Counselor's Corner » College Process at MACS

College Process at MACS

MACS offers a college prep program designed to help students at every stage of the college search, application, and decision process.  The School Counselor along with Junior/Senior Seminar classes help to support, guide, and educate our students in their college search. Our goal is to assess what is the "best fit" individually for students academically, socially, and financially.
 
We host college representatives at MACS Monday, Wednesday and Fridays during Senior Seminar classes. Juniors attend the National Hispanic College Fair every spring where college representatives give information about their college or university to interested students. College visits vary year to year for junior and senior classes.
 
We understand the important role that parents play in the college search. Our School Counselor's office serves as a hub for information and counseling on college applications, admissions, scholarships and financial aid investigation and procedures.
Applying to College/Universities
  1. College/University's individual website.
  2. PASSHE (PA State System of Higher Education): One application for 14 PA schools.
  3. Common Application: One application for schools that participate. 
What will your application include?
  • Personal information (DOB, SS#, High Schools attended, courses, jobs, test scores (SAT/ACT), extracurricular activities, family background)
  • High School Transcript (sent by Mrs. Elliott)
  • Personal Statement/Essays
  • Letter of Recommendation (letters written by the counselor, staff, and other teachers)
  • If applying to Performing Arts - audition, portfolio and other supplementary materials.
  • Interviews (depends on the university)
 
Application Fee
  • Many colleges offer fee waivers.
  • If you took the SAT, you qualify for 4 fee waivers from your collegeboard account.
  • There are other ways of getting fee waivers if need - See Mrs. Elliott for more details.
 
Applying for Financial Aid
  • Students and guardians should apply for Financial Aid start October 1st with the FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) at https://fafsa.ed.gov/ .
  • There are two types of financial aid, need-based and merit-based. Need-based aid is based on information provided in the FAFSA based on a family's estimated financially contribution toward's paying for college. This aid includes federal loans, grants and work-study programs. Merit-based aid is based on a student's academics, service, or abilities in art, music or athletics. 
 
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