JANUARY
1. Complete financial aid forms (FAFSA) and submit as soon as possible after January 1, 2009.
2. Be sure to register for the THEA (Texas Higher Education Assessment), if necessary. The THEA is required before a student is allowed to enroll in courses at a Texas public college or university. Students may be exempt from the THEA on the basis of scores achieved on SAT, ACT or TAKS — see your counselor for more information.
3. Re-double your efforts to get applications complete by the end of this month, especially if your college/university has a Feb. 1 deadline.
4. If your college requests additional information be sure to supply it immediately.
5. Do your best on your first semester exams.
6. Continue to check the College Bulletin for scholarship information. Ask Mrs. Wilke for any additional scholarship information.
FEBRUARY
1. No “senior-itis”, please! Accepting colleges do look at second semester senior grades.
2. Make sure that all items have been sent to each school to which you applied (application, essay, application fees, letters of recommendation, transcript).
MARCH
1. If you applied for financial aid and received your SAR (student aid report), make any needed corrections.
2. If you have been “wait listed” by a college, the college will want to know what you have accomplished between the time you applied and learned of its decision. If the college requires a high school transcript to be sent following 1st semester of your senior year, please be sure to make that request of the Registrar.
3. Continue to send out whatever information is still being requested.
4. If your college requires that you have a physical examination before registering for fall classes, arrange to get one and ask the doctor to complete the medical form, providing him/her with stamped addressed envelopes.
5. Check the College Bulletin for any new scholarship opportunities.
6. Retake TAKS, if necessary.
APRIL
1. By the end of the month all applications, letters, test results, and transcripts should be at the colleges to which you have applied. Now you have finished. Concentrate on high school graduation.
2. You should receive acceptance letters and financial aid offers by mid-April. If you have not done so yet, visit your final college choice before accepting.
3. Bring copies of your acceptance letters and any letters of scholarship offers to the Counseling Office.
MAY
1. Write letter of acceptance to the college which you plan to attend.
2. Notify other schools that offered you acceptance that you will not be attending so that they can offer acceptance to another student instead.
3. Write letter of acceptance and thanks to scholarship committees who have offered you scholarships.
4. Complete a request for a final (after graduation) transcript to be sent to the college you will be attending. Turn the form in to the Counseling Office.
5. Make plans for graduation!!
SCHOLARSHIP TIPS
1. Be sure to check the College Bulletin on the Counselors’ webpage at www.nisd.us
2. Develop a resume and give to teachers when you request a letter of recommendation.
3. Be sure to allow teachers and counselors at least two weeks to complete a letter of recommendation. Last minute requests usually do not result in the best recommendation letter.
4. It is very appropriate to write thank you notes to teachers who write recommendation letters for you.
5. Take extra care in completing applications. Neatness counts! Check for spelling and grammar errors.
6. If you receive a scholarship, a thank you note to the scholarship committee or organization is certainly in order.
7. Scholarships and financial aid opportunities come from the college you attend. Be sure to check their websites.
8. Many scholarship applications will ask for an essay. Give some thought to how you approach this type of essay. “To be successful” does not give enough insight into your experiences and hope for your future. Schools are looking for something unique that makes an individual stand out. They are interested in individual initiative.
KEEP TRACK OF COLLEGE ADMISSION STEPS
DATE STEPS TO FOLLOW
_____ 1. Select your colleges about 8-10 months prior to entrance.
_____ 2. Contact these colleges and request catalogs and applications for admission. (Remember, you may apply online to Texas public colleges and universities at (www.applytexas.org.)
_____ 3. Check entrance requirements: ACT, SAT Reasoning Test (for admission), SAT Subject Tests (required by some colleges for placement), and course requirements, application fees and deadlines.
_____ 4. After selecting 2 or 3 colleges, return the completed applications and fees to them. Check housing information for your college/s. At this time, you might also consider sending a dormitory room deposit (usually refundable up to a certain date---check with the college) to ensure that you will have a room if you are accepted.
_____ 5. You should plan to visit your top choice schools before you make a final decision. A visit can give valuable insight into whether this is truly the best choice for you.
_____ 6. Take the SAT or ACT by December to meet most (take earlier for colleges that have Dec. 1 admission deadlines) college admission deadlines.
_____ 7. If you are planning to attend a Texas public (state supported) college, you will also need to take the THEA before you can enroll for classes unless you are exempt. Check with your counselor. Developmental classes will be required at the college for students who do not master sections of the THEA.
_____ 8. Be sure to follow up to see that your applications are complete and that your colleges have received all items. _____9. Turn in a copy of your acceptance letter to Mrs. Wilke.
_____10. Request Official Transcripts to be sent out early.
|