at 6:30 p.m.

Grinnell College: A representative from the Admissions Office will be in Straus November 5 at 9:00 a.m.

Harvard University: A program for prospective students will take place November 4 from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. at the Science Center Lecture Hall B.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology: A representative from the Admissions Office will be in Straus October 30 at 3:00 p.m.

University of Michigan: The University of Michigan will implement an “Early Response” deadline this year. For all students whose completed applications are received by October 31, they will guarantee that a decision will be released by December 21. Students whose applications are completed after the Early Response deadline will receive decisions on a rolling basis, approximately 8-12 weeks after the application is received. No priority in the review process of an application will be given simply because it was submitted Early Response.

REMEMBER, OUR SCHOOL CODE IS 221430

College Office phone number is 617-898-2310

College Office fax number is 617-898-1717