College Planning

The College Score Card is where students can estimate their post-completion salary based on the school they plan to attend and the program in which they will enroll. 

**Apply to colleges. Make decisions. Finish high school with pride in yourself and your accomplishments. 

SEPTEMBER

•Narrow college choices to 3-5 colleges!

•Begin completing applications now

•Plan campus visits or visit their websites online

• Make sure you have all applications required for college admission and financial aid. Call or email to request missing information. 

• Check on application and financial aid deadlines for the schools to which you plan to apply. They may vary and it is essential to meet all deadlines! 

• If colleges require recommendations, ask the appropriate people to write on your behalf. At least three weeks before the due date, ask your teachers, employers, or community partners to write letters of recommendation. 

• Provide recommendation forms, any special instructions and a stamped, addressed business envelope to the people writing your recommendation. Be thoughtful! Write thank-you notes to those who write recommendations and keep them informed of your decisions. 

OCTOBER

•Submit completed applications carefully and be sure to double check specific requirements and deadlines.

• Request teacher recommendations, if necessary.

•FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opens this month via https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Be sure to apply during the October 1st through March 2nd window to see if you are eligible for financial aid. 

• Start online college applications in time to reach the colleges by the deadlines.  

• If you need financial aid, obtain a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form here. Check to see if the colleges to which you are applying require any other financial aid forms. 

•Consider volunteering and community service. 

NOVEMBER

•Most applications should be submitted

• Continue completing applications to colleges. Print copies of all applications before mailing the applications. 

• Keep all records, test score reports and copies of applications for admission and financial aid. Do not throw anything away until at least the end of your first year in college. Having detailed records will save you time and effort should anything be lost or should you decide to apply in the future to other colleges or scholarship programs. 

DECEMBER-JANUARY

•Complete the FAFSA (Federal Application for Student Aid)

• Keep working in your classes! Grades and courses continue to count throughout the senior year. 

• Parents/guardians and students, complete your income tax forms as soon as possible. You will need those figures to fill out the FAFSA. Complete and return your FAFSA as quickly as possible after January 1. Check to make sure your colleges or state does not require any other financial aid forms. If they do, contact the college’s financial aid office. 

FEBRUARY

• Remember to monitor your applications to be sure that all materials are received on time and that they are complete. Stay on top of things and don’t procrastinate; you can ruin your chances for admission by missing a deadline. 

• You should receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) within four weeks after submitting the FAFSA. Review the SAR carefully and check for any inaccuracies. If necessary, correct any items on the SAR and return it to the FAFSA processor (if a college transmitted your data directly, notify the college of any change). 

• If more than four weeks have passed after sending in your FAFSA and you have not received an acknowledgment, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center (319) 337-5665. To identify you, they will need your name, social security number, address, and date of birth exactly as it was written on your FAFSA. 

• Continue to complete scholarship applications. You may be eligible for more scholarships than you think, so apply for as many as you can. 

• Explore interests; volunteer or work in a field you are considering as a career. 

• Enjoy your final your final year in high school, but don’t catch senioritis! 

MARCH

• File your FASFA by March 2 – do not wait until the last minute! 

• Stay focused and keep studying – only a couple more months to go! 

APRIL

•Complete scholarship applications. Click here for scholarship information:  . Deadlines vary…stay informed!!

• Review your financial aid rewards.  

MAY

•Finalize contract with the college you will attend. This may be done earlier than May, however, many colleges have May 1st deadlines

• By May 1, decide on the college that you will attend and send in your tuition deposit to the college you will attend. 

• Be PROUD – you have completed a difficult task. 

JUNE

• High school graduation: June____

•Complete Insight Exit survey

•Request official transcripts from the school office here. Notify the college of any private scholarships or grants you will be receiving. 

• Know when the payments for tuition are due. If necessary, ask the financial aid office about a possible payment plan that will allow you to pay in installments. 

• Congratulations! You’ve made it through high school! Enjoy your graduation and look forward to college. 

JULY

• Look for information in the mail from the college about  orientation, course selection, etc. 

• Respond promptly to all requests from the college. 

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER

• Ease the transition into college. Accept the fact that you’ll be in charge of your academic and personal life. What you do, when you do it, and how things get done will be up to you. 

• You’ll have new responsibilities and challenges. Think about budgeting your time and establishing priorities. Take charge of the changes that lie ahead and eliminate or minimize pressures. Go forth with confidence, enthusiasm, willingness, adaptability, and determination to succeed. 

• Get ready for college. Don’t forget to include things that remind you of your friends and family. Be prepared for the new opportunities and challenges. Have a great freshman year!

** Begin college selection process. Attend college fairs, financial aid seminars, general information sessions, etc., to learn as much as you can about the college application process. 

SEPTEMBER

• Save samples of your best work for your academic portfolio (all year). 

• Maintain your co-curricular record (all year). 

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER

• Junior year grades are extremely important in the college admission process because they are a measure of how well you do in advanced, upper level courses. Grades also are used to determine scholarships and grants for which you may be eligible. So put in extra effort and keep those grades up! 

• If you will require financial aid, start researching your options for grants, scholarships, and work study programs.  

DECEMBER-JANUARY

• Begin to make a preliminary list of colleges you would like to investigate further. Surf the Internet and use the college resources in the guidance office or library. 

• Ask your parents for your Social Security number (required on many college applications). If you were never issued a Social Security number, contact the closest Social Security office as soon as possible to obtain a new number. If you are not eligible for a Social Security number, please talk with your Student Advisor about procedures to follow when filling out your college application. 

FEBRUARY

• Meet with your counselor to discuss your preliminary list of colleges. Discuss whether your initial list of colleges meets your needs and interests (academic programs, size, location, cost, etc.) and whether you are considering colleges where you are likely to be admitted. You should be optimistic and realistic when applying to colleges.

MARCH

• Email, telephone, or use the Internet to request admission literature and financial aid information from the colleges on your list. There is no charge and no obligation to obtain general information about admission and financial aid. 

• Search for a summer internship or job. 

APRIL

• Continue to evaluate your list of colleges.  Eliminate colleges from the original list that no longer interest you and add others as appropriate. 

• Look into summer jobs or apply for special summer academic or enrichment programs. Colleges love to see students using their knowledge and developing their skills and interests. 

MAY

• Attend a college fair to get more information about colleges on your list. NACAC sponsors college fairs in cities across the country during the fall and the spring. Visit NACAC’s National College Fairs web page to check out the schedule for the National College Fairs and the Performing and Visual Arts College Fairs. 

• Get a jump start on summer activities. Consider enrolling in an academic course at local college, pursuing a summer school program, applying for an internship, working, or volunteering. If you work, save part of your earnings for college.

• Begin visiting colleges. Phone to set up appointments. Interviews are always a good idea. Many colleges will tell you they are optional, but an interview will show interest, enthusiasm and initiative on your part and provide an excellent opportunity to have your questions answered. Do a practice interview with your Student Advisor, teacher, employer, or a senior who has had college interviews. Set up interviews as early as possible – interview times become booked quickly! 

JUNE

• After school ends, get on the road to visit colleges. Seeing the college firsthand, taking a tour, and talking to students can be the greatest help in deciding whether or not a school is right for you. Although it is ideal to visit colleges during the academic year, going in the summer will be valuable. Admissions offices usually employ their students to give tours and answer questions from prospective students and their parents. 

JULY

• Visit colleges, take tours, have interviews and ask questions. Make college visiting a family event. Involve your parents /guardians and siblings in every step of your application process. Choosing the right college is a tough decision; the opinions of those who know you the best can provide helpful insight into which college is best for you. 

•Read a variety of books and review your math skills over the summer.

•Do your summer reading.

•Obtain a summer job that relates to your career interests.

•Volunteer!

•Job shadow in a field that interests you.

•Explore internships.

AUGUST

• Continue to refine your list of potential colleges. 

• Begin preparing for the actual application process: draft application essays, collect writing samples, and assemble portfolios or audition tapes. 

• Begin scholarship applications; many deadlines are as early as October. Continue applying for scholarships throughout the year.

•Save money from your summer job for college.

•Continue to visit colleges.

•Look forward to your senior year!

SEPTEMBER

•Concentrate on academic preparation and continue to develop basic skills and co-curricular activities.

•Participate in volunteer and community service activities.  

OCTOBER

• Sign up, if you have not done so already, for extra-curricular activities that interest you. The level of involvement and accomplishment is most important, not the number of activities. 

• Keep a record of your extra-curricular involvement, volunteer work, and employment (all year). 

NOVEMBER

• Make sure you are “on top” of your academic work. If necessary, meet with your teacher for additional help.

• Save your best work in academic courses and the arts for your academic portfolio (all year). 

DECEMBER-JANUARY 

• Keep studying! 

• Volunteer: a great way to identify your interests and to develop skills. 

FEBRUARY

• It is never too early to start researching colleges. Visit our website here to for California college information. 

MARCH

• NACAC has developed a list of online resources to help you in the college admission process called here. 

APRIL

• Continue to research career options and consider possible college majors that will help you achieve your career goals. 

• Look for summer employment or volunteer opportunities 

MAY 

• Plan now for wise use of your summer. Consider taking a summer course or participating in a special program (e.g. for prospective engineers or journalists or for those interested in theatre or music) at a local college or community college. Consider working or volunteering. 

JUNE 

• If you work, save some of your earnings for college. 

JULY-AUGUST

• Make your summer productive. Continue reading to increase your vocabulary.

•Continue investigating careers by talking to the adult friends of your parents and friends. Visit workplaces when possible.

•Talk to college friends about their college experiences on campus.  

•Summer is a great time to do job shadowing, internships, camps, and/or volunteer work. 

It’s never too early to plan for the future! 

• Build strong academic, language, mathematics and critical thinking skills by taking challenging courses. 

• Study hard to get excellent grades. 

• Strengthen your vocabulary by increasing your reading. 

• Become involved in extra-curricular activities. 

• Browse through the college literature or surf the web to get an idea of what kind of schools may be of interest to you. 

• Know NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) requirements if you want to play sports in college. 

• Keep an academic portfolio and extra-curricular record. 

• Research career possibilities. 

• Begin saving money for college.