National Association of Professional College Advisors. The College Preparation Roadmap for High School Students

Transcription

1 National Association of Professional College Advisors The College Preparation Roadmap for High School Students

2 Freshmen Recommendations Develop a challenging class schedule of college preparatory courses. Colleges like to see: 4 years of English 3 years of math (through Algebra II or trigonometry) 3 years of lab science (more if you intend to major in one of the sciences in college) 3 years of social studies including U.S. History 2 years of foreign language study Computer course studies Art or music course Establish strong study habits and commit to a consistent study routine. Work on effective time management techniques. Become involved in many different community service projects. Work to enhance your vocabulary skills and writing abilities. Learn to use the library effectively, including computer research. Investigate and become involved in extracurricular activities for your Resume of Achievement. Begin to think about your sophomore class schedule. Consider taking an AP course in your strong subjects, if you are not already doing so. Meet with your guidance counselor and make them aware of your college plans. Talk with your parents about college cost and together explore what you should be doing to finance your education. ACTION STEP: Create a file of the following documents and notes you will gather throughout high school. Copies of report cards List of awards and honors you receive List of school and community activities in which you are involved in and a description of what you did within the organization.

3 Sophomore Recommendations Continue to keep your grades up and establish strong study habits in all your classes. Continue to be involved in a variety of community service projects. Remain active in extracurricular activities aim for leadership roles. You may want to consider scheduling and taking the PSAT in October. The scores will not count for National Merit Scholarship consideration, but the practice will be of value when you take the test again in your junior year when the scores do count. You should receive the PSAT results sometime in December. Talk to your guidance counselor or a teacher about reviewing the curriculum needed to satisfy the requirements of the colleges you are interested in attending. Begin to consider the teachers from whom you will request letters of recommendations. Continue to update your student file with report cards, awards and club involvements. Plan your junior class schedule for next year. Continue to improve your reading skills including books, newspapers and magazines. Take a career assessment to begin to identify potential careers you find interesting Begin to look for a summer job in a field you might find interesting to help earn money for college expenses. Look into internship opportunities in your area of particular interest. Use the summer to explore different college majors and careers that you might find interesting You may want to buy a book of practice SAT test to familiarize yourself with the types of questions you will see on the actual test. Consider a college summer program at a nearby college. Plan to visit as many colleges as you can over the course of the summer and ask questions of students and faculty you meet on campus. Use our College Visitation Roadmap as your visitation guide.

4 Junior Recommendations During your junior year it is critical to display your organizational abilities. It will pay off for you to stay organized and pay attention to dates and deadlines for the various test registrations and test dates that you will face in your junior year. It is important to maintain good grades and develop a strong study habit this year. You should spend at least two hours a night on homework and look to join study groups if they are available at your school. AUGUST Talk with your guidance counselor about the following topics: Schedules for the PSAT, SAT I and II, ACT, and AP exams Availability of and enrollment in AP classes Discuss the merits of taking these AP exams and determine how you can benefit from taking them Determine what AP exams you may want to take, register for them and begin to study for the exams you will take Ask your school for an overview of your academic record and profile so you can determine what areas you may need to improve Determine what it takes in terms of GPA and test scores for admission at the schools you are looking at attending Obtain dates, locations and plan to attend any upcoming college fairs in your area Consider taking a CLEP exam in your strong subjects. If you do well on your CLEP exam, you may earn the same amount of credit that you would get if you took a semester or year long college course on the same subject SEPTEMBER Register for the PSAT exam that is offered in October. When you take the PSAT in your junior year, the scores will count towards the National Merit Scholarship Program plus it is good practice for the SAT I Be sure to stay involved in extracurricular activities and other community or civic clubs of interest

5 Junior Recommendations Begin to gather literature on colleges you might be interested in attending and keep an organized file on the schools information packages If you don t already have a social security number, obtain one soon as all college and financial aid applications require them Keep updated your school file of all the activities and awards you are involved in OCTOBER Take the PSAT exam in October. Your score should be returned to you in December. See where your strengths lie and get help in your areas of weakness Begin to narrow your list of colleges that you are interested in. Include on your list, colleges that require your current GPA, some with requirements above your current GPA and at least one with requirements below your current GPA Your list of colleges should number between 8 and 12 schools that interest you Start to research your financial aid eligibility situation as it stands right now Begin scheduling interviews with college admissions counselors. Winter break and Spring break are good times to set up college campus visits. Try to visit two schools in the same day if possible to minimize the amount of school you will miss NOVEMBER Attend any college fairs that are held in your area Discuss with your parents any possible careers that are of interest to you and speak with those who you might know that are already working in those fields DECEMBER Review your PSAT results with your guidance counselor to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses Depending on your results from the PSAT exam you may want to consider signing up for an SAT prep course

6 Junior Recommendations Many high schools offer these prep courses that can help the student know what to expect on the actual exams Talk to classmates that are seniors about their college applications and visitation experiences JANUARY Continue to work hard in your studies, developing strong study habits and displaying good organizational skills Visit various websites geared towards dispensing college information. Often one can find many helpful hints on all types of topics related to college. You may want to visit collegeboard.com, facts.org, myroad.com, edamerica.net or any number of the other websites that offer insight to colleges You may want to sign up for the SAT I given in March and begin to prepare yourself for the test FEBRUARY If you decide to try taking the standardized assessments go ahead and register for the upcoming March SAT exams and the April ACT exam Find out from the colleges you are interested in which exams they accept and the deadlines for admissions and note those deadlines in your personal file Study and work especially hard this last semester to improve your GPA and class rank MARCH Take the SAT I exam this month If you are thinking about taking AP exams now is the time to sign up for those exams. Check with your schools guidance counselor to see if your school offers these exams. If your school doesn t offer the exams, check with other schools in

7 Junior Recommendations your area to determine the dates and times that the exams are offered. Score well enough on the AP exams and you may be able to earn college credits Begin to look for interesting and challenging summer jobs in a field you might be interested in or other activities and courses that may be of interest APRIL & MAY Take the ACT exam in April Begin to talk with your teachers about the possibility of writing letters of recommendations for you to send with your admissions applications. Think about how you would like to be described in those letters to the admissions officers and ask your teachers to expound on your good characteristics. Use your spring break as a chance to visit colleges JUNE Add to your student file all report cards, honors, awards, or accomplishments that you have received throughout the past year Set up college visits for the upcoming summer time. Try to meet with professors, admissions directors, financial aid counselors, students and academic advisors. Some colleges will allow you to spend a night in one of the dorm rooms to get a feel for the flavor of the campus. Use our College Visitation Roadmap as your guide. Send thank you notes to the teachers that wrote letters of recommendation for you. Send thank you notes to those who are helpful in setting up your college visitations. Check with the local library, guidance counselors or online to investigate potential scholarships that are available to you and make note of any special requirements or deadlines Use a financial aid calculator available online to calculate your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Speak with your parents to explore how you are going to pay for the college you might choose

8 Junior Recommendations SUMMER BETWEEN YOUR JUNIOR & SENIOR YEAR Practice filling out admission applications using a hard copy as well as using the online applications that are available. It is important to focus on the essay-writing portion of the application. Think about how you would like to present yourself to the school. Remember, you are trying to distinguish yourself from all the other applications the admissions office will be sorting through. Be sure to mention all the outside activities that you have been involved in as the schools are looking for well-rounded students. Review the applications that you write. Ask family members, friends, and teachers to review them for content, readability, grammar, and punctuation. If you have already decided what school you will be attending, you may want to explore the possibility of applying under a colleges early decision policy. This requires you to submit your application typically between October and December of your senior year in high school. The colleges usually let you know their decision by January 1. Be absolutely sure you want to attend the school you apply early to as most early decisions are legally binding contracts requiring you to attend the college that you applied to Read the mail that you receive from colleges and reply to those schools that interest you Continue to read books, magazines, and newspapers over the summer as well as work on the computer and stay sharp with your computer skills.

9 Senior Recommendations SEPTEMBER Check over your transcripts and make certain that you have all the credits that you will need to get accepted at the colleges you are looking to attend Register for the SAT I, SAT II, and ACT test that are held in October and November if you still need to improve your scores or if you have not taken them yet Review your list of colleges that interest you and make sure they still meet your needs of what you are looking for in a college. Make changes if necessary to your list Look at your list of college s enrollment requirements including any transcript requirements. Make note of important deadlines at the various colleges Ask teachers to write letters of recommendation for you to send to the colleges. Give them the pre-addressed envelopes to make it easy for them Early decision and early action applications are due between Oct. 1 and Nov. 1. Should you decide to apply for early decision, remember to request your high school to send your official transcripts to the college you are applying to OCTOBER & NOVEMBER Finalize your list of schools that you will be applying to. Apply to a MINIMUM of six colleges to allow some opportunity for negotiation between schools for financial aid packages. Take your ACT and/or your SAT I test this month. Be sure to have your test scores sent by the testing agency directly to your final list of colleges Register for the December/January SAT I and SAT II test if necessary Continue to think about your essay topic and begin to work on writing the essay, as your essay needs to be turned in with your applications Submit your admission application to all the schools on your final college list Early action and early decision paperwork should be mailed by Nov. 1 to Nov. 15 DECEMBER Schedule any remaining interviews that may be required If you haven t done so already, be sure your official test scores have been sent to the colleges to which you have applied

10 Senior Recommendations Early decision replies most often arrive back in between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31, if accepted through early decision withdraw any applications made to other colleges If your early decision was deferred, write the college and explain that they are still your first choice and that you will definitely attend if you are accepted in the spring Gather the necessary Financial Aid Applications (FAFSA and CSS PROFILE) from your Guidance Department at school and begin to fill out the forms; the earlier you file the better chance you have of receiving funds. JANUARY Complete and submit your college financial aid application (FAFSA and CSS PROFILE) between Jan. 1 and Feb. 15 th. To be considered for any financial aid you must complete these forms even if you have not been accepted at any of the colleges you have applied to Make sure that your high school sends your official transcripts to all the colleges that you have applied to Encourage your parents to complete their income tax returns, as they will be needed to complete financial aid applications Contact the admissions offices of all the schools to which you have applied to confirm their receipt of your application and to make sure they have everything that they need from you Make notes and keep a file of all your contacts (dates and who you spoke with) of all contact with the college offices both admissions and financial aid Stay focused in your final semester, colleges can revoke their acceptances if your grades drop drastically FEBRUARY If you sent in the completed FAFSA, you will receive back a Student Aid Report (SAR). Review the SAR for accuracy and make any necessary corrections and return the corrected SAR to the FAFSA Processor. If the SAR is correct, keep for your records, as no further action is needed. Make a note of your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for future reference Complete all of your scholarship applications Send Verification and any IRS forms to each college requesting verification

11 Senior Recommendations Contact the financial aid office at the colleges you have applied to insure that your information was received and is not missing any information Read carefully all information from colleges paying attention to acceptance procedures, scholarship, financial aid, housing and orientation requirements MARCH & APRIL You will most likely hear from the colleges to which you applied as to whether or not you have been accepted Compare the different acceptance letters, award packages, and financial aid and scholarship offers from the colleges Once you make your final selection of which school you will attend, you will be expected to pay a non-refundable deposit for freshman tuition that should ensure your place in the incoming freshman class If colleges request additional information, send it in immediately If you need to, register for AP exams, use AP prep guides or study groups to help you prepare for the exams Students placed on waiting list should write a letter stating that they are still very interested in attending that college MAY Take the AP exams for any AP classes you took in high school By May 1 st you should have made your final decision on which school you will attend. Many schools require that the notification letter be postmarked by May 1 st Inform the colleges that you have been accepted at, but will not be attending, that you have declined their acceptance offer If you are placed on a waiting list at one of your top choices of schools, be sure to contact that particular college and let them know you are still very interested Send in all pertinent loan applications to your final college selection Complete any housing forms received by the college you will attend

12 Senior Recommendations JUNE Be sure to have your high school send your final transcripts to the college that you will be attending next fall Contact the college to see exactly when the fees for tuition, room and board will be due and how much will be required of you Find out about and attend any summer orientation programs for incoming freshmen so you will be familiar with the surroundings when you arrive in the fall Be sure to respond to any state or Pell grants or other financial aid offered to you so the offers are not withdrawn