Senior Year Calendar
Apply to colleges. Make decisions. Finish
high school with pride in yourself and your accomplishments.
September
·
Make
sure you have all applications required for college admission and financial
aid. Write, phone, or use the Internet to request missing information.
·
Check
on application and financial aid deadlines for the schools to which you plan to
apply. They may vary and it is essential to meet all deadlines!
·
Meet
with your guidance counselor to be sure your list includes colleges appropriate
to your academic and personal record. Review your transcript and co-curricular
records with your school counselor to ensure their accuracy.
·
Register
for the October/November
·
If
the colleges require recommendations, ask the appropriate people to write on
your behalf. At least three weeks before the due date, ask your counselor and
teachers, employers, or coaches to write letters of recommendation. Provide
recommendation forms, any special instructions and a stamped, addressed
business envelope to the people writing your recommendation. Be thoughtful!
Write thank-you notes to those who write recommendations and keep them informed
of your decisions.
·
Plan visits to
colleges and set up interviews (if you didn't get to them during the summer or
if you want to return to a campus for a second time). Read bulletin boards and
the college newspaper. Talk with current students and professors.
October
·
Attend a regional
college fair to investigate further those colleges to which you will probably
apply. Visit the College
Fairs section on NACAC's Web site to view the
schedule for NACAC's National College Fairs and the
Performing and Visual Arts College Fairs.
·
Mail applications
in time to reach the colleges by the deadlines. Check with your guidance
counselor to make sure your transcript and test scores have been/will be sent
to the colleges to which you are applying.
·
If applying for
early decision or early action, send in your application now. Also prepare
applications for back-up schools. Remember, if you are accepted under the early
decision option, you are expected to enroll at that college and to withdraw all
other applications. Submit financial aid information if requested from early
decision/action candidates.
·
Register for the
December/January
·
Have official
test scores sent by the testing agency to colleges on your list.
November
·
Take
the
·
Be
sure your first quarter grades are good.
·
Continue
completing applications to colleges. Make copies of all applications before
mailing the applications.
·
If
you need financial aid, obtain a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student
Aid) from your guidance office. Check to see if the colleges to which you are
applying require any other financial aid form. Register for the
·
Keep
all records, test score reports and copies of applications for admission and
financial aid. Do not throw anything away until at least the end of your first
year in college. Having detailed records will save you time and effort should
anything be lost or should you decide to apply in the future to other colleges
and scholarship programs.
December
·
Have
official test scores sent to colleges on your list if you have not done so.
·
Consult
your school counselor again to review your final list of colleges. Be sure you
have all bases covered. It is a good idea to make copies of everything before
you drop those envelopes in the mail. If for some reason your application gets
lost, you will have a back-up copy. File your last college application.
·
If
you applied for early decision, you should have an answer by now. If you are
accepted, follow the instructions for admitted students. If the decision is
deferred until spring or you are denied, submit applications now to other
colleges.
January
·
Keep
working in your classes! Grades and courses continue to count throughout the
senior year.
·
Request
that your counselor send the transcript of your first semester grades to the
colleges to which you applied.
·
Parents
and students, complete your income tax forms as soon as possible. You will need
those figures to fill out the FAFSA. Complete and return your FAFSA as quickly
as possible after January 1. Check to make sure your colleges or state does not
require any other financial aid forms. If they do, consult your guidance
counselor or contact the college's financial aid office.
February
·
Remember
to monitor your applications to be sure that all materials are sent and
received on time and that they are complete. Stay on top of things and don't
procrastinate; you can ruin your chances for admission by missing a deadline.
·
If
you completed a FAFSA, you should receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) within
four weeks after submitting the FAFSA. Review the SAR carefully and check for
any inaccuracies. If necessary, correct any items on the SAR and return it to
the FAFSA processor (if a college transmitted your data directly, notify the
college of any change).
·
If
more than four weeks have passed after sending in your FAFSA and you have not
received an acknowledgment, contact the
·
Complete
scholarship applications. You may be eligible for more scholarships than you
think, so apply for as many as you can.
·
Enjoy
your final year in high school, but don't catch senioritis!
March
·
Stay
focused and keep studying-only a couple more months to go!
April
·
Do
not take rolling admission applications for granted. (Some colleges do not have
application deadlines; they admit students on a continuous basis.) These
schools may reach their maximum class size quickly-the earlier you apply, the
more availability there may be.
·
Review
your college acceptances and financial aid awards. Be sure to compare financial
aid packages in your decision-making process. If you are positive you will not
enroll at one or more of the colleges which accepted you, please notify those
colleges that you have selected another college. Keeping colleges abreast of
your plans might enable those colleges to admit someone else. If you know which
college you will attend, send your tuition deposit and follow all other
instructions for admitted students. You must decide which offer of admission to
accept by May 1 (postmark date).
May
·
By
May 1, decide on the one college that you will attend. By May 1, send in your
tuition deposit to the college you will attend. Notify the other colleges that
accepted you that you have selected another college.
·
BE
PROUD-you have completed a difficult task.
·
If
your first-choice college places you on their waiting list, do not lose all
hope. Some students are admitted off the waiting list. Talk with your
counselor, and contact the college to let them know you are still very
interested. Keep the college updated on your activities.
·
Take
Advanced Placement examinations, if appropriate and request that your AP scores
be sent to the college you will attend.
June
·
Request
that your counselor send your final transcript to the college you will attend.
Notify the college of any private scholarships or grants you will be receiving.
·
Know
when the payment for tuition, room and board, meal plans, etc., is due. If
necessary, ask the financial aid office about a possible payment plan that will
allow for you to pay in installments.
·
Congratulations,
you've made it through high school! Enjoy your graduation and look forward to
college.
July
·
Look for
information in the mail from the college about housing, roommate(s), orientation,
course selection, etc. Respond promptly to all requests from the college.
August-September
·
Ease the
transition into college. Accept the fact that you'll be in charge of your
academic and personal life. What you do, when you do it and how things get done
will be up to you. You'll have new responsibilities and challenges. Think about
budgeting your time and establishing priorities. Take charge of the changes
that lie ahead and eliminate or minimize pressures. Go forth with confidence
and enthusiasm, willingness to adapt and determination to succeed academically
and personally.
·
Pack for college.
Don't forget to include things that remind you of friends and family. Be
prepared for the new opportunities and challenges. Have a great freshman year!