Timeline for College Bound Students

Personalized info: https://student.naviance.com/assetssch

Freshman & Sophomore Year

Enjoy high school! Get involved in your community, volunteer, join a team, find something that interests you. Focus on your strengths, take appropriately challenging courses. Your grades from freshman through junior year are typically important in college admissions. Attend college fairs to learn about the different types of programs that may interest you. Practice using the accommodations/ supports you need to circumvent your challenges and maximize academic success. 

Work with our mentorship program to explore your career interests. Then, plan ahead with the end result in mind. For example, if you are considering a career in engineering or STEM, take more advanced math classes as soon as possible. If you love the arts, take as many art courses as possible and start to build your portfolio. If considering a future as a competitive student athlete, be mindful of the NCAA course requirements, and get started on their eligibility center and choose eligible courses for your schedule.

Junior Year: 

The main tasks of junior year are defining criteria for your college search, developing a list of colleges and other options.

___Before Junior Year: (optional) Apply for accommodations with the College Board and practice/ do some prep for the PSAT on Khan Academy. 

___Fall: Optional, Take the PSAT/NMSQT at Assets School (optional, recommended for students for whom testing is a strength).

___Junior Year or Fall of Senior Year: Take Guidance Class to explore your strengths, challenges, interests and post-secondary options that may fit. Draft a personal statement/ college essay. 

___Junior Year: Update resume, list of accomplishments, and brag sheet. Artists: Create a portfolio; Athletes: Complete the NCAA eligibility application, and/ or NAIA process. 

___Before senior year: Update your educational/ psychological evaluation so you can access accommodations in college (within 3-5 years of college enrollment). Note- college requirements vary in terms of timeline, but all disability service offices require documentation and the more updated, the better. 

___Fall or Spring of Junior Year: (Optional) Prepare for and take the SAT or ACT. Check with your counselor regarding which date to register. Registration is online: https://www.act.org/, https://www.collegeboard.org/  Free preparation is online at https://www.opened.com/ for ACT  and https://www.khanacademy.org/sat for SAT. The optional writing test is not recommended.

***Juniors who qualify should already have accommodations on the SAT if they took the PSAT in the Fall and can simply register online. If you need accommodations on the ACT, register for special or accommodated center based testing for the ACT online, and forward the information about your request to Ms. James at least two weeks prior to the registration deadline so she may submit your documentation. 

___Spring of Junior Year: Along with your parent/ guardian, meet with Ms. James for a post-secondary transition planning session. 

___When Possible, Spring or Summer: Schedule college visits and attend College Fairs.

___Summer: Do something with your Summer that expands your horizons, builds your resume, and increases your independence (Driver’s license? Summer School? Volunteer? Travel? Job?). Be sure to keep track of your volunteer and work hours, and update your resume. 

___Extra Steps for Some Juniors:

*** Prospective student athletes considering NCAA D1 or D2 schools need to complete the NCAA eligibility process ASAP during high school, and intentionally choose courses that are approved. https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/

NAIA is another option requiring eligibility! https://play.mynaia.org/

D3 and Club sport participation do not require these steps. 

NOTE- SAT and ACT currently waived for athletes who will be 2021 graduates. 

***Art school applicants collect artifacts for a portfolio. 

***Those pursuing ROTC Scholarships  or military academies will need to make some adjustments to the steps. https://www.todaysmilitary.com/education-training/rotc-programs

https://militarybenefits.info/how-to-apply-to-a-military-service-academy/

Senior Year & Beyond

___ Any junior year steps not done? Do those too! 

___First Quarter, First Meeting with College Counselor: Students should schedule a meeting during the first quarter to finalize an action plan and college list. Login to student.naviance.com/assetssch using your assets.org email. Determine deadlines and get to work on your applications early. If you change your list mid year, please update your list on Naviance and notify Ms. James.

___Apply to College October- February: Students are responsible for deadlines. I recommend setting aside a few hours each week to work on your applications, it is not possible to do in one sitting. Many applications require essays or other information you will need to gather. The timing of the applications depends on the college. Some early deadlines are in November. Some deadlines are “rolling” and as late as Summer, but it is best to finish all applications by February 1. Be sure to update your Naviance Student page with your application info under colleges I am thinking about, convert to active applications. Use your personal email for your college apps, and keep track of your login info for each application. student.naviance.com/assetssch

If required for your application, request 2 letters of recommendation (see other bullet point below), ideally early in the Fall (September or October). 

UH system apps (10 campuses in our system including community colleges): apply.hawaii.edu

Manoa freshman app: https://www.uh-manoa.org/freshman/

UH Hilo app https://hilo.hawaii.edu/admissions/

UH West Oahu freshman app https://westoahu.hawaii.edu/admissions/

Chaminade app: https://chaminade.edu/admissions/

HPU app: https://www.hpu.edu/undergraduate-admissions/how-to-apply.html

Common app 900+ colleges/ universities:  http://www.commonapp.org/

Cal State applications: https://www2.calstate.edu/Apply

UC applications: https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/apply-now.html

Other colleges have applications posted on their websites under admissions! Just google the name of the college and freshman/ undergraduate admission. 

___Transcripts: When needed for applications, request transcripts on Naviance under Colleges/ Manage Transcripts. You may also view your unofficial transcript under About me, my stuff, documents shared with me. Allow 2 school weeks prior to deadlines for transcript delivery. Initial transcripts are used in the fall for applications. Mid year transcripts are available usually in late January. 

___Test Scores, August, September, October or November: Most colleges are now test optional or test blind. If colleges require scores, send directly from the ACT or SAT to the colleges/ programs. If not required, check with your counselor about whether it is a good idea to send. 

___Financial Aid ASAP after October 1 (in December for 2023-24 school year due to changes in the FAFSA) apply for financial aid using the FAFSA https://fafsa.gov/ Parents and Students: obtain an FSA ID and this can be done before senior year. You need this later to sign your FAFSA, the application for federal student aid. Some colleges and scholarship programs also require the CSS Profile, an extra financial aid application.Only do that one if it is required.  https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm

https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/

___Letters of Recommendation: August/ September or when needed: Most students need to request 2 teacher letters of recommendation for college applications and/ or scholarships. It is optional to have a third recommender from the community. Some colleges limit the number of recommendations allowed and others do not consider them at all. Follow these steps for requesting a recommendation, complete all steps a minimum one month prior to deadlines, not counting vacation weeks: 

• First, request personally with a friendly email or conversation. Include deadline info in your request. Use this Template for a friendly email to the teacher or recommender. Also, send your updated brag sheet/ resume to your recommenders so they know what you do outside of their class.

• Then,  promptly provide needed links via Naviance or hard copy materials a minimum of one month prior to deadlines. Send the Naviance link by clicking Colleges Home, Letters of Recommendation. It is easiest to request the letter for all current and future applications. Your teacher will send your letter to colleges via Naviance, and you can check the status here. If your college or scholarship is not on Naviance, please provide any external links or forms to the teacher. student.naviance.com/assetssch

___Scholarship Search and Application,  Ongoing Scholarship opportunities are posted on Naviance Student. A few to look for: 

• Most scholarships are awarded directly by colleges when you apply for admission and financial aid using the FAFSA. Check the financial aid office at your colleges of interest for other scholarship opportunities. 

• The Hawaii Community Foundation has a common scholarship app for students from Hawaii attending college here or out of state, one application, over 150 scholarship, the application typically opens in November and closes in January. 

• The KS Scholarships & Pauahi scholarships are also important for students with Native Hawaiian ancestry. 

• Also, you may want to sign up for a notification service such as Fastweb: https://www.fastweb.com/

___March-April Receive, review admission notices and financial aid offers. Meet with your counselor to revisit decision criteria and receive assistance with your  transition. 

___May 1: Though not set in stone, this is typically the reply to your colleges to let them know if you are coming! Pay housing and tuition deposits on or before this date. Start checking your new school email (at your college of choice) regularly, and follow their checklists for enrollment. 

___ May- Graduate! Don't forget to order your final high school transcript with proof of graduation for your college of choice graduation to avoid registration delays.

___June, July and August: Savor family time, attend all available orientations, pack your duffels, and establish new support systems. 

___During or Before Orientation: Don’t forget to advocate for accommodations with the disability support office and buy a new planner to help you manage time and tasks. It is especially important to seek accommodations prior to registration and placement processes. 

https://sites.google.com/a/assets-school.net/college-and-career-corner/timelines