SENIOR YEAR

Stay in touch with our academics specialist! There are no insignificant questions. We’re here to help.

If you are interested in dual enrollment, make sure to register for your desired classes.

Complete your college and university trips and being to narrow down options that best fit you.

• Complete a financial assessment for the costs associated with your favored choices. 

• Compare the cost of your degree choice with the earning value of that degree after college.

• Investigate the true costs of student loans before you decide to accept them as a part of your finances.

• Begin your applications for your short list of choices. 

Complete several short-term career internships so that you can get exposed to different career options.

• Begin to develop a short list of career tracks that interest you.

• Identify what certifications and licenses are a part of your preferred career tracks.

• Identify if additional schooling or training will be required for your preferred career tracks.

• Develop your resume and portfolio of work so that it can be presented during interviews.

Submit and file FASFA application. This application provides and avenue for both college and career choices.

• Submit the FASFA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as it becomes available at www.fafsa.ed.gov.  Complete this with your parents’ help. You’ll need their most recent tax return. This is a critical step in the financial aid process and early submission increases your chances of stronger financial packages. Many of the monies available through FAFSA are first come, first serve!

• Everything you need to know about FASFA.

Submit Teacher Recommendation Forms. This is a necessary step for both the college and the career track.

• Give the teachers at least 3 weeks notice to complete recommendations by deadlines.

Complete and submit all applications for colleges and universities.

• Register for SAT and ACT, if needed to boost your scores.

• Make sure you apply to all Early Action, Early Decision, and Regular Decision schools by their deadlines. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of and submit Early Action or Early Decision applications to colleges. These types of applications may increase your chances of acceptance, but be sure to understand the type of commitment involved. Early Decision is typically a binding agreement that you will attend that college if accepted.

• Know and meet all deadlines for submissions to colleges and universities.  If you miss deadlines, it could result in not being accepted until the following semester.

Complete and submit applications for career options.

• Identify the online career opportunity portals that companies are using to advertise career opportunities

• Complete your resume and get it reviewed by the academic specialist.

• Complete interviewing training.

Maintain a high GPA!

• Remember your first quarter grades and first semester grades are vital and your last chance to improve your GPA! 

• Your college and career acceptance(s) may depend on what you do in the first semester of your senior year. 

• Many colleges and companies ask for these before making a final decision about acceptance.

Attend a check-up session with our academic specialist to make sure you are on track. 

Don’t let your grades slip

• Continue to do your best academic work. All college acceptances are provisional until the final transcript is received in June. They expect those grades to continue in the same manner on which your admissions acceptance was based.

• Companies with the best career options also expect that you maintain your grades through graduation. 

Reply to colleges

• Promptly reply to all colleges where a student has been accepted, including a deposit to the college your student has decided to attend. Prompt replies are especially necessary if on‐campus housing is required.

• Though schools may request that accepted students must commit before May 1st, all schools must grant up until May 1st to any student who, in writing, requests an extension of any earlier response date (National Association of College Admissions Counselors official policy). If a student does not request this extension and otherwise does not communicate with a school that has offered admission, the offer of admission may be withdrawn.

• May 1st is generally the official college acceptance day: also known as The Final Notification Deadline. You must notify the college that you plan to accept their offer of admission or you will be removed from their list. Acceptance must be confirmed with a deposit.

Be attentive and responsive to companies

• In January begin to apply for your short list of career choices.

• Companies expect you to be responsive to requests for interviews and additional information.

• Early May is usually the time that acceptance of employment and career signing day. 

Continue taking SAT/ACT tests through June for Bright Futures qualifications and if you need to boost your scores

Write a thank-you note to the faculty who wrote letters for you. Let them know where you are accepted and where you plan to attend.

Celebrate - again!

• Start preparing for life after High School. Before you can blink, it will be time to walk across that graduation stage!