Tamalpais High School�

Virtual Senior Night

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

2025-2026

Tam High Counseling Team

Counselors (left to right)

• Molly Couto, mcouto@tamdistrict.org

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• Alex Hunt, ahunt@tamdistrict.org

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• Helene Erler, herler@tamdistrict.org

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• April Ginsberg, aginsberg@tamdistrict.org

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• Sandra Pula, spula@tamdistrict.org

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• Jane Shapiro, Counseling Secretary, jshapiro@tamdistrict.org

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• Keila Itzun, College & Career Specialist, kitzun@tamdistrict.org

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Counseling Intern:

• Kyle Palmer, kpalmer@tamdistrict.org

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Adaptability, Growth, and the College Application Process

• Senior year is a crash course in adaptability. It's about adjusting to new conditions and embracing change.
• Have a Plan A, but have a Plan B and maybe even C too!

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• Dealing with uncertainty/anxiety…the application season is busy and can be stressful….the waiting for offers is also tough!

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• Communication is more important than ever - with parents, counselors, teachers, and keeping track of email and notifications from colleges you’ve applied to.

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Parenting a high school senior

• For parents, senior year is a rite of passage for you, too. Your Counseling Team is here to help, but let your seniors take the lead

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• Communication is more important than ever. Have open conversations about stress, managing expectations, finances, and keeping track of deadlines.

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• Cautions:
• helping/supporting vs hurting/impeding their process.
• Taking the opinion of others as facts…

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College Season Etiquette

• This is an individualized process - let students guide and lead the process of college applications.

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• It is okay to keep your list to yourself, and remember your friends may want to keep their list to themselves.

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• Be open-minded, both about the different college campuses and about your friends and classmates process.

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• Try to let go of bias, judgment, and ego - college is what you make of it!

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• Treat others the way that you would want to be treated.

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Positive Senior Year

• Your relationships are important

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• Carve out time for yourself - health and wellness

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• Take ownership of your choices and actions

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• Social media awareness

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• Have a safe, healthy, & sober senior year!

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Senior Year Timeline

August & September:

• Fill out general sections on Common App / UC Application (Information, Courses & Activities)
• Request Letters of Recommendation, if needed
• Draft your writing components (essays, PIQs, supplementals)

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October:

• Financial Aid application (FAFSA or CADA): opens October 2025
• Finalize your writing components (essays, PIQ)
• SAT at Tam on October 22

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November:

• Early Action / Early Decision Deadlines

December – February:

• December 1st: UC / CSU Deadline
• Reg. Decision Common Application and all other applications

Spring semester:

– Submit application to community college

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Explore More

• HBCU’s, HBCU Application and HSI
• Honors Colleges (Barrett, Clark)
• California Community Colleges
• Career Technical and Certification Programs
• Gap Year
• Military
• WUE (Western Undergraduate Exchange)
• Naviance
• Colleges That Change Lives
• Virtual tours: YouVisit, CampusReel, The College Tour on Amazon
• FairTest.org

College Application Types

• Regular
• November 30^th, December 15^th, January 1^st, January 15^th, February 1^st …and then some more…(NOT first come first read! Submit by deadline)

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• Rolling
• Decisions within a few weeks of submission, often with Priority Filing dates; best to file early!

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• Early Action
• November 1 or 15^th: non-binding (“restrictive” EA)

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• Early Decision
• November 1 or 15^th: binding (Some ED II as well with later deadlines)

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• Community College and Certificate Programs
• Varies; check programs websites (they will generally be in the spring)

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• Priority Deadline
• Used for scholarships and financial aid – varies by college: READ the fine print!

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Organizational Tips

• Set up a designated email account to use for applications (your Tam district email address will deactivate soon after graduation!)
• Check it often
• Keep it simple and professional (sophia.smith vs skybluepink17)

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• Use a google sheet
• College list and notes
• Deadlines
• Logins and passwords
• Transcript
• Extracurricular Descriptions
• Scholarships
• To Do list

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• Make sure to thank everyone who helps you in the college process, from teachers to those who provide scholarships you may receive.

Tips & Tricks:

You can find a template for a college spreadsheet on

College and Career website

What You Need to Know

• CEEB Code 051975
• School Tamalpais High School
• Type Public
• Date of Entry 08/2022 (or later of you are a transfer student)
• Graduation Date 06/11/2026
• Address 700 Miller Ave, Mill Valley, CA 94941
• Counselor Information with class size and school info

Reminders

• Make sure that your name remains consistent on all forms and is the same name on your birth certificate and your social security card.
• Deadlines are FIRM
• File FAFSA/CADA early (and CSS Profile if necessary)

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California Community Colleges

www.cccco.edu

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• Cost effective
• Great Transfer Rates
• No SAT/ACT required
• Transfer admission based solely on community college grades for students applying to California public schools - so it’s a fresh start!
• Research transfer requirements by college and major on assist.org

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California State Universities (CSU)

• 23 very different schools and just one application!
• Application opens October 1
• Due Date: December 1st
• Local Eligibility - SF State and Sonoma State
• There are so many incredible majors and programs
• Construction Management at Chico
• Humboldt is now a Cal Poly! What does that mean?
• CSU Long Beach and CSU Fullerton have some of the leading Fine Arts programs in the country!
• Business Major? Check out San Jose State! Great employment rate for graduates in nearby Silicon Valley!
• Cal Maritime is the only degree granting maritime academy on the West Coast.
• Cal State Apply
• Freshman Application Guide

University of California (UC)

• 9 UC Undergraduate Campuses
• Application available August 1
• Filing period now from October 1st – December 1st
• This is not rolling admissions, all completed applications submitted in this time frame are given equal consideration
• Applications are evaluated holistically - GPA is only part of the story, make sure you’re a good fit qualitatively too! The Personal Insight Questions are a way to show your personality and what you’ll bring to the community!
• Get to know the campuses, they each have unique attributes.

California Private Colleges &

Out of State Public/Private College

• Admissions deadlines and guidelines differ for all schools. Check the college/university website.

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• Most private/out of state colleges utilize the Common Application and may include extra essays and require letters of recommendation: www.commonapp.org

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• Don’t be afraid of the price tag, many schools will offer comprehensive financial aid packages and merit scholarships.

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• Some out of state public schools offer Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) discounts:

https://www.wiche.edu/tuition-savings/wue/for-students/

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HBCUs, HSIs

• The Common Black College App is one application for many of the Historically Black Colleges & Universities (66 for one price on one application)
• Some HBCUs have applications included on the Common App (ie, Spelman, Howard, Morehouse) so check their websites
• U-Can HBCU - college fairs, on-the-spot admission
• Many universities identify as HSI - Hispanic Serving Institution

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Essays & Personal Insight Questions

• Potential writing components, depending on college:
• UC Personal Insight Questions - 4 short answer responses
• Common Application - One main essay
• Supplements/College Questions - Individual essays may be assigned by some colleges on the Common Application

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• There is no “best topic” - write what is honest and unique to you

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College Application & Essay Support at Tam

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• Every Tutorial Oct - Nov is a College App Workshop in the College and Career Center!
• Visit the College and Career website to view the list of upcoming events

Senior Year Classes

• Be aware that the In Progress and Planned classes you submit on your application are a commitment.
• Once you submit an application, you are expected to complete the courses you have shown as “in progress” or “planned”. Be sure to include any classes you are taking elsewhere (Apex, BYU, COM, SVHS, Edgenuity, UC Scout, etc.)
• Senior year grades are expected to be comparable or better than grades in the past
• For EA/ED applications, colleges may want to see your progress report grades.
• Any level changes or course drops will need to be reported to admissions departments.

Admissions Departments Do Not Like Surprises!

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SAT/ACT

College & Career Center Resources

• Please visit the College and Career website to view the list of upcoming events
• Follow @tamcollegeandcareer on Instagram
• CCC Current Events Calendar - schedule for college rep visits!
• Naviance
• Students log in with Tam district email/password by selecting “Continue with Single Sign On”
• Parents can email Keila to activate account Kitzun@tamdistrict.org
• UC Virtual Workshops List- campus hosted workshops on app support, PIQs, and individual info sessions
• Drop in Senior Support in Tutorial - help on college applications, writing components etc.
• PLEASE READ the CCC newsletter sent out via Parent Square for important updates, reminders, and upcoming events!

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College of Marin

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• College of Marin Counselor, Lilyana Huijon, on campus in the C&CC Mondays this year!
• Application Workshops - Spring
• Transfer program (ex: UC TAG)
• The benefits of community college and transferring to a four year
• Incredible technical and certificate programs including automotive, dental assisting and hospitality
• One of the best nursing transfer programs in California
• Nationally recognized as a top CA community college

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Career Certificate Programs

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College of Marin offers career and skill certificates in the following fields:

• Business
• Business Administration and Management, Accounting, Real Estate, Entrepreneurship etc.
• Computers and Multimedia
• Computer Info Systems, Graphic Design, Game Development, 3D Animation, Web Design etc.
• Health Sciences
• Dental Assisting, Medical Assisting, Registered Nursing, Emergency Medical Services etc.
• Auto and Industrial
• Automotive Collision Repair, Automotive Technology, Machine and Metals Technology, Electronics Certifications
• Law and Public Safety
• Administration of Justice, Court Reporting etc.
• Education
• Teachers or Directors in children's centers, nursery and preschools
• Hospitality
• Supervisor, Manager, Customer Service etc.

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Financial Aid Basics

• Financial Aid workshops will be coming in the spring!
• https://fafsa.ed.gov and https://dream.csac.ca.gov and

(for some private schools) https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/

• FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opens in October 2025
• The earlier you submit financial aid applications the more likely you are to receive a better financial aid package for some schools!
• Financial aid packages are usually sent after admissions decisions are sent (this should factor into Early Decision apps)
• Use Net Price Calculator to make sure that you have “financial safeties” on your list.
• Merit-based and other private scholarships are also available:
• Check → Scholarships Master List
• These will be updated in as more scholarship opportunities become available

Transcripts

• You do NOT need to send transcripts when you apply to CSU or UC schools; the exception is at the END of the school year, you must have a final transcript sent to the ONE university you will attend.
• You do NOT need to send transcripts when you apply on the Common App - Counselors upload your junior year and mid-senior year transcripts to your Common App list of colleges – you must invite your Counselor first!
• Be sure to continuously check email and college/university portals after you apply - they may request additional information!!
• Read the email from Jane Shapiro regarding setting up a Parchment account. All final transcripts will be sent via Parchment.

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Counselor Letter of Recommendation (LOR)

• All seniors were sent information about the Counselor LOR and the LOR packet (Counselor LOR info)
• Follow instructions sent by your counselor to complete your LOR information
• Check/read your email accounts regularly as we will only be communicating via email
• Please respect the time of your teachers and counselors; as you can imagine, we write a LOT of letters of recommendation. Our deadlines mean we can plan and schedule our time so that YOU get your requested letter uploaded by your deadline.

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Teacher Letter of Recommendation

• Contact the teacher who knows you and your academic skills the best
• Ask the teacher what they need to complete the letter
• Teachers may request a resume
• Make sure to invite your teacher to the application or provide a stamped and addressed envelope (typically only international schools)
• 1-2 teachers
• Other letters
• Teachers do not get a copy of our LOR packet

Inviting your Counselor to the Common Application

• Instructions for how to complete the Common App
• Register
• My Colleges
• Future Plans
• Applicant
• Education
• Academics
• School Forms

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• NOTES ON Common App

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• Private Schools and Many Public Schools
• Waive FERPA rights!!
• Choose and Add Recommenders
• Be aware of your own deadlines and requirements
• Choose and Select Decision Plan for each individual school and enter your application deadline
• Supplemental Questions
• CommonApp Instruction Sheet - step by step instructions

Offers of Admission

• Early Decision (Binding) Offers of Admission: you are required to rescind all other applications/offers of admission.

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• All offers of admission are conditional
• follow all instructions and communications from the college/university.
• READ your emails carefully and check your college portal for deadlines!

Sometimes we are waitlisted

...and that’s okay.

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• If you are waitlisted, follow the instructions provided by the college to accept your spot on the waitlist
• Counselors do not update letters of recommendation or write appeal letters/emails
• Make a new Plan A

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Gap Year: What is it?

• Break from “formal” education

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• Learning continues in a different format and venue

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• Find your purpose

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• Re-awaken your love of learning

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Gap Year Websites

• www.gooverseas.com/gap-year/usa-fairs
• www.amigoslink.org (Amigos de las Americas)
• www.nols.edu (National Outdoor Leadership NOLS)
• www.outwardbound.org/gap-year-smester-courses (Outward Bound)
• www.rusticpathways.com/gap (Rustic Pathways)
• www.theleap.co.uk (The Leap)
• www.wheretherebedragons.com/whydragons.who (Where There Be Dragons)
• https://vertoeducation.org/partner-colleges/ (1 year of travel while earning college credit ability to transfer to 60+ colleges)
• There are many more programs out there

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Free Gap Year Programs

• AmeriCorps
• VISTA
• National Civilian Community Corps
• Habitat for Humanity
• City Year
• Public Allies
• The Corps Network www.corpsnetwork.org
• World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
• Global Volunteers
• International People’s College in Denmark
• Masa Israel

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Now Breathe!!

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• This is a very busy time for seniors
• Organization & communication are key
• Utilize your support system: parents, counselors, friends
• Take time for self-care
• The Tam Counselors & College and Career Specialist are here to support you through the process!!

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