College Readiness
Core – Complete the following:
High School Transcript – High School Transcripts must be submitted for all college applications. A digital copy can be obtained through the registrar at the home high school and Parchment.com. Be sure to follow your home high school's transcript request process. High school transcripts cannot be generated at the JATC.
Degree/Program Requirements – Student will research and include a copy of a 1, 2, or 4 year course requirement plan for their intended program of study, degree, or major. Program requirements for certifications, professional licenses, degrees, and majors are readily available on each college/university website.
College Report – Student must complete a College Report that compares and contrasts 3 colleges of consideration. A completed Excel report must be included in the student portfolio. Guidelines for the report are available in the link below. The link just beneath the Report Guidelines will allow you to download and use an Excel template for the college report. List the colleges to be compared horizontally and the data points vertically. Students may find the College Navigator website as well as individual college and university websites helpful as they gather data to compete the college report.
The Excel Template below can be uploaded into Google Drive and used as a Google Sheet if you do not have Excel available to you.
Supplemental – Complete three of the following*:
Formal College Campus Visit – Students may schedule and attend a formal campus visit at the college of their choice. Various campus visit opportunities are available and can usually be explored by visiting an institution’s website. Examples of opportunities available at some local institutions are posted at the links below. Students will use the College Visit Document to gather information during their visit and include the report in the student portfolio.
Submit a College Application – Student will submit a college application to any post-secondary institution (public or private). Post-secondary institutions that offer certificate programs, 2-year associate degrees and/or 4-year bachelor degrees all meet the definition of college. Proof of application submission in the portfolio can include any of the following: a copy of an email or electronic communication from the institution stating that the application has been submitted, documentation that an application fee has been paid, or an admissions acceptance letter. **Don't forget to send your transcript!** Transcripts can be sent electronically using Parchment.com.
Letter of Recommendation – Students will obtain at least one letter of recommendation for use in scholarship and/or college admissions applications. Please use the JATC “College & Scholarship Recommendation Form” available from the link below to obtain a letter of recommendation. A copy of the letter of recommendation must be included in the digital portfolio.
College Application Essay – Many college applications require a college admissions essay in their student portfolio. The CollegeBoard has essay writing tips and sample essays at the link below.
(CollegeBoard Writing tips/Sample Essays)
(CollegeBoard Writing tips/Sample Essays)
FAFSA Completion Open House (Seniors Only) – Students may attend a Virtual FAFSA Completion Open House sponsored by Utah/UHEAA. Students can sign up for an available time slot during one of the scheduled events in October and November. The student and/or parent then completes the FAFSA at home while on a Zoom call so they can ask questions as needed. It they do request help, they will be invited into a breakout room to have a private discussion with the FAFSA volunteers. Available dates, instructions, and the sign up are listed below. Please include a copy of the email confirmation you receive indicating your appointment for the virtual event.
Scholarship Award – Receiving a scholarship award can be counted as a portfolio qualification. If a student is lucky enough to be awarded, simply include a copy of the award letter in the student portfolio.
Concurrent Enrollment Credit – Student must complete Concurrent Enrollment credit from one of JATC’s partnering higher education institutions to include it in the portfolio. Certification of this credit would be the inclusion of a copy of the transcript that shows awarded credit in the student portfolio. Unofficial transcripts are satisfactory. Unofficial transcripts from the Salt Lake Community College partner can be obtained from the student’s MyPage account. Weber State, Utah State, and Utah Valley University have similar student portals where unofficial transcripts can be obtained.
(MyPage account)
(MyPage account)
ACT/SAT Completion – Student must include a copy of their ACT or SAT results in their portfolio. The documentation must be one of two options: the complete score report from ACT or SAT (available online), or the basic scores included on the high school transcript. Get your ACT Score Report Here. Get your SAT Score Report Here.
FAFSA Application – Student must complete a FAFSA application. Certification of a FAFSA submission to the federal government would be the inclusion of a copy of the Student Aid Report (SAR) in the student portfolio. The SAR is generally delivered via email 72 hours after submission of an electronic FAFSA. Personal information (such as income) should be removed or hidden. For more information and guidance on FAFSA submission, students should attend a FAFSA Completion Open House sponsored by the Utah Council and UHEAA. Additional information is available in the Financial Aid section of the JATC website. (seniors only)
PSAT Completion – Student must take the PSAT/NMSQT examination in the fall of their junior year. A copy of the test results must be included in the student portfolio for certification. High schools administer the PSAT/NMSQT each October. Students should check with the Guidance Center at their boundary school for testing date and registration information.
(PSAT/NMSQT Examination)
(PSAT/NMSQT Examination)
Scholarship Application – Student must complete and submit at least two scholarship applications. Scholarship opportunities are posted on the JATC website under the “Current Students” navigation menu. A copy of the applications, email confirmations or a print screen verification of the electronic submission of the applications must be included in the student portfolio.