The College ApplicationProcessRECOMMENDATION LETTERS AND CHECKLISTS

Request letters of recommendation from teachers (by May 21)

• You should have received an email (sent out on April 29th) identifying which teacher can write a letter for you. Personally ask the teacher to write a letter of recommendation (do so via phone call or video call) and send them the completed Letter of Recommendation – Teacher Request Form.• Don’t forget to send a thank-you card to your teacher.

Plan for your College Application Review

• In your junior ICP meeting, you selected one of four review deadlines for targeted completion of your applications in the fall. At that time, the College Counseling Office will review your applications individually and return them to you with feedback. Your College Counselor will reach out to you regarding your review deadline and the process. Contact your counselor if haven’t established a review deadline.• The Application Review deadlines are:

• Please be sure to verify application deadlines on college websites.

Finish your Counselor Recommendation Questionnaire on Naviance Student – Needed for Counselor Rec (by May 21)

• Complete the “Counselor Recommendation Questionnaire” so your Counselor can write your Counselor Letter of Recommendation (required for all Common Application schools).• This questionnaire is located under the “About Me” tab in Naviance Student.

Request a Reference for Your Counselor Recommendation Letter (by May 21)• Complete “Reference Form Regarding Counselor Letter of Recommendation.”• Submit it to a coach, boss, or other individual (non-family member) who can provide brief recommendation for you, which your counselor can include in their letter. This is optional but encouraged.

Finalize a List of Colleges You Plan to Apply to (by August 1)

• We recommend every Valor student apply to 6-8 colleges.• Recommended distribution: At least 2-3 Target Schools and 2 Anchor Schools (1 should be a “Financial Anchor” - a college your family can afford). • We recommend 1 school to be a college in Colorado.• Make sure to transfer the colleges on your “Colleges I’m Thinking About” list to the “Colleges I’m Applying To” list in Naviance Student once you know where you’ll apply.

Start working on your college applications/college essays (beginning on August 1)

• In the beginning of August, most colleges will have their applications ready for you to start filling out on their website or through the Common Application.• Also, be sure to attend the College Essay Workshop at Valor on August 4 & 6 to get direction on what goes into a strong college essay. • Students can sign up for the workshop at GoValor.com/Students/Applying-for-College

Complete Senor ICP Meeting (before October 15)

• Your counselor will email you during the first week of school inviting you to select a time for you (parent attendance is optional) to meet to discuss the college application logistics for the next few months.

Complete your Common Application (Commonapp.org) and/or school specific applications (by your Application Review Deadline)

• Please finish and print all applications (including essays and turn them in to your counselor by your specific application review deadline.• We will then return a copy to you with our edits and suggestions before you submit your final application.• Finally, make sure you submit all applications to your colleges before each school specific deadline.

Request your ACT/SAT scores (at least three weeks prior to college deadlines, the earlier the better)

• Colleges need official scores sent directly from ACT or SAT.• For ACT scores go to ACTstudent.org• For SAT scores go to CollegeBoard.org• You can access and send scores through your accounts on these websites.

Request your transcript through Naviance Student (after you submit your applications)

• Log in to your Naviance Student account and request your transcript on your “Colleges I’m Applying to List”. The counseling department will send your transcript within a week of receiving this request.

Continue to update your Naviance Student Account (Ongoing process)

• As you receive decisions from your colleges, please update the results in your list of “Colleges I’m Applying To.”

College Application Checklist

- Sept. 1

- Sept. 15

- Oct. 6

- Nov. 3

Below are the steps that need to be taken for a smooth college application process. Any date listed forcompletion is

a recommendation (i.e., by May 21). All forms referenced are available on govalor.com/students/applying-for-college.

Please consult with your Academic Counselor if you have any questions or unique scenarios.

Requesting a Teacher Recommendation Letter

Most students will only need to ask one teacher, ideally

from your junior year, for a letter. Some colleges,

however, require two. You will need to research your

colleges’ application requirements to determine this.

The most important step in this process is asking your

teacher in person to write a letter for you. In addition to

this, you will need to provide them a completed Letter

of Recommendation – Teacher Request Form. This form

is a series of questions asked in order to help teachers

recall specifics regarding your experience in their class. Teachers will not write your letter without completing

this form well in advance of the letter’s due date.

Please be sure to have the letter turned into your

counselor by October 1.

Counselor Recommendation Letter

The Counselor Recommendation Questionnaire is a

series of questions designed to give you a head start

on the college application process. These questions

resemble the kinds of application and essay questions

you will face a few months down the road, and they will

help your counselor in writing your letter. It is necessary

to complete this in order qualify for a counselor

recommendation letter, which many colleges require.

Recommendation Letter Processand other Tips

To access the questionnaire:

1. Sign in to “Naviance Student” at

student.naviance.com/valorchristian

Forgot your login information? Email your counselor.

2. Click on the “About Me” link at the top.

3. Click on “My Surveys”.

4. Click on “Survey’s Not Started” which will bring you

to the Counselor Recommendation Questionnaire.

5. Read the description and answer the questions fully

with as many examples as possible. Be sure to save

your answers periodically to avoid losing your

responses due to the webpage timing out.

Class of 2021 Detailsfor Applications

Counselor Name Title Email Phone #

Zach Gautier Dean of Academic Services zach.gautier@valorchristian.com 303.471.3297

Sheila Beckie Lead Academic and College Counselor sheila.beckie@valorchristian.com 303.471.3113

Sheri Magehee Valor Arts Counselor sheri.magehee@valorchristian.com 303.471.3074

Chad Van Soest Academic & College Counselor chad.vansoest@valorchristian.com 303.471.3114

Todd Pulliam Academic & College Counselor todd.pulliam@valorchristian.com 303.471.3336

Laura Vallen Academic & College Counselor laura.vallen@valorchristian.com 303.471.3132

School TypeEither Independent

or Religious

Entry Date08/2017, if you started

at Valor as a freshman

Graduation Date 05/20/21

School Name

Valor Christian High School

3775 Grace Blvd.

Highlands Ranch, CO 80126

School CEEB Code 060749

Class Size 310

Class Rank None

GPA Scale

Both weighted (if you have

taken AP, Dual Credit or

Honors classes) AND

Unweighted – 4.0