Applications

Always keeping in mind that the college search process is about determining which colleges are the best match, the college counseling office at the Colorado Rocky Mountain School stands ready to help students and their families make their way through the maze that leads to college acceptance. Some of the steps in the process involve achieving well academically, taking standardized tests, visiting colleges, and preparing thorough and thoughtful applications that will catch the eye of college admissions officials.

While we will do everything possible to facilitate each student's college choices and applications, each student holds the key to his own success. It is vitally important for each student to put serious thought into what he/she wants from a college education, what his/her passions are, and what makes them happy. Since the student cannot be in the room when an admissions committee is making a decision the application must do the talking for them—showing them, through words, what makes him/her a great match for that college. The best way to dazzle college admissions offices is not to appear impressive but to be impressive. A love of learning is evidenced not just by attaining strong grades, but also by showing enthusiasm for the learning process—delving deeper, thinking bigger, exploring, and questioning. Enthusiasm for an activity is evident when a student does more than the minimum, such as holding positions of leadership (not just in title, but in actions too) and taking the initiative to make improvements rather than going with the status quo.

Types of Applications
Within the first few days of your return senior year, you'll meet with your college counselor to discuss the progress that you've made over the summer and to begin working on other aspects of your application process. Once you've decided where you'd like to apply, you can go to the most schools web sites and apply online. At this point, you should be clear about whether or not you intend to apply under an early plan. Most colleges offer some form of an early plan, of which the features of each are described below: The Common Application can be used to apply to over 300 colleges and universities. The advantage of this mega-application site is that you enter your basic information once and the software then automatically places your data in all of your applications, while following the format required by each school. This can save you a lot of time. Make certain you also complete the "supplement" that is required by many of the schools that use the Common Application. Remember, it's the content of your application rather than the format that results in an acceptance.

Regular Decision
Most students complete what is called a "Regular Decision" application. This application often has a deadline in January and a standard date--usually around April 1--when you will be notified of your acceptance.

Rolling Admissions
Some schools, primarily large state universities, don't admit their freshmen all at once. Instead they make admission decisions as the applications are submitted. Therefore if you apply in October, you might hear in November. Admission officers keep accepting and rejecting students until the freshman class is filled. Obviously, if this school uses "rolling admission" you should get your application in early. The longer you wait, the harder it is to get admitted. Plus you'll feel better if you have at least one acceptance early.

Early Decision
Early Decision (ED), an option offered by about 10% of colleges, is an application program under which you indicate that a specific college is your absolute first choice. The deadline for ED is usually November 1 with decisions being announced around December 15. The important thing to remember about an ED application is that if you are accepted, you must withdraw applications to all other colleges and agree to attend the Early Decision school. CRMS counselors are ethically required to hold you to your early decision and will not submit transcripts or applications to other schools if you are admitted ED. You should only use the ED plan if you have an absolute first choice school.

One of the major advantages is that admission committees feel positive about a student who has clearly designated their college as the first choice. Because of this, at most schools students who apply ED have a better chance of admission than those who apply under the regular decision program. Children of alumni are especially at an advantage under this program at some schools (e.g., University of Pennsylvania). If you are not accepted, you will either be rejected or deferred. Those students who still have a chance of being admitted--or those who didn't get their SAT scores sent to the college in time but appear to be admissible--are usually deferred. Deferred students are reconsidered in the spring with the regular decision applicants.

The major disadvantage to the ED program is that you not have the opportunity to compare your financial options and will have to commit to a school very early in your senior year.

Early Action
Early Action schools allow you to apply early and receive an early notification, but they do not require you to withdraw your other applications. Applications are usually due on November 1 and notification is made in mid-December, but accepted students don't have to decide which offer to accept until the regular May 1 reply date.

Application Components
Students should plan to ask two classroom teachers for recommendations, and it is always best if these letters come from teachers you've had in your junior year. Some colleges may specify that they want a recommendation from an English teacher or a math or science teacher — know what is required!
Speak with each teacher individually and ask if he or she will be able to support your college application with a letter. Don't merely e-mail the teacher - it's a big favor and you should treat it like one. Speak to them before the end of your junior year (or, at the latest, at the very beginning of your senior year as long as you are not applying anywhere with a deadline prior to December 1st) Once a teacher has agreed to write a letter for you, let the college counseling office know who will be advocating for you. After that, students must take care of following up with the recommenders regarding your college addresses, deadlines and making sure they have been emailed to the college counseling office well before application deadlines. If a college has special Teacher Recommendation forms, make sure that the teachers receive them and return them for the mailing. Pay attention to the forms which require you to fill out student information (information about yourself). Some may require you to sign the form before you give it to the teacher or counselor.

Outside letters of recommendation: A letter of recommendation from someone outside of CRMS is fine as long as it adds information not provided by the school (i.e. a minister you have known all your life, a boss you worked with during a summer job, etc.). The writer must know you personally and be able to relate specific knowledge of your character or ability. A letter that speaks highly of your family or your parents is of little value because it doesn't let the colleges know more about you and can, in fact, turn the admissions officer off.

The U.S. Postal Service will be used to mail all materials, but students may choose to send any application materials through Federal Express for an additional fee. We have found that it is helpful to colleges when they receive the entire application packet in one large folder with all of the necessary materials in it rather than a number of separate mailings. This is a service we are able to do for students, and we recommend that students take advantage of it. If you intend to mail materials on your own, the college counseling office needs to know what you send and when you send it.

Make sure your name and social security number or applicant identification number appear on each piece of paper in your application. You are responsible for this. College admissions offices are processing thousands of pieces of paper and stray papers often fall out of folders. Don't let your folder be the incomplete on.

Applying
Once you have your list narrowed down to 6+ colleges, you are ready to begin filling out your applications. College admissions officers read all application forms very carefully, and you should regard each of your application forms as a vital component of your candidacy. The CRMS college counseling staff will review all essays and applications before they are submitted. Keep the College Counseling Office informed and keep Naviance up to date. Once you know where you are applying you should set up a folder for each college. If recommendation forms, etc. begin to come into the office and we don't know where you are applying, it can be very confusing.

The counseling office will send a package to colleges that includes transcripts, the counselor recommendation, teacher recommendations, the secondary school report form, the CRMS profile, a postpaid return card and any additional materials the student would like to include.

The student is responsible for sending official standardized test scores and submitting thoroughly reviewed applications online along with the application payment.

To order CRMS Transcripts please contact svalin@crms.org.