College Planning
Naviance College / Career Readiness Program: Available to all our students on Naviance, this is the go-to place to do a college search. Utilize the College Match/Supermatch options to develop a “Thinking About” list of schools. By using Scattergrams and College Compare features, students can see how they match up to FHS applicants over the past decade and develop a realistic list of colleges that include Reach, Target, and Safety schools. Another key feature is the Career Exploratory Program, which includes an Interest Inventory.
Transcript Request Form: Whether you are applying Early Action, Early Decision, Regular Decision, or Rolling Decision, please be sure to complete this release form (orange paper in guidance or here Transcript Request Form) and get it to your Guidance Counselor, along with a one-time $5 fee, at least two weeks prior to their earliest deadline. No records will be sent without this form being submitted to Guidance.
Note: It is very important for students to submit college applications by posted deadlines. Don’t wait for school records, as those are only sent after your application is submitted.
Letters of Recommendation: Colleges typically require one teacher and a Guidance Counselor recommendation, while some highly competitve colleges require two teachers (refer to the college websites). Seniors should think carefully about whom they would like to write for them and make their requests as soon as possible (a minimum of two weeks prior to any deadline). Both the teacher(s) and your Guidance Counselor will need your detailed Brag Sheet in order to write you a recommendation.
After first asking in-person, students must then officially request FHS teachers on Naviance (found under the College Tab) Guidance Counselors don’t need to be requested, while “outside” recommenders (coaches, mentors, employers) can be requested on the Common App.
Common Application: Create a Common App account and begin to complete the Common Sections & the College Specific Sections. Mr. Hamilton is available to assist in completing this as well.
Note: All students using the Common App must complete the FERPA (release of information) section under any one college on the Common App. This is required only once in the process and allows us to send student records.
Matching Common App and Naviance: To send student records to colleges, students must link/match their Common App account with their Naviance account. After creating a Common App account, add at least one college, complete the Education section and FERPA. Then go to Naviance and on the Colleges I'm Applying To tab, you will see a pink banner at the top. Click "match accounts" and then enter the email and password you used to create your Common App. Follow the prompts to complete the process.
Personal Essay: This is one of the key components of the Common App. Colleges view it as the student’s “voice.” We recommend reviewing the seven prompts on the Common App and starting a draft essay, if you haven’t done so already. Best to share your draft with a trusted adult to review prior to posting the finished essay on the Common App.
Note: The English department offers after-school essay writing help sessions periodically throughout the year. There will be college admissions reps available at some of these sessions as well. A great opportunity to polish up those essays.
Create a personal resume: Get a leg up on the college application process by creating a personal resume, which can be shared with college admission reps when you meet them on-campus or at FHS. This is an opportunity to highlight your accomplishments (academic, extracurricular, work history, and special skills/talents) and leave a positive impression.
Note: Find a resume builder on Naviance or consult with your English teacher if you're not sure how to best create a great resume.
Some other helpful websites to develop your list: