To Do
Programs
Competitions
SAT/ACT News
College Search
Scholarships
Recs
Complete the College Counselor Information survey questionnaire at your earliest convenience. The information you give me will update my record of your achievements and help Faculty Selection committees make informed decisions.
In consultation with your parents, sign up here for Senior College Information Night, Thursday, August 21, 5:30-6:30.
We need 3-5 volunteer greeters and helpers that night. Send Ms. Hughes an email if interested in earning 2 CAS hours.
Slides here as a pdf or here as a PPT
Get your extended essay ready for the EE Viva Voce with your AP Research teacher, during 6th period, August 11-15.
Ensure that you submit a final draft of your EE to the ManageBac dropbox and that you update your EE subject and Research Question on Managebac.
Project Based Learning? This is an Indiana requirement for graduation, satisfied by completing your EE.
Consider submitting to Regeneron Science Talent Search, application due November 6. See more under Competitions by Deadline.
Keep working on your Common App essay due in early September to Ms. Grant. Here are Ms. Grant's guidelines.
Clean up your CAS page. September 1 is the deadline to all CAS experiences opened on ManageBac before August 1, 2025. Incomplete experiences (no approval OR reflection OR supervisor review) will be deleted.
Review your Power School profile by August 11 for an August 13 upload. See more under Recommendation Procedures.
Set up your Common App. Need help? See information under College App/Search/Outreach. Consider attending our first College App help session this Monday, August 11, at lunch or after school. There is no need to register. Just drop by KC 207.
Create your FSA ID (see Scholarship and Financial Aid Information below)
Register for Parchment to send official transcripts. You must use the link in the email invitation last sent on 7/9/2025. Here's a guide.
Get your website documentation ready.
Update your CAS page.
Update your PowerSchool profile by August 11 for the August 13 data upload. Links needed: Power School profile questionnaire, personal statement examples
Obtain your recommender's consent.
If the recommendation is for a 2025-2026 college application or scholarship:
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.
Complete the Counselor Recommendation Request form for each new request or set of requests needed.
Academic and Leadership Programs Not Associated with a University
Become a Schoolhouse tutor in many topics, including the SAT, deadline dependent on program.
Receive training, develop leadership, accumulate service hours!
To become an SAT Bootcamp tutor you need a score of 700+ on SAT Math or SAT Reading and Writing.
Academic and Leadership Programs, University-Affiliated
Dartmouth's Precollege program offers online and in-person courses both throughout the year and over the summer; need-based aid is available; deadlines and course content vary by program
William and Mary, online courses in law, entrepreneurship, medicine, and psychology, need-based scholarships available
Multi-length courses available throughout the year.
Rice University Pre-College Program
online, scholarships available, multi-length courses available throughout the year.
Wake Forest Online and In-Person Courses in business, medicine, bioscience, and psychology, and criminal law available throughout the year.
Columbia Business School programs available new through summer, deadlines vary by program.
Georgetown Pre-College Online Program application open; many programs of varying length available; both college credit and enrichment courses available; financial aid available. The website also has links to in-person summer options.
Northwestern's Pre-College Online Program application open; scholarships available. The website also has links to in-person summer options.
Notre Dame's Pre-College Online Programs; various courses offered throughout the year; scholarships available
The Coolidge Foundation Student Essay Contest entries are due September 10. Finalists will receive money, a trip to Washington D.C, and an opportunity to compete for even more money! This year's topic is Protectionism: the Jones Act.
Regeneron Science Talent Search app due November 6, 8pm ET
Scholarship Information
The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship is due August 25, before 11:30 pm. Signature students apply through the Vanderburgh County portal (vcf).
Applicants must have at least a 3.8 unweighted GPA, a miniumum SAT of 1200 or ACT of 25.
Find unweighted and weighted GPAs on your PowerSchool profile
You’ll need one teacher recommender. Check out Recommendation Procedures below.
Direct your recommender to send the recommendation as an attachment to this email address: mgates@communityfoundationalliance.org
Request transcript sent to mgates@communityfoundationalliance.org through your Parchment account.
Bryan Cameron Impact Scholarship early application deadline is May 21 at 12:00pm PT. There is a regular applicaton deadline of September 3, but do not wait for this since the portal will close when they receive 3000 applications.
This scholarship covers full tuition, fees, and books. There are 15 awarded each year.
Applicants must have a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.7
be full U.S. citizens
show proven excellence in extracurriculars, be motivated leaders with a strong work ethic, demonstrate active participation in community service and or civic/minded arenas and complete all application components.
25% of the applications spots will go to individuals pursuing careers in education, nonprofits, government and/or military and have a stated goal of public service
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.
The $20,000 Coca-Cola Scholars application is due September 30. The ideal applicant has a strong record of leadership and service.
Explore Scholarship Databases
BigFuture’s Scholarship Search
Financial Aid Information Guide (includes FAFSA info)
Financial Aid Information
Stay tuned for information on Financial Aid Night, which is coming in late September.
The FAFSA will not open until October 1, but you and your parents can create your FSA IDs now!
SAT
The next three SAT dates are August 23 (register by August 8), September 13 (register by August 29), and October 4 (register by September 19)
Free August SAT bootcamp registration here; deadline to register: July 10
Fee waiver eligibility information
See Ms. Cirino to obtain a fee waiver
ACT
Registration link (one ACT left in time for November 1 applications: September 6, August 1 registration deadline)
Fee waiver eligibility and benefits
See Ms. Cirino to obtain a fee waiver
College Outreach News
Interested in attending a Service Academy for a full ride plus room, board, and textbooks? Applications for a congressional nomination to the four Service Academies requiring such a nomination are due October 1. Here are some resources:
Senator Todd Young is hosting a Service Academy Day on August 18, at 4:30 p.m. Central Time, at the War Memorial in Indianapolis. Register by emailing Academy_Nominations@Young.Senate.gov.
Congressman Mark Messmer is accepting applications through this form. He provides a checklist, and a Service Academy fact sheet.
Compiled List of Fly-In Programs, often for low-income and first generation students
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, and complete the counselor invitation using shannon.hughes@signature.edu. Screenshot here Invite Counselor.
Complete a rough draft of your Common App essay, due in early September to your IB English teacher. Here are Ms. Grant's guidelines.
Resume building resources
Click here for the college application overview we discussed at College Information Night, September 24.
College Search Resources
Sign up for College Fairs Online and enter a drawing for a $1000 scholarship. The more you engage, the more chances you earn..
Admissions Beat, a podcast wherein an Ivy League Dean demystifies the college search and application process
The College Tour on Amazon Prime, spreadsheet of all episodes here. Free college search classes here including "How to Choose a College Major?"
Big Future's College Search Guide
Planning a college visit during the school year? You must print out and complete the College Visit form.