First Semester Actions

Stay on Target/Prepare for Next Year

Schedule Appoint with College/Career Center. Schedule an appointment with the college and career advisor to ensure you are on target with your college planning efforts. This is your opportunity to get additional assistance and have your questions about financial aid, college applications, career choices, etc answered.

Take Your Entrance Exams

Take the ACT/SAT w essay again. If you need to improve your scores for admission into the college of your choice you need to do it this fall. The last test scores colleges will consider for admission is the December test.

Take an SAT subject test. If you have taken one yet do it now. Many colleges require or recommend taking a subject test. The test will assess your skills in a certain academic area. It is a great ideal to take the test right after taking the relevant course. The scores may also be used for admission into special programs on certain campuses.

Apply to College

Begin your application. All of your hard work and efforts have been leading you to this moment. You can begin applying to the colleges of your choice as early as August on the Common App and the HBCU Common App. You can apply to UC's August through Nov 30th. You can apply to a CSU from Oct 1st to Nov 30th. Be safe and apply early, do not miss the deadlines.

Keep track of your responsibilities. Applying to college is stressful and a time crunch. There are many things you must do to complete a college application while yet still managing your senior course load. Use the Manage Your Responsibilities worksheet to help you organize and complete all your application process actions.

The time is here-apply, apply, apply! DO NOT Wait, click submit on all your college applications before the deadline.

Request your transcripts. Some colleges require you to submit your transcripts for admission purposes and some do not. Speak with your college admission representatives to know what the requirements are. If you need your transcripts fill out the transcript request form.

Apply for Financial Aid

Complete FAFSA application. The FAFSA application can be submitted between 1 Oct to 2 Mar. Take advantage of applying early to maximize the amount of funds you will receive. Money does run out as the application deadline approaches.

Complete the CA Dream Act application. The Dream Act application can be submitted between 1 Oct to 2 Mar. You only need to complete one financial aid application. If you are unsure if you should complete the Dream Act Application start the application and answer the pre-filtering question. The results will let you know if you need to complete the dream act or the FAFSA.

Create your WebGrants account. You need to create a WebGrant account to accept your Cal Grant. You will need the exact spelling of your name as provided on your FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application. You must access the site from a desktop or laptop. The site cannot be accessed through mobile devices.

Apply for additional grants. The California Student Aid Commission has many other grants you may qualify for like the Chafee Grant, Law Enforcement Personnel Dependent Grant, the National Guard Education Assistance Award, and many more grants are available to assist you with funding your college degree.

Look / apply for scholarships. Applying early for scholarships allows you more time to rack up money for college. Applying early means you will have more opportunities to win scholarships. There are many state, and national level scholarships for sophomore students. Check out the Finacial Aid Page on this site to research various national, state, and local level scholarships available.

Complete K-16 Bridge Process

Set-up a My Mentor account. If you are not prepared to go off to a 4-year college/university, do not fret. Your college dreams and hopes are not lost. You can go to a California Community College, Like Victor Valley, Barstow, Chaffey, or so forth. You just need to create a My Mentor account to register into the California Community College system. Yes Community College admission is open to all, but classes are limited. Get the information you need to register and take classes early. Plan your transfer degree now.

Second Semester Actions

Assess Future Career Goals

Consider a career in the military. If college is not in your future right now but you want to contribute to society, serving our country is a wonderful way to do that. Speak with a military recruiter or visit miltary.com to get information on the many benefits of military service.

Armed Forces Recruiting Center in Victorville: 14190 Bear Valley Rd., D, Victorville, CA 92392 / 9am -5pm

• Air Force Recruiter: phone: (760) 245-7680
• Army Recruiter: Phone: (760) 245-7828
• Marine Recruiter: Phone: (760) 245-2033
• Navy Recruiter: Phone: (760) 962-6804

Consider technical/vocational training. Technical or Vocational education prepares you for work in various jobs/trades in many industries. A Vocational school or program is a type of educational institution or program specifically designed to provide specific skills and training. Job Corp is a great vocational training program that will get you ready for the workforce.

Accept your College Offer

Congratulations you have been accepted. You were accepted to not one, but multiple colleges --which one should you choose? Read the You Got Accepted article too assess which college you should select. Once you have chosen your school of choice complete all paperwork and mail your tuition deposit to accept the offer of admission.

Accept your Financial Aid

Congratulations you have been awarded financial aid. Read through your financial aid award letters to choose which package works best for you. Pay attention to all deadline dates. To accept your Cal Grant you need to log into your WebGrant Account to officially accept your award. You will need to choose your college and annotate it in the webgrants system by May 1st.

Request your Final Transcripts.

Before you walk across the stage. Your college will need your final transcripts, but they will not be ready until a few days after school lets out. Before your final day of school you need to submit a request for your final transcripts by accessing and completing the transcript request form . They will be mailed in the 1st week of June to the college of your choice.

Summer Actions

Relax and Have Fun

You've Earned it. You have worked hard for four years. Take a moment to reflect on your accomplishments. Be proud of your achievements. It is time to decompress and get ready for the next chapter of your life.

Get Ready to Move or Commute to College

Ensure you have completed all your actions. Check and double check that you have completed all the actions you need to be ready for college classes in the fall. Open up a bank account so that you can set up direct deposit of your financial aid. Be sure to contact the school for the direct deposit forms after you have the account numbers. Call your school make sure they have your tuition, room & board deposits. Make sure you know when you can move into the dorms and when orientation is. Check out this college freshman checklist for relevant items you may need to make your transition as smooth as possible.

Go to College

Congratulation and good luck! GHHS is always home and anything you need the College and Career Center is here for you.