Senior Year College Checklist
This may help simplify and put some order to all the tasks you should do during your senior year.
September
___ 1. Meet with Ms. Cable and your parents to check your transcript, get your GPA/rank, and discuss plans for after graduation.
___ 2. Prepare a list of colleges to which you are going to apply.This list should include:
·One or two safety colleges: colleges to which you will almost certainly be admitted.
·Some “probables”: colleges where your GPA, test scores and other features look very similar to those of recent entering classes.
·A reach (or two): colleges where you meet the criteria for admission but may not have the stellar qualifications of most first-year students.
____3.Email each school or apply directly via the colleges website (or check out Common Application (www.commonapp.org,) asking for an application and financial aid information.Plan to visit as many of these colleges as possible.
____4. Create a master list or calendar that includes:
·tests you will take and the fees, dates and registration deadlines
·college application deadlines
·financial aid application forms required and their deadlines (note:Aid application deadlines may be due before college applications.)
·other materials you’ll need (recommendations, transcripts...)
___5.Ask for teacher and counselor recommendations, if you need them.Give each teacher a copy of the Student Information Sheet or an outline of your academic record and your extracurricular activities.Be sure to provide each teacher/counselor with the required forms.
___6.If you can’t afford application fees or test fees, ask Ms. Cable for information on fee waivers.
October
___1.Take the ACT and/or SAT
___2. Try to finalize your college choices
___3.Prepare Early Decision, Early Action or rolling admissions applications as soon as possible
___4.If you are submitting essays, write first drafts and ask teachers and others to read them.If you are applying for Early Decision, finish the essays for that application NOW.
___5.Attend a College Fair. (Oct. 19th, Broome-Tioga College Day)
___6.Continue visiting colleges and meet with college representatives at GMU.
November
___1.November 1-15:For Early Decision admissions, colleges may require test scores and applications between these dates.
___2.Complete at least one college application by Thanksgiving.
___3. Ms. Cable sends your transcripts to colleges.Please be sure to give me the required forms at least 2 weeks before the colleges require them.
December
___1.Aim for December 1 as your college application deadline.
___2.As you finish and send your applications and essays, be sure to keep copies.
___3.Attend the Financial Aid Night at GMU.You should attend with your parents.DON’T send mom and dad in your place. You need to be aware of the college financial aid process.
___4.File for your Financial Aid PIN number at www.pin.ed.gov and begin to review the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov
___5. Visit www.hesc.com for more really useful information re. financial aid.
January
___1.Fill out the FAFSA form and submit it online no earlier than January 1st.
___2.Fill out the Scholarship applications and go to www.finaid.org or www.fastweb.com .
___3.If you apply to colleges online, be sure to have your high school transcript sent.If you don’t tell me you have applied, I won’t know to send your transcript.
February
___1.No senioritis please!Accepting colleges DO look at second semester senior grades!
March
___1.Keep active in school.If you are wait-listed, the college will want to know what you have accomplished between the time you applied and learned of its decision.
April
__1.You should receive acceptance letters and financial aid offers by mid-April.If you’ve not done so yet, visit your final college before accepting.As soon as you decide, notify the Guidance Office of your decision.
May
___1.May 1:Colleges cannot require a deposit or commitment to attend before May 1.By that postmarked date, you must inform every college of your acceptance or rejection of the offer of admission and/or financial aid.
___2.Send your deposit to one college only.
___3.Wait-listed by a college?If you will enroll if accepted, tell the admissions director your intent and ask how to strengthen your application.Need financial aid?Ask whether funds will be available if you are accepted.
___4.Please ask me for help to resolve any admissions or financial aid problems.
June
___1.Be sure to request a final transcript to be sent to your college so they can see that you graduated with a HS diploma. You will not be able to start college without it. Typically, transcripts are sent from the Guidance Office in the beginning of July.
CONGRATULATIONS!WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD!
