Life beyond High SchoolRemember when you said as a freshamn "man i can't wait to get out of this place!" well that day is amost here and what are you going to do now? Sitting and eating cerious on the couch jsut isnt going to cut it, so whats the plan?
This is a very scary notion young adults. This desciision is one of the first steps into adulthood and on the road to your fututre. There are many things to consider, where do you start and what if uoi make a wrong choic. the gravidy of these choices a can feel suffocationg... its ok, take a deep breath. you are going to get through it. The secret to geting through this is breath, dont procrastinatre and laugh.. The first step is thinking about your interests are and what career may be associated with that. http://www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm |
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Timeline for applying to colleges: what you should be doing every month
PRe senior year: it's never to early
Start to identify your interests- some people instinctively know what they want to do and some do not. both are ok. Thinking about your future can be very overwhelming, take a deep breath and remember nothing is ever written in stone. A Lot of students change majors when in school. this is ok! My best advise is to look at all the options and choose 2 to 3 majors that would interest you, then find a college that has them.
https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/choosing-major
Start your College list – work on your list of colleges. By the end of the summer, you should have narrowed your list of 20-25 schools down to 10 or 12, including reach, match and safety schools.
https://www.petersons.com/college-search.aspx
https://colleges.niche.com/search/
to help you create your college list check out my template. This will help you in your searching and looking for important information like Possible Majors, Application materials, and Deadlines. Being organized is very important as you will need to remember a lot of information and adhere to deadlines and specs, having all this information in one place .
Ras's college list template
Guidance counselor/ College and Career center – Sit down with your counselor and discuss your goals, ie college. Your counselor will give you valuable perspective about the schools and help you chart out the application process. Also make sure that you’re fulfilling all of your requirements for high school graduation and help you track your progress, your GPA, your courses, and extracurriculars this all matters..
https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/choosing-major
Start your College list – work on your list of colleges. By the end of the summer, you should have narrowed your list of 20-25 schools down to 10 or 12, including reach, match and safety schools.
https://www.petersons.com/college-search.aspx
https://colleges.niche.com/search/
to help you create your college list check out my template. This will help you in your searching and looking for important information like Possible Majors, Application materials, and Deadlines. Being organized is very important as you will need to remember a lot of information and adhere to deadlines and specs, having all this information in one place .
Ras's college list template
Guidance counselor/ College and Career center – Sit down with your counselor and discuss your goals, ie college. Your counselor will give you valuable perspective about the schools and help you chart out the application process. Also make sure that you’re fulfilling all of your requirements for high school graduation and help you track your progress, your GPA, your courses, and extracurriculars this all matters..
Senior Year
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SeptemberSearch and Continue to visit schools.
Fall is a great time to look at the schools on your college lists because classes are in session and you are better able to meet and talk with students and professors. You may even be able to sit in on a class or two. https://www.petersons.com/college-search.aspx https://colleges.niche.com/search/ to help you create your college list check out my template. This will help you in your searching and looking for important information like Possible Majors, Application materials, and Deadlines. Being organized is very important as you will need to remember a lot of information and adhere to deadlines and specs, having all this information in one place . Ras's college list template Stay on track with your grades and extracurricular activities. Colleges will look at what you’ve done in your senior year, so stay focused on doing well in your classes and maintaining a commitment to extracurricular activities. Take standardized tests. Register for and take the ACT, SAT, or SAT Subject Tests as necessary. Be sure you have requested (either by mail or online) that your test scores be sent to the colleges of your choice. |
October
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Finalize your college list.
Use the information you’ve gathered from college visits, interviews, and your own research to decide which schools you will apply to. It’s okay to apply to colleges that you think will be more difficult to get into. But it’s also important to put a few safety schools (where you’re sure you’ll get in) on your list. Talk to counselors, teachers, and parents about your final choices. Ask for letters of recommendation. Give letter of recommendation forms to the teachers you have chosen, along with stamped, addressed envelopes so your teachers can send them directly to the colleges. Be sure to fill out your name and address and the school name on each form. Discuss your goals and ambitions with your teachers so they’ll be more prepared to write about you. check in with your guidance counselor. Your counselor can help you stay on track with admissions requirements. Make sure they know which colleges you want transcripts, score reports, and letters sent to. Give your counselors any necessary forms much earlier than the actual deadlines so they’ll have time to send the forms in. Keep track of deadlines. You’ll be filling out lots of forms this year, so it’s important to know what form is due when. Make a calendar showing the application deadlines for admission, financial aid, and scholarships. Keep Track and work on special application details- some majors or colleges may ask for special application materials like a art portfolio for a art and design college or major. see my portfolio development website Applying Early – If you are applying to a school through early decision or early action, you will need to complete your application in October. Deadlines for these admissions programs are usually the end of October or the beginning of November. |
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NovemberHigh school transcripts – Request your high school transcripts and verify that they are accurate. If anything is wrong or missing you’ll need time to correct it. Reviewing your transcript is also a good reminder to maintain your grades through to the end.
Applications – By now you should know what schools you’re applying to—5 or 6 ideally. You’ve had a few months to look over the various applications and think long and hard about your essay. Give yourself ample time in November to complete all the applications and get feedback about your essay. Have parents, teachers and other adults in your life read your essay and try to keep an open mind to their constructive criticism. Application Essays - Write your essays, do not wait! have your friends and teachers read them, constructive feedback is a good thing! Make revisions, remember these essays are a way for these colleges to get to know you outside your GPA and test scores. Other application materials- start gathering and organizing any special materials some colleges or majors might require. For ARt and design programs you will be required to submit a portfolio. you should have been working on artwork Grades – November is also a critical month for your high school classes. The semester will end in mid-December, so if you need to improve any grades, now is the time to get serious. Even if you are accepted to a school, the decision can be reversed if your grades take a nosedive. |
DecemberSubmit applications – Most colleges have regular application deadlines sometime in December. Make sure you’ve been keeping track of all deadlines; they can vary from school to school. Don’t leave anything to the last minute. For most people, the month of December is always filled with extra holiday-related activities, not to mention the end of the fall semester.
Finalize other application components – By now you’ve taken your exams, written your essays and secured your letters of recommendation. Confirm that your test scores have been officially submitted to every college to which you’re applying. Also verify that any letters of recommendation have been mailed. Early acceptance – If you applied to a school through early decision or early action and are accepted, you will receive a letter sometime in December. Make sure you completely understand the timetable and all deadlines. It’s also a great courtesy to notify the other schools you applied to. This will help them open up your seat to another applicants. |
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JanuaryCongrats most of the art part is done!!! You've applied, and now you wait, there are still some things to do tho.
Financial aid – Most colleges require you to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Start exploring financial aid and scholarships at the colleges you applied to. By the time you start receiving acceptance letters, you’re going to want to have a grasp of how much you can save, and aid packages can differ a great deal from school to school. Grades – As soon as possible, send your fall grades to every school to which you’ve applied. Even if this is after the application, admissions counselors will incorporate it into their decision. If your high school grades started out poor but steadily improved, your senior year transcript is a way for you to demonstrate this upward trend. |
FEBRUARY and MarchConfirm applications – Most colleges will send you a confirmation that your application has been received and is being processed. If you haven’t gotten receipt confirmation on any of your applications, do so as soon as possible.
Financial aid – You submitted your FAFSA in December, and by now you should be receiving a Student Aid Report, or SAR. Review this carefully and verify that everything is accurate. Discrepancies on this form may result in the loss of thousands of dollars in financial aid. Late applications – Some schools have late deadlines or rolling admissions policies, meaning there is no set deadline and applications may be submitted anytime in the winter or spring. As with everything else, it is still wise to apply as early as you can. You never know how competitive open seats will be. Acceptance letters – Acceptance, rejection and waitlist letters may start arriving as early as February or March. In most cases, you will have until the end of April to make a decision. If you haven’t received any letters yet, don’t worry. It is common for letters to go out in April. |
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AprilMake your final decision – With some exceptions, by now you should have heard from all of the schools to which you applied. If you are accepted to multiple schools, weigh all your options before making a final decision. Talk with parents, other family members, teachers, mentors and friends. Take a good, hard look at finances, including financial aid and cost of living expenses at each school. If possible, visit campuses again. Now that you’ve been accepted, your perspective will be vastly different and you can ask much more detailed questions.
Notify other schools – Once you’ve made your decision, notify the other schools that accepted you as soon as possible. They will have plenty of waitlist applicants anxiously waiting for seats to open up. Open House – Similar to college fairs in the fall, many colleges host spring open houses for incoming freshman. Find out when this is scheduled and take advantage if you are able. It is a chance to learn more about the school directly from current students. You may also make friends before the school year even starts! |
MAy and JuneDeposit deadline – Typically, colleges will have a deposit deadline of May 1st. You may have already signaled your intent to enroll, but now it’s time to commit financially. Your acceptance letter should include all the details.
Final transcripts – Once you’ve graduated, send your final high school transcript to your new college. ( yes your spring grades matter!!! If you slack off they can still resend their acceptance! they are keeping tabs on you!!)This may help you secure a scholarship or qualify for other competitive academic programs. AP exams – If you’ve been taking AP classes in high school, you’ll be taking your national exams at the end of the school year. This is a huge opportunity that you shouldn’t let go to waste. A high score or 4 or 5 on your AP exam will translate to college credit. Some students begin college with much of their freshman requirements fulfilled through AP credits. Thank you letters – You didn’t get here by yourself. Chances are there were many people who helped with your college applications. Take the time to write personalized thank you letters, especially to guidance counselors and teachers who wrote letters of recommendation. They will appreciate the gratitude and will be happy to know where you enrolled. |
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Congratulations You've graduated!!! Now here are just a few FUN last details!
Housing – Now you know where you’ll be going in the fall! If you’re planning on living in student housing, you will start receiving information about this, including meal plans. If you’re planning to live off-campus, start researching neighborhoods so you can find a decent place to live that is reasonably close to campus.
Roommate – If you’ve already received your dorm assignment, you will also have the opportunity to make contact with your future roommate, including by phone, email or social media. We’ve all seen the uncomfortable scenes in movies where dorm mates meet on move-in day. Use the summer to avoid this awkward introduction.
Register for classes – As soon as you can, start registering for classes. As a freshman, you will probably feel like you’re flooded with options, but classes almost always fill up fast! Take your time to review the schedule and find classes that are right for you.
Go to college – Congratulations! You’re going to college. Time to start packing.
Roommate – If you’ve already received your dorm assignment, you will also have the opportunity to make contact with your future roommate, including by phone, email or social media. We’ve all seen the uncomfortable scenes in movies where dorm mates meet on move-in day. Use the summer to avoid this awkward introduction.
Register for classes – As soon as you can, start registering for classes. As a freshman, you will probably feel like you’re flooded with options, but classes almost always fill up fast! Take your time to review the schedule and find classes that are right for you.
Go to college – Congratulations! You’re going to college. Time to start packing.
