Commack School District

Excellence in Education

Seniors

Welcome

This page is updated regularly with information that will help parents and students through the College Planning process.

Key documents

1. Senior College Planning Night Presentation

2. The College Process Checklist

3. Class of 2025 Cheatsheet

4. College Process Calendar

New!

Please use the online version of the College Application Processing Form.

***You must be logged onto your school Google account.***

This will prompt the Counseling Center to electronically submit your official transcript and letters of recommendations to the colleges you have applied to.

As a reminder please complete the form:

By October 1 for applications with November 1 deadlines
By October 15 for application with November 15 deadlines
By November 1 for applications with December 1 deadlines
By November 15 for applications with December 15 - January 1 deadlines
15 School days prior for applications with a deadline after January 1

Researching Colleges

Where to start?

Read and reference the College Planning Guide provided by the Counseling Center

Additional Steps

Start with self-reflection, define what you are looking for in a college and prioritizing what's important to you
Use Naviance to develop a prospective colleges list and compare your qualifications to recent CHS applicants, refer to this video for guidance
- Register on Naviance to attend college informational visits and college days/fairs hosted at CHS
  - Questions to ask a College Representative
Schedule a school visit or virtual tour - You can often find them on the “Visit” section of the schools website or through third party websites such as YouVisit and CampusReel
- Campus Visit Checklist

College Application: Essential Components

Over 800 colleges and universities use the Common App for admissions. The Counseling Center offers ‘camps’ to incoming seniors to assist them create and update their Common Application. Please refer to this video and this video for help on creating your account. Many generic answers are available on this Class of 2025 cheatsheet. Regardless of the method used to admit students it is vital that students complete all required sections review it before submitting.

Test Scores - visit SAT and ACT

ACT / SAT / SAT Subject Test: Students must ensure they send all official scores from the testing agency to the schools they are applying.

Personal statement

A good essay can make a difference. Review the Common App Essay Prompts.

Start early and have someone review it.

Attend CHS summer camp to have your essay reviewed by a college admissions counselor.

Letters of Recommendation

When requesting a teacher recommendation, the student must provide the teacher with the ‘Request for Teacher Recommendation’ form and responses to three of the questions listed on the form.

Your school counselor will prepare a recommendation letter after they have received the Student Autobiography, Parent Feedback and Activity Resume.

Activity resume

Record and summarize all work experience, volunteer service, extracurricular activities, awards/certificates and athletic achievements obtained during your high school career. This information can be recorded in Naviance or a format similar to this sample.

Transcript (additional information can be found here)

Your initial transcript will be sent when applying to colleges.

Your final transcript will be sent to the college you will be attending, as reported on your senior survey.

If a school requires additional grades, please fill out the Google request form for:

1st quarter grades (November grades)

and/or

Mid-year transcripts (January grades).

Reminders:

If you have taken any College Level Classes at the high school, you need to contact the college(s) directly to send your transcript to the school you have committed to. Please refer to the course affiliation list for additional information.
Your IB scores will be automatically sent to the school you have committed to. For additional information please refer to the IB Programme Website.
You must also report any AP scores to the school you committed to for evaluation. Please visit the AP College Board website for additional information.
Student Athletes
- Register on NCAA Eligibility Center (NCAA.org)
- Read Recruiting Tips

College Application Processing

For detailed steps on how to submit your college application, click here.

College Financing

There are many resources available for students to assist in financing their college education. We have complied a short list of resources to help you get started. Please visit our College Financing page regularly for updates.