Getting ready for life after high-school can be stressful and overwhelming, so it is very important to take everything one step at a time. Below are some ideas and recommendations for what you should do first and the sequential steps you can follow:
Think about Potential Colleges/Career Pathways you are interested in. There is no rush in deciding what career you want, but you should at least start thinking strongly about where you want to attend school and have a list of 5-10 school choices by the start of your Senior Year. You can browse and select majors/careers here to find some ideas.
Based on Where you will Attend School, determine how much Financial Aid you will need and receive. Having a general idea of where you will attend school really helps you know how much money you will need and how much money you will receive!
Estimate your Cost of Attendance here. If you attend school anywhere in California chances are that you can have all of your tuition paid for.
Then calculate your potential financial aid, here.
Start Applying for Scholarships, here.
Start Preparing for SAT/ACT, Applying for Jobs and Volunteering to develop a better resume and possibly find/learn more about your interests. Many schools are dropping SAT/ACT. However, some schools still require these scores for certain things such as specific scholarships.
Begin Asking for Letters of Recommendation, Writing Essays, and Visit Schools as early as possible your Senior Year. You should have at at least 2 letters of recommendations from Teachers your Junior/Senior Year and you should try to get them from different subject areas (Math & English, Science & History, etc). Give yourself at least 2 months to write and refine your essays (if they are required for your schools of choice).
Apply and Submit your FAFSA ASAP because many schools have limited or first-come, first-served aid and scholarships. You can fill out your FAFSA now, but can submit your FAFSA beginning October 1, 2022. You can find additional FAFSA info, here.
Finalize Application Requirements, Submit Applications and Continue Applying for Scholarships during 1st Semester of your Senior Year. You should continue applying for scholarships you want to focus on, start determining how much aid you will receive and what (if any) loans you might need. This will be done as you begin receiving admissions decisions from the schools you applied to.
Decide Where You Will Go! and enjoy the end of your senior year. Try to visit your new campus and begin discussing what supplies you need such as a laptop, desk organizer, etc. you will need for your new home! You might even ask family and family friends to help out if they are able to, even if it is just a $20 gift card anything helps!