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12465 County Line Road, P.O. Box 8002
Gates Mills, Ohio 44040-8002
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College Counseling > FAQ
Here are some questions that students frequently ask. If you don't find the answer
you're looking for here, please visit our office or call a college counselor.
Standardized Testing
Financial Aid Process
NCAA Registration
Standardized Testing
How do I register for standardized tests?
Students should register for the SAT I, SAT II, or ACT tests online. Links to online
testing registration may be found under the Standardized Testing link on this web site,
and paper registration forms may be picked up in the College Office. Registration for AP
exams takes place through the College Office in March. The College Office will
automatically register all sophomores and juniors for the PSAT.
What should I know before registering?
Hawken is now a test site for the SAT I and SAT II but not
for the ACT. Students must pick another high school as a test
site and enter that school's code when they register for these
tests. Students must enter Hawken's school code (361262) under
their own information; this is the only way that the College
Office will receive the test scores for the Standardized Test
Reports. Students should also take care to put their full
legal name on every test registration; college admissions
offices may not know that Michael and Mike are the same person,
and some scores may be lost.
Should I do test prep for the PSAT?
While it is always a good idea to review the practice materials before any exam,
students should not invest in formal, expensive test prep classes for the PSAT. The
PSAT is meant only as a practice SAT, so, in a sense, taking the PSAT constitutes a
form of test prep for the SAT. When students' scores are returned, they will be
accompanied by a detailed report of each question answered correctly or not, and
students should use this report to identify any areas of weakness when they prepare for
the SAT. Sophomores take the PSAT so they are better prepared to take it as juniors.
How important is my PSAT score and how is it used?
College admissions offices will not see students' PSAT scores. This score is meant to
give students some guidance in preparing for the SAT, and for strong junior test takers,
this score will be used to determine students' status in the National Merit Scholarship
Competition.
Should I do test prep for the SAT or ACT?
It is always a good idea to prepare for standardized tests. Before deciding what type of
preparation is best, students should do some self-examination. Some self-directed
students do very well by buying a book of practice tests and taking them on their own.
Other students need the enforced discipline of attending a class. While it has been
proven that preparation and familiarity with standardized tests do improve students'
scores, one method of preparation is not necessarily better than another. We have seen
students do very well with no preparation, and we have seen students' scores go down
after taking an expensive class. We recommend that students try to prepare themselves
with a less expensive method for the first testing; when the scores come back, students
can decide for themselves if they want a more intensive, formal preparation.
Other than a formal test preparation course, what test prep options are available?
The makers of the SAT I, the SAT IIs, and the ACT have free test prep booklets that
contain actual test questions for students' review. These booklets may be picked up in
the College Office. Most major bookstores sell books of practice tests with real test
questions. These books will give students the opportunity to take several full-length
tests at home and will give them advice on taking the tests more effectively. There are
also software packages available to help students prepare which may be found in
bookstores or through the SAT and ACT Web sites. Students may take a free diagnostic
mini-SAT on the College Board's Web site or go to www.Kaplan.com for further test
prep. Some less expensive classes are taught at area libraries in the fall and in the
spring, in addition to a course offered at Hawken through Townsend Learning Centers.
The College Office will announce these classes as we are notified about them.
What tests should I take, and when?
SAT II tests are single subject tests that are best taken at the completion of a particular
class. Juniors will usually take the math SAT II at the end of the junior year,
although most will not need to. Some students will take history, physics, literature, or
foreign language exams then as well. Both sophomores and juniors will take the PSAT
in October. The College Office recommends that students take either the SAT or the
ACT twice, and that testing should not begin before spring of the junior year. The first
testing should be in March; the second can follow in May, June, or October of the senior
year. AP exams should be taken in May, at the completion of each AP course. The
College Office will advise students about the testing schedule through individual
counseling meetings.
How many times should I take each test?
The PSAT will be taken twice; the sophomore year examination is meant to help
students prepare for the junior year exam. The SAT I and/or the ACT should be taken
no more than three times. Most SAT IIs are taken only once, but students may retake
them if advised by their counselor to do so.
How do my test scores get reported to colleges?
Some colleges require official notification of students' standardized test scores, and that
means that the student must have the scores sent from the testing agency. When
students register for the SAT I or ACT and enter Hawken's school code (361262), the
College Office receives test score labels for each student. Those labels are placed onto
each student's cumulative Standardized Testing Record, and that report is used to send
scores to colleges and to the NCAA, and will be kept in the student's permanent file. IMPORTANT: if students do not enter Hawken's school code
(361262) the College Office will not receive a label for that testing's scores and those
scores will NOT be included on the student's Standardized Testing Record. If students
would like their AP scores sent to colleges with their applications, they must photocopy
their AP score reports themselves and include them with each submitted application.
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Financial Aid Process
What financial aid forms are required by colleges?
Nearly every college in the country will require the Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA). This application is free to complete and submit; parents should never pay
a fee to complete this form. Many private colleges will also require the College
Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile, which asks more detailed questions about the
family's finances. There is a fee to submit the Profile. Some colleges may have their
own institutional form for students to complete; in many instances this institutional form
will substitute for the Profile at that particular college and will be free to complete and
submit. Do not submit the Profile unless necessary.
How do I get copies of the financial aid forms?
The College Office receives paper copies of both the FAFSA and the Profile. Colleges
with their own institutional forms will mail those to the students directly or include them
with their application materials. Both the FAFSA and the Profile may be completed
online; links to those sites may be found under the Financial Aid and Scholarships link
on the College Office home page.
Where can I get help completing the financial aid forms?
The CCIS schools sponsor a workshop each December to help families understand how
to complete the FAFSA. The workshop is led by a counselor from The Cleveland
Scholarship Programs in downtown Cleveland, and families are welcome to visit the
CSP offices for more help completing financial aid forms. In addition, the federal
government and The College Board offer telephone hot lines and online guides to
completing the forms at various points throughout the cycle.
How do I find out about available scholarships?
Colleges typically mail information about financial aid and scholarships to students who
are in their databases. There are several books available that compile information about
independent scholarships, and there are also several Web site databases that search
for scholarships based on criteria that students set (see the Financial Aid and
Scholarships link on the College Office home page). Any scholarship information that
comes into the College Office is kept in a file in the main office for students to see, and
weekly lists of scholarships will be posted on this Web site.
Will independent scholarships help me?
Before investing too much energy in seeking scholarship monies that are not college
sponsored, the student should investigate how colleges will handle the receipt of those
awards. Some colleges will add independent scholarship money to the student's total
financial aid package, making that money a genuine benefit; some colleges will reduce
the student's self-help (loan or work-study) amount by the amount of the scholarship, so
the student will have less debt when he graduates but no less expense while attending
college. Still, other colleges will reduce the student's grant award by the amount of the
scholarship, which benefits the college but does not benefit the student.
I got an invitation to a free seminar that will help me find hidden sources of financial aid.
Should I go?
There are no "hidden sources" of financial aid. Colleges openly publish information
about their scholarships and financial aid packages, and there are many free sources
for learning about independent scholarships. Invitations to seminars like this are most
often scams and should be avoided. Families should never have to pay money to find
financial aid.
I don't think my family will qualify for financial aid -- how do I find out?
Financial need calculators are readily available online. The College Board's Web site
has a good link under the "Paying for College", and families may complete a FAFSA
online at any time for free. The number that is calculated and returned is a family's EFC
(Expected Family Contribution). The EFC will remain the same, regardless of the cost of
college. So, if the EFC is $10,000 and a college costs $15,000, the student's need will
be $5,000. The student may not be considered a "high need" student at that college.
However, if the student also applies to a college that costs $30,000, the need will be
$20,000 at that school, and the student would be considered a "high need" student
there. Every college has its own methodology for distributing institutional funds, so even
families with high incomes may qualify for financial aid at particular colleges.
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NCAA Registration
Who should register with the NCAA Initial Eligibility clearinghouse?
Students who are strong enough athletes to play Division I or Division II college sports
must register with the NCAA. This registration process helps ensure that all athletes on
college sports teams are academically eligible to participate.
When should I register with the NCAA?
Students should register with the NCAA at the end of the junior year or during the
summer before the senior year. Students may register later than this, but they will
benefit in the recruiting process if they register earlier.
How do I register with the NCAA?
The NCAA Clearinghouse now recommends that students register online by visiting
www.ncaaclearinghouse.net. If you wish to pay by check or money order then you must
complete the paper form of registration which is located in the College Office. Once you
have indicated to the College Office that you have registered online with the NCAA, a
copy of your transcript and your SAT I scores will be sent.
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