SchooLinks
As an IB Student, this is your portal to do so much of the college application process. The three most common processes you will be using Schoolinks for are:
BUILDING YOUR APPLICATION LISTS
REQUESTING TRANSCRIPTS
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
For questions, please see your Counselor.
THE COMMON APPLICATION
One application for more than 800 colleges. The Common Application is comprised of a rich and diverse membership – colleges that are public, private, large, small, secular, and religious. Use this service IF your applying to multiple colleges (at least 3) on the list.
HOW TO BE COLLEGE-READY
Timelines for reference in how to ready yourself for the college process in grades 9-12.
COLLEGE SEARCH
Use College Search to help you build your application list.
COLLEGE FAIRS
ADMISSIONS ASSESMENTS
FINANCIAL AID
FASFA (FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID)
Need more FASFA Help? Click or Here or attend College Goal Sunday.
CSS PROFILE (College Scholarship Service)*
*Check to see if your college requires the CSS Here
COF (College Opportunity Fund)*
*Public Colorado colleges only
SCHOLARSHIPS
Check each of your college/university Websites for scholarship opportunities- Biggest Source of $$!
Pay attention to your emails (via Naviance) from the counseling office!
Naviance Search Tool
Colleges-> Scholarships and Money -> Scholarships Match
Common RECOMMENDED Scholarships
Daniels Fund , Boettcher , National Merit , Questbridge , Western Undergraduate Exchange, Coolidge Scholarship (for Juniors)
RECOMMENDED SCHOLARSHIP RESOURCES
9 Steps to Find the Most Generous Colleges
50 scholarships for new IB graduates
Colleges/Universities IB credit policies (some very friendly)
ADVICE FROM THE IB ON HOW TO LEVERAGE YOUR IB EDUCATION
From the admissions office: Practical advice for university essays and applications (click)
What universities know about IB: Common questions and answers about university applications (click)
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ADMISSION / APPLICATION INFO
Students and Parents should be aware of the variety of admission options available to students. The majority of institutions employ one of two options: Rolling Decision or Regular Decision. However, some private colleges also utilize an early application option. Following are definitions of the different options available:
Non-Restrictive Application Plans
Students are not restricted from applying to other institutions and have until May 1 to consider their options and confirm enrollment.
Rolling Decision: Institutions review applications as they are submitted and render admission decisions throughout the admission cycle.
Regular Decision: Students submit an application by a specified date and receive a decision in a clearly stated period of time.
Early Action (EA): Students apply early and receive a decision well in advance of the institution’s regular response date.
Restrictive Application Plans
Students are responsible for determining and following restrictions.
Early Decision (ED): Students make a commitment to a first-choice institution where, if admitted, they definitely will enroll. The application and a decision deadline occur early.
Restrictive Early Action (REA): Students apply to an institution of preference and receive a decision early. They may be restricted from applying EA or ED or REA to other institutions. If offered enrollment, they have until May 1 to confirm.
HOW DOES COLLEGE CREDIT WORK FOR IB?
IB exams are recognized for college credit in a similar way to AP exams. You don’t have to earn the IB diploma to get credit for individual classes, as colleges give credit course-by-course. As an example, you can check out the credit policies in all the colleges in Colorado, or you can check out Stanford’s chart for IB credit.
Keep in mind that some schools will completely waive general education requirements for students who have completed the full IB diploma. See the University of Utah’s policy as an example.
What This Means
This means a student with an IB diploma could totally skip general ed classes and jump right into their major. This would obviously save a ton of time and money, and shows why getting the IB diploma can be an advantage.
To find out any school’s policy on IB credit, search “[Name of College/University] IB credit policy.” Most universities have a dedicated web page for explaining their IB credit policy.