Sr. Year

Fall of Senior Year

• Now is the time to narrow your list to the final colleges you plan to apply to. It is always wise to have at least one school that may be less competitive than some of the others -- this is known as you "fall back" school.

• Keep your grades up. Some big money like the Oregon Promise, Chemeketa Scholars, and Presidential Merit Awards at various universities are based heavily on GPA. Chemeketa Scholars is based on your GPA at the end of first semester. (see links on the right)

• Research your college application and scholarship deadlines and plan ahead. Procrastinating just doesn’t work when you are relying on others for things like letters of recommendation. Some schools have early admission deadlines in November.  January and February are the more common application deadlines.

• HERE is an article about submitting applications early in the process ("early application" vs. "early decision")

• Research if the schools you are interested in accept the Common App (also linked below). Now is the time to start filling out applications.

• Make sure your resume, portfolio, general personal essay, and letters of recommendation are prepped and ready to go! (see link for letter of rec packet). Here's a short video describing what a strong essay looks like: College Essay Video.  And here is an article on the same subject.

• Take the SAT here at SHS in October (see link). 

• Fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible. It is scheduled to be open by Dec. 1, 2024. (see link at right and visit the Financial Aid/Scholarship page of this website for videos about FAFSA)

Winter of Senior Year

This is where the rubber meets the road. You will need to keep a sharp eye on both admissions and scholarship deadlines and be ready to put in the long hours needed to apply. 

January and February are common months for admissions deadlines. 

Go to the Financial Aid/Scholarship page of this website for numerous links to helpful sites.

Spring of Senior Year

• March and April are common deadlines for dozens of local scholarships (see link)

• March 1 deadline to complete the OSAC (see link). OSAC is a clearninghouse for hundreds of scholarships open to Oregon Residents. OSAC also houses the Oregon Promise Grant, and Oregon Opportunity Grants (which are awarded by filling out FAFSA or ORSAA (for students who are undocumented or DACA).

• If going to Chemeketa with a 3.5 GPA, complete the Chemeketa Scholars application early March. (see link)

• If going to community college, complete the Oregon Promise by June 1 at the very latest. (see link)