College and University Information

Counseling Pages

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The Common Application

If you are using the Common Application you will need certain information to complete the student portion of the application. Email or stop by the counseling office if you don't know the correct response to a prompt. Don't guess!

Our high school CEEB code is 231255.
We report GPA, we DO NOT report class rank
Your GPA and class rank are determined using a “WEIGHTED” system.

It is important to have your Guidance Counselor complete the Secondary School Report/Mid-Year Report/Final Report and to have your teacher(s) complete the Teacher Evaluation. Invite teachers to complete the evaluation by entering their name and e-mail address into the Common App (under the section SCHOOL FORMS). Common App will send your teacher(s) and counselor an e-mail prompt requesting that they complete the report/evaluation on-line. Our recommendations do not have to arrive at the same time that your application does.

OTHER APPLICATIONS

If you’re applying to colleges/universities that don't use the Common App, they may have a Counselor Recommendation page that you will need to print and take to your counselor to complete. However, all transcript requests are sent online.

Letters of Recommendation

Not all colleges require a counselor letter of recommendation. However, if you are applying to a college or university that requires a counselor letter of recommendation, please download and complete the Student College Questionnaire and/or a Resume with Activities & Awards sheet (see attachment below for example) and send it to  your guidance counselor via e-mail or submit it in person.

If you're applying to colleges via the Common Application, please see THE COMMON APPLICATION tab.

College Essays

The essay is a critical component of any college application. It offers you an opportunity to make your personal voice heard, to separate yourself from thousands of other applicants. There are many resources to assist you as you write your essay. Below are just a few.

College Board Essay Writing Resources
EssayEdge (samples to start you thinking)
College Essay Tips

FINANCIAL AID

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the federal application for financial aid. It is also used to apply for aid from other sources, such as from the state or school you will be attending. The FAFSA is required for most college aid applications. It is available starting December 2023.

Remember to apply early before funds run out! Check the resource links below to view additional resources for filling out your FAFSA.

FAFSA Resources

Scholarships

Throughout the year, the DHS Counseling Office receives notice of available scholarships. Check the Scholarship Board outside the Counseling Office for information on scholarships available to our students. Many opportunities will be posted throughout the year! You can also check out scholarship opportunities by going to the websites of your prospective colleges/universities. They will have them listed with filing deadlines.

Local Scholarships are posted in the spring. Generally, local businesses and organizations notify DHS of the scholarships available for that graduating class. The local scholarship packet and applications will be distributed to all seniors at their class meeting in late March/early April. All applications completed by students are copied and forwarded to the businesses and organizations sponsoring the scholarships and then they will select the recipients. Subsequent to reviewing your application (which often includes an essay explaining why you would benefit from the scholarship), they may elect to conduct personal interviews with the students before making their final decision.

Helpful scholarship websites:

Fee Waivers

"Most Demanding Curriculum"

DHS has offered Advanced Placement (AP) courses since the 1990s, but starting with the graduating class of 2014, we also offer an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. Both AP and IB classes are part of a criteria some college applications use known as "Most Demanding Program."

DHS counselors are often asked whether they recommend AP or IB courses. It really comes down to what the individual student needs and/or wants. Please review the A.P. and IB considerations in below as you plan your high school courses and think about college applications. The Canvas link below is a dashboard for all things AP and IB: courses, deadlines, calendar, etc.

Canvas - AP/IB Dashboard

Program Designations

In terms of college admissions, it often doesn't matter which route students choose. Typically, college applications ask guidance counselors to indicate whether a student's academic program is "Most Demanding," "Very Demanding, "Somewhat Demanding," etc. when compared with what else is offered at the school. These are the standards for students to earn the "Most Demanding" designation at DHS:

DHS students who've earned credit in six AP courses that DHS currently offers, in addition to four years of a world language, will earn the "Most Demanding" designation.
Students who complete the full IB Diploma Programme, will also earn the distinction of "Most Demanding."
Students who take a combination of 6 IB (HL) courses and AP courses, plus the fourth year of a world language, will also earn the "Most Demanding" designation.
It is important to note that unless a student falls into a special category (recruited athlete, underrepresented minority, VIP, legacy, etc.), often times the students within the "Most Demanding" category are the ones that get serious consideration at the most competitive colleges such as the "Ivy League" schools.

If earning the "Most Demanding" designation is important to you, please check with your high school counselor to make sure that your course selection meets the criteria. In either case, before you commit to either route, be certain that you understand what the complete IB program entails in terms of course selection, time commitment, etc. Your high school counselor or the IB coordinator at DHS can explain how IB works.

University Credit Transfer Policies

Another consideration is the fact that credit transfer policies differ from university to university.

Some colleges award college credit for IB (HL) courses and IB (SL) courses. However, some colleges only give college credit for IB classes taken at the "Higher Level." IB diploma students take three classes at that level and the rest at the Standard Level ("SL").
Some colleges give credit only for IB exam scores of 7 (the top); some give credit for lower scores. Again it depends on the individual college.

DHS counselors have this credit transfer information for all Michigan colleges and Big Ten schools. For other out-of-state schools, counselors can assist students with retrieving that information from the college webpages. As more and more high schools are adding an IB program, some colleges (most out-of-state) are offering significant scholarship money to students who complete the full IB Diploma.

The Overall High School Experience

For many AP and IB students, earning college credit is not necessarily a priority. Many students are focusing primarily on having an engaging high school experience and on impressing admission officials in the process. If a student is shooting for the Ivy League schools, and/or other hyper-competitive colleges, generally she isn't necessarily looking to arrive with credits under her belt. Nor does she intend to rush through college in three years (even though it might save Mom and Dad some money).

Scheduling Constraints

Students must also consider which choice of program might affect other options in the school day. For instance, do scheduling constraints mean that IB students may have to drop a desirable elective such as band, orchestra or choir? DHS counselors will do everything possible to help students fit everything in, whether that means a zero hour, on-line coursework, or a Personal Curriculum is necessary.

When students are deciding whether AP or IB is best for them, they need to remember that Dexter High School is fortunate indeed, to offer students a challenging high school experience that will also "look good" at college admission time, whether they opt for AP or IB.

NCAA Eligibility

GENERAL INFO ABOUT NCAA ELIGIBILITY

Most students at DHS easily meet the NCAA eligibility standards by meeting (and often surpassing) the graduation requirements at DHS. However, it is still wise to make an appointment with your counselor to do some forward planning at the end of 9th grade or the beginning of 10th grade. Moreover, it is essential that you meet with your counselor to complete the NCAA worksheet together to ensure that you'll meet the NCAA eligibility standards by the time you graduate.

If you plan on competing in collegiate athletics, you'll need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. During your junior year, contact coaches of programs at specific colleges/universities that you're interested in (see below). To present yourself in the best possible light, it would be wise to submit a highlight tape to them also. Your high school coaches will be able to provide advice in this area. It is your responsibility to meet with your DHS counselor to ensure that you're on track to meet NCAA eligibility. You'll find a NCAA Eligibility Worksheet attached below. It is partially filled out with the core course that are required at DHS; hopefully this will save you some time.

To have your DHS transcript sent to NCAA or colleges, you'll need to go to Parchment.com to make the request. (You'll need your NCAA 10-digit ID number to have the transcript sent to them.)

To find your 10-digit NCAA ID number, login to the NCAA Eligibility Center (or create an account if you haven't already).....after you login, the "WELCOME" page will appear. Up in the top right corner, you will find your 10-digit ID number to submit to Parchment.com.

New NCAA Division I Initial-Eligibility Standards

Effective August 2016, the initial-eligibility standards for NCAA Division I college-bound student-athletes are changing. College-bound student-athletes first entering a Division I college or university will need to meet new academic rules in order to receive athletics aid (scholarship), practice or compete during their first year.

three terms you need to know:

Full Qualifier: A college-bound student-athlete may receive athletics aid (scholarship), practice and compete in the first year of enrollment at the Division I college or university.
Academic Redshirt: A college-bound student-athlete may receive athletics aid (scholarship) in the first year of enrollment and may practice in the first regular academic term (semester or quarter) but may NOT compete in the first year of enrollment. After the first term is complete, the college-bound student-athlete must be academically successful at his/her college or university to continue to practice for the rest of the year.
Nonqualifier: A college-bound student-athlete cannot receive athletics aid (scholarship), cannot practice and cannot compete in the first year of enrollment.

Here are the new requirements:

FULL QUALIFIERS must:

1. Complete 16 core courses:

4 years of English.
3 years of mathematics (Algebra I or higher).
2 years of natural/physical science (1 year of lab if offered by high school).
1 year of additional English, mathematics or natural/physical science.
2 years of social science.
4 years of additional courses (from any area above, foreign language or comparative religion/philosophy).

2. Have a minimum core-course GPA of 2.300;

Grades earned in the 10 required courses required before the senior year are "locked in" for purposes of GPA calculation.
A repeat of one of the "locked in" courses will not be used to improve the GPA if taken after the seventh semester begins.

3. Meet the competition sliding scale requirement of GPA and ACT/SAT score (this is a new scale with increased GPA/test score requirements);

4. Graduate from high school.

ACADEMIC REDSHIRT must:

1. Complete 16 core courses (same as listed above);
2. Have a minimum core-course GPA of 2.000;
3. Meet the academic redshirt sliding scale requirement of GPA and ACT/SAT score;
4. Graduate from high school.

Nonqualifier:

A college-bound student-athlete who fails to meet the standards for a qualifier or for an academic redshirt.

Divisions I and II Initial-Eligibility Requirements

Core Courses

NCAA Division I requires 16 core courses. NCAA Division II will require 16 core courses for students enrolling on or after August 1, 2013.
NCAA Division I will require 10 core courses to be completed prior to the seventh semester (seven of the 10 must be a combination of English, math or natural or physical science that meet the distribution requirements below). These 10 courses become "locked in" at the seventh semester and cannot be retaken for grade improvement.

Beginning August 1, 2016, it will be possible for a Division I college-bound student-athlete to still receive athletics aid and the ability to practice with the team if he or she fails to meet the 10 course requirement, but he or she would not be able to compete.

Test Scores

Division I uses a sliding scale to match test scores and core grade-point averages (GPA). The sliding scale for those requirements is shown on the NCAA website: www.eligibilitycenter.org
Division II requires a minimum SAT score of 820 or an ACT sum score of 68.
The SAT score used for NCAA purposes includes only the critical reading and math sections. The writing section of the SAT is not used.
The ACT score used for NCAA purposes is a sum of the following four sections: English, mathematics, reading and science.
When you register for the SAT or ACT, use the NCAA Eligibility Center code of 9999 to ensure all SAT and ACT scores are reported directly to the NCAA Eligibility Center from the testing agency. Test scores that appear on transcripts will not be used.

Grade-Point Average

Be sure to look at Dexter High School's List of NCAA Courses on the NCAA Eligibility Center's website (www.eligibilitycenter.org). Our DHS school code is 231255. Only courses that appear on our school's List of NCAA Courses will be used in the calculation of the core GPA. Use the list as a guide.
Division I students enrolling full time before August 1, 2016, should use Sliding Scale A to determine eligibility to receive athletics aid, practice and competition during the first year.
Division I GPA required to receive athletics aid and practice on or after August 1, 2016, is 2.000 (corresponding test-score requirements are listed on Sliding Scale B on Page No. 2 of this sheet).
Division I GPA required to be eligible for competition on or after August 1, 2016, is 2.300 (corresponding test-score requirements are listed on Sliding Scale B on Page No. 2 of this sheet).
The Division II core GPA requirement is a minimum of 2.000. Remember, the NCAA GPA is calculated using NCAA core courses only.

NCAA Eligibility Examples

Examples:

Q: A college-bound student-athlete completes 15 core courses with a 2.500 core- course GPA and an 820 SAT score (critical reading and math). What is the college-bound student-athlete's NCAA initial-eligibility status?
A: The college-bound student-athlete is a nonqualifier because only 15 core courses were completed, not the required 16 core courses.
Q: A college-bound student-athlete completes 16 core courses in the required framework with a 2.500 core-course GPA and a 68 sum ACT. What is the college- bound student-athlete's initial-eligibility status?
A: The college-bound student-athlete is an academic redshirt. Under the new competition scale, a 68 sum ACT score requires a 2.950 core-course GPA.
Q: A college-bound student-athlete completes nine core courses prior to the seventh semester of high school. What is the college-bound student-athlete's initial- eligibility status?
A: The college-bound student-athlete cannot be certified as a qualifier because only nine of the 10 required courses were completed before the seventh semester. He/she would be permitted to practice and receive aid (scholarship), provided he/she presents 16 core courses and meets the necessary core-course GPA and test-score requirement at the time of graduation.