11th Grade

11th Grade Syllabus

FALL

☐Continue 11th grade SCOIR checklist.

☐Start with you: Make lists of your abilities, social/cultural preferences, and personal qualities. List things you may want to study and do in college. 

☐Learn about colleges. Look at their websites and find colleges in SCOIR. Talk to friends, family members, teachers, and recent grads of your school now in college. List the college features that interest you. 

☐Resource check: Visit the counseling office to check for resources. See which colleges are visiting Alamo Heights H.S. on Scoir and other college-related events. (Put the dates in your calendar.) 

☐All Juniors at Alamo Heights take the PSAT/NMSQT®, during the Fall semester. If you plan to ask for testing accommodations (because of a disability), check with Ms. Dayoc and be sure the College Board has approved your eligibility. 

☐Make a file to manage your college search, testing, and application data. If appropriate (for example, if you’re interested in drama, music, art, sports, etc.), start to gather material for a portfolio. 

☐Estimate your financial aid need. Financial aid can help you afford college. Use the College Board’s Big Future to learn about the different types of financial aid.

WINTER

☐All Juniors will take the SAT at Alamo Heights during the Spring semester. To prepare for the SAT or ACT, you can access free, practice tools at PSAT & SAT Full-Length Printable PDF Tests, Preparing for ACT Test Guide, Khan Academy, Union Test Prep, Magoosh SAT Practice Test, The Princeton Review SAT Practice Test, Kaplan.

☐Begin a search for financial aid sources and scholarships. This includes, but is not limited to, our scholarship list and databases on our College Center site. 

☐With your family, make an appointment with your counselor to discuss ways to improve your college preparation and selection processes.

☐Explore AP Classes and Dual Credit Courses. The Advanced Placement Program helps high school students receive college-level studies and potentially college credit. Get the facts at apstudent.collegeboard.org/exploreap. If you’re in AP classes, register for the AP Exams.

SPRING

☐Contact your counselor before leaving school for the summer if you are considering military academies or ROTC scholarships. If you want a four-year ROTC scholarship, you should begin the application process the summer before your senior year.

☐Develop a list of 15 or 20 colleges that are of interest to you. You can find many colleges at which you’ll be happy and get a great education. The college search is about exploring who you are and what you want and then finding colleges that will meet your goals. 

☐Stay open to all the possibilities—don’t limit your search. To find the best college for you, you should apply to colleges of varying selectivity. Selective colleges admit a portion of students who apply. Some colleges are highly selective while others are less selective. You can apply to public, private, in-state, and out-of-state schools so that you have plenty of options from which to choose. 

☐All juniors will take the SAT at Alamo Heights during SAT Day. Student can also register take the ACT. See registration dates for SAT and ACT. Make sure you start preparing for the test several months in advance using the tools available. And remember, if you’re not happy with your scores when you get them, you might want to test again in the fall. Many students take the test a second time as seniors, and they usually do better. 

☐Start thinking about financial aid and look for scholarships that you might be interested in applying.

SUMMER

☐Register with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Eligibility Center if you are an athlete planning to continue playing a sport in college.

☐Get your FSA ID (Create your FAFSA account): Before you can fill out your FAFSA, you need to get a username and password (also known as an FSA ID). *You will not be submitting your application until after Oct. 1st during your senior year.

☐Find a full-time or part-time job, or participate in a summer camp or summer college program.

☐Visit colleges. When planning your campus visits, make sure to allow time to explore each college. While you’re there, talk to as many people as possible. These can include college admission staff, professors, and students. Take campus tours and, at colleges you’re serious about, make appointments to have interviews with admission counselors. 

☐Create a résumé—a record of your academic accomplishments, extracurricular activities, and work experiences since you started high school. 

☐Go to the website of each college’s admission office. Check application dates—large universities may have early dates or rolling admission. 

☐Visit some local colleges—large, small, public, and private. A visit to a college campus can help you decide if that college is right for you. Make a plan ahead of time to get the most from your visit. Attend college fairs, too. 

☐Check with Mr. Padilla to see which civic, cultural, and service organizations in your area award financial aid to graduating seniors. Start a file.