Links & Resources
The College Center Links contain a multitude of useful links on colleges, testing, summer programs, financial aid and relevant articles. Use the important link below for Stevenson's Family Connection at Naviance, an online college counseling site that gives helpful information for our students and parents. A password is necessary to sign in; Stevenson sophomores, juniors, seniors, and their parents may email the College Center for their personal registration code: collegecenter@stevensonschool.org.
Please use Naviance "Family Connection" below.
Helpful Resources
Click here for information on the Top 10 Environmentally friendly schools.
Easy, free access to information that helps you prepare to pay for college can be found at FinancialAidNight.
The Personal Essay: Making the Connection
This is a recent Podcast available on Naviance about writing the personal essay.
WUE (pronounced "woo-wee") is the Western Undergraduate Exchange, a program of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE.) Through WUE, students in western states my enroll in many two-year and four-year college institutions at a reduced tuition level: 150 percent of the institution's regular resident tuition
The SimpleTuition website will help you understand the process of applying for and consolidating student loans. The site also provides helpful information in selecting the appropriate lender for you.
CollegeBasics is a valuable online resource for students and parents where you can find information to aid in your college counseling work as well as for class presentations, articles about getting started in the college essay process, tips for the interview process and much more.
Here are some resources to assist you in the college selection process:
What Colleges Look For
Top ten experiences and strengths colleges want from high school students.
- A high school curriculum that challenges the student. Academically successful students should include several Honors and Advanced Placement classes.
- Grades that represent strong effort and an upward trend over the years. However, slightly lower grades in a rigorous program are preferred to all A's in less challenging coursework.
- Solid scores on standardized tests (SAT, ACT). These should be consistent with high school performance.
- Passionate involvement in a few activities, demonstrating leadership and initiative. Depth, not breadth, of experience is most important.
- Community service showing evidence of being a "contributor." Activities should demonstrate concern for other people and a global view.
- Work or out-of-school experiences (including summer activities) that illustrate responsibility, dedication and development of areas of interest. Work or other meaningful use of free time can demonstrate maturity.
- A well-written essay that provides insight into the student's unique personality, values and goals. The application essay should be thoughtful and highly personal. It should demonstrate careful and well-constructed writing.
- Letters of recommendation from teachers and guidance counselors that give evidence of integrity, special skill and positive character traits. Students should request recommendations from teachers who respect their work in an academic discipline.
- Supplementary recommendations by adults who have had significant direct contact with the student. Letters from coaches or supervisors in long-term work or volunteer activities are valuable; however, recommendations from casual acquaintances or family friends, even if they are well known, are rarely given much weight.
- Anything special that makes the student stand out from the rest of the applicants! Include honors, awards, evidence of unusual talent or experience, or anything else that makes the student unique. Overall, colleges are seeking students who will be active contributing members of the student body.
Helpful Links
Top 5 Ways to Impress an Admissions Officer
36 Most Common Mistakes Students Make on College Applications
African-American Scholarships and Internships
What Colleges and Universities are Looking for in a Student Application
Focus on the Fit, Not the Rank
Looking at College from a Parent's Perspective
For students who are doing UC applications, you will need your own transcript as well as a list of Stevenson courses which are approved for the California system. Click here for information on the UC list of approved courses.
For parents: "Ask Amy: Responding to the Thin Envelope." This is an NPR broadcast instructive to parents about how they might respond to the arrival of thin envelopes (wait or rejections) from colleges.