BHS COLLEGE CHECKLIST FOR JUNIORS
Academics
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Take the most challenging courses that are appropriate for you.
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Keep up your grades. Colleges use the 9th – 11th grade transcript to make admission
decisions.
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Review your graduation plan with the Guidance Counselor.
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Take on a leadership role in an extra-curricular activity: continue community service
activities. Try some new activities or expand the ones in which you are currently
involved. Keep a list of your involvements. Record your hours into the same file you
began last year. This will be helpful when completing an activities resume and college
applications.
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Get to know your favorite teachers well. Start thinking about who you might ask to
write a letter of recommendation for you.
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Keep a notebook of essay ideas. Whenever you experience something new, important,
Interesting, entertaining, or meaningful, jot down a quick note about it because you will
find this useful when considering ideas for your college essay.
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Consider signing up for Dual Credit courses. See your Guidance Counselor for more
Information.
Choosing a College
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Meet with the Guidance Counselor to discuss your preliminary list of colleges. Discuss
whether your initial list of colleges meets your needs and interests (academic program,
size, location, cost, etc.) and whether you are considering colleges where you are likely
to be admitted. You should be both optimistic and realistic when applying to colleges.
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Attend college representative meetings throughout the fall and take advantage of the
opportunity to meet the admission counselors who may read your application.
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Request admission and financial aid literature from the colleges on your list.
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Attend local college fairs to get more information about the colleges on our list. Visit
NACAC’s National College Fairs webpage www.nacacnet.org to check out the schedule
Check out the Counselor’s Webpage! Go to bhs.brownfieldisd.net and click on BHS Counseling Office under the “student” tab
for the National College Fairs and the Performing and Visual Arts College Fairs.
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Tour college campuses whenever possible and tour local college campuses as well as
campuses around the country when traveling. Try to tour campuses when classes are in
session.
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Get organized! Create a filing system with a file folder for each college for which you
plan to apply. Keep copies of all correspondence, application and financial aid forms in
these folders. Note: Many colleges waive their application fee if you apply during your
junior year.
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During Christmas Break, talk with college friends home on break.
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Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center if you are interested in playing Division l or
Division ll sports in college.
Financial Aid
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Talk to your parents about how you will pay for college.
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Sign up for free scholarship information at www.fastweb.com and
www.scholarships.com
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Learn the specifics about financial aid such as scholarships, grants, loans, and college
work study.
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Investigate scholarship opportunities from federal and private sources and from the
schools on your college list.
Testing
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Take the PSAT in October. Scores from the junior year PSAT are submitted to the
National Merit Scholarship Corporate for scholarship consideration.
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Register to take at least one SAT and one ACT with Writing during the spring semester.
All students should take each test at least once and then repeat the test you prefer no
later than early fall of senior year. Prepare for these tests by taking practice tests
available online, using available prep materials in the library with Mrs. Lee, purchasing
a test-prep book, using computer software, or by signing up for a prep course. Don’t
spend so much time trying to improve standardized test scores that grades or extra-
Check out the Counselor’s Webpage! Go to bhs.brownfieldisd.net and click on BHS Counseling Office under the “student” tab
curricular activities suffer. Remember when registering, to select college choices so that
your scores may be sent automatically.
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Talk to your teachers and Guidance Counselor about signing up for SAT Subject Tests.
Summer
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Consider taking Dual Credit courses for college credit. See Guidance Counselor for
information.
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Spend your summer doing something productive – volunteer, get a summer job,
participate in a mission trip, attend summer academic or athletic program held on a
college campus.
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Talk to people in careers you find interesting.
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Begin preparing for the actual application process: draft college essays, collect writing
samples, and assemble portfolios or audition tapes. If you are an athlete and plan on
playing in college, contact the coaches at the schools to which you are applying and ask
about sports programs and athletic scholarships.
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Attend a meeting with Guidance Counselor to plan your senior schedule.
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Decide if you are going to apply under a particular college’s early decision or early action
programs. This requires you to submit your applications early, typically between
October and December of your senior year, but offers the benefit of receiving the
college’s decision concerning your admission early, usually before January 1. If you
choose to apply early, you should do so for the college/university that is your first choice
in schools to attend. Many early decision programs are legally binding, requiring you to
attend the college you are applying to, should they accept you.
Check out the Counselor’s Webpage! Go to bhs.brownfieldisd.net and click on BHS Counseling Office under the “student” tab