Class of 2019 Newsletter
September 2018
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Welcome back to school! Your senior year is sure to be filled with indelible moments, intellectual discoveries, personal growth, athletic and artistic triumphs, and - lest we forget - plenty of school work. Among that energy, emotion, and industry looms the college application and admission process. Inevitably, that means some anxiety and stress, but trust that we are here to help and cheer you on every step of the way. A bright future awaits you, but among the hustle and bustle try to enjoy your senior year and cherish every moment in this special place and time.
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September Checklist
Please attend to the following:
- Seniors and Parents: Set a September appointment with your college counselor. You can book that meeting in the "Contact the CCO" section below.
- Share drafts and revisions of all college essays with your counselor.
- Review the schedule of college reps visiting Gilman. Mark your calendars, and plan to attend all information sessions for colleges on your list.
- Follow up with and thank teachers who will be writing recommendations for you; please share with them your earliest application deadlines.
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Monthly Focus
Essays
As you draft and revise your essays, please read and utilize Gilman's College Essay Guidebook. If you have not done so yet, please get essay drafts to your college counselor. We want to see every piece of writing before it goes out to colleges - both your primary essay and any supplemental essays. The earlier you get these to us, the more time we have to give you feedback and work through subsequent drafts. We prefer that you share your essays with us via Google Docs. Likewise, every year we work with students who focus so much time on their main essay that they rush through their supplemental essays. Please resist this temptation. As colleges become increasingly selective, the supplemental essays have taken on greater importance - sometimes even more so than the main essay.
Visiting Admission Representatives
Each year, over 100 college admission representatives visit Gilman to discuss their institutions with interested students. These visits occur at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. daily throughout the fall. We will also be hosting three mini-college fairs during afternoons in the fall. An updated schedule for these meetings is posted on the CCO website, in the CCO, and on the US bulletin boards.
Standardized Test Score Reports
Please be aware that most colleges will expect an official score report from the College Board and/or ACT. An Important Note: Gilman does not and cannot send official standardized test scores. You will need to login to these sites to request that your scores be sent to the colleges you are applying to. Instructions for sending SAT scores to colleges and instructions for sending ACT scores to colleges can be found at the links provided. Plan to send scores in early October, at least three to four weeks prior to application deadlines. We will likewise review this procedure during fall Form Meetings.
Wednesday 10/10
October 10 is PSAT day for sophomores and juniors. Seniors have the option of visiting a college that day or coming into school for help with essays and filling out the Common App. Please take advantage of this day to attend to pressing college admission priorities.
University of Maryland Priority Deadline & Other EA Deadlines
The University of Maryland, College Park has a November 1 "Priority" deadline. If you are considering applying to Maryland, we strongly encourage you to make use of this deadline, as admission becomes markedly more competitive for Regular Decision. Remember, Maryland will be accepting applications exclusively through the Coalition Application. Please also consider Early Action and/or Priority deadlines at other schools that offer them; this often benefits your chances for both admission and scholarships. While many EA deadlines fall in November, remember that public schools in the south such as UNC - Chapel Hill, NC State, University of South Carolina, University of Georgia, and Georgia Tech have 10/15 EA deadlines. Lastly, if you are applying to a university with a Rolling deadline, we encourage you to apply by November 1.
AIMS Financial Aid Night
Please mark your calendars: this year's college financial aid night will be held on Thursday, September 20, at 6:00 p.m. at Maryvale Preparatory School. This comprehensive financial aid program, led by Davidson College's Chad Spencer, is strongly recommended for those planning on applying for college financial aid.
Need-Based Financial Aid
If you are applying for need-based financial aid, please make note of each college's aid deadline. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and CSS PROFILE both become available on October 1. All colleges require the FAFSA for consideration for need-based aid; some colleges - usually private institutions - require the CSS PROFILE as well. Submitting the required forms is the only way to qualify for need-based aid, which can include grants, loans, and work-study.
Merit Scholarships and Resources
In addition to need-based aid, many colleges also offer merit-based scholarships, which are typically based on academic performance and do not require an application for need-based aid. Please make sure to keep track of merit scholarship deadlines and requirements. Looking for outside scholarship awards related to your academic interests, activities, and background? Start your search using these tools: Make use of the National Scholarship Search tool in Naviance. Fastweb is well-established, user-friendly, and free scholarship database while Going Merry is a newly launched, free "matchmaking" scholarship database and application tool. Finally, for a small fee Scholly - an app and web-based scholarship search engine - is a scholarship search engine developed by a recent college grad for college students.
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Standardized Testing Dates
ACT 9/8
SAT 10/6
ACT 10/27
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For Your Consideration
Still thinking about what might make a college a good fit? In his recent article "Ask Good Questions," Georgia Tech's Rick Clark observes: "Asking the right questions, and being persistent in the asking, is a fundamental life lesson. And it's absolutely vital as you go through the college." Read more of his sound advice at the link above.
Brennen Barnard, Director of College Counseling at the Derryfield School, collected advice from rising seniors preparing to run on what he calls the "college admission treadmill." Read that collection of reflective wisdom here: "College Applicants Reflect on Lessons Learned."
Parents, is your son refusing to share his college essay with you? We look to Brennen Barnard once again as he explains why that might be a good thing in this article from The Washington Post.
Did you interview with an admission officer this fall? Did your tour guide offer you helpful insights into campus life? Have your teachers taken time to write letters of recommendation on your behalf? Send them a thank you note. In her recent New York Times article, Heather Murphy explains why "You Should Actually Send That Thank You Note You've Been Meaning To Write."
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Contact the CCO
