FAQs – College Admissions

The path to college starts well before high school; however, the college application process itself begins in earnest during the spring of junior year, continuing over the summer, and finishing in the fall of senior year. As an outline: during the first two years of high school, it’s important that students are take the right classes, do well academically, participate in extracurricular activities, and develop leadership opportunities. During this time, students may want to meet once/semester or once/year with either a college counselor or a Peak Director in order to be sure everything is on track. At some point, it is important to start visiting schools. If a student is serious and mature enough while in lower grades, school visits can begin in 9th or 10th grade. Typically, however, this is a bit too early for many students, and college visits should begin after 10th grade. The summer after 11th grade is the key time to focus on filling out college applications, writing essays, visiting schools, etc. We strongly recommend students get the majority of the applications process completed before they start their senior year.

This depends on the amount of support students need and how close they are to the application deadline. Sometimes, multiple meetings in one week is necessary; other times, students may go a few weeks or more between sessions. Our counselors will ensure that the appropriate meeting frequency takes place to reach each student’s goals.

This can vary greatly. Some students meet only once or twice to gain some guidance and insight, others meet periodically over several years with the majority of meetings occurring during the spring of junior year through fall of senior year.

Students can schedule a visit to a school by visiting the admissions page on the website where there will be a link to the schedule for their tours and admissions presentations.

While it’s not a prerequisite in order to apply, considering the importance of this decision it would be a mistake to attend a school that a student has never visited. If a student is going to bother to put in the time to apply to a school, he/she should take the time to visit the school in order to be sure she has interest.

The answer to this question will depend on the goals of the student. Generally, students are advised to apply to 8-10 schools at the most. It is important for the student to research the colleges and visit when possible to assess whether the institution may be a good fit. Students should create a 3-column list including a few “safety” schools, a few “target” schools, and a few “reach” schools.

No. Some colleges superscore, some don’t, and a few will superscore one test and not the other. You can find out specifics on each school’s website.

No. Some schools require that all students send in all of their scores. Students are always advised to go to the college’s website. The information will be provided on the admissions page.

Early Decision is a binding agreement between the student, his/her family, the school counselor, and the college. Once a student is accepted through Early Decision, all other applications must be withdrawn. A student may apply to only one Early Decision school. A student must be absolutely certain of their interest and intent to attend a specific college before making this decision. Early action is a non-binding application option where students may apply to as many Early Action schools as they wish. Admission decisions will be made earlier than those applying Regular Decision.

The best way to determine a school that is a good fit is through the college visit. Students can assess whether the campus is a good size for them, a location that is suitable, programs they seek, activities in which they have an interest, and a student population that reflects the diversity they seek.

After spending time researching colleges that are of interest, each student should compile a list of colleges that are considered “reach” schools or those that are more competitive and have requirements that may be above the student’s data, “target” schools which would appear that the student would have a good chance at being admitted, and “safety” schools or those colleges that admit students having data below what a student will be submitting.

For the most part, students will submit applications under the Early Action option, if the schools offers this. Most schools admit a majority of their incoming class from the Early Action applicant pool. If a student is continuing to work on improved ACT or SAT scores, then they may wish to apply under Regular Decision. Additionally, if their grades place them “on the bubble” for a school, they may wish to apply later in order for the colleges to see an improvement in either category.

The best way to answer this question is for students to take each test as a baseline to see which testing option they prefer with regard to timing and the objective of each test. Peak offers full-length, real ACT and SAT tests along with an analysis of scores during a follow up consultation and can help students determine which test is the best fit.

Students will want to check the college website to ascertain whether the school will accept self-reported scores, or if they wish to have official scores sent from the testing agency.

Writing a quality college essay is extremely important and a daunting task for many students. The best way to ensure students are submitting excellent essays that will stand out amongst the thousands submitted is to work with an experienced college admissions counselor.

It is important to take the college tour and hear the presentations given by the college officials. They provide excellent information that a student would not get from a self-guided tour or a drive-by. There are lists of questions to ask the admissions counselors and ambassadors online, which would be good resources rather than trying to create a list; however, think about what you will want to know from the school and write down questions prior to your visit. It can also be helpful for students to attend some classes, stay the night in a dorm room, or find other ways to learn as much as possible about each school.

FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Students and parents can learn more and apply at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa. Students who meet the criteria and can demonstrate need are eligible for financial aid of various types: grants, scholarships, loans, etc.

There are virtually an infinite number of scholarships large and small available to students. The best way to find and apply for scholarships is to work with an experienced college admissions counselor or college financial planner. Students and parents can learn more at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/grants-scholarships/finding-scholarships.