I’m a SENIOR! . . . Now what?
August and September
Make sure graduation is a reality for you in May.
Look over your transcript.
Register to take or retake the ACT.
Register online at www.actstudent.org .
Deadline for the Oct. 24th test is September 18.
Students on Free or Reduced lunch are eligible for a fee waiver from the Guidance Office.
Free online test prep at www.actstudent.org or pick up a test prep booklet in the guidance office.
What about the SAT? If you plan on attending a highly selective college or university outside of
the Midwest, you may also want to take the SAT. See individual college websites for admission
requirements. Register online for the SAT at www.collegeboard.com.
Narrow your college choices to around 2 to 4 schools. At least one school should be a “safe”
choice, meaning that you know you’ll get in and you can handle the cost. Use College Navigator,
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator to search schools.
Meet with college reps at SHS.
Sign up in the Guidance Office for meetings with college
representatives. We will advertise which colleges are visiting and when. Sign up by writing your
name on the list in the Guidance Office.
Attend local or regional college fairs. A good option is the North Central Ohio College Fair on
Sept. 29th at 6:30 pm at OSU Mansfield Campus Rec. There is a Financial Aid Session beginning
at 6 pm.
Athletics in College . . . If you are planning on playing NCAA Division I or II sports, or playing at
an NAIA school make sure you register with the NCAA or NAIA eligibility centers, and let your
school counselor know your intentions. NCAA – www.eligibilitycenter.org NAIA –
www.playnaia.org
Not going to college?
That’s ok BUT,
You’re gonna need some skillz, man.
Do you have a plan? Military? Work force? Apprenticeship? We should talk.
October and November
Schedule some college visits this fall. Many colleges have special visit days where they have
special programs for potential students.
Apply, apply, apply
College
This is prime time to be applying to schools you’re interested in. Pay close
attention to deadlines! For example, to be considered for merit scholarships at OSU, you
must apply by Nov. 1st. Make sure you let your counselor know to send a transcript after
applying online. Also look for any counselor or teacher recommendation forms your
college may require to be filled out. Students on Free and Reduced lunch may ask their
counselor for a fee waiver form for college applications. In a few cases, this may require a
paper rather than an online application.
Scholarships Use www.fastweb.com , www.cappex.com , or www.bigfuture.org to look for
scholarships on the national level. Colleges also offer scholarships based on HS GPA and
ACT. Our local scholarship program has 2 phases, and Phase 1 begins in December.
Get familiar with the ‘Common Application’.
www.commonapp.org There is no fee to create a
Common App account, but colleges have their own application fees.
Baldwin Wallace
Capital University
Case Western Reserve
College of Wooster
Columbus College of Art
& Design
Denison University
Hiram College
John Carroll University
Kenyon College
Lake Erie College
Lourdes University
Malone University
Marietta College
Miami University (Ohio)
Oberlin College
Ohio Northern University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Otterbein University
The Ohio State University
The University of Findlay
University of Cincinnati
University of Dayton
University of Toledo
Ursuline College
Wilberforce University
Wittenberg University
Xavier University
December
College
get apps by December 1st and stay VERY aware of deadlines that are close to the
holidays. Waiting until the day before a holiday break to request a transcript, form, or letter is not
advisable. You can still apply to college if you haven’t yet taken the ACT. Take or retake the test
December 12th, 2015. Deadline to register is November 6th.
Financial Aid
Get a head start on the financial aid process by checking out
http://studentaid.ed.gov/ It has the best information on applying for financial aid through the
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
Scholarships
Phase I of Local Shelby Scholarships begins.
January and February
Financial Aid Attend our Financial Aid Workshop in January in the Shelby PAC (date TBA). You
and your parents can learn about the FAFSA application process and get questions answered. Try
to complete your FAFSA soon after your parents file their tax information. Federal Aid is
generally on a first come first served basis and the sooner your information is in, the better chance
you have of your need being met. The priority deadline is February 15. If you and your parents
need a lot of help with filling out the FAFSA, consider attending college goal Sunday at Ohio State
Mansfield on February 14, 2016. Financial Aid officers will personally walk you through the
application process.
Phase 1 scholarships are due January 22.
Phase 2 of local Shelby Scholarships begins.
March and April
Colleges will notify you of the financial aid they are willing to offer you. Compare offers and
make a smart decision about your future. Don’t give in to senioritis. Your senior courses and grades
matter. Colleges have been known to reject students they had accepted earlier in the year because their
final grades were much lower than anticipated. These months are when the majority of scholarships are
due. Apply for everything you are eligible for and don’t discard a scholarship just because it asks for an
essay.
May May 1st is final date to notify a school that you intend to enroll. Please be courteous by notifying
other schools you applied to that you have decided not to attend.