Getting a head start on college prep can make the fall and spring less stressful for parents and students. Seniors will need to be prepared for the overwhelming amount of college admissions activities once school begins. Tackling (or preparing) for those college related tasks now can help ease some of the pressure in the fall. Get ahead of the game and prepare in advance; be ready for your student’s senior year to begin with this college prep checklist.
High school graduation is approaching for seniors; and some tearful goodbyes may be approaching for their parents. Your emotions will transition from pride for their accomplishments to dread and sadness as they move on to the next phase of their lives.
Letting go is never easy. But if you’ve done your job, your student is ready to move to the next phase of their life, which means living independently.
This article was originally written for and published at TeenLife.com
The first semester of senior year is filled with anticipation. It’s your last year of high school and you have so much to look forward to, such as graduation and college. But in order for seniors to reach those goals, you have some high-priority things in the area of college admissions and creating the best college application that you can.
1. Get recommendation letters.
There’s no time to waste. Teachers and administrators and other mentors are busy people. With multiple students asking for recommendation letters, you want to be first in line. If you’ve done your homework, you have built relationships and now it’s time to ask for that college recommendation. Choose people who know you well and will be able to make the recommendations more personal.
2. Complete the college essays.
It’s time to put the finishing touches on that college essay you began working on over the summer. Remember the essay is your chance to demonstrate who you are. Be yourself and don’t try to write what you think admissions officers want to hear. Once your essay is completed, have someone proofread it before submitting with the application.
3. Finalize your college list.
It’s time to nail down your college choices. Review your notes and anything you learned during college interviews. Look at the entire picture for each college: Is it a fit academically, socially and financially? Are you at the top of the applicant pool and in the best position to receive merit aid? Make sure you have some colleges on your final list that are reach schools, some that are perfect fit schools, and some that are schools where you are pretty much ensured acceptance.
4. Visit the colleges on your list.
Fall is the perfect time for college visits. Not only will those visits help you finalize your list, but visiting a college demonstrates interest. Once the colleges receive your application, they will check to see how interested you are in attending and that will influence admissions officers. While you are on campus, schedule an interview and an appointment with the financial aid office. Ask questions that will help you finalize your college list.
5. Complete the FAFSA.
The FAFSA – the Free Application for Federal Student Aid – is available online. You should make filing it out a priority and the sooner the better. Colleges will be awarding financial aid this year along with their admissions decisions. You want to be first in line for this merit aid, so file now. Students who complete the FAFSA are not only eligible for federal aid, but for college-based aid such as grants and scholarships.
6. One last task: Submit your college application ASAP.
Consider submitting your application early. Applying early decision or early action means you will hear from the colleges sooner and also get information on your financial aid award. If you apply EA (early action) you’re not bound to any one college and you can apply to more than one. If you know the college you want to attend and it’s your absolute first choice, you can apply ED (early decision). You are bound to accept the school’s offer of admission, however, and you cannot apply to other colleges.
Fall is in the air (at least in most parts of the country) and seniors are gearing up for a busy year of college-related activities. To help parents and students stay organized and on top of the college to-do-lists, I’m sharing my senior list from my Parents Countdown to College Toolkit and Parents Crash Course.
My good friend and colleague Paul Hemphill has another take on the senior “to-do-list” (3 Things High Seniors should do early) that you will also want to share with your college-bound teens.
FALL
Continue to follow a rigorous program of study and verify that your course plan is consistent with college admissions criteria. Keep tabs on your GPA and your class rank; double check your transcript for any errors.
Start collecting recommendation letters. Gather any that were done over the summer and if you need to add additional ones, ask for them early when school begins.
If you need to take admissions tests again, register for and take the SAT and/or ACT and SAT Subject tests. Fill in the proper codes for each college to assure they receive your test scores.
Lock in your college choices and visit any on your list that you haven’t already checked out.
If you are applying to a military academy make sure your file is current and in the possession of the person from whom you are seeking the nomination.
If you are seeking an athletic scholarship, send a copy of your game schedule to the appropriate coaches; ask your high school coaches to help with contact names.
Finalize portfolios, audition tapes, writing samples, or other evidence of talent to send with your college admissions application.
If you are going to apply for early decision or early action, be sure to submit application materials by the deadline.
WINTER
Gather all the data for the FAFSA and encourage your parents to complete income tax returns early so that you can file in January. Complete the CSS/Profile as well if necessary.
Continue your scholarship search process focusing on those for 12th grade students. Request any college specific scholarship applications and apply.
Apply to the colleges that you have chosen and assure proper completion of each application package.
Verify that your mid-year transcript has been sent to the colleges to which you have applied. This is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Follow up and verify that the colleges receive the transcript.
Review your SAR Report for accuracy and submit corrections if necessary.
If any college requests additional materials or forms send them promptly and verify they are received.
Apply for State Financial aid which may require additional forms.
SPRING
Plan to take AP Exams. Check with your colleges and verify that once the tests are taken you will receive college credit.
Compare college award letters and financial aid packages. Contact the school’s financial aid office if you have questions about your award. If you would like to dispute your award due to extenuating circumstances, follow the guidelines outlined in the toolkit.
Visit colleges that have invited you to enroll and talk with students, professors and admissions advisers to help you make your final decision.
Complete any loan paperwork if you will need to take out parent or student loans.
Make your final decision and notify the college you will be attending, along with the colleges you will be declining admission. (Remember: there are students on wait lists that will be waiting for spots to open. So be respectful and notify ALL schools of your decision).
Accept or decline your financial aid awards in writing. You have the option to accept all or part of the aid awarded.
SUMMER.
Attend Freshman Orientation and gather information regarding your course offerings to begin searching for textbook offers and deals.
Write thank you notes to the people who recommended you and thank them for taking the time to write those recommendation letters.
Apply for a summer job and save that money for college expenses.
If Federal Work Study is part of your package it’s your responsibility to secure a job and follow up with the financial aid office when you arrive on campus.
Print the list–email it to your teenager–post it on the frig for easy reference. It will help remind YOU and your college-bound teen that senior year is NOT the time for senioritis to kick in.
The 2008-2009 school year is coming to an end. Seniors will be graduating and moving on to college, technical school or trade school. Juniors will officially be seniors with a busy year ahead of them before walking across that stage next May or June. Senior year is NOT the time to coast, relax and develop senioritis. It’s the time to get all your ducks in a row and start a timeline for college planning. Here’s some suggestions from experience that might help.
Summer
Start refining your college list by viewing college tours online and deciding which schools you would like to pursue further by visiting and requesting an admissions interview.
Do some online practice tests of the SAT and/or ACT to determine your weaknesses. Spend time over the summer studying and improving your vocabulary, math skills and essay skills.
Start writing your application essays and refining them so they will be ready for submission.
