Dear Seniors & Families,

The CSU and UC deadline is 11:59 PM PST TOMORROW! If you have not yet submitted your application, it's important that you do so as soon as possible to avoid website traffic issues. If needed, please read the October newsletter for important CSU/UC application reminders.

Some CSU programs may accept applications after tonight, very competitive campuses and programs will be due on November 30. Click here for all the campuses and deadlines by major (click "see notice" to view the list).

Submitting your application is only one step in the application process. It's important that you also create and check your application status portals! Failure to respond to requests may result in the withdrawal of your application.

With finals approaching, beginning Monday, December 11, counselors are unable to meet with students during class time. Please drop in during 0 block/passing periods/ after school, or email me to meet during a free block.

Financial Aid Night Rescheduled to January 10: Please see an important announcement about Financial Aid Night below.

Congratulations to everyone who submitted their applications!

In His Love,

Mr. Lin

New Date: Financial Aid Night Rescheduled

The U.S. Department of Education has not announced a specific release date for the 2024-2025 FAFSA.

We made the decision to postpone the Financial Aid Night so that we can be better prepared to discuss the changes.

In preparation for the Financial Aid Night, we recommend that families:

Watch the videos summarizing the FAFSA updates:
What is FAFSA?
What's Changed
Who Is a Contributor?
Providing Consent and Approval
When the FAFSA is released, review it and make note of any questions that you might have.

We appreciate your flexibility as both high schools and colleges navigate these changes.

A link to the event will be emailed the week of the event.

NEWS & IMPORTANT REMINDERS

Students that need a counselor recommendation often referred to as a Secondary School Report, must complete the "2024: Counselor Letter of Recommendation Survey" on Scoir by December 1.

Note: The survey will say that it's due December 2, but it actually closes the day before. We understand this is confusing, but the system is set up this way.

This is typically required by private colleges or schools on the Common Application.

Last-Minute Applications/Changing Deadlines

Students who add on last-minute applications or change their deadline may experience a delay in the submission of their materials, especially if they did not properly request recommendations

Important Steps After You've Applied

After applying, each college will invite you to create an online application portal! Be sure to check your spam/junk mail folder for these invitations.

Many colleges will release their admissions decisions on these portals.

It's important that you:

Check regularly for requested information (ex. Self-Reported Academic Records, Quarter Grades/Progress Report etc.)
Please notify me if the college is missing any school materials.
But first, did you mark the college as applied on SCOIR?
It can take up to 2 weeks for materials received to reflect on your portal.

Failure to respond to requests may result in the withdrawal of your application.

Important Note For CSUs and UCs

Your admission to CSU and UCs is based on the information you have self-reported on the application. You will need to notify each campus individually if you:

Made a mistake when reporting your courses
Earned a D/I for your Final Semester 1 grade
Semester 2 Class Changes from what was originally reported on the application (Added/Dropped a class)

It is not guaranteed that they can consider the new information provided.

CSU App: Updates & Next Steps

To contact a CSU regarding a change to your application, please click here for a directory of all the admissions offices.

If the admissions office requires any documentation, please reach out to me.

Applying to the Educational Opportunity Program? Be sure to submit your application and follow up with teachers to submit your recommendation (referred to as documents) by the deadlines listed on their website.

UC App: Updates & Next Steps

The UCs have a website outlining important next steps after you apply. It also includes directions for reporting updates. Please click here and read the entire page carefully.

Requests for supplemental information: Some campuses may reach out to you for optional supplemental information ex. additional responses or teacher recommendations. We highly recommend that you complete this information. If you aren't asked to submit additional information it does not reflect negatively on your application.

Teacher rec requests: Some programs and colleges like Berkeley may invite you to submit recommendations. Please contact your recommender (preferably in-person) to let them know they will receive a message to upload their letter before entering their email into the portal.

Supplemental Program Applications: If you applied to a major (i.e. Art, Dance, Nursing, etc) that requires a supplemental application, it's very important that you submit it by the requested deadline. Failure to do so may result in an automatic rejection. Please see pages 58-59 of this guide for a list of these programs.

KEEP SCOIR UPDATED!

It's important that you keep your College List on SCOIR up-to-date (see the image below). Otherwise, we don't know that you've applied.

When you've marked that you applied on SCOIR, I receive a notification and submit your transcript(s) and teacher recommendations where applicable.

Some colleges like CSUs and UCs do not accept or require official transcripts and/or recommendations.

We do not use the Common App to submit materials and do not need a copy of the forms.

Other Important Reminders

Changes to College List on SCOIR: You are able to edit application dates and add/remove colleges to SCOIR under applying. I will then approve it unless I have concerns. I will check in with you if needed.

Application guides:

Click Here: Riordan HS College Application Resource Website

Senior Support Team

Ms. Melanie Aguas, Class Counselor maguas@riordanhs.org

Ms. Pia Crosby, Wellness Counselor pcrosby@riordanhs.org

Mrs. Melissa Nagar, Director of College Counseling mnagar@riordanhs.org

Mr. David Lin, College Counselor dlin@riordanhs.org

Ms. Jackie Grealish, College Associate jgrealish@riordanhs.org

Archbishop Riordan High School | Website