Senior Focus

Early Decision

This is a binding agreement between a student and the college. You are deciding on attending this school with your application (if admitted). If school X admits you, you have agreed to attend. If admitted, you must withdraw all other applications within 48 hours of acceptance.
Schools who offer ED expect families to research the cost and know this is an affordable option. Families can use the net price calculator found on the school’s website (required by federal law) and/or contact the school’s financial aid department.
Students can only enter into one Early Decision agreement at a time. There may be two rounds offered at various schools. The benefits of using this pool can be a smaller pool of applicants or a higher acceptance rate at the school. The drawbacks can be the inability to review financial costs at multiple schools and comparing the offers.

Restrictive Early Action (REA) or Single Choice Early Action

This is a non-binding agreement that restricts how you can apply to other schools. Students are not committed to attending the school under this plan.
Each school that offers this plan may have their own caveats. All schools that offer an REA plan do not allow you to apply to another school Early Decision. Some schools may restrict the Early Action pool. Most will allow a student to apply Early Action to a public school. Students should consult the school’s site directly to adhere to their policy.

Early Action/Priority Admission

This plan is not binding or restrictive and is the plan most students tend to use. Students are applying earlier than other plans the institution may offer, and it is often connected with scholarship deadlines. We heavily encourage students to use this plan when applying to public institutions in particular.

Regular Admission

This plan is usually a later plan than some of the other plans a school may offer. Students apply and they will be notified of admission at a later date. Schools that offer an ED, REA, or EA pool will often also offer a Regular Admission plan.

Rolling Admission

Schools that offer this plan notify students on a rolling basis of their admission. Approximately 3-8 weeks after a student applies, the student should receive a decision. Students are still encouraged to complete these applications in October to optimize their admission and scholarship opportunities.

Many colleges will ask for you to write a prompt. The prompts are often  the first time they have a chance to hear from you and learn more about you, who you are, why you are a “good fit” for their school, and what you may bring to their school. Typically an admissions counselor will spend about 5-15 minutes reading your essays when reviewing your file. Click here for writing tips and Common App Essay prompts.

Colleges and universities that admit students at a 25% rate or lower can be classified as “highly selective.” This classification for certain institutions typically receive tens of thousands of freshman applications and employ “holistic” admissions in their evaluation process. This means the school will consider all parts of the submitted application materials for admission. In other words, the school will not have a definitive formula or minimum qualifications for offering admission.

Highly selective admissions is extremely unpredictable due to its competitiveness with students from around the world applying. For example, some public schools in California have recently received more than 100,000 applications for admission. Due to this statistical uncertainty for admission, we strongly encourage our students to diversify their applications for admission and include “target” schools for admission where students are competitive for admission and/or “safety” schools where admission is almost or may be guaranteed based on their  published minimum admission requirements.

Highly selective colleges also typically offer different admission plans. Early Decision and Restrictive Early Action Plans are typically a smaller applicant pool and sometimes a bit less selective than Regular Decision. 

In addition to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), many highly selective schools also require the CSS Profile.  For more information, visit our Financial Aid page.

Some colleges offer evaluative interviews to applicants as part of their admissions process. Keep in mind that very few colleges currently require an interview for admission. If interviews are offered, there should be a section on the admissions website detailing the process for requesting an interview either on-campus or near SHS.

On-campus interviews are almost always conducted by professional admissions counselors or trained students who work for the admissions office. The interviewer’s job is to get to know you and see if you might be a good fit with their school. The interviewer’s job is also there to answer your questions, so come prepared with a few questions beforehand and consider writing down a few questions during your conversation.

If interviews are not offered, you can always contact the admissions office (we recommend contacting the SHS admissions rep found in Naviance) with questions or concerns not easily found online. They are employed to help you during the entire process. We are all here to support you as you navigate this journey and feeling informed is key!

DOWNLOAD: Notes from the CCC's Interview Workshop 2023

Teacher Letters of Recommendation

You may need letters of recommendation (LORs) for your application to particular colleges. Colleges are looking to learn about how you are as a student, group member, and a peer in an academic setting. These letters will help them understand how you may be in a college classroom and as a member in their community. Clear and early communication with your recommender can lessen the stress and anxiety with the process (for you and your recommender). Click here for guidance on obtaining letters of recommendation. 

Counselor Letters of Recommendation

Certain colleges will also ask for a counselor letter of recommendation. This letter is different from your teacher’s letter of recommendation. Where teachers focus more on your performance and interactions within their class, your counselor provides a bigger picture. They can highlight parts of your transcript, add contextual knowledge of your activities and achievements, and discuss how you have grown over the past three years.

Counselors will want you to complete a Counselor “Brag” Sheet. This can be found on our website or in the CCC (Room 1123). Students should make an appointment to speak to their counselor to discuss the letter and to turn in the “brag” sheet. Counselors will be writing for most of their seniors; just like your teachers, counselors should be given 3-4 school weeks of notice prior to the deadline. If your counselor has changed, or you are newer to the district, do not worry. Counselors will spend some time speaking to you when you turn in the “brag” sheet during your appointment.

If/when you email a link for your LOR to your counselor, or invite them through an application, be sure to follow up with a direct email to ensure they received it. Be sure to meet with them in person prior to sending the link.