KNIGHTCAP 2023

STUDENT SERVICES
CENTRAL CATHOLIC JR. SR. HIGH SCHOOL
 SCHEDULE
• Overview of College & Career Preparation 8:00-8:10
– timeline of fall
• Naviance Assessments 8:15-8:45
– StrengthsExplorer
– Career Interest Profiler & Cluster Finder
• Naviance SuperMatch College Search 8:50-9:10
• Naviance Senior Brag Sheet Survey 9:10-9:30
• Break 9:30-9:40
• College Essay Overview 9:40-9:50
• The Common Application 9:50-11:30ish
• Naviance Survey and Resume if time remains before lunch
• Lunch Break 11:30-12:00
• Common App Essay work 12:00-2:00
Application Season Info
• Early Action vs. Early Decision
– Decision = Dangerous (committed to school if accepted)
– Action = Safe (getting application in early to show interest)
• Nov. 1 = Early Action Deadline for many schools
• Common App vs. Naviance
– Common App = one application portal for many schools in Indiana (and some outside of
midwest)
– Naviance = system for researching and saving colleges, taking career assessments, requesting and
monitoring documents sent (transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.)
• College Application Tuesdays
– Tuesdays during 10:10 in cafeteria August-October(ish)
– counselors walk all seniors through next steps in application process
 NAVIANCE ASSESSMENTS
❖ StrengthsExplorer
StrengthsExplorer assesses 10 talent themes for individuals and identifies each student’s three
strongest emerging talents. It provides explanations of these themes, strategies for capitalizing
on each, and action items to help students gain insight into their greatest talents – natural
patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior – to leverage in the classroom and in life.

StrengthsExplorer Themes:
Achieving Dependability Presence Confidence Competing
Caring Discoverer Relating Organizer Future Thinker

Let’s find out what your strengths looks like!

 NAVIANCE ASSESSMENTS
❖ Career Interest Profiler
The Career Interest Profiler is an online career interest assessment for students based on Holland's
interest codes. When students complete the Career Interest Profiler, their results will display their
top Holland Code matches.

❖ Career Cluster Finder

The Career Cluster Finder is an online questionnaire that helps students discover career clusters
that are most interesting to them. Once a student completes the Career Cluster Finder, top matching
career clusters are made available for review. Students can re-take the cluster finder at any time.
• Note: Students must click "Add this cluster to your list" on the results page under "Your top
cluster(s)." Once saved, their career cluster will be added to their list of "favorite careers &
clusters."
Naviance SuperMatch College Search

• Naviance>Colleges>SuperMatch College Search

• tool in Naviance for exploring colleges based on criteria
• can save to “Colleges I’m Thinking About” list or pin to compare
– if pin to compare, click pinned schools at bottom of page to bring up comparison page
– if want to save after pinning, click heart
• “Colleges I’m Applying To” list
– keep track of schools and submissions
– will match Common App account, so no need to enter in any Common App schools
• can move schools from “Thinking About” to “Applying To”
– only do if applying directly to institution (no computer w/ CA symbol in “Delivery type” column)
• For the 2023-24 application cycle, THE COMMON
the Common Application essay prompts APP ESSAY
remain unchanged from the previous few
cycles.
• The essay length limit stands at 650 words (the LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE
ESSAY PROMPTS
minimum is 250 words), and students will need
to choose from seven options.
• The essay prompts are designed to encourage
reflection and introspection. If your essay
doesn't include some self-analysis, you haven't
fully succeeded in responding to the prompt.
Which one is right for you?
OPTION #1
SOME STUDENTS HAVE A BACKGROUND, IDENTITY, INTEREST, OR TALENT
THAT IS SO MEANINGFUL THEY BELIEVE THEIR APPLICATION WOULD BE
INCOMPLETE WITHOUT IT. IF THIS SOUNDS LIKE YOU,THEN PLEASE SHARE
YOUR STORY.
• "Identity" is at the heart of this prompt. What is it that makes you, you?
• The prompt gives you a lot of latitude for answering the question since you
can write a story about your "background, identity, interest, or talent." Your
"background" can be a broad environmental factor that contributed to your
development such as growing up in a military family, living in an interesting
place, or dealing with an unusual family situation.
• You could write about an event or series of events that had a profound impact
on your identity.Your "interest" or "talent" could be a passion that has driven
you to become the person you are today. However you approach the prompt,
make sure you are inward looking and explain how and why the story you tell
is so meaningful.
OPTION #2
THE LESSONS WE TAKE FROM OBSTACLES WE ENCOUNTER CAN BE
FUNDAMENTAL TO LATER SUCCESS. RECOUNT A TIME WHEN YOU FACED A
CHALLENGE, SETBACK, OR FAILURE. HOW DID IT AFFECT YOU, AND WHAT
DID YOU LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE?
• This prompt may seem to go against everything that you've learned on your path to
college. It's far more comfortable in an application to celebrate successes and
accomplishments than it is to discuss setbacks and failure. At the same time, you'll impress
the college admissions folks greatly if you can show your ability to learn from your failures
and mistakes. Be sure to devote significant space to the second half of the question—how
did you learn and grow from the experience?
• Introspection and honesty are key with this prompt.
Some key questions to consider:
● How do you deal with hardship?
● What qualifies as a challenge or setback in your life and world?
● Are you the kind of person who can rebound and turn every experience, good or
bad, into one from which you can learn something? What experiences might illustrate
this quality?
● What have been some of the major challenges you’ve encountered in your life? And
was there a silver lining?
OPTION #3
REFLECT ON A TIME WHEN YOU QUESTIONED OR CHALLENGED A
BELIEF OR IDEA. WHAT PROMPTED YOUR THINKING? WHAT WAS THE
OUTCOME?
• Keep in mind how open-ended this prompt truly is. The "belief or idea" you explore could
be your own, someone else's, or that of a group. The best essays will be honest as they
explore the difficulty of working against the status quo or a firmly held belief. The answer
to the final question about the "outcome" of your challenge need not be a success
story. Sometimes in retrospection, we discover that the cost of an action was perhaps too
great. However you approach this prompt, your essay needs to reveal one of your core
personal values.
• If the belief you challenged doesn't give admissions a window into your personality, then
you haven't succeeded with this prompt.
Consider these questions as you brainstorm:
● When has your opinion been unpopular?
● Why are you the kind of person who is willing to stand up for what you believe in?
● What is important to you on a fundamental level of morals and values?
● How passionate are you about the things you believe in?
OPTION #4
REFLECT ON SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE HAS DONE FOR YOU THAT HAS
MADE YOU HAPPY OR THANKFUL IN A SURPRISING WAY. HOW HAS THIS
GRATITUDE AFFECTED OR MOTIVATED YOU?
Students should think about times when they have felt acknowledged, heard, and seen.
Moments when they have felt that swelling in their chest, as their heart grows three sizes.
Think creatively about what you appreciate in your life. It can be a physical gift, an action, or
even just a set of feelings projected in your direction.You can be intimately familiar with the
person who has inspired your gratitude, or reflect on the actions of a near stranger or even
a public figure who has impacted your life for the better. Just remember that this essay
needs to focus on how you process, appreciate and draw inspiration from the action of
others, so make sure your response is focused on YOU. Ultimately, admissions wants to
know more about how you relate to others in the world, and how you repurpose good
intentions.
Some questions to ponder:
● How do you like to pay it forward in your daily life?
● How (and why!) do you express gratitude and appreciation?
● What are your favorite random acts of kindness?
● Has anyone ever restored your faith in humanity? How?
OPTION #5
DISCUSS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT, EVENT, OR REALIZATION THAT SPARKED A
PERIOD OF PERSONAL GROWTH AND A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF YOURSELF
OR OTHERS.

• The prompt used to talk about transitioning from childhood to adulthood, but the new
language about a "period of personal growth" is a much better articulation of how we
actual learn and mature (no single event makes us adults). Maturity comes as the result of
a long train of events and accomplishments (and failures). This prompt is an excellent
choice if you want to explore a single event or achievement that marked a clear
milestone in your personal development. Be careful to avoid the "hero"
essay—admissions offices are often overrun with essays about the season-winning
touchdown or brilliant performance in the school play (see the list of bad essay topics
below). These can certainly be fine topics for an essay, but make sure your essay is
analyzing your personal growth process, not bragging about an accomplishment.
Your Drug Use A Comedy Routine The Travel Journal
Excuses Your List of Accomplishments Your Heroism
One-Track Social, Religious or Political Lectures Woe Is Me
OPTION #6
DESCRIBE A TOPIC, IDEA, OR CONCEPT YOU FIND SO ENGAGING THAT IT MAKES
YOU LOSE ALL TRACK OF TIME. WHY DOES IT CAPTIVATE YOU? WHAT OR WHO DO
YOU TURN TO WHEN YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE?
• In essence, this prompt is asking you to identify and discuss something that enthralls you. The
question gives you an opportunity to identify something that kicks your brain into high gear, reflect
on why it is so stimulating, and reveal your process for digging deeper into something that you are
passionate about. Note that the central words here—"topic, idea, or concept"—all have rather
academic connotations.
• While you may lose track of time when running or playing football, sports are probably not the best
choice for this particular question.
Some key questions to consider:
● What floats your boat? Do you have an appetite for knowledge about something specific? Or,
as we asked in the breakdown for Prompt #1: what do you love, and why do you love it?
● What lengths have you gone to in order to acquire new information about or experiences
related to a topic of interest?
● How do you typically seek to enrich your knowledge when something appeals to you? Do you
have a favorite corner of the library (or internet)? A mentor who is open to answering your
burning questions?
● What about the process of learning, especially about subjects that call out to you, is satisfying?
OPTION #7
SHARE AN ESSAY ON ANY TOPIC OF YOUR CHOICE. IT CAN BE ONE YOU'VE
ALREADY WRITTEN, ONE THAT RESPONDS TO A DIFFERENT PROMPT, OR
ONE OF YOUR OWN DESIGN.
• Use this option if you have a story to share that doesn't quite fit into any of the options above.
However, the first six topics are extremely broad with a lot of flexibility, so make sure your topic really
can't be identified with one of them. Also, don't equate "topic of your choice" with a license to write a
comedy routine or poem (you can submit such things via the "Additional Info" option).
• Essays written for this prompt still need to have substance and tell your reader something about you.
Cleverness is fine, but don't be clever at the expense of meaningful content.
Some questions to consider as you brainstorm, in addition to all of the ones we’ve posed
thus far:
● What do you want admissions to know about you that they wouldn’t be able to glean from your
transcript, test scores, or teacher recommendations?
● What are the stories that come up over and over again, at the dinner table or in the cafeteria
with your friends, that might give admissions some insight into who you are and what is
important to you?
● If you had ten minutes alone in a room with an admissions officer, what would you want to talk
about or tell him or her about yourself?
● What would you bring to a college campus that no one else would or could?
 THE COMMON APPLICATION
https://www.commonapp.org/

• Dashboard
• My Colleges
• Common App
– Schoology Links
Common App Link
Naviance Guide Link
 BACK TO NAVIANCE
• Match Common App account
– “Colleges I’m Applying To” list
– “Match Account” at top
• College SuperMatch
– Select colleges with your specific interests and preferences in mind
– Check out the criteria for admission
– Consider the cost (as well as financial aid and scholarship opportunities)
– Move any non-Common App schools to “Colleges I’m Applying To” list
• Resumes
 SUMMER TASKS
• Keep working on your essay
• Continue to update your resume in Naviance
• Use SuperMatch to find colleges that meet your personal interests and
strengths
• Research scholarships
• Set up college visits if you are still on the fence about where you will apply
• You have a lot of people who want you to finish strong next year - Ask for
help if you need it!

Have a GREAT SUMMER