Name_________________________________
Date___________
Crew Advisor________________
10th Grade College Checklist
Fall 2012
Items to prep me
for College
I have a college board account
and I know how to use it
I know about the PSAT and
when I can register to take it
I understand “College
Vocabulary” (see list)
I have been to at least one
college fair so far
I know how to research a
college
I have an idea of the type of
college I want to attend
I have idea of how much
college may cost and how I can
pay for it
I know about financial aid and
scholarships
I know that I will need to take
college entrance exams, SAT in
order to be considered for a
college of my choice
I have discussed college with
an adult in my home
Adult @ VPA that
can help
My Crew Advisor and
My Crew Advisor and
My Crew Advisor and
My Crew Advisor and
My Crew Advisor and
My Crew Advisor and
My Crew Advisor and
My Crew Advisor and
Adult @ HOME that
can help
Date
Completed
College Vocabulary List
SUNY: Apply for SUNY's on the SUNY website- you can apply for up to four schools with EOP- which gives an
automatic fee waivers and has easier admissions requirements. EOP stands for Educational Opportunities
Program- it allows students whose families make under a base income (see website for yearly specifics) to
get into schools they might not otherwise. EOP also provides money for books, a summer orientation, and
extra tutoring. November 14th is the deadline for Early Action/Non-Binding, but check on that for each
school to be sure! January 1st is a general deadline for regular admission, but check on that for each school
to be sure!
PRIVATE SCHOOLS: When applying for private schools, use the common app if the schools are on it. By
using the common app, students can waive the fee using a College Board application fee waiver, which can
be obtained from Ms. Pistone.
CUNY: Applying to CUNY is fast and can be done with Ms. Pistone. It does not require an essay. The biggest
thing to check on is making sure you have paid (65 dollars for 1-6 school choices). The deadline for
everything is February 1st.
SUPPLEMENTS: Don't forget supplements! SUNY and Common Applications generally require them.
COMMON APPLICATION: On the common app, go to my colleges- green triangle means everything is
submitted, Yellow Square means you are not done! See Ms. Crane or Ms. Ruck if you can't figure out what
isn't done.
FOLLOWING UP: Colleges lose things. A week after you think you have submitted everything, call the college
and ask about your 'application status.' They will tell you if anything is not there yet. Sometimes you have to
send things over.
RECOMMENDATIONS: It is not enough to ask a teacher to write a recommendation. You need to follow up
with them again to make sure it got sent. If you designated them on the common app- make sure they have
electronically submitted. However, give them time to do this.
FEE WAIVERS: If a school doesn't take the College Board application fee waiver, have your crew teacher
write a letter on VPA letterhead saying you can't pay- it will generally count.
SENDING SAT SCORES: To save money on sending SAT scores bring Ms. Pistone or Ms. Ruck your scores
printed from college board. We can add these to your transcripts and then send the transcripts- about 80
percent of universities will take this as proof and it saves you 8 bucks a school!
SAT-LESS SCHOOLS: Yes, they exist. Some schools do not require SATs or ACTs. Each Crew Advisor has a list
of these schools.
PLAYING A SPORT IN COLLEGE: If you would like to play a varsity sport in college, talk to your coach! Your
coach will be able to give you a realistic idea of what schools and which division might work for you. After
you talk to your coach, go online to the NCAA Eligibility Center and the NAIA Eligibility Center and start
filling out your profile. You can get a fee waiver if you receive an SAT fee waiver. If you don’t have a coach or
team, look into INTRAMURALS. Everyone can try out for intramurals!
SCHOLARSHIPS: It’s an individualized hunt. You should have a profile on Fastweb.com for the most
comprehensive and international scholarships available. You can tailor your profile to your strengths and
needs so you will be applying to scholarships that best suit you. Also keep an eye out for scholarships
posted, circulated, announced in Crew and Town Hall.
FAFSA: You must do FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). It gives you access to money for
college! You need your 2014 Parents’ (ANYONE WHO CLAIMS YOU) Tax Returns.
If your parents are married, filing separately, you need both parents’ tax returns. If your parents do not
work, you need to get a budget letter from a government agency like Welfare. If you work, and you make
over $2,000 per year, you must file your own taxes and use that return as well. If you are a “ward of the
state” or in foster care, you file as independent and only need any of your own tax returns, if you file them. It
can be tough to convince your parents or guardians to give you that information, but we can help! Have your
Crew Advisor call home to help explain how important it is and how this helps give you money for college.
You can start FAFSA any time. Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov.Once you have completed and sent FAFSA, you will
receive an e-mail saying you have completed FAFSA. The money is given to the people who do FAFSA first.
The longer you wait, the less money you get.
TAP: Once you finish FAFSA, you can get more money through TAP (Tuition Assistance Program). Just create
your user name and pin on the HESC.org website and begin the process. Remember, it’s money for college.
You need to do this if you want to go to college!