the coalition application 101

1. the coalition application 101 Presented by tiffany carter

2. Congratulations – class of 2020! You made it to your senior year! Now, it’s time to prepare and plan for the next chapter in your life!

3. This presentation will provide: • Information on how to submit your official test scores • An overview of what completes a college application • A breakdown of the Coalition for College Application

4. How to send your official test scores: SAT and ACT Relevant: Most colleges require applicants to send their official test scores directly from the testing agency Before Test Day You can send four free score reports to colleges every time you register for the SAT/ACT After Test Day SAT (College Board) - You can still send four free score reports to colleges up to nine days after you test. After that, there's a $12 fee per report ACT (ACT Testing Agency) - You can have your ACT scores sent to other colleges and scholarship agencies even after you test. There is a $13 fee per report Important Have an SAT Fee Waiver? If so, you can send as many score reports as you want – for free

5. What completes a college application: There are multiple parts of a completed admissions application, and each college requires something slightly different. Included below is a comprehensive list of what could be requiredin an application The Application Application fee (or waiver) High School Transcripts Standardized Test Scores Letter(s) of Recommendations Activity Sheet or Resume College Essay Short Answer Questions

6. Let’s talk about the application: Some colleges have their own unique application form. Others use the Common Application or the Coalition Application, which can save you substantial time by allowing you to apply to multiple schools through a single portal. Regardless of the format, colleges often ask for a variation of this information on their application: • Personal Information • List of Senior Year Courses • Dual Enrollment Credit • Extracurricular Activities • Essays • Honors & Awards • Disciplinary Infractions

7. Breakdown of the types of college applications: With an emphasis on the coalition for the college application

8. Individual college application and the Common Application: Individual college application: The common application: The “Common App” is an organization serving students and institutions by providing an application which can be submitted to over 750 institutions who participate in the Common Application membership. Thus, the Common App helps to provide access to higher education by allowing students to apply to multiple institutions with one application form. Some institutions have their own application for general admissions. Other institutions may have their own application for special programs, scholarships, or academic departments.

9. What is the coalition for college application: • A contemporary, mobile-friendly application developed to be intuitive to a 21st-century audience • A reliable alternative application that will stabilize the admissions process • A college application that can be submitted to Coalition member institutions

10. What does the coalition application represent: The Coalition for Access, Affordability and Success is a diverse group of over 140 public and private US colleges and universities that have come together to develop tools to improve access to college, especially for low-income and first-generation students, and to better support all students in the admissions process. Coalition institutions are committed to providing access to students of all backgrounds and share these characteristics: Affordability:Coalition schools represent a range of public schools with low-cost, in-state tuition and private schools committed to meeting the full demonstrated need of all their admitted domestic students. Successful Student Outcomes: Coalition schools graduate at least 70 percent of their students within six years (with many having much higher graduation rates).

11. Coalition benefits for you: • Easy access to information • Start the college conversation and get information about schools much earlier • Ability to build a list of affordable schools • Start tracking what you’ve done throughout high school • Can receive additional support from counselors, teachers, CBOs, and other mentors • Empowered to take ownership of the college search process • Single platform to plan, build, and organize • Confidence that if admitted to any Coalition school, you will be offered a responsible financial aid package • Affordable in-state tuition at state institutions • Easy access to fee waivers • 100% of demonstrated need covered at private institutions • Coalition schools can be trusted to meet their commitment to access and outcomes

12. THE COALITIONPLATFORM: The platform consists of three pieces: 1. Locker: Students’ private, secure online space to store documents and projects 2. Collaboration Space: Virtual meeting space to work with counselors, teachers, mentors, etc. 3. Application: Portal to apply to Coalition member schools

13. How you can use the locker: How to use the locker: What to store: Anything that will help you reflect on your high school experience A list of part-time jobs and summer work held since 9th grade Audio recordings, videos or photos of you engaged in an extracurricular activity Essays and research papers that you are most proud of Resume • Place to store or record your proudest moments and best work in high school • Store your schoolwork before submission and after grading • Get feedback on your individual items in your Locker from your counselor/trusted mentors via the Collaboration Space

15. How you can use the collaboration space: What the collaboration space is: Who should you invite to collaborate: You have complete control over who you collaborate with in the Collaboration Space School Counselor Counselor(s) from Community Based Organizations (CBOs) Trusted advisors, i.e. mentors, faith-based leaders, supervisor, etc. • A free space for you to invite your counselors and trusted advisors to help you in the college preparation stage by: • Engaging with you • Gauging your progress • Providing advice on required courses and steps in the application process

16. Collaboration space cont’d: Submitting Documents and Materials: • Counselors and teachers will be able to add sealed credentials to your account through the Collaboration Space. Once a transcript or recommendation has been added, you can upload the transcript or recommendation to all your applications submitted through the platform • If Blake H.S. prefers another means of credential submission, then counselors will be able to offer detailed instructions to you via the Collaboration Space so you can request credentials through that preferred means to complete your applications

18. How you can get started: 1. Go to MyCoalition.org and register for a new account 2. Creating a profile only takes a couple of minutes When you create an account, you will be asked to fill out your “Profile.” Once you begin applying to colleges, your Profile will automatically populate in your applications

20. The coalition application up close and personal: What the Coalition Application looks like: file:///C:/Users/carte268/Downloads/2018_Coalition_Application.pdf Member Institutions: http://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/pdfs/coalition-member-list-06-05-2019.pdf Essay Prompts: http://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/essays.html

21. Tips for using the coalition application: • Start with the Profile • Get a copy of your transcript to answer the 9th-11th grade coursework questions • Your Profile must be 100% complete before accessing school-specific applications • Thoroughly review all questions in the application, optional or not

22. Similarities and differences between the common application: Similarities: Differences: Number of Members: The Coalition Application: 144 The Common Application: 750+ Number of Applications: The Coalition Application: Unlimited The Common Application: 20 Features of Online Portal: The Coalition Application: Has a Locker The Common Application: No features The Coalition Application requires 9th-11th grade courses along with senior-year classes • Allow students to apply to college • Are online applications in which students create an individual log-in and submit through their online portal • Are accepted by all 8 Ivy League Schools • Have comparable essay prompts for 2019-2020

23. how to choose which application to complete? It depends!

24. One final “general” note: Even though several elements of the your application can be submitted by others, you are still the person who is ultimately responsible for making sure that all parts of your application arrive on-time. Be sure to check in with both your guidance counselor and recommending teachers – the earlier the better – to ensure they are prepared to submit their portions of your college application package. You can then check the online portal for each of the colleges where you are applying to make sure that they have received all materials in a timely manner.

25. Enjoy your summer!