Parent or student? High School Junior or Senior?

Off to college and no clue how to prepare or what to do next?

Keep reading to learn more here.

Download SENIOR YEAR MONTHLY CHECKLIST

So much to do, so much to consider, where do I start?

Your junior year you will want to start looking at colleges-the top 5 you are considering and get that out of the way early. In that top 5 have your out of reach dream school as well as a safety school. Consider where the school is located- is it by a big city, beach or not around much? How far from home is it? how many students do they have-big or small? Are they a strong pick for your field of study? Where do you think you will be happy? It is important to visit campus to get a feel for if it is somewhere you would want to go, enjoy and get a good vibe. How much does it cost? Is it in your budget? What are the requirements for acceptance? GPA? ACT? SAT? If you get the college visits out of the way your junior year it will free up your senior year to enjoy your last year of high school, the many fun activities that are usually planned, grades and having a goal list to make sure you meet all requirements for the colleges and universities on your interest list. If $$ an issue most of the schools now have virtual campus tours. Another reason you will want to visit schools early is tours of some of the big ones fill up very early in advance.

The beginning of your senior year you will want to explore any additional colleges, cost, acceptance and if they are test optional. Register for the ACT and SAT and ask for recommendation letters. Know admission deadlines as well as financial aid deadlines. If your guidance department has not gone over this find out what graduation requirements are. The vast majority of colleges in the United States require applicants to submit an essay as part of the application process. From my experience high schools direct and help the seniors to accomplish this. Fill out the Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA). You will need to create an account. It is a government form that students can fill out to determine if they are eligible for financial aid for college. It helps with applying for grants, scholarships, work-study programs, and loans. Click here to fill it out. www.studentaid.gov Many high schools offer a workshop for filling out financial forms. I highly recommend as they are very informative. Do not leave blank fields as this may cause the application to get rejected. If applying early complete early decision and early action applications. An early decision application is a binding commitment to attend a college if admitted. You typically apply mid-October to early November of your senior year of high school. Students are usually notified of their decision mid-December. If you are admitted, you must enroll at the college and withdraw all other applications. ONLY DO THIS AT YOUR FIRST AND FAVORITE CHOICE!!! Early action application is a way to apply to college before the regular admissions deadline. EA applications are non-binding meaning you are not required to attend the school if accepted. The benefits of early action- you can compare financial aid packages from multiple schools as well as avoid the stress of waiting for a decision and the expense of submitting multiple applications. EA deadlines to apply are usually in November or December. Early Action decisions are usually made by mid-December. Start researching scholarships. The high school guidance office is a great resource for this as well as local businesses. There are also many online scholarship tools- such as

www.bigfuture.collegeboard.org

www.bold.org

www.sallie.com

Clean up your social media accounts-YES, SOME COLLEGES LOOK AT THIS!

November you will want to submit regular decision applications and send your test scores for SAT AND ACT.

AFTER WINTER BREAK – Send first semester transcript electronically or by mail to College or University admissions office. Watch for requests from your colleges!! Review financial aid offers and estimate what tuition, books and personal items will cost. KEEP YOUR GRADES UP!! Colleges require final transcripts. Research first year housing options and connect with potential roommates. Most schools have an Instagram to do this. APRIL you will want to make your final college choice if you have not already done this. MAY- Check to see when college deposit due. If you are taking AP exams- request to get them sent to your college or university. Choose your financial aid offer if using aid and write Thank you letters to teachers who wrote you letters of recommendations.