9th grade

10th grade

11th grade

Senior College Application Checklist

SchooLinks  is a comprehensive career & college platform that students can access in Classlink. Students can take a variety of assessments, research careers,  search for colleges, and discover motivations for life after high school. 

Bachelor degrees in the U.S. are not designed to prepare students for one specific career, but rather a lifetime of skills that are transferrable across multiple careers. 

• What can I do with this major? - See a list of careers related to specific majors and types of employers for those careers.

• Williams College - Tracks what careers students pursued and what their majors were. 

With thousands of colleges in the US, students need help determing what is important to them in a college: location, major, size of institution, affiliation (religious, military, etc.), prestige, career opportunities, school spirit, cost, etc. These resources will assist students in  determining what they are looking for.

• College Essay Guy 

• Steven Antonoff's College Match 

• ECMC's Worksheet: Choosing the Right College

CollegeBoard's Big Future hosts a great college search tool. Students can use filters to find colleges based on region, major, size, etc. This is a great place to start building a college list based on factors the student wants in a college. Access College Student Reviews here.

Click the link below to make your own copy. Use this organize to guide and gather college research.

(Note: This requires a Google Account in order to access this Google Sheet.)

https://bit.ly/hcpscollegeorganizer

Go to the college's admission website and sign up for an official tour under the admissions section. We highly recommend signing up for an official college tour and not just driving through a campus. Learn more about how to best prepare for your visit. Can't visit a campus in person? Consider a virtual tour!

Students interested in military service can pursue ROTC programs in college and/or explore U.S. service academies.  The U.S. service academy application process starts in 11th grade. ROTC scholarships generally open  up for students to apply to in the summer after 11th grade. Search for colleges with ROTC programs here. Learn more about Service Academics on the Enlist tab above for more information.

Community Colleges offer technical education, career certificates, or Associate's degrees. Students can to transfer to a VA public four-year college through  Guaranteed Transfer Agreements. Research TransferVirginia.org for more information. Local community colleges include Reynolds, Bright Point, and Richard Bland which is actually a Junior college.

Four-year college offers Bachelor degree's that include a breadth of curriculum (often called general education) and a depth of curriculum of the student's choice (called a major).

SAT and ACT are designed for 2nd semester juniors. Some colleges may require for special programs or scholarships. SAT and ACT have published a concordance table to better see the relationship between scores.

*If the cost of the SAT/ACT tests would cause a financial hardship for a family, see your school counselor for a fee waiver.

**Virginia code requires ACT and SAT scores be reported on the high school transcript. Families can choose to opt-out and have them removed by completing a form in the School Counseling office.  Aim to have this done by early September of grade 12.

The SAT (aptitude/reasoning) assesses  content students learn in high school: reading, writing, and math. It is a computer based test.

Learn more about the content of the SAT here. The CollegeBoard provides resources for students to prepare for this test. 

SAT Test Dates & Registration

The ACT (achievement) measures content students learn in high school. It measures reading, writing, math and also has an optional science section (Spring 2025 ACT changes). There is a computer or paper-based test.

Learn more about the content of the ACT here.

ACT Test Dates & Registration

Colleges have different admission plans. This image explains the different types. Typically, "early" plans are due in November and students receive a decision in December or January. Regular decision is typically due in January. These deadlines will vary based on the college so students must research these carefully.

Source: www.nacacnet.org

Over 1,100 colleges accept the Common App making it easier to apply to multiple colleges with one applicaiton. If a student is applying to more than one college, they should plan to use the Common App. Students can create an account starting in 11th grade using their personal email. However, anything in the My Colleges section will be erased at the end of July when the new application season starts. Find a Common App checklist here.

Watch short videos on the Hanover Career Counseling YouTube Channel from HCPS Summer College Bootcamps. SchooLinks has also published a helpful article on how to get started with college essay topics. Want to see what successful college essays look like? Check out Johns Hopkins University's blog with "Essays That Worked".

• Personal Statement (Common App essay)

• Supplemental Essays (Scroll halfway down for resources)

• Activities List 

There are many opportunities to continue playing sports.  Learn about those options.  If NCAA Division I or Division II is a possibility, students must register online with the NCAA Eligibility Center to be certified to play. New in Fall 2026, DIII athletes also must register in order to get an NCAA ID. NCAA Eligibility Center certification ensures students have taken and earned a certain GPA in select courses.

NCAA Membership Map (search for NCAA colleges with your sport)

NCAA Guide for the College Student Athlete

NCAA Timeline

Athletic Resume Template (Canva - File - Make copy)

Coach Intro Letter Example

Communication Tracker Template (Google Sheet - File - Make copy)