College Planning

Senior Timeline for College Admissions

How to apply to college: naviance, lor and transcripts

COMMON APP ONLINE STEPS:

You must match your Common App to Naviance to send electronic letters of recommendation.

STEP 1: You must create a Common App account online and add the colleges you want to apply to.  You can add more later.

STEP 2: Click on the Common App tab, click on the Education tab on the left and fill it out.

STEP 3: Next click on “My Colleges," and then “Recommenders and FERPA.”

STEP 4: Click “Release Authorization” under FERPA. Answer the questions. Be sure to “waive your rights” and sign.

Matching your Common App account to your Naviance account. 

STEP 1:  Login to Naviance

STEP 2: Click on Colleges > “Colleges I’m applying to”

STEP 3:  Type in the email address and birthdate you used to create your Common App account

STEP 4:  Click “Match”

STEP 5:  Now search for and add the colleges you plan to apply for. 

Tips and Steps for Requesting Letters of Recommendation:

TIPS:

• 3 letters are recommended and no more than 4, unless there is a really good reason

• Choose recommenders that can speak to different strengths.  For example, an LA or SS teacher and a Math or Science teacher.

• Your Counselor Rec is written by your Advisor

• You can also use a CE mentor, coach, or employer if the college allows. 

• Start early. Though 3 weeks is the standard turnaround time, giving your recommenders longer is preferred. 

STEPS:

• Complete the Letter of Recommendation form (see link below).

• Be detailed when filling out the things you want highlighted

• Email the request form to the person who will write your letter of rec.
  ALSO: Request the letters online through the Naviance website.  On Naviance: Under “Teacher Recommendations,” click “Add request.”  Choose your recommender from the drop down box. Be sure to write them a note. REMEMBER this is in ADDITION to the request form below.

• If applying to a non-Common App school, check to see if they have their own Rec form or an online request method. Notify your recommender that there may be an additional step in this case.
   

Letter of Recommendation Form
Please complete this form and share it with your recommender.
Please be clear and allow at least 15 working days for your deadlines.

Click HERE to view a helpful video on How to apply to college: Naviance, LORs and Transcripts

To request a transcript for both current and former students, please visit our Transcripts page.

When starting the college search process, be sure to discuss your plans and information needs with your counselor and parents. Explore and utilize the tools embedded in the Naviance system, which are available to all New Vista students. In addition to online tools, there are excellent guidebooks and college directories, many available to you in the Counseling Office.

College Research Websites

CollegeAnswer​​: Provided by SallieMae, leading national commercial provider of student loans and college savings plans, this site offers free tools for preparation and saving, planning, paying, and managing loans, but also includes tools for deciding on your college, and even help with assessing your personality, interests, and skills to help choose a career direction.​

In Like Me: InLikeMe is centered at the intersection of college planning, selection, admissions testing and financial aid with a focus on helping you find your “right fit” schools and develop a strategy to get admitted.

Naviance:  All students and parents of Boulder Valley have access to this amazing resource.  Students can search for colleges, careers, scholarships and have access to every college website all from one place.  Students access Naviance through their Classlink portal.

College Insight: Provides easy-to-use college profiles and powerful research tools that include information about affordability, student debt, and diversity. ​

Kiplinger’s Best College Values​: Focus is on value and ranks U.S. colleges and universities in three separate lists: public universities, private universities, and liberal arts colleges. Users can query, view and sort the schools on each list by various financial and quality measures. ​​

U-CAN Network: The University and College Accountability Network provides charts and concise information in a common format on more than 700 private institutions including admissions and enrollment stats, demographics, graduation rates, popular majors, faculty information, class size, tuition and fee trends, costs, financial aid, campus housing, student life, and campus safety. 

Unigo​: Offers “insider” reviews, videos and photos by actual students attending the college as well as institution-specific stats and rankings as well as forums that focus on specific topics and colleges. Unigo’s partnership with The Wall Street Journal provides additional content focused on getting accepted, choosing schools and paying for college. 

Untapped Learning: Our college boot camp is designed to bridge the gap between high school and college, helping students establish routines and preserve structure in an environment of increased independence.

College Board​: Search and “College MatchMaker" tools allow you to query a database of more than 3500 schools. The site also contains useful student aid and entrance exam information. Your answers to questions about what you are looking for in a college; major, size, location, extracurricular activities, tuition, generate a list of schools that meet your criteria. There are links and comparison tools to learn more about individual colleges. If you register, the site will save your search and colleges that interest you. ​

College Navigator​: A free consumer information resource provided by the U.S. Department of Education. The site has tools and search options that make it quick and easy to gather and compare data about most U.S. colleges and universities. The College Navigator site also has useful links to Federal government sites for financial aid and career planning. 

Princeton Review: Find your dream school and more.

Campus Explorer​: This is another college search site. It includes 8,000 schools, including 2-year, 4-year and online opportunities.

College Confidential​: This site has gathered all of the best college admissions content on the Web together in one place, including articles and advice on choosing a college, getting into college, paying for college and college life. There are also forums for parents and students regarding questions that come up while navigating the college selection and admissions process, plus a feature (CampusVibe) where students (and parents) share opinions about colleges with videos, photos and visit reports.

Course Advisor: Find accredited colleges near you. Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences.