To Do
SAT/ACT
Scholarships
Search/App Resources
Rec Process
Competitions/Programs
New Get free college application help from Schoolhouse. There are two October sessions, one on the essay and one on completing an application.
Narrow your list of colleges and create a timeline for submitting applications. See College App Resources.
Applying through Common App?
Complete Profile, Family, Education, Testing, and Activities sections.
Once you've selected at least one school:
complete the FERPA Release Authorization form.
complete Invite Counselor, shannon.hughes@signature.edu.
Order a transcript sent to Common App through Parchment. Still no Parchment account? Check for the emailed invite; see Ms. Hughes.
Take advantage of College Go! Application week, September 20-27, to apply to many Indiana schools for free, list and codes needed here. Free applications usually require applying directly through the college portal.
Complete teacher recommendation request forms as necessary. See Teacher Recommendation Procedures below.
Need a Counselor Recommendation? See Counselor Recommendation Procedures below.
Prepare for the SAT/ACT (see SAT/ACT News).
Many colleges require mid-year reports. Keep those GPAs healthy. Sign up for Schoolhouse Homework Help: organized by subject where students can attend small-group sessions via Zoom or get 1:1 homework help via text.
The Gates Scholarship application is due September 15, fact sheet here.
Highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding, minority, high school seniors from low-income households.
Scholarships and recognitions requiring/allowing a school nomination due September 26.
DAR Award (pending official notification), IU's Wells Scholar, U.S. Presidential Scholar, UVA's Jefferson Scholar, Davidson's Belk Scholarship, UNC-Charlotte's Levine Scholar, University of Toronto's Pearson Scholarship
New Scholarship Newsletter: list of 15 scholarships with deadlines from September 30-December 31.
The $20,000 Coca-Cola Scholars application is due September 30. The ideal applicant has a strong record of leadership and service.
The $25,000 Chick-fil-A Scholar application is due October 30.
School-Affiliated Scholarship News
UNC at Chapel Hill's full-ride plus The Thomas Wolfe Scholarship is due October 15.
New IU-Indy applicants should apply NOW if interested in being eligible for top scholarships through the Honors College. The Honors College scholarship applications are only availble to students once they've applied and are all due November 15. Apply for free to IU-Indy through their portal during CollegeGO. Use this code: INCOLLGO.
Boston University's highly selective, full-tuition plus fees Trustee Scholarship is due December 1.
New UNC-Charlotte's Levine Scholar, school or self-nomination, due October 15. Scholars must apply to UNC-C by November 1; test optional; no GPA minimum but most average a 3.99 U/4.31 W, a 32 ACT, and a 1430 SAT
New Eastern Carolina University's Brinkley-Lane Scholarship program requires admission to ECU first (application due October 20) with an invitation to apply as a B-L Scholar if you have a minimum GPA of 3.7 U/4.0 W. 20 open seats.
New UT-Dallas's McDermott Scholars Program application and recommendation forms are due November 1.
You must submit your UT Dallas application to access the McDermott Scholars application.
New North Carolina State's Park Scholarship application due November 1; applicants must also submit an NC State application by November 1. Test scores are not considered. 40 open seats.
New North Carolina A &T's Cheatham-White Scholars program requires an application to NC A&T first through the Honors College Portal by November 15; requires a 4.0 weighted GPA, a 1280 SAT, or 28 ACT (test optional)
New Duke or UNC-CH: The Robertson Scholars Leadership Program application is due November 15:
Does not accept and will not consider AP/IB or SAT/ACT score
New USI's highly selective, full-ride plus Presidential Scholarship application is open and due November 22. Note that the required 4.0 refers to a weighted GPA.
New Considering medicine? Consider tuition-free + B/MD programs.
UE's B/MD program application is due November 1.
Update: program managers have stated that qualified applicants with a few Bs should not be daunted by the "nearly a 4.0" guideline.
USI's B/MD program application is due November 22.
ISU's B/MD program application is due December 15.
IU-SouthEast's B/MD program application opens October 1 and is due January 8.
Explore Scholarship Databases
BigFuture’s Scholarship Search (the more you search, the more changes you have to win up to $40,0000!)
Financial Aid Information Guide (includes FAFSA info)
Register here for Financial Aid Information Night, Tuesday, September 17, 6:30-7:30, in the KC Commons. Our expert advisor will be Notre Dame's Senior Assitant Director of Financial Aid, Gary Rigley.
The FAFSA will not open until October 1, but you and your parents can create your FSA IDs now!
If you have an update to your SAT/ACT score as it appears on your transcript and PS profile, email Ms. Hughes with a screenshot of the latest results and a summary of the change needed.
SAT
Best prep? Connect your Khan Academy account to your College Board account and review your PSAT results.
Free SAT bootcamp from Schoolhouse
Fee waiver eligibility information
See Ms. Cirino to obtain a fee waiver
Sign up for a free 4-week SAT Bootcamp!
Free explanation videos for every problem on every official SAT practice test from Settele Tutoring
Free explanation videos to help with SAT math questions from the SAT Math Guy
Princeton Review's free SAT resources and events (includes essay and college search webinars)
ACT
Register for the October 26 ACT by September 20.
Fee waiver eligibility and benefits
See Ms. Cirino to obtain a fee waiver
College App and Search Resources
College Search
Sign up for Signature School lunch-time college visits through Schoology's Class of 2025 page!
New Sign up for College Fairs Online and enter a drawing for a $1000 scholarship. The more you engage, the more chances you earn.
Use the College Application Kickoff college/career/scholarship search templates to develop a comprehensive college search list.
Set up your College Kickstart account and create a college list. Support here.
The College Tour, Seasons 1-11 on Amazon Prime, spreadsheet of all episodes here. Free college search classes here.
Compiled List of Fly-In Programs and Diversity Experiences for students historically underrepresented in higher education.
Planning a college visit? You must print out and complete the College Visit form.
College Application Support
B-day lunch time in Ms. Hughes' room and by appointment
New Get free college application help from Schoolhouse. There are two October sessions, one on the essay and one on completing an application.
From the College Essay Guy
Admissions Beat, a podcast wherein an Ivy League Dean demystifies the college search and application process
Get your website documentation ready, e.g., ManageBac, PowerSchool Profile.
If you have not completed the Student College Questionnaire, do so now.
If your parents/guardians have not completed the Parent Questionnaire, please encourage them to do so now.
Complete the Counselor Recommendation Request form for each new request or set of requests needed. Common App recommendation requests are due by September 30, but earlier notification is appreciated.
Get your website documentation ready, e.g., MangeBac, PowerSchool Profile. Regarding the PS Profile, if your recommender is NOT a current teacher, you must provide a printed or online copy of your PowerSchool Profile, either the teacher version or the full version. If you want your current teachers to see more than CAS status, Activities, Personal Bio, Diploma track, and College Board recognitions, they'll need a copy of the full version, too.
Obtain your recommender's consent and agree on a timeline for submission.
Register your recommendation request here. Complete the form for each request. You may upload or link files to the form. (A recommendation request for the Common App is considered one request.) Print a hard copy of the form and any additional documents for your recommender's files.
Complete the Teacher Recommendation Questionnaire. You may upload or link files to the form. Print a hard copy of the questionnaire and any additional documents for your recommender's files.
Competitions and Programs by Deadline
New The Buckley Institute's 2024 essay contest submissions are due October 6, at 11:59 PST. The 700-800 word entries will focus on free speech, civil discourse and how best to balance between the two ideals. The prompt recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Woodward Report, formerly entitled "Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression at Yale." Prizes are $250, $500, or $1,000. Flyer here.
For would-be women engineers, register now for Explore Purdue Engineering, Monday, October 14. Spaces fill up quickly.
Congressional App Challenge 2024 due October 24, but you should complete your registration and set up your account now.
Winning apps may be displayed on the Capitol Building in Washington D.C.
13th Annual Indiana Latino Education Summit College and Career Fair to take place October 31, 8:30-2:00. Register to attend by September 30.
A free event for Latino students to learn about financial aid, the college application process, and to attend a college and career fair.
Students attending the event will be accompanied by a Sig teacher.
Voice of Democracy essay contest, sponsored by Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 1114, entries due "October 31, at midnight." Local first place wins $300, 2nd place $200, and 1st place $100. National first place wins $35,000. Submissions must be both written and audio recorded. Local and national instructions here.
Bennington Young Writers Awards contest submissions due November 1.
Categories: poetry, fiction, nonfiction
Winners in each category receive up to $1000.
All submitters must obtain teacher sponsorship.
New Patriots of the American Revolution DAR HS Essay Contest submissions due November 6. Click here for details. Contact Ms. Hughes if you wish to submit an essay.
Regeneron Science Talent Search app due November 7
For high school seniors who have completed independent research projects
Win up to $250,000, flyer here.
Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Languages application due on December 1
Real World Design Challenge State level notebooks due January 2025
Annual engineering contest with a $50,000 scholarship to Embry-Riddle Aeroonautical University on the line.
Teams of 3-7 students should find an adult coach to register them here. engineering contest with a $50,000 scholarship to Embry-Riddle Aeroonautical University on the line.
College Outreach Programs
Compiled List of Fly-In Programs and Diversity Experiences for students historically underrepresented in higher education.