Application Checklist for Seniors

All seniors must register for the Common Application by September 30, 2022.

• Go to www.commonapp.org.
• Complete the registration form on-line.
• Select a username and password, write it down, and keep it in a safe place.

• Go to the College Search tab and search for and enter your colleges

Your guidance counselor cannot send your documentation electronically if you do not list all of your Common Application schools on your Common Application account.
 

• Go to the Common App tab and complete the PROFILE  and EDUCATION sections

• NOTE:  You must complete the PROFILE and EDUCATION sections of the Common Application BEFORE you can complete the FERPA in step 5.  You will need a copy of your full year senior schedule in order to complete the Current or Most Recent Year Courses under the EDUCATION section.

• You will also need the following information:

  • Graduating Class Size:  305

  • Class Rank Reporting:  None

  • GPA Scale:  4.0

  • GPA Weighting:  Weighted

  • Current Courses:  Count the number of courses you’re taking and report them accordingly. The minimum will be 6. The maximum will be 14. Senior Privilege, Directed Study and Advisory don’t count. 

• All seniors must complete the FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) on their Common Application account by September 30, 2022.

• Log into your Common Application account.

• Go to the My Colleges tab

• Click on the first college listed

• Click on “Recommenders and FERPA”

• FERPA Release Authorization pop-up box appears

  • Click the box at the bottom which says, “I have fully read and understood the FERPA Release Authorization explanation above”

  • Press the Continue button

  • Check the box that authorizes North Andover High School to send your documentation to schools.

  • Select whether or not you waive your rights to review your recommendations

    • Waiving your right to review recommendations means that you will not review your recommendations before they are sent.  This will not impact any decisions.

  • Type your full name under signature and enter the date

  • Press the Save button

• No need to invite recommenders because we use Naviance, unless you are getting a recommendation from someone other than a teacher at North Andover High School.

• All seniors must register with Naviance Family Connections by September 30, 2022.

• Go to https://student.naviance.com/nahs

• Click on "I’m new and need to register!"

• Type in your unique registration code.  If you don’t have the code please ask the Guidance staff for help.

• Click "Register"

• Type in your email address 

• Choose a password and confirm your password

• Click "Continue" to complete your registration
   

Our counselors spend a great deal of time preparing and writing their recommendations for students.  In an effort to help them personalize and accurately reflect upon a student, we ask that two documents be completed by the student and his/her family through Naviance Student.

• Click on the ABOUT ME tab on the toolbar on top of the page
• Click on SURVEYS FROM YOUR SCHOOL
• Click on Guidance Recommendation Form

A. Guidance Recommendation Form – This form is only accessible on the student’s Naviance account. It asks specific questions about his/her interests, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, and extra-curricular and school based activities, which will help our counselors write more meaningful and accurate recommendations. In addition, completion of this form will assist a student in developing his/her very first resume, which then can be attached to college applications. This is only accessible on the student’s account. This is mandatory.

B. Parent Recommendation Form – This is an opportunity for parents to give our counselors more insight into their student. Students are often modest in talking about themselves. Here is a chance for parents to reflect on their student’s strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, and their passions. Information collected from this form will only be used by our counselors to write more personalized recommendations for their students. They are not sent on to colleges. This form is only accessible on the parent’s Naviance account. This is optional.

• Once you have determined which colleges you will be applying to, and have entered them into Naviance and your Common Application accounts, you will need to complete a Transcript Release Authorization Form. These forms  are also available in the Guidance Office.

• Each form allows you to list up to 5 colleges. If you are applying to more than 5 colleges, please print additional copies of this form. 

• Please note that all Common Application schools require an official transcript and a Guidance Counselor Recommendation.  

• You must complete your Guidance Recommendation Form on Naviance BEFORE you turn in your Transcript Release Authorization Form. See Step 7.

• You must have both the Guidance Recommendation Form AND the Transcript Release Authorization Form  into the Guidance Office at least ONE MONTH prior to the application deadline.

• PRIOR to turning in your Transcript Release Authorization Form, you must go to the Transcript Payment Portal. and pay to have your transcript packages (which include transcripts and recommendations)  prepared and sent to the colleges listed on the form.  

• Seniors must pay a one-time flat fee of $25.00, which covers the cost of sending ALL of your transcript packages to the colleges you are applying to. For seniors who receive Free or Reduced Lunch, the one-time flat fee is $12.00. Click here to access the Transcript Payment Portal. 

• Counselor Recommendations are written in the order in which the Transcript Release Authorization Forms  are received, so plan ahead.

• Transcript Release Authorization Forms must be completed in full, and will not be accepted if they are not printed neatly and/or are missing information or the processing fee.

• The forms must be submitted directly to a member of the Guidance staff. DO NOT leave them in a counselor’s mailbox or on the front desk in Guidance.

• Make sure you include the names of the teachers who will be writing recommendations for you in the space provided on the form. NOTE: If a teacher indicates that a student has not had a face-to-face conversation with them about writing a letter of recommendation, a letter will not be written. The Guidance staff will follow up with that student directly, but it may delay the process.

• If a college does not accept the Common Application, and does not allow electronic filing of transcripts and counselor recommendations, these items will be mailed in an envelope to the college.

• You must ask a teacher via email or in person before you officially request them in Naviance

• Log into Naviance

• Click Colleges tab

• Under the Apply to College heading scroll down until you see Letters of Recommendation.  Click on the link.

• Click Add Request

  • Use dropdown menu to select the teacher you are requesting

  • Choose “General Request”

  • Add a personal note to the teacher and/or send a thank you

  • Submit request

• Repeat the above steps to add additional teacher recommendations.  Once a teacher is requested, you only need to do this one time.

• While in Naviance, go to Colleges I’m Applying to and match your Naviance Account with your Common App Account.

• Click on Match Accounts and enter the email address used on the Common App

• Under My College Tab - Complete the QUESTIONS section for each of the colleges you are applying to.  Some colleges may have additional essay questions listed in this section.

• Under Common App Tab - Complete the following sections of your application:

  • Testing

  • Activities

  • Writing

  • Courses & grades if required

• PROOFREAD the entire application including essays BEFORE submitting your applications

• You will be submitting one college application at a time.

• First, you will be asked to pay the application fee, if there is one

• Then submit the Common Application and Questions section including additional essays if required

• Check each college website for their specific requirements and deadlines

• FAFSA at  https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa - available October 1.

• CSS PROFILE at https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/

• Note that CSS Profile is NOT required for all colleges.