College & Career Development

All applications should be completed and submitted online:

• Wisconsin Technical Colleges: www.wtcsystem.edu
• Wisconsin Public 2 year & 4 year schools: www.apply.wisconsin.edu
• Wisconsin Private Colleges: www.wisconsinprivatecolleges.org
• *Follow specific or out of state College/University application procedures*

Sending your ACT or SAT 

• If you did not have your ACT or SAT scores sent directly to the institutions when you took the exam, you can order the scores at www.act.org or www.collegeboard.com for an additional fee. 
• Scores have to be sent directly from ACT or SAT. Oshkosh West will NOT send out these scores.

Sending your Transcripts

• Order your Official electronic Transcript and Letters of Recommendation through Parchment. Log in at www.parchment.com. There is a $4.15 fee for each electronic transcript and $0.00 for Letters of Recommendations. Payment are made online.  Make sure to give your Letters of Recommendation to Mrs. Whittaker to upload to Parchment.  

College Entrance Requirements:

Note: Many colleges require 2 consecutive years of  the same World Language

*Always check specific school's entrance requirements*

Tips for Writing an Essay

• Write about yourself  
  • A great history paper on the Civil War might be very well written, but it doesn’t tell me anything about the writer.  Regardless of the topic, make sure you shine through your essay.
• Use your own voice
  • I can tell the difference between the voice of a 40-year-old and a high school senior.
• Focus on one aspect of yourself  
  • If you try to cover too many topics in your essay, you’ll end up with a resume of activities and attributes that doesn’t tell me much about you as an in-depth look at one project or passion.
• Be genuine  
  • Don’t try to impress me, because I’ve heard it all. Just tell me what’s important to you.
• Consider a mundane topic  
  • Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that make the best essays.  Some of my favorites have included essays that reflect on the daily subway ride to school, of what the family goldfish observes from the fishbowl perched on the family kitchen table.  It doesn’t have to be a life-changing event to be interesting and informative.
• Don’t rely on “how to” books  
  • Use them to get your creative juices flowing, but don’t adhere too rigidly to their formulas, and definitely don’t use their example topics.  While there are always exceptions, the “what my room says about me” essay is way overdone.
• Share your opinions 
  • Avoid opinions on anything too risky or controversial.  Your essay will be read by a diverse group of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, so try to appeal to the broadest audience possible.
• Tell a good story 
  • Show me why you are compassionate; don’t tell me you are.  Show me that you have to overcome great difficulty; don’t start your essay  with “I have overcome great difficulties.”
• Don’t repeat what is already in your application  
  • If you go to a performing arts school and all of your extracurricular activities and awards relate to dance, don’t write about how much you love dancing.  Tell me something I couldn’t know just from reading the other parts of your application.
• Finally, don’t forget about the supplements  
  • The supplemental questions are very important - you should plan to spend as much time on them as you do on your essay.  A well written essay won’t help if your supplement answers are sloppy and uninformative.

Edit, edit, edit!!  
Do not rely on spellcheck. Simple errors can make a good essay look bad.

What is a Brag Sheet?

You may ask teachers and staff to make recommendations for universities, technical colleges, military, scholarships, employment, etc.  In order to make your recommendation letter more personal and meaningful, it is important that others get to know as much as they can about you.  

When asking counselors, teachers, coaches, administration for letters of recommendations, please make sure to give AT LEAST 2 weeks notice! 

Please fill out the following “Brag Sheet”.  You should make copies and give it to the person you asked to write a recommendation letter for you.  Go ahead and brag!! This is not the place to be modest!

Brag Sheet

Commonly asked questions (and answers!) about applying to college:

Q: How/when should I do college visits?
A: Students should begin touring colleges during their junior year of high school- typically during the spring semester! You can set up a college visit by calling the college's Admission Office or by visiting the college's Admissions office website. Most colleges will have preview days set up for potential students to tour their campus, but you are always welcome to schedule a one-on-one tour with an Admission Representative.

Q: How/when do I apply for colleges?
A: The application process for most colleges begins in August/September and you should have the college applications completed by Thanksgiving! There are a number of ways to apply to colleges:

• For colleges within the UW System you will use the UW System Application
• For select Universities you may apply through the Common Application
• Most Private Universities utilize the Common Application OR their own application linked on their website
• Technical Colleges will have their own application linked on their website

Q: Do I qualify for a fee waiver?
A: Students who receive free/reduced lunch may qualify for a fee waiver for college applications as well as the ACT. Please bring proof of your free/reduced lunch status to your School Counselor and they can help you with necessary fee waivers.

Q: If I am taking a CAPP, Early College Credit, or Start College Now course, how do I get that college transcript sent?
A: All dual credit courses will show up on your high school transcript, but if you are planning on earning college credit for them, you will need to send a college transcript to each school you are applying. When applying to colleges, note the dual credit courses on your application and request a transcript from UW Oshkosh or Fox Valley Technical College by visiting their website and completing the transcript request form.

Q: I haven't taken the ACT yet- how do I do so?
A: All juniors will take the ACT test in January/February at West. If you would like to take the ACT before or after the required test at West you may sign up online. Please visit ACT.org to register or receive more information.

Q: I took the ACT but haven't sent my scores- how do I send them to colleges?
A: If you did not indicate on your ACT where you would like your scores sent, you will need to go to the ACT website (www.ACT.org) and request additional score reports to be sent. It costs roughly 15-20 dollars per school to send additional reports. 

Q: Where can I find scholarship information?
A: You can find scholarships in a number of places! You can check the counseling website under the College & Career Development tab for updated scholarship opportunities! We advise you to check frequently as it is updated every time a new scholarship comes into the office. You may also wish to ask the Financial Aid office at schools in which you are applying- many colleges will have scholarship opportunities! Finally, you can look for scholarships from local clubs, churches, community organizations, and parents' places of employment!

Q: How do I fill out my FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)?
A: You cannot fill out the FAFSA until after October 1st of your senior year (using tax information from the previous year). We will have planned FAFSA assistance events for seniors and families! Check emails regularly for details and upcoming events!