College Resources

• Early Decision (ED) - This is a binding agreement, meaning you can apply to only ONE school under this type of admission plan. ED normally benefits top-performing students who have identified their first, top-choice college.
• Early Action (EA) - Non-binding. You are not obligated to attend if accepted to a school under this admission type. Most colleges give you until the regular decision deadline to make your college decision. The student will typically receive their admission decision by mid-December. Applying EA will often improve your chances of being admitted, but this is NOT a guarantee.
• Restrictive Early Action - Non-binding, early program. If admitted, you are not obligated to attend, but the student likely has until May 1st to reply to their office of admission with their decision.
• Regular Decision - Many application deadlines are January 1st or 15th depending on the school. Applying regular decision means you are not applying in the early round, and will typically receive your admission decision(s) in the spring; typically late-March into mid-April.
• Rolling Admission - Refers to the application period designated by each specific college. In general, it means a larger application window than with early or regular decision. Once the student has applied, they typically receive their admission decision within 6-8 weeks. *Many of our in-state universities are on a rolling admission basis, with the exception of Honors program deadlines.

College admissions, while challenging, can be a great experience. Searching for colleges, examining your interests, and having discussions about your future with your family can be enlightening. Our Arcadia counselors and the College & Career Center are here to help you as you work through this process.

• College Sports Options
• NCAA - Read if you want to play sports in College
• NCAA Eligibility Center
  Create a Certification Account to make official visits to Divisions I & II schools or sign a National Letter of Intent

• NAIA Eligibility Center 
  Responsible for ensuring that prospective college athletes meet all academic requirements to be eligible to compete in college sports at one of its member schools. Register early so you know what documentation and clear all hurdles for fall enrollment. NAIA begins issuing eligibility determinations juniors once the academic year is complete.

• College Visit Planning Checklist
  Before visiting a college campus, it is helpful to look at questions you can ask.
   
• Questions to ask College Admissions
  Be prepared with questions before the visit.
   
• When to Visit 
  Another helpful article, from College Board, gives information on college campuses.

Scholarships available through the Arizona Community Foundation’s General opens in January. You can filter your search by financial need, course type, location, and/or status. Filling out the ACF General Application will match you with any of these scholarships for which you are eligible.

Arizona Community Foundation’s General

The Flinn Scholarship is a prestigious, merit-based award for Arizona’s top high school seniors. It covers the full cost of tuition, fees, housing, and meals at one of Arizona’s public universities, plus study abroad and internship opportunities. The program also provides mentorship, leadership development, and a strong community of scholars.

Flinn Scholarship

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program, established by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, provides full scholarships to outstanding minority students with significant financial need. It supports scholars through their undergraduate education and, for certain fields, graduate studies, while also offering leadership development, academic support, and mentoring to help them succeed in college and beyond.

Gates Millennium Scholars Program