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The Road Ahead�A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step – Laozi, Tao Te Ching

Denali Hazen

All Grades

Last Names A - K

denali.hazen@jeffco.k12.co.us

303.982.1540

Amy Wells

All Grades

Last Names L - Z

amy.wells@jeffco.k12.co.us

303.982.5055

Janet P Anderson

Futures Center Para

janet.prell@jeffco.k12.co.us

303.982.5485

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Post-Graduation Options

Explore Your Options!

Learn about…

…How Can I Do This?

…Where Can I Do This? and

…How Do I Pay For This?

using the QR codes embedded in the Futures Center

mural or see the landing pages here...

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Click Here For Site

Links to Your Road Ahead and all other post-graduation information will be posted in your Class of 2027 Google classroom under Classwork/Counseling

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There’s a Way for Everyone Who Wants To Go To College

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Overview of the College Admissions Process

What is the admissions landscape today?
What are key elements of college applications?

Grades
Test Scores
Activities
Letters of Recommendation
Essays

What’s a good game plan?
Sets of knowledge you’ll need

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Ever-changing admissions landscape

Very competitive to hardly competitive. In 2024, the average college acceptance rate in US was 68% with more than half of all colleges reporting rates of 67% or higher. (research.com list of college acceptance rates). In 2022, the average acceptance rate at public colleges was 78% compared to 70% for private colleges.

The nation is also facing a “demographic cliff” of declining birth rates that began during the Great Recession in 2007/2008 that arrived at the collegiate level in the fall of 2025 (npr.org a looming ‘demographic cliff’). There may be a significant drop off in the number of applicants from the class of 2026. I’m still waiting to see how this year has been affected. This is on top of a decline in enrollment of 15% between 2010 and 2021….there are already 2.7 million fewer college students than there were at the start of this decade. So it is becoming a buyer’s market. Colleges and universities on average are admitting a larger proportion of their applicants than they did 20 years ago and tuition (NOT room and board), when adjusted for inflation, is declining. Lots of implications for this good and bad (closing of colleges, it will make a college degree more valuable, etc.). That’s the good news.

�But, remember that popular and elite institutions are currently challenging to get into, including our flagship state universities. Could be the Coach Prime effect, impacting both schools but CU and CSU are both becoming more competitive to get into, although they do have a mandate to “keep Colorado talent in Colorado” and 55% of their acceptances should be from Colorado.

“almost all colleges and universities in the United States admit a majority of their applicants. If you think you aren’t college material, you’re wrong. What’s important isn’t the college selecting you: it’s that you select a college where you belong. Go where you will grow.

�Who you are is much more important than where you go. A hardworking person who strives for success will achieve that success at whichever college or university that they attend and will continue to attain success throughout the course of their lifetime.

�Selectivity works both ways; while colleges select who they want to admit, you should also be selective about where you want to spend the next four years of your life. Colleges need you to curate a diverse student body and need your perspective to enhance the learning experience. Remember that you are also the prize!”

What’s Involved?

Grades – very important, class rank less so…GPA is important as is the RIGOR of your course selections. Median GPA
Testing – many colleges are still test optional, but I have seen good tests scores make a difference. If you like your scores, submit them! It can make the difference! Median SAT/ACT
Activities – Sports, Clubs, Volunteer work, Jobs, Family Responsibilities, etc. – very important! Depth not breadth!
Letters of Recommendation – need at least one core academic teacher, additional letters can be other teachers, coaches, etc. Many colleges also require a counselor LOR. The counselor LOR can be the most important one because that person will talk about who you are as a person vs. who you are in the classroom. Prepare a resume, statement of purpose and any other materials you can think will be helpful for your recommender – you can guide this process! Do not submit more than they ask for – colleges are looking for reasons to reject your application and if you cannot follow their directions, that could be a reason.
Essays – I have seen 0-8 essays required by different colleges. This can be extremely burdensome and tiring for students, so you need to give yourself enough time to chunk these up into manageable efforts.

Good Game Plan – Remember, you need them – they don’t need you. Who’s your team? Where will you get support? What’s the timing on all of this? If you can start putting the pieces together over the summer before senior year, you will be in good shape. It is important to know that colleges are still updating their applications well into the summer, so requirements/questions and other particulars in the application may not be up-to-date if you start too early. But you can be visiting, building your list of colleges, thinking about who your recommenders will be, taking standardized tests, and building your resume in preparation for the applications to open.

Sets of Knowledge You’ll Need – each college’s application process, how to put together an application (grades, resume, letters of recommendation, activities, essays, etc.), your high school’s process for official documents, other official documents (e.g., dual enrollment), how to send score reports, financial aspects of college (application fees, total cost of attendance, financial aid, scholarships, etc.), enrollment and housing deposits

This is one of the largest purchases you and your family will make in your life.

Going to college is an adult activity, and you are going to build an incredible set of adult skills by going through this process. Embrace it and pace yourself.

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Factors Influencing Admission Decisions

1. A rigorous high school curriculum that challenges the student

2. Grades that represent strong effort and an upward trend

3. Solid scores on standardized tests

4. Demonstrated intellectual curiosity

5. Passionate involvement in a few activities

6. Demonstrated leadership in activities

7. Strong letters of recommendation from teachers/counselor

8. Well-written essays (becoming more & more important)

9. Special talents or experiences (e.g., dance, rock climbing, pilot)

10. Demonstrated enthusiasm to attend that college

11. Social media

12. High school behavior record

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Overview, continued

Application Platforms

Direct to Institution – e.g., University of Hawaii
Common App (1000) – CU Boulder & CSU required
Coalition App (170)
University of California application platform
Cal State application platform
Apply Texas platform

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Preparation and Logistics

Your Team

What do you want?
What do your parents want?
How to approach this as a family?
Who else can help you?

HS course selection and your school profile
Athletics and the NCAA
Extracurriculars
Testing

Always seek a balance between enjoying your last years of childhood and pursuing a college-ready high school resume. If you want to go to an elite college, you are going to need to use your high school years very effectively. You need to decide if that is the right thing for your health, mental well-being, family finances, and happiness. It really doesn’t matter where you go to undergraduate college, it matters what you do with your knowledge, skills and abilities. Grad school matters more, but the big gatekeeper for many careers is the college degree, not where it came from. So choose a place that is the right fit for you, where you will thrive, learn, and be ready for adulthood.

Your Team

What do you want?

Reasons to go to college: your desired career requires a degree, you enjoy academics and learning, exploring different disciplines, you want the college experiences, building a network

Some things your parents/guardians may want?

Financial considerations (it’s important to have honest conversations about what you can afford as a family),
Family traditions,
Logistics (how far away is it ok to be?),
Parents get to add to your list,
health concerns (do you need to be close to home for support?),
consideration of your maturity and readiness,
if you choose not to go to college, parents are going to want to know the plan! You should not be on their payroll for much longer.
How to approach this as a family? Kids need to pack their own backpack – they need to know what they have, need, where it is, and how to manage it
The student should do the work of the application process; parents are coaches and mentors, but do not do the work! This can cost you with admissions counselors.
If you are applying to colleges with interviews, you need to know your application inside and out
Don’t let this end your relationships! By November, most kids are on the verge of a nervous breakdown, so help and support each other!

Who else can help you?

School counselor
School college and career center (Futures Center at EHS)
Independent college consultants
Older siblings
Other family members and friends
Your peers
Teachers, particularly with essays

HS Course Selections

Rigor
Increasing rigor
JGA example – took 1 AP, 1 honors, 3 regular level courses freshman year…by senior year, was in all honors and AP except Spanish (but had 4 years of Spanish in high school).
It matters what courses you’re choosing and how you do in them
Rigor should increase year over year to demonstrate you are getting ready for college-level work
Check for foreign language requirements (CU wants three years)
Need business courses to get into clubs like DECA

School Profile

Colleges look closely at this so they can evaluate how you performed in the context of your high school. So, if your high school does not offer AP courses, they will not expect you to take them. But they will want you to take as rigorous a load as you can, with interesting electives and courses in which you are challenged.
Get to know your school profile – ask in the counseling office to see this; they are often found on a school’s website as well.

Athletics

Overall, 2.6% of high school players are eligible to play at the Division I collegiate level. Men’s basketball is 1.0%; Men’s ice hockey is 5.0%. Women’s volleyball is 1.2%; Women’s ice hockey is 10.2%. https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2015/3/2/estimated-probability-of-competing-in-college-athletics.aspx
Athletics Looks great! If you are able to achieve Varsity status, that’s wonderful, but the commitment over time whatever your level is good. Shows commitment!
College likes athletes because good athletics attracts other students, keeps alumni engaged AND athletes themselves show leadership/teamwork/other qualities valued by colleges/employers as well as institutional commitment over their lives
Team leadership – looks great! Build toward this over your high school years – most sports, but not all, reserve Captain positions for seniors, so be the kind of teammate that sets you up for that candidacy – plus, it’s good for you if you don’t get it! Be proud of who you are and there might be an interesting college essay in there if you don’t get it.
NCAA eligibility center – if you are serious about pursuing athletics in college, you are encouraged to register with the center in 9^th grade, but you can do it at any time in college. This gives college coaches the ability to start communicating with you.

Extracurriculars

Clubs (chess, Science Olympiad, foosball, etc.)
Honor Societies
Service groups
Scouts
Interesting hobbies (music, flying, rock climbing, etc.) in which you achieve some level of competency and commitment
Internships
Work
Family responsibilities
Depth not Breadth

Testing

SAT and ACT – colleges don’t have preferences
In Colorado, the SAT is used as the state’s standardized testing for high schoolers: PSAT 9, PSAT 10, SAT junior year. In Jeffco, it is one of the things that can be used to satisfy graduation requirements.
If you like your scores, don’t do anything else! You’re set!
If you don’t like your scores, consider the following:

Building knowledge – Khan Academy
Building strategy – self-guided practice tests
Working with a paid testing consultant
Repeating the test (some schools may want to see every test you take and may consider it a negative if you have retaken a test several times)
Take the other test – many kids do better on one or the other (SAT or ACT)
There’s a little data that shows boys may perform better on the ACT
The math MAY be easier on the ACT, so kids who struggle with math may want to consider taking it
The ACT has a science component that is not on the SAT
You will have to submit your own test scores! High schools generally do not do this. College Board or ACT

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NCAA Eligibility Requirements

To play at a Division I or Division II college, students must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse by the end of their junior year

www.eligibilitycenter.org‎

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‘25 College Destinations

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Click Image to open School Profile

4 Year College Acceptances ‘23-’25

Class of 2026 College Acceptances to date

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ACT/SAT

SAT at EHS - 4/14/26 Test Fest
Sign up online for additional dates

ACT: www.actstudent.org
SAT: www.collegeboard.com

Test Prep:

Need two skill sets: knowledge & strategy

practice tests build strategy
need strong Algebra II skills

Khan Academy - Link PSAT and SAT
Testing websites: offer practice test/questions, tips and testing strategies
Prep books in the Futures Center, EHS Library, JCPL Library
Buy prep books/cd’s
Private test tutors

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ACT/SAT

TEST OPTIONAL

Test Optional/Test Blind is still present for many colleges - check fairtest.org
Many institutions are bringing back required test scores (e.g., Cornell University for Fall 2026)
Check over the summer at each institution!

Adjustments to admissions requirements are still being made over the summer before senior year.

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Preparation and Logistics, continued

Email
Visits and Demonstrated Interest
Naviance, School Links and other platforms
Spreadsheets

Email addresses and email management

Set up a professional sounding email address that you use for all college communications and applications
You may want to set up a separate email address for scholarship searches as there is a lot of advertising that can be associated with those searches; that advertising could cause you to miss a very important message from your colleges!
You need to start checking emails regularly! This is how colleges communicate with you. Once you submit your application, you should be checking daily – they will tell you about missing parts of your application, possible interviews, scholarship information, housing applications, enrollment deadlines, etc.
They don’t care if you miss the email! This is on you.

College Visits and Demonstrated Interest

- Almost every college assigns an admissions counselor to your region. You can search for your person by Googling for example “Gonzaga University admissions counselors” and find the person responsible for Colorado. This person is very important! They are the first reader of your application and can move you along to additional readers if they believe you are a good fit.

Some colleges, but all not all, strongly consider your demonstrated interest – they want to know you are serious about them!
Every time you interact with a college that cares about demonstrated interest, they make note of it. So, when you visit a campus, take the official tour and give them your identifying information – they’ll keep it! If they visit your high school, try to attend that meeting. If they have webinar, participate. And, find interesting ways to reach out to your assigned admissions counselor from that college to ask non-obvious questions. This will keep you in their top of mind and they may be more likely to advocate for your admission with their colleagues.
Use College Board’s college visit report card or develop your own scoring system so that on each visit, you’re comparing apples to apples. Examples of what to look for: programs I like, dorms, food quality, sports, professors, etc. etc.

Naviance and other platforms

Used by high schools to electronically submit your official documents to the college to which you’ve applied
Official documents: transcript, letters of recommendation, school profile. Typically, three transcripts will be sent to each college – your initial transcript (which has your first 6 semesters of high school), your senior year mid-year transcript (they want to know you are keeping your grades up), and your final transcript (which shows your final grades and verifies that you have graduated high school).
Some colleges don’t need the initial and mid-year transcripts – that’s something you can include on your spreadsheet.
Get familiar with your high school’s platform and how to use it! There’s a lot of useful information in there and it will be make your life easier if you know how to navigate.

Spreadsheets

This is like a military operation and if you are applying to several colleges, you’re going to need to be organized.
Spreadsheets should include the list of colleges, college application components (number of essays), deadlines, scholarships, housing, test requirements, and anything else that you consider pertinent to successfully complete your applications. You can set up several spreadsheets for:

Institutional information (location, size, majors, graduation rates, etc.)
Admissions and Application information (application deadlines, no of essays, acceptance rates, median GPA, median SAT, etc.)
Financial information (tuition, room & board, fees, total cost of attendance, average scholarships awarded, CSS Profile and FAFSA submissions, etc.)
Cost comparison worksheets after you receive acceptances
Decision Matrix spreadsheet – all the things that matter to you, scored

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Organize your information…

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How To Find Your Colleges

Getting Started…

Do I want to go to college?
Do I need to know my major now?
Career Assessment Tools
Gap Years

The Nitty Gritty…

Reach, Target, Safety
Supermatch and Big Future
Common Data Sets
Niche, et al.
Military
International
Elite
ED, REA, EA, etc.
Community College

Most people are going to need some kind of education after high school and there are different ways to get it: military (hands on training with a GI bill attached), trade school for a specific job training, community college that can be a trade school and/or preparation for college, and then a traditional college education leading to a bachelor’s degree.

In five years, many jobs will be replaced or deeply affected by AI. I’m a believer that college teaches you to become a lifelong learner so you can weather the storms ahead. You may need to change your career one or more times during adulthood, so you’ll need to be flexible and continue learning. Therefore, a major in some ways is just the foundation for becoming a lifelong learner. Some career paths – such as engineering and nursing – require that you decide to pursue those studies from the start. Other career paths – such as medical school or finance – are actually less concrete. You’ll probably want some substantial biology and chemistry coursework if you’re applying to medical school, but those schools love humanities majors because they are looking for people who are going to be great doctors with an excellent bedside manner. My knee surgeon was an anthropology major. Most colleges now offer exploratory studies programs for incoming first year students who are undecided so you can take a variety of courses that meet your general education requirements along the way and introduce you to different disciplines.

Direct entry programs for engineering, nursing and business are the most competitive and you’ll need to know if these are areas you want to pursue – most colleges select you for these programs as part of the admissions process and want you start in them on day one. Some colleges – such as Cal Poly – require that you apply directly to a major and you begin coursework in that major also on day one. So, if you want to start thinking about a major, consider (1) your interests, (2) your strengths and weaknesses as a student, (3) your future goals, (4) coursework that interests you, and (5) which mentors can help you think through these questions? Parents, counselors, teachers, coaches, faith leaders, etc?

If you want to dig deeper, consider utilizing some career assessment tools. https://sites.google.com/jeffcoschools.us/collegecareer/jobs-career-opportunities/career-assessment-tools

Still not sure what to do? Consider a Gap Year. Middlebury College and UNC-Chapel Hill have been studying the costs and benefits of gap years and the evidence shows a gap year can be a great option for a young adult! The rule of thumb is that it should be a year ON, not a year OFF, so kids should develop an interesting plan that may include work, travel, study, service, earning a certificate, etc. We also recommend students apply to college during their senior year and then ask for a deferment...it makes it easier to accomplish the application process after high school. You may lose letters of recommendation and other data that is pertinent to applications.

There are lots of resources out there for Gap Years.

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www.collegeadmissionstutoring.com

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The Nitty Gritty:�Reach, Target, Safety

There is a path for everyone!
Reach, Target and Safety are different for each person
Calculate or estimate your GPA and test scores
Use search platforms to find colleges where you’ll land in the top 1/3 of the incoming class
Definitely go for your dream!
But be realistic
The big merit money is at the Target and Safety levels
The number of colleges to which you apply should be anywhere from 1 to 20

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The Nitty Gritty:�Supermatch and Big Future

Also…

College Scorecard (US Dept of Education)
College websites

President’s page
Strategic Plan
Net Price Calculators

Alumni Factor (latest edition 2013-2014)
Fiske Guide to Colleges
Survey of Earned Doctorates (NSF)
And Common Data Sets…

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The Nitty Gritty:�Common Data Set C7 - Colorado College 2024-2025

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The Nitty Gritty:�Common Data Set C7 – University of Washington 2024-2025

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The Nitty Gritty:�Niche, et al.

Use with caution!

Anecdotal
Self-selected

Interesting insights

“Acceptable” reviews should skew toward average and above
Look at the “one word or phrase” areas
Look for positive and negative themes

Other resources:

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The Nitty Gritty:�Military & College – ROTC and the Academies

ROTC vs Academies
Great way to pay for college and serve your country!
Start junior year
DODMERB (DoD Medical Exam Review Board)
Usually have their own applications

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The Nitty Gritty:�International College Pathways

Apply Direct, for example…

University of Amsterdam
United Kingdom - UCAS platform
Australia/New Zealand – different time frames

American colleges operating internationally, for example…

Dual BA programs with American colleges, for example…

Make sure colleges/programs are accredited and recognized in the United States
Look for language requirements (do you need to reach a certain level in high school?)

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The Nitty Gritty:�Elite Institutions

Statistically challenging for everyone (23,000+ valedictorians in this country)
Legacy students currently have an advantage
Rigorous coursework with excellent grades
Excellent test scores
Resumé with unique and in-depth activities and achievements
Demonstration of initiative (passion project, business, etc.)
Leadership, leadership, leadership
Service and kindness (e.g., Dartmouth College)
Stand out essays
Interviews
Listen to Relevant Podcasts (Yale Admissions Podcast, Dartmouth Admissions Beat, etc.)
Cautionary Tale: Operation Varsity Blues (documentary recreation on Netflix)

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Amherst College: Inside the Decision Room

Bloomberg Originals, 4/15/2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-OLlJUXwKU

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The Nitty Gritty:�APPLICATION ROUNDS

Rolling Admissions NOT Binding Aug – Jun
Colorado Free App Days Oct
Early Decision BINDING Nov/Dec (ED I) and Jan (ED II)
Restrictive Early Action NOT Binding Nov/Dec
Early Action NOT Binding Nov/Dec
Regular Decision NOT Binding Jan/Feb

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Applying Options

Early Decision (ED)

A binding agreement between the student and the university in which, if accepted, the student MUST attend the university

Student can only apply ED to one university

Early Action (EA)

Allows a student to apply early and hear about admission decision early

Regular Decision

Typically Dec., Jan., Feb. deadlines

Rolling

Review complete application upon arrival

Decision is given shortly after submitting

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The Nitty Gritty:�APPLICATION OUTCOMES

Accepted
Deferred
Wait Listed – strategy may be utilized by colleges to improve yield:

ED – 100% yield
EA – 50% yield
RD – 20% yield
Wait List – if a student is moved to a wait list, colleges may contact you to verbally obtain commitment to enroll = approaching 100% yield

Rejected

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The Nitty Gritty:�Paying for College briefly

Merit Scholarships
Other Collegiate Scholarships
Non-collegiate Scholarships
WUE – Western Undergraduate Exchange
FAFSA and financial aid (Oct/Nov of senior year)
CSS Profile (fall of senior year)

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The Nitty Gritty:�Community College

Most states have a Bridge to Bachelor’s-type program to guarantee transfer of credits and admission from community colleges to 4-year public institutions
Pros:

Makes the most financial sense
Get to try out college level coursework for relatively low cost
Satisfy some/all general education graduation requirements at 4-year colleges
Close to home – family support
Can work a job at the same time

Cons:

MAY miss out on typical college social and living experiences (but some CCs do have dorms)
Quality of instruction may be variable
Coursework may not be accepted by college you ultimately choose

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Timing – 11^th Grade

Juniors’ Timeline

High School Course Selection
Activities (building toward leadership if possible or desired)
NCAA eligibility center
GRADES GRADES GRADES
Testing

PSAT NMSQT – fall
SAT – spring
ACT – spring/summer if desired
Retake SAT in summer if necessary

Visit colleges using scorecards

College List down to 20 by end of junior year
Be thinking about which teacher(s) would write a good Letter of Recommendation for you
Set up Common App account
Internships and Work over summer
Summer after 11^th grade

Draft essay(s) over summer (questions released mid-summer)
Set up spreadsheet with application requirements and deadlines
Get list down to 5-20 colleges

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Timing – 12^th Grade

There’s a path for everyone!
High School Course Selection
Activities (leadership positions can be helpful)
GRADES GRADES GRADES
Visit colleges using scorecards
Retake SAT and/or ACT by November
Refine spreadsheet with application requirements and deadlines
Set up Common App account if not done yet
Essays

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Timing – 12^th Grade

Request Letters of Recommendation from teachers, counselor, coaches, etc. in person (then send thank you notes)
Fill out applications THEN…

Request SAT/ACT score reports
Request official high school documents

Research scholarship opportunities
Research housing for accepted colleges
Make final visit(s) (Accepted Student Days are fun!)
Decision Day - May 1st
Enrollment deposit
Graduate, Enjoy Summer, and Go to College!!

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Questions?

Counselors are here to help students

every step of the way!!!

Make an appointment with your counselor

- it is easy!

Stop by the Futures Center!

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Good Luck!��