Post-Secondary Planning

Naviance is a web-based tool that all students use for learning about and planing for careers and college. Counselors will support you with accessing and using this tool. In addition, you can schedule a visit with your counselor at any time to discuss your plans. 

Follow these steps to access Naviance:

1. Log into your student portal
2. Select the "Clever" icon
3. Click "log in with Google"
4. Choose your school email account
5. Click the "Naviance" icon

Deciding on a College

It is crucial that you carefully choose the college that is right for you. Some important things to consider are location, size, housing options, social life, admission policy, cost and program availability. Most importantly, however, you should choose a college that feels like a good fit. There are many resources to help you make this decision, including talking with college representatives at Richfield High School and conducting campus visits.
 
College Representatives

Over 100 public and private educational institutions send representatives to RHS to visit with interested students during the school year. This includes 2-year and 4-year colleges, universities and technical schools. Juniors and seniors can locate the schedule and are invited to sign up through the Naviance website to meet with the representatives during the school day. Often this is a way in which you can obtain preliminary information about a college before scheduling a campus visit.

Campus Visits

The best way to determine if you will "fit in" at a school is to make a campus visit. You are encouraged to schedule an official visit through the college’s admissions office, during which you will be given the opportunity to tour the campus, sit in on classes and visit with current students and/or professors. If possible, it is most beneficial to visit a campus when classes are in session to get a feel for true student life. Our RHS counselors suggest that you use days off during the October MEA break or staff development days throughout the school year to set up your visits (as opposed to missing school).

College Admissions

Admission to a post-secondary institution varies from school to school. Technical schools generally require that students have earned a high school diploma, and suggest that they have completed classes in areas to which they are applying. Two-year public colleges (often referred to as community colleges) generally require that students have a high school diploma, and suggest that they have completed a college-preparatory curriculum. Four-year public colleges and universities generally require students to be in the upper 50th percentile of their class and/or earn a minimum 21 ACT score, in addition to completing a college-preparatory curriculum. Requirements for the University of Minnesota system and for private school admission vary greatly and we suggest that you speak with your counselor or to the college for more information. 

Student Athlete Information

For students who are interested in participating in a collegiate sport at Division I or II level, it is important for you to complete the necessary paperwork through the NCAA. Please visit the NCAA website for more information.

Once you have made some college decisions, it is time to apply. We suggest that you pay close attention to due dates and that you thoroughly prepare your applications, allowing sufficient time to gather all of your materials in order to meet the college’s application deadlines. 

1. Log on to the college's website and go to the admissions page. Most colleges will have a button that says "Apply Now." Once you have completed each step, review the application before submitting it. If you need to quit and come back before submitting, make sure you save your information. When applying online application fees must be paid with a credit card.
2. Request letters of recommendation (if needed).
3. Communicate with your counselor to finalize your transcript submission. NOTE: If you do not complete this step, your application file will remain incomplete at the college.

Financial Aid is a broad term for money to help pay for college or technical school. It includes grants, scholarships, loans and work-study. While financial aid is a critical piece of paying for education, you and your family should invest time in the college search process to create a list of colleges and universities for which you ares a great fit. It is important that at least one of the schools is a “financial safety” school or a school where the you can afford to attend with little to no financial aid.

You are encouraged to speak with admission officers about how merit aid is distributed within the institution, and tools to assist families in understanding what sort of financial aid they could expect. Further, any institution that distributes federal monies is required by federal law to provide students with a “Net Price Calculator,” a tool that provides an institution-specific financial aid estimate.

Required by many colleges, universities and scholarship committees, letters of recommendation allow readers to develop a deeper, fuller understanding of the applicant. There are different types of letters of recommendation that serve different purposes:

Academic/Teacher Letter of Recommendation 

Typically written by core subject teachers from your junior or senior year, academic letters of recommendation describe you in the context of the classroom. They discuss your intellectual curiosity, student leadership, engagement, group work and response to challenges. 

Counselor Letter of Recommendation

The role of the counselor letter of recommendation is to describe you in context of the entire school and larger community. In addition to assisting readers in understanding what a “typical” student at the school looks like and how this you compare, counselors can describe trends on a your transcript, extra-curricular and familial obligations, and special circumstances. 

Employer, Coach, or Religious Leader Letter of Recommendation

You may consider including additional letters of recommendation if you feel that your application is lacking an important piece of information. In this case, you may consider getting a letter of recommendation from an employer, coach or religious leader. These letters of recommendation should be considered as supplemental and DO NOT replace a teacher or counselor letter of recommendation. You should speak with your counselor about how and when to use this option. 

Asking for Letters of Recommendation

Prior to asking for a letter, it is important that you know how many letters you will need, the type of letters required and the application deadline. With this information you are ready to request a letter of recommendation. Follow this process when you ask:

RHS/RCEP Teachers

• When to ask: One month prior to the earliest deadline where a letter is required.
• How to ask:
  • Ask in person.
  • Request via Naviance (see instructions below).
  • Send a follow-up reminder one week before the deadline.
  • Send a thank you note after completed.
• What to provide: Complete “Request for Recommendation” survey on Naviance
• How is the letter to be sent to the college? The letter will be loaded on Naviance and sent electronically.
• Do you get a copy? Most recommenders will not share their letter with the student.
• Once you have spoken with your teacher, you will need to submit an electronic request via Naviance. Click here for information on how to do so.

PSEO Teachers

• When to ask: One month prior to the earliest deadline where a letter is required.
• How to ask:
  • Ask in person, if possible.
  • Request via email, including the college's guidance on what information is needed.
  • Send a follow-up reminder one week before the deadline.
  • Send a thank you note after completed.
• What to provide: Provide details about the information requested by the college. If no guidance is provided, take a moment to let them know what you really liked about their course, the most challenging parts, etc. 
• How is the letter to be sent to the college? You should provide the teacher with the email address of admission officer or office.
• Do you get a copy? Most recommenders will not share their letter with the student.

Employer, Coach, or Religious Leader

• When to ask: One month prior to the earliest deadline where a letter is required.
• How to ask:
  • Ask in person, if possible.
  • Request via email, including the college's guidance on what information is needed.
  • Send a follow-up reminder one week before the deadline.
  • Send a thank you note after completed.
• What to provide: Let them know what you are hoping they will highlight for you. 
• How is the letter to be sent to the college? You should provide the teacher with the email address of admission officer or office.
• Do you get a copy? Most recommenders will not share their letter with the student.

How to Request a Teacher Letter of Recommendation Through Naviance

1. Complete Request for Recommendation survey.
   • This survey is used by your counselor and teachers when writing you a letter of recommendation. Thoroughly completing this survey is strongly recommended. 
   • Click on “About Me” in the right top corner of the screen and select “My Surveys."  If you have never started a Request for Recommendation survey you will find it under “Surveys Not Started”. Otherwise you can return to it under “Surveys in Progress." 
   • Many teachers find the background information you provide in this survey to be extremely helpful to them as they write your letter.
2. Request teacher on Naviance. 
   • Under  “Colleges,” click on “Colleges Home," then click on “Letters of Recommendation” and then click on “Add Request.” 
   • The teacher will get an email within 24 hours notifying them of your request. Remember, requests for letters of recommendation should be made one month prior to the due date.

What do colleges look for in the essay?

• Creativity: Innovation, imagination
• Intellectual orientation: Enthusiasm for learning
• Exceptional recognition: Prestigious or unusual honors, awards, citations
• Hardship: Economic, educational, physical, familial; degree of hardship and ability to overcome it
• Initiative/motivation: Going far beyond normal expectations in academics and/or extracurricular activities
• Leadership: Guiding, directing, taking responsibility and following through
• Persistence: Tenacity
• Special spark: Extraordinary attribute(s) not described elsewhere on the list (could be unusual insight or maturity)
• Substantial experience with other racial/cultural groups: Experience in or with another culture, resulting in distinguishable personal growth or insight
• Rare talents: Uncommon ability in the arts, sports, and academics

Visit your counselor for additional tips on writing your essay, including how to select an essay question if completing the Common App.

The ACT is the college entrance exam most commonly taken by college-bound students. If you are considering an application to a four-year college, military academy or ROTC, you are strongly encouraged to take the ACT in the spring of your junior year with the option to test a second time in the fall of your senior year.

Richfield High School is a test site for the October and June test dates, which makes it extra convenient! To register for the ACT, you can pick up a packet in the counseling office or register on the ACT website.

Note that the ACT has an optional writing test that is being required for admission to some colleges and universities. You should decide whether to take the writing test based on the requirements of the institutions to which you are applying.

Some Richfield students planning to apply to colleges outside of the Midwest choose to take the SAT in addition to the ACT. You should check with individual colleges to determine their preferred admissions test. Richfield High School is not a test site for the SAT. Visit the College Board website for details regarding test dates, test sites and registration.

The PSAT (also known as the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test or the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test), must be taken by junior students wishing to be candidates for the National Merit Scholarship competition. Other reasons for taking the PSAT include:

• Assess verbal and mathematical skills
• Find out what the SAT is like
• Gain test-taking experience
• Participate in the Student Search Service (receive information from colleges and government-sponsored scholarship programs)
• Qualify for scholarship recognition and enrichment programs

Academically-able students in the top 10-15% of their class are strongly encouraged to take this test. The PSAT will be given in mid-October. Students planning to take the PSAT need to sign up in the counseling office in advance.

The Accuplacer Course Readiness Assessment is used to assist you with the selection of appropriate courses to help assure your academic success. Course readiness assessment tests, like the Accuplacer, are not timed tests and they provide immediate results that predict college readiness.
 
Many community colleges use the Accuplacer. It consists of three multiple choice tests that measure skill levels in reading, writing and mathematics. You will use the keyboard or the mouse to answer the questions. You will receive instructions on the computer and practice questions when you start. Questions are presented one at a time and each assessment has no more than 20 questions. You should allow at least three hours if taking all three assessments. A current government-issued photo I.D. is required for testing (a high school I.D. is not accepted).

You will receive a printed copy of you scores upon completion of the assessments. There is no pass or fail. The scores will recommend the first course you should register for in English composition, reading and mathematics. If you demonstrate readiness for college-level coursework, the course number will be above 1000. If you requires preparatory coursework, the course number will be below 1000. Only the mathematic assessment will allow you to demonstrate readiness beyond entry-level college coursework.

Learn more about the Accuplacer and how to prepare by visiting the College Board website.

It's always a good idea to prepare for college entrance exams!

Books and computer software are available to be checked out from the counseling office and the library. For ACT prep we recommend utilizing sample tests online. You can reach out to your counselor for tips on the best websites for practice tests and test prep.

General Questions

What does cost of attendance cover?    

Tuition and fees, room and board, transportation, books and supplies, plus personal living expenses.

Do you have to register for selective service if you were born male but no longer identify as a male?    

From the Selective Service website:  "FOR MALE TO FEMALE (MTF) INDIVIDUALS: People who were assigned male at birth are required to register with the Selective Service within thirty days of their eighteenth birthday. This includes those who may have transitioned before or since then. The Selective Service uses Social Security and other databases to determine who they believe was assigned male at birth. As of now, it is unclear whether transgender people are eligible for military service, but you are required to register nonetheless, and this is necessary to gain access to certain government benefits."

Do parent loans look at the parent's credit report?    

Yes

If we are applying for early admission, when we will get the financial award info?    

Early Admission:  you would likely have that info by December or January. Confirm with the individual financial aid offices.

When is the free college application week when MN schools don't charge the $25 or so application fee?    

All Minnesota State colleges and universities are waiving their application fee October 25-31. Some institutions may waive it for additional days. Connect with individual admission offices. 

FAFSA Questions

Do we need to have identified the colleges prior to completing the FAFSA?

Yes, students should know at least one of the colleges they are applying to prior to completing the FAFSA. Please note:  the application to the college does not have to be finished in order to submit the FAFSA. Students are able to "make corrections" to the FAFSA to add additional colleges. 

Does 2019 taxes mean the taxes we FILED in 2019, about income we received in 2018?

2019 taxes (filed in 2020)

Do we complete the FASFA even though we don't have college picked out  yet? Or do we wait until we find the school to attend?  

Yes, students should know at least one of the colleges they are applying to prior to completing the FAFSA. Please note: the application to the college does not have to be finished in order to submit the FAFSA. Students are able to "make corrections" to the FAFSA to add additional colleges.

Is FAFSA information sent to schools before the student has actually applied?

It can be, yes.

How many years of tax returns do they look at for FAFSA?    

One. In this case, only your 2019 tax return.

Do the schools that do the CSS also do the FAFSA?    

Yes

Will it allow you to put in a new address that doesn't match your ID?      

When completing demographic information, use your current address. When signing up for the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, use the information provided on your tax return.

Is FAFSA applicable to community colleges?    

Yes

Is it true that for divorced parents, on FAFSA it only takes into account income of the parent the child lives with?    

The FAFSA will ask for the income information for the parent with whom the student lives more than 50% of the time. Note: if that parent is remarried, FAFSA will also as for the step-parent's income information.

Financial aid is intended to fill the gap between the actual price of post-secondary education and what you and you family can realistically contribute from savings and income to pay for this education. Financial aid comes in three forms: grants, loans and work-study.

• Grants are a form of financial aid, based on need, which you do not have to repay.
• Loans are a form of financial aid that must be repaid, with interest. Education loans come in three major categories:
  • Student loans (e.g., Stafford and Perkins loans). 
  • Parent loans (e.g., PLUS loans) 
  • Private education loans (also called alternative loans).
  • The fourth type of education loan, the consolidation loan, allows the borrower to lump all of their loans into one loan for simplified payment.
• Work-study programs are jobs offered through the college to help you earn money to pay for your education. The school's financial aid office will determine how many hours you are eligible to work according to your financial need and class load. Common work-study jobs include being a parking lot attendant, tutoring other students, or working in the college cafeteria, bookstore or library.

All students wishing to apply for financial aid must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA should be filed even if families assume they won't qualify for aid because it is needed for most loan programs. In order to provide complete and accurate information, the best time to complete the FAFSA is after your family has received their income tax information. In terms of content, the paper and online forms are essentially the same, but for accuracy and speed, FAFSA online offers distinct advantages:

1. You can receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) in less than a week if you provide an email address, or 2-3 weeks if you don't. File a paper FAFSA and you'll wait up to five weeks. 
2. FAFSA online's automatic "edit check" finds errors on your application then prompts you to fix mistakes. 
3. There are fewer questions on the online application. 
4. Know they got it. Once you complete FAFSA online, you'll get a confirmation number that proves you successfully submitted the application. 

Steps to Completing the Online FAFSA

1. Create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID: Students, parents and borrowers are required to use an FSA ID, made up of a username and password, to access certain U.S. Department of Education websites. Your FSA ID is used to confirm your identity when accessing your financial aid information and electronically sign your federal student aid documents. 
2. Gather information by starting with your Social Security Number, driver's license, income tax information, bank statements and investment records. Use the FAFSA on the Web Worksheet to ensure you've gathered all the necessary information. 
3. Complete the FAFSA.

Paper copies are also available by calling 1-800-433-3243.

Branches of the military offer training in almost 1,500 different occupations. Many of these are similar to occupations found in civilian life. If you are considering the military as an option after high school, approach this decision in the same manner as college selection. Speak to representatives in each branch of the service to gain more insight on the demands and benefits of each branch. Be sure to discuss your plans with your parents and arrange a meeting with military representatives and your parents so they may benefit from the discussion as well. Learn more about all of these options on the military website or the U.S. Department of Defense website.

Branches of the Military

• U.S. Army
• U.S. Navy
• U.S. Air Force
• U.S. Marines
• U.S. Space Force
• U.S. Coast Guard
• U.S. National Guard

Registering for the Selective Service

• Males eighteen years or older must register with the selective service.