| |
|
ACT Test
Dates: 9/15/07, 10/27/07, 12/08/07, 2/09/08, 4/12/08, 6/14/08 -Be
sure to meet registration deadlines!
PLANNING CALENDAR FOR
SENIORS
|
SEPTEMBER
|
-
Finalize your list of reasonable choices.
Include at least one “long shot”, one “target”, and one “safe” school. Your
first choice might very well be a school to which you are a likely candidate
for admission. However, you should include at least one safe choice on your
list of colleges.
-
Once you have narrowed your list of
colleges to a recommended maximum of six, you need to request application
materials. You may call or write a college admission’s office to request
materials, or visit the college's webpage. Most colleges have online
applications, and actually prefer students apply this way.
-
Attend meetings with college representatives who
visit JOHS. Keep in mind that the representatives who visit us will more than
likely be the ones to present your case to the admissions team at their
college: MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION! For a list of colleges visiting, go to the
"Colleges Visiting Overton-Schedule" on this webpage.
-
Register for the October ACT or November
SAT if you have not taken the
test or want to retest. Obtain packets in Guidance or register online.
-
Complete and turn in to your counselor the
Recommendation Request Form before you ask her to write a recommendation.
Allow 2 weeks after you turn in the form before you need your letter!
-
Begin work on application essays/ focus on good
grades this semester.
-
Remember that the grades you make this
semester will be an important ingredient in the way college admissions
committees view your academic seriousness. Your first semester grades
will be the last ones they see before deciding whether to admit you to their
school.
-
Decide how you will actually apply: paper
application, or applying online at the school’s website.
-
Keep your commitment to take challenging
courses! Your senior year matters!
|
|
OCTOBER
|
-
Please do not push deadlines. It is to
your advantage to file your application early. Most colleges admit that early
applications automatically receive more attention because they demonstrate the
student’s sincere interest in a school. Early applicants for need based or
academic collegiate scholarships also tend to get the lion's share of the
monies colleges distribute. This is true with some FAFSA grants as well.
-
Early decision deadlines and scholarship
deadlines may be as early as October 15.
Do not allow lack of planning on your part to
create an emergency on our part. Submit your Transcript Requests,
Recommendation Letter Requests, and/or College Application Requests at least
two weeks before your college's application deadline .
-
The college to which you are applying may
require official copies of your test scores. Some schools require test scores
submitted directly from ACT/SAT. Check the websites of the colleges to see
what they require.
-
Attend
the MNPS/ Davidson County
College
Fair (date and location to be announced). Over 130 Colleges and Universities
will be represented
-
Complete a Transcript Request form for each
application you submit. Your transcript includes your grades and the school
profile which explains the grading system. Currently, MNPS transcripts do NOT
include your ACT/SAT score.
|
|
NOVEMBER
|
-
Use your college visiting days well. MNPS
allows a maximum of 2 excused days for college visits. These days will be
counted against your exemption from final exams, but will be excused if
pre-approved. Request the visit day with your AP's office two weeks beforehand
and bring a letter from the college for proof of your visit.
-
Teacher Recommendations - If the colleges to
which you are applying require a recommendation from a teacher, choose and ask
a teacher who you feel knows you the best and will represent you well. Give
your teacher a copy of your recommendation request information form. ALLOW
AT LEAST 2 WEEKS TO COMPLETE A RECOMMENDATION
FORM.
-
Provide an addressed and stamped envelope with
the appropriate college forms and a copy of your senior information sheet
attached.
-
This will be your last chance to sign up for and
take the
SAT or ACT in this year’s
admission pool.
-
Attend Financial Aid Night (dates will be
announced).
|
|
DECEMBER
|
|
-
All college applications and transcript
requests which need to be sent out before winter break are due in the
Guidance Center by the first Monday in December. Applications that
have a February 1 deadline should also be turned in by that date.
-
Since we do not return until January, all
Transcript Requests submitted after the deadline will be sent out in late
January. Please remember that Counselor Reports will be processed in
the order they are received…not in the order of urgency for you.
-
If you expect your counselor to write an
effective recommendation for you, then allow sufficient time to process your
recommendation.
-
Ace your semester exams—they matter!
-
Request Mid-Year transcripts to be mailed to the
colleges to which you are applying.
-
Begin to get paperwork together for filing the
FAFSA asap after January 1. Your parents can use last years IRS tax return to
estimate information on the FAFSA, then update later after they have filed
this year's taxes. The FAFSA is the federal financial form, needed for both
public and private schools. It may be filed anytime after January 1 (and the
filing of federal income tax forms for 2007). Remember, the lottery
scholarships require the FAFSA! Everyone should file a FAFSA regardless of
your plans after high school!
-
Don’t ask to drop challenging courses. Colleges
could withdraw their offer!
-
Get a FAFSA PIN # (personal identification
number) prior to filing your FAFSA. Parents and students each need a PIN#. It
takes 72 hours for a number to be assigned, so do this a few days before you
file your FAFSA form. The website to get a PIN# is: http://www.pin.ed.gov
|
-
|
|
JANUARY
|
-
Welcome back to your last semester of high school!
-
Get a FAFSA PIN (if you didn't in December)
prior to filing your FAFSA. Parents and students each need a PIN#. It takes 72
hours for a number to be assigned, so do this a few days before you file your
FAFSA form. The website to get a PIN# is: http://www.pin.ed.gov
-
Complete and file your FAFSA as soon as possible
beginning January 1st. Some aid is distributed on a first come, first served
basis, with priority deadlines as early as March 1st. Federal Income Tax
information is required, however, if your parents have not filed taxes yet,
you can still file a FAFSA anytime after Jan. 1st using estimated information
from last year's taxes, then updating it after this year's taxes are filed.
FAFSA’s web site is: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
|
|
FEBRUARY
|
-
If you haven’t already done so, visit schools to
which you applied.
-
Wait.
|
|
MARCH
|
|
|
|
APRIL
|
-
By April 15, you should hear from all colleges.
Use the two weeks before May 1 to make your final decision.
-
Register for Advanced Placement exams. Even if
you are unsure how well you may do, these are great practice!
-
Notify all colleges which have accepted you of
your final decision.
-
Notify colleges who have put you on their
waiting list if you wish to remain on it.
-
Don’t develop Senioritis! All
college acceptances are conditional pending receipt of final grades in
June.
|
|
MAY
|
-
Reply to the college you choose. Do not place a
deposit with more than one college: it is unethical and you can be dropped by
both colleges if discovered.
-
Fill out a Final Transcript Request for the
college you will attend. You must make this request in writing to release
your transcript.
|
|
|
|