Hello Seniors,

It was wonderful to see you at workshop class today. We hope you all had a great week and have something fun planned for the weekend ahead.

To help keep you on track, please take a few minutes to read the following updates and information.

November and December "to do" list and important dates:

• Week of November 8: This is the final week of virtual college visits. We hosted over 115 colleges this fall! Please see attached for the remaining appointments.

• November 10: Last day for seniors to complete transcript requests and submit essays and supplements for review for November 15 applications 

• November 12: Senior College Day (no classes). A good day to work on RD applications and attend virtual college events

• November 17: Last day for seniors to complete transcript requests and submit writing for review for colleges with a deadlines of Nov 30

• November 29: Last day to make transcript requests for final list of schools

• November 30:  UC application due date

Transcript Request form 

For applications due November 15 - submit the form by November 10 for each college application 

For applications due November 30 - submit the form by November 17 for each college application

For applications due January 1 or later - submit the form by November 29 for each application  

Ms. Carter’s students

Mr. Cunningham’s students

Ms. Fields’ students

Ms. Salone’s students

Today's November 5 Workshop Class and Requesting First Quarter Grades to go to the Colleges

Today, the third and final college workshop class took place, and we shared some important information about first quarter grades and regular decision applications. Remember that there are two instances when first quarter grades would be shared with the colleges, either the grades are requested, or you volunteer them. Please use the following link for any first quarter requests. Please allow the registrar approximately five business days to submit your request(s). Additionally, the presentation from the final workshop is attached.

Applying to a Special Scholarship Program at a College or University?

You may find that you are applying to a scholarship which has an earlier application deadline than the regular admissions application. An example of this would be Emory University Scholars Program with a deadline of November 15 vs the regular decision deadline of January 1. When completing your transcript request form, please make sure to indicate the earlier deadline date and the special program you are applying to as well. Lastly, make sure to abide by all deadlines for admission and scholarships.

Applying to the University of California system? Regular decision deadline is November 30

Here are some useful sections of the UC admissions site for your reference: learn more about the personal insight questions here, freshman admit data is here. Please refer to the attached form for UC Application Tips and here is a webinar taking you through the application step-by-step. 

Reminder! You are invited to connect with a Sidwell alum!

We understand that learning about and researching colleges can be challenging during this time of COVID-19 especially when you cannot visit the campus or meet with the students. The College Office is excited to partner with the SFS Office of Alumni Engagement to provide you with an opportunity to connect with a Sidwell graduate who attends or recently graduated from a college or university you are interested in. Please feel free to complete the following form to connect with a Sidwell alum!

Applying for Financial Aid?

For families applying for financial aid, we wanted to direct you to the two most commonly used forms: FAFSA: All colleges require the FAFSA (Free Application Form for Federal Student Aid) for need-based aid, The earliest you can file the FAFSA is October 1. CSS PROFILE: Approximately 400 private colleges also require the CSS PROFILE. The CSS PROFILE is typically available beginning October 1. Remember, each institution has different rules and requirements. It is never too early to investigate these requirements and complete the forms, as a late submission could negatively impact an admission decision.

Upcoming events and information for seniors/parents:

• The College Essay Guy’s free resources for essays, supplements, and applications.

• Check out Sallie Mae’s Paying for College Resource for ways to help students and families with helpful guides, free tools, and a video series.

• A series of admissions and testing webinars and recordings can be found here.

• Please refer to the attached Scholarship Listing for further information/opportunities.

Wishing you a great weekend! Stay warm!

In friendship,

The College Counseling Team