Senior Information
Things to Consider for your Senior Year:
Take classes that are challenging and that prepare you for college level work. Competitive colleges expect high quality senior schedules.
Make sure you know the entrance requirements for the colleges to which you are applying. The CMS FRC College Prep Diploma meets the minimum requirements for the North Carolina Public colleges and universities, but the more competitive/out of state colleges may require more than the minimum. Check the college website for specific requirements.
If you plan to participate in athletics in college, register online at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net (NCAA).
Use Naviance to research colleges and then narrow down your list to 5. Make sure it is balanced with Reach, Target, and Safety colleges.
Visit colleges! You are allowed 2 college visitation days each semester. Pick up a form from the Attendance office to get this approved ahead of time.
If you plan to attend college within North Carolina you will have to complete the residency determination process through CFNC. For more information visit: https://www.cfnc.org/apply-to-college/residency-determination/
Take the SAT /ACT in October/September. Go online to register at www.collegeboard.com (SAT) and www.actstudent.org (ACT).
Finalize resume in Naviance! Highlight all honors, awards, and extracurricular activities including community service, work experience and leadership roles.
Maintain a file of your SAT/ACT/AP scores which you will need when completing applications.
Begin working on college essays if required. Have someone proof them before sending.
If recommendations are required, ask a teacher who knows you well and can address your personal and academic strengths. All recommendation requests will be made through Naviance! Teachers can access your resume via Naviance, so make sure that you let them know that you have this information available for them.
Request your transcripts via Naviance to be sent directly to colleges!
Start applying (most colleges prefer online) to four- year colleges by October or November and try to submit all applications by December 1 or well before the deadlines. It is not recommended that you wait until the February ranking to apply. (TIP: Write down your user name and password.)
Check Naviance for updated scholarship information! Additional websites for scholarship or financial information are:
Write a Personal Statement if requested for colleges or scholarships:
It’s good to have one standard personal statement that you can use for multiple schools/scholarships and tweak as necessary
Review these tips for writing a compelling personal statement: http://bit.ly/tipsforpersonalstatement