June

• Search and select colleges and universities to apply to in the fall. Look at the college websites or bigfuture.org or Schoolinks. 
• Research scholarships: Start looking on search engines like  fastweb.com- Bold.org - Scholarships.com - bigfuture.org- Appily.com- Raise.me.

• Get Involved! Do community service, internships, or get a job.
• Parents: Plan to help your students take a few trips to their top college choices and prepare to help them with college and financial aid applications by getting informed. 
• Work on Personal Statement Essay: For those students planning to attend/apply to a UC school, work on your personal insight questions:

• Update your student resume: Include all your freshman, sophomore and junior year activities and accomplishments.

July

• Email Address: make sure you establish a personal email address that is appropriate and professional.
• Clean-up any questionable personal information: Don’t make inappropriate postings on online social media accounts and update privacy settings to be private. 
• Discuss the colleges on your list: Sit down with your family and discuss your plans. 
• Think about your college major: Start thinking about the career you want to pursue.  A good place to start is an interest profiler.  Try the one on cacareerzone.org, californiacolleges.edu, or Schoolinks. 
• Research material needed for your college and scholarship applications: Go to the websites of the colleges and scholarships on your list and make a timeline of the items needed to apply and due dates.

• If interested in Military Academies: Start the application process.

• Student Athletes: Start reviewing the information on naia.org or ncaa.org for eligibility requirements and to learn about playing sports in college.

August

• University of California: applications are available August 1st  admission.universityofcalifornia.edu.
• Research material needed for your college and scholarship applications: Go to the websites of the colleges and scholarships on your list and make a timeline of the items needed to apply and due dates.
• Stay Active in school: Continue to be involved in sports and or join clubs/organizations on campus. Make it a priority to be a leader in the organization/club/sport you are in. 
• Memorize/Write down your school’s CEEB Code Number: ____________ and your social security number (your SSN# is needed for financial aid and college applications – the school does not have access to it).
• Remember to fill out the Free or Reduced Lunch form out at the beginning of the school year, so you can receive fee waivers. 
• Make sure your senior year classes meet the requirements of the college you plan to attend: Are you A-G and on track to satisfy the A-G requirements in order to qualify for college?  Out of state colleges and private colleges may have other requirements.  Remember you are competing with students from all over the state, nation, and world for spots in the college of your choice.  Do not risk the hard work you have put into your grades by trying to have a ‘kick back’ senior schedule.  Colleges expect your senior schedule to be as or more challenging than the prior year’s schedule.
• If you need to take the SAT/ACT for private and out of state colleges, you need to sign up this month for tests in October and November. Go to: sat.org or act.org for more information and see your counselor for fee waiver information.

September

• Determine if interviews or auditions are REQUIRED for college admissions/scholarships.
• Go to Kern County College Night.
• Letters of Recommendation: finalize list of possible recommenders (ex: teachers, counselors, significant community members, etc).
• Continue working on UC apps .
• Select your college major (see websites for July or bigfuture.org).

October

• FAFSA/DREAM Act: the FAFSA/CADAA is open. Go to studentaid.gov to complete the FAFSA and dream.csac.ca.gov for the CADAA.  It is ok to turn it in without parents updated taxes as you can use the prior year (ex. for a 2025 FAFSA you use 2023 tax returns). FAFSA is due March 2nd.
• California State University (CSU) Applications Open: students may begin applying to California State University schools beginning October 1st—Nov 30th  (go to calstate.edu/apply). 
• Educational Opportunity Program (EOP): if low income, first-generation, or come from a unique circumstance, this is part of the CSU application calstate.edu/apply.
• Maintain grades: senior grades matter – schools request senior transcripts to confirm admittance.
• Check out the Career Center: important information will be available here regarding colleges, scholarships, & college application workshops, so make sure you check it.
• Scholarships: apply for scholarships throughout senior year check out Raise.me or Appily.com.
• Continue working on UC applications and PIQs (see June for website).
• If you need to take the SAT/ACT for private and out of state colleges, you need take the test this month Go to: sat.org or act.org for more information.

November

• College Application Deadlines: CSU and UC applications due 11/30 (Complete the EOP Application for ALL your campuses) *if applicable, apply for early decision on college applications. 
• Continue applying for scholarships.
• Submit letters of recommendation for applications that need them.
• Community College Applications: students may begin applying for community colleges *applications may or may not be available yet.
• ROTC scholarships and programs are offered by the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. Deadlines are fast approaching for ROTC scholarship applications. 
• If you need to take the SAT/ACT for private and out of state colleges, you need take the test this month. Most colleges want the tests completed by OCT or NOV. Go to: sat.org or act.org for more information.

December

• Study for your Finals: Get the best grades you can for the first semester. Do not fail any classes or get D’s. Colleges can and will change their minds and deny students for bad grades.  If you get a D or F, check with your counselor for recovery options.
• Follow up on College Applications: If no confirmation e-mails or mail was received from the colleges you applied to, make sure to call the admissions offices of the colleges to confirm that applications were received.
• Continue to apply for scholarships.
• Check your email: If contacted by the colleges you applied to about missing documents follow up with them ASAP.
• Kern Community Foundation Scholarship Application Opens: go to: kernfoundation.org/students/scho larship – All Kern County students should apply.

January

• FAFSA is due March 2nd!!!
• Keep up your grades: 2nd semester matters! Do not fail any classes or get D’s. Colleges can and will change their minds and deny students for bad grades.  If you get a D or F, check with your counselor for recovery options.
• Attend Cash 4 College/FAFSA/Dream Act Workshops: This is an opportunity to come get help on the FAFSA/Dream Act applications from knowledgeable staff and local colleges advisors. Also, Cal-SOAP advisors are available for FAFSA/Dream Act assistance in the Career Center. 

• Check for scholarships at the campuses to which you have applied.
• Finalize your student resume to give to those fromo whom you are requesting letters of recommendation.
• EOP Applications – First Generation College Students should complete them at ALL Colleges - BC is a separate application go to bakersfieldcollege.edu/enrollment-aid/eops/eops-program.html.
• Community College Applications (BC applications): students may continue applying for community colleges  - For BC go to: bakersfieldcollege.edu/enrollment-aid/apply/index.html (and Kern Promise) *applications may or may not be available yet. bakersfieldcollege.edu/enrollment-aid/kern-promise.html.

February

• See your doctor: Students will need immunizations to attend college. Find out what they are and take care of them.
• Make sure you attend a FAFSA/DREAM Act workshop.
• Create college portal accounts: Students are encouraged to create their college portal accounts and turn in any to do list items.
• Continue to apply to scholarships local scholarships start coming out at this time – check your Career Center.

March

• FAFSA/DREAM ACT: DUE MARCH 2ND! You can still submit after the deadline but funds may be limited.
• Cal-Grant: students may begin creating their Cal-Grant account to manage their state aid – also called a WebGrants4Students account at mygrantinfo.csac.ca.gov. This is the account you use to review your funding from CA, choose a college to send your aid to, and put a Cal-Grant on hold.

• Check your email you may be getting communications from colleges and scholarships – do this weekly from now on.
• Housing: Apply to housing if you plan to live in the dorms on the college campus. First come first choice/served.

• Look at your Student Aid Report (SAR): located on your FAFSA/DREAM Act application & check for any errors on FAFSA and correct them.

April

• BC bound students apply for the Kern Promise (to guarantee transfer to CSU) go to bakersfieldcollege.edu/enrollment-aid/kern-promise.html. 
• Check your email you may be getting communications from colleges and scholarships – do this weekly from now on.
• FAFSA/Cal-Grant: Make corrections to your FAFSA/DREAM Act application if needed. Make sure that your number one school is listed on your webgrants4students account go to mygrantinfo.csac.ca.gov.
• Make a decision: By this time you have heard from the colleges that have accepted you. Now it is time to decide where to go.  Take trips to your top choices if possible or take a virtual tour.
• Submit your intent to register to the college you will be attending in the Fall: Deadline to tell the college you are interested is May 1st.
• Check your student portal for your campus or your campus email for any to do or missing items. 

May

• Submit your intent to register: Deadline to tell the college you are interested is May 1st. 
• If you are a dreamer, complete AB 540 documents at your college of choice to get in-state tuition.
• Take AP Tests the first weeks in May. 
• Keep focused on academics. If your final semester grades drop significantly, your college has the right to place you on academic probation or revoke its offer of admission. 
• Work with your college to complete and return all necessary forms. Respond promptly to additional requests for information from your college. 
• Check your student portal for your campus – they will be sending you information and tasks to complete.
• Check your email you may be getting communications from colleges and scholarships – do this weekly from now on.