College Applications Nuts & Bolts

Check your e-mail regularly! Colleges use this as their primary way to communicate with you.
Check your Counselor Schoology page regularly! This is where we post regular updates and opportunities.
Provide plenty of lead-time for letters of recommendation. Determine how many recommendations are required (most public universities do not require or want recommendations). Ask your counselor and teachers before electronically inviting them into your application – invite them well in advance of any deadlines (at least 3 weeks). Counselors need you to complete the “Brag Sheet” to write your recommendation.

*Please contact your counselor directly for a Brag Sheet/Recommendation Form*

We suggest you waive your right of access to recommendations; colleges put more stock in confidential recommendations.

If your list of colleges is long, consider reducing to 10 or fewer schools – include Safety, Target (probable) and Reach schools.
College rep visits to RHS – College visit dates are posted on the Career Connected Learning RHS webpage or in Naviance (Naviance>Colleges>College Visits). You can also check the schedule posted outside Room 110. The reps are often the same people that read your applications so this can be a great connection.
Plan-ahead, organize, and watch those deadlines. Check the website for every college on your list for specific requirements and deadlines. Many schools utilize the Common Application. Consider making a spreadsheet to track deadlines and steps for the schools to which you are applying. Note financial aid priority dates, as well.
Application Quick Notes: Roosevelt does not report class rank and our GPA is UNweighted. The Class of 2024 size is 400 students.
Dual Credit Courses: Not sure how to enter or list dual-credit courses such as CIHS or Running Start on your college applications? Search it! All college application portals and most college admissions websites will provide instructions for how to do this, so use the Help resource or Google it for your specific applications or the Common App.
Scholarships – Start researching now! You can check the RHS Scholarship Bulletin which is updated regularly and the Roosevelt Scholarships folder in Schoology for opportunities specific to Roosevelt seniors. SPS also posts scholarships on the RHS Counseling Center page under “Scholarship Information” from the RHS website tab “Resources and Services”. Many colleges have their own scholarships for which you may qualify, so check with each college’s Financial Aid/Scholarship page. Watch the college scholarship deadlines – sometimes they are different from the general application deadline and have priority FAFSA deadlines, as well.
Seattle Promise – Any graduate of Seattle Public Schools can earn two tuition-free years of college credit at Seattle Central College, North Seattle College, or South Seattle College. You must apply to both the college and the Seattle Promise program by the deadlines (February 14, 2025). In addition, you need to submit your FAFSA/WASFA by the final deadline of April 30th^, 2025. If you have been a Running Start student, the number of credits you can earn includes those you have already earned during high school. You can meet with our Seattle Promise Outreach Specialist for more info or talk with your counselor.
Plan to file the 2025-26 FAFSA/WASFA as close to the open filing date as possible, which for FAFSA this year is on or before December 1, 2024. – Apply for Student Aid/FAFSA or Washington State Application for Financial Aid. This is how you qualify for grants, loans, or work study. Make sure to check the FAFSA filing deadlines for each of your colleges, as they can vary. Many scholarships ask for information from the FAFSA. Some schools also require you to complete the CSS Profile. FAFSA/WASFA workshops will be available across the district. These dates will be advertised during your senior year.
Check out the new FAFSA mobile app: Federal Student Aid (U.S. Dept. of Education)
If you are registered with the College Bound Scholarship program, you can visit this site for more information about how to access the scholarship.
The WASFA is available for non-citizens or in some other specific cases. If you are not sure which application you should use to apply for financial aid, you can complete this WSAC questionnaire.

Transcripts & Test Scores

Some colleges do not want a transcript at the time of application (for example, UW/UC schools) – you can self-report your grades and send a transcript if you are accepted.
If you are applying through the Common Application, your counselor will upload your transcript through the Secondary School Report.
You will need to request high school transcripts to send to schools not on the Common App through Naviance. See instructions on your School Counseling Schoology page or on the RHS website Counseling Center page under senior information.
You are also responsible for mailing transcripts from any other schools you have attended during your high school career, including schools attended as part of an exchange program, online programs, and Running Start.
If submitting test scores, you are responsible for having your SAT and/or ACT scores sent directly to colleges. College Board and The ACT Test.

Many schools also require a mid-year report and/or first semester grades. Counselors will send in the mid-year report and updated transcript online for Common Application schools. For other colleges, you will use the transcript request process through Naviance.

RHS Counseling Office

During senior year, students can email their counselors with questions and/or make an appointment for assistance with the college application process. The Common Application and other online applications will ask for your counselor’s contact information.