Senior Year Checklist and Resources
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August- Review your career plans and decide which type of postsecondary school is best for you.
- Save money from your summer job for college.
- List your top college choices.
- Request admissions information and school catalogs.
- Go on college visits.
- Obtain registration materials and test dates for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and/or ACT assessment.
- Compare costs of each school that interests you by contacting the colleges by phone, mail, or via their websites.
- Visit Going2College for information about career, college, and financial aid resources in your state.
September- Mark your calendar with registration, admissions, and financial aid deadlines and fees. Determine if the schools that interest you have online admission applications. If not, request them by mail now.
- Meet with school representatives who visit your high school.
- Look at virtual tours of college campuses online.
- If you haven't already taken the SAT and/or ACT, register for the test(s).
- Attend college planning and/or financial aid information nights and college fairs.
- Ask employers, teachers, and guidance counselors for letters of recommendation to accompany your admissions applications.
October- Take the SAT and/or ACT.
- Work on your admissions essays.
- If you haven't already done so, attend college planning and/or financial aid information nights and college fairs.
- Visit your top school choices.
- If possible, make appointments with faculty, staff, and students.
- Complete applications for every scholarship for which you may be eligible.
- Meet with your guidance counselor to develop a college admission and financial aid application plan.
- Make a folder for each of your college choices.
- Contact the schools' financial aid offices to determine which forms they require. Some schools may require special forms.
- Finalize portfolios, audition tapes, writing samples, or other evidence of talent if required for admission.
November- Complete admissions applications by their deadlines.
- If you haven't already done so, attend college planning and/or financial aid information nights and college fairs.
- If necessary, register to retake the SAT and/or ACT.
- Request financial aid forms and applications. Double check the deadlines for submission.
- Follow up to ensure your employers, teachers, and guidance counselors send letters of recommendation.
December- Sign up for a PIN, to complete your FAFSA online. (Also let your parents know that they will need a PIN.)
- Finalize admission applications.
- Urge your parents to file their taxes as soon as possible after January 1.
- This will ease the financial aid process.
- Research and apply for other financial aid, including grants and scholarships.
- Watch for early admissions notices (they tend to arrive in December or January).
January- As soon as possible after January 1 and when tax forms are complete (they don't have to be filed until April 15; you can use estimates), complete your FAFSA online (or go to www.studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa to download a PDF version of the FAFSA).
- Keep copies of all documents, including your PIN, in a file.
- If you can't attend financial aid nights, ask if you and your parents can borrow a video of an event from your counselor.
- Contact the U.S. Department of Education at 800-4-FEDAID for assistance completing the FAFSA and/or plan to attend a College Goal Sunday event (free FAFSA advice) near you.
February- Be mindful of deadlines. Always submit information on time.
- Research Advanced Placement (AP) or College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams. Watch for the e-mail notice indicating your Student Aid Report (SAR) is ready. Review your SAR for errors and make any corrections as indicated.
- Rank your top school choices. A
- ttend a College Goal Sunday event.
March- Check with the financial aid offices to ensure your paperwork is complete.
- Submit tax forms if they request them.
- Narrow your school choices and make campus visits.
- Be on the lookout for acceptance letters.
- Start looking for summer jobs.
April- Compare financial aid award letters.
- Make your final school decision and mail deposits, as required.
- Check with the school you've chosen about returning financial aid award letters.
- Notify the schools you have chosen NOT to attend.
- Plan for registration, orientation, and housing, and mark your calendar with important dates.
May- Be aware of any summer orientation sessions that you must attend at the school in which you will enroll, and make plans accordingly.
- Finalize your summer job plans, and make a plan for saving a portion of your summer earnings. Prepare a realistic student budget.
- Follow up with your high school to ensure the counselor forwards your final school transcripts to the college.
June- Plan for college transportation.
- Notify your high school guidance office of your college selection and any scholarships received. Follow up with the financial aid office to ensure all paperwork is complete.
July- Save money from your summer job.
- Send “thank you notes” to everyone who helped you plan and prepare for college.
- Make copies of your financial aid forms, health forms, etc for your files to aid in resolving future issues.
Congratulations! It's time to get ready to start college.
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