hello! anna here. i am here to show you guys– more specifically high school seniors– how you plan and pave the path to higher education! i was lucky enough for my high school counselors to provide us with a list of things to do when preparing for college. when i used that list at the time, it was able to help me out a TON, so i want to pass on that knowledge to you guys! even if you are not an incoming or current high school senior, you may use this reference too!
congrats! you’ve made it to your last year of high school! now there is no time for fun and games because this is where most of your planning goes. if you don’t start preparing for college during this time, you might fall behind.
narrow down the list of colleges between 5 and 10
because it is only fall, it is still okay have a lot of colleges you plan to attend. but make sure you narrow them down in time when applications start to open
download college apps and financial aid forms
plan to visit as many colleges as possible
create a masterlist or calendar with:
tests you plan to take, with their fees, dates, and registration deadlines.
college application due dates
required financial aid applications and their deadlines.
financial aid applications may be due before college applications.
ask for a wavier from your counselor to save money on testing fees
have your test scores sent to the colleges you want to apply
if you are currently a senior, the application opens on oct. 1st, 2017 so you still have time to complete the fafsa
for incoming seniors the application will open on oct. 1st, 2018
complete the css (college scholarship service)/ financial aid PROFILE
PROFILE is an online application used by certain colleges and scholarship programs to determine eligibility for their aid dollars.
nov. 1-15 = early application season, get it done !!!
ask counselor or teacher for letters of recommendation
when applying for college, they recommend that you have a least one recommendation in order for you to be accepted. use this time to figure out who you would like to write a recommendation for you!
write the first drafts of your college essays
get help with your english teachers and be yourself when you write your essay! remember, it’s all about you!
transcripts to be sent to colleges
give counselors proper forms at least two weeks in advance before colleges actually require them.
hooray! you made it this far! but that does not mean you should start slacking oh no no. you still gotta stay on the grind. keep up the good work!
you’ll never know when you need them again. save them just in case you need to apply to more colleges or if you ever plan to transfer in the future.
have your high school send in your transcripts to your college
you might not have your official transcript yet, as you have not completed the semester, but that’s okay! having your high school send in transcripts now will let the college know how well you are doing so far in your academics.
if you applied early around november, you should receive your acceptance letters by december-january.
graduation is right around the corner! time flies by fast and you should be getting your college application results in by now, so now its really time to prepare for the next big step. you got this!!
colleges want to know what you have accomplished between applying and the time you learned of its decision
whether you’ve been accepted or declined, that should not discourage you from not doing your best in high school. you still have time to bring your grades up and participate in school activities.
visit final college before applying
attend your college’s orientation and see what the campus is like and register for your classes.
acceptance letters should arrive mid-april (if you did not submit an early application)
inform your colleges of acceptance or rejection
let colleges know that you intend to enroll by may 1st
send in your deposits to ONE COLLEGE
if you have been waitlisted by a college, let the admissions director know how you can strengthen your application
if you are needing more financial need, ask whether funds will be available once you are accepted.
ask high school to send in financial transcripts to your college
review financial aid rewards
it is important to choose the financial aid that is best for you and your family
note what you have to do to continue receiving financial aid from year to year and how it might change over the years.
that is all for my info post! thank you so much for reading! i hope this will help you along the way to higher education. if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask! ♡
dailybridgerton
kianamaiart
yousharknotpass
