You Gotta Go Somewhere Prep for College Calendar F R E S H M A N Y E A R It is never too early to plan for the future! Enroll in a college preparatory curriculum Study hard and do your best in school From now on your grades will count toward college and will show up on your permanent record Get to know your counselor (the College or Senior Counselor) and let them get to know you and your goals, career aspirations, schools you are considering, etc. Your parents may want to go along too. Enter essay, speech contests, science fairs/contests for scholarships and awards Get involved in extracurricular activities Volunteer in your community Explore careers and job opportunities in those careers Start to attend events on college campuses (plays, concerts, sporting events, activities related to your major, etc.) Talk to your friends about their plans after college. Talk to your parents and other adults about what they do. Start a calendar with important dates and deadlines Open your own college account and make deposits into it regularly, even if your parents have an account for you Start a file for your college materials, this file should include information about your grades, extracurricular activities and other college related materials Start a preliminary list of colleges that you think you d like to attend Job shadow someone who does what you think you d like to do Pass all parts of the OGT if you haven t done so already, get help in areas of need Work to improve your study habits Develop a summer reading list, ask teachers for recommendations Browse through college literature or surf the web to get an idea of what kinds of schools may be of interest to you. Know NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) requirements if you want to play sports in college Create a team that will help you with the college search process (parents, friends, mentors, teachers, counselors, etc.) Look for scholarship opportunities Have THE talk with your parents about college funding to determine their expectations and the parameters
S O P H O M O R E Y E A R C A L E N D A R Concentrate on academic preparation and continue to develop basic skills and co-curricular interests. Take the PLAN Test Take the PSAT test (fall) as a practice for when it really counts, next year Use the internet and start looking at colleges through their websites, sign up for their pod casts, etc. Start attending college fairs in your area Continue to research career options and consider possible college majors that will help you achieve your career goals If you haven t already done so, sign up for extracurricular activities. Keep in mind that it s level of involvement not the number of activities that is important Save your best work in academic courses and the arts in your file Continue to work on building relationships with teachers, administrators, coaches, etc. Stay on top of your coursework Meet with your counselor to make sure that you are on track to graduate and that you ll have the required core classes for college If you plan on taking the SAT subject tests register for those that are given in June Look for scholarship opportunities Look for summer opportunities that interest you, such as summer programs at colleges and internships.
J U N I O R Y E A R C A L E N D A R Begin college selection process Attend college fairs financial aid seminars and other sessions to learn as much as you can about the college application process. Meet with your counselor to review your courses and plan your senior year Work hard on your academics. This year s academic record will be the first one that colleges with see and can either help or hurt your chances of admission to your school of choice. It s not too late to buckle down and ace some courses Take the PSAT in October, this one qualifies you for the National Merit Scholarship competition Attend an ACT/SAT preparation workshop ( if not, you can purchase practice books, software and take the practice tests to help you prepare) Take the ACT/SAT during the spring semester. This way you ll have one score before senior year and it ll will put you on the radar of more colleges Run for leadership positions in organizations that you belong to, if you are so inclined Ask your counselor for their input on your college search, schools they think you should consider but might not have thought of on your own Get to know the admission criteria for your top schools. Know where you stand in relation to these requirements and work toward achieving those that you haven t met. Visit college campuses, when school is in session, if possible. Immediately after visiting each school, while it is still fresh in your mind compile a list of pluses and minuses for each school. Keep this list in your file for later use. Look for scholarships Look for summer opportunities that interest you, such as summer programs at colleges and internships.
S E N I O R Y E A R C A L E N D A R Apply to colleges and, make an informed decision. Finish High School strong and take pride in yourself and what you have accomplished. Have Fun. General Items Continue to challenge yourself and take solid elective courses ( don t take the easiest schedule and fight senioritis) Attend college fairs in your area Visit college campuses, visit many, visit often Talk to people whose opinion you respect about the schools that you are considering If possible, visit with friends who are in college. Find out what they like and dislike Make sure you college counselor knows what you re looking for in a college so that they can help in the search. Fall Gather applications to the schools you are considering (note deadlines for admission, scholarships, housing etc.) Sit down with your team and solicit their input. Listen to what everyone has to say. Line up people to write your recommendations ( choose people that know you and give them plenty of time to write the letter) Take the ACT/SAT in September/October, if necessary ( repeat as desired) Apply for admission (if seeking early admission this must be done as early as possible). Make sure that you have your official test scores sent to those schools you are applying to. Talk to your counselor about local scholarship opportunities and complete the applications Keep checking back periodically throughout the year for the latest information. Apply for scholarships before Christmas break if the application deadline isn t earlier. Check with the colleges to verify the arrival of your information Make sure that you keep copies of EVERYTHING that you send to the colleges. Keep these in your file; they will come in very handy if you have problems later on. Spring Attend a financial aid workshop with your parents ( or guardians)
Apply for financial aid (as soon after Jan. 1 as possible) Don t pay to have someone or a website help you complete the FAFSA Take CLEP/AP tests ( if applicable) Go back for a second or third visit to your top choice, if practical Make your informed decision, by May 1 if at all possible. The earlier the better! Request that your counselor send your final transcript to your school of choice as soon as it is available Enjoy your graduation and prepare for a new adventure. As Soon as you Choose a School Apply for housing Get familiar with your college and what you will need when you get there. Work with your parents on the budget that you had discussed earlier. Revisit the talk you had earlier to make sure that everything is clear about the finances Learn about: o Deposits o Housing options o Course selections/scheduling/testing o Faculty/programs in your major o Will you need a car? o Where will you park? o When do you need to be at school? o How will you get to school? Summer before College Enroll as early as you possible can Attend a summer orientation program. Also be sure to enroll in a freshmen orientation class, even if it isn t required Make a list of what you ll need to take to college ( if possible, coordinate with your roommate). Make a list of personal items you use and go price shopping to familiarize your self with the costs. (How much does a toothbrush cost?) Start planning on how you ll communicate with family and friends while at school. Be prepared to pay for part of this. Make sure to take a tour of your classes BEFORE school starts so you won t get lost or look foolish on the first day of class.
You Gotta Go Somewhere Fred Pringle (216)702-9488 - fredpringle@yahoo.com