COLLEGE PLANNING CALENDAR
JUNIOR YEAR
September: Buckle down if you haven’t already: Junior-year grades are extremely important, as is rigor of your coursework. Attend college fairs and gather information. The District website has links that allow you to search for schools that meet your criteria. Talk with your parents about college costs. Knowing now how much they can contribute may affect your decision about where to apply. Start gathering information on scholarships. If you hope to qualify for an athletic scholarship, introduce yourself to coaches at the colleges you are considering. (Athletic resume and/or video email) Start (if you haven’t already) working on your “long list” of college or other post secondary opportunities.Work on your long list of academic and non-academic opportunities.
October: Take the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test to practice for the SAT I and to qualify for scholarships offered by the National Merit Scholarship Corp. Attend regional fall College Fairs and visit with college representatives in the Boulder High Counseling office (too numerous to list). This process will help you shorten your long list. If you are interested in attending a military academy pick up “A Guide for Students Interested in the Military Academies” from the counseling office. You will want to order an application kit prior to Thanksgiving.Attend regional college fairs and visit with college reps that visit BHS. Pick up Military Academy application kit, if needed. Attend college fair at CU.
November and December: Review your PSAT results and decide whether you’d benefit from a SAT preparation course. Continue to work on your college list.
January and February: Check with your colleges to see if they require-or prefer-the ACT or the SAT. Most colleges will accept either, and some counselors recommend taking both, since many students do better on one than on the other. The ACT examines knowledge learned in school: the SAT at this point is an aptitude test. The new SAT beginning March 2005 will be more achievement based and include a writing section. Check out local test prep courses and resources available for both tests in the Ozone, in our office and on our website. Sign up for a solid course load for your senior year. The courses you choose will be listed on the transcript sent to colleges. Decide what type of college you are looking for: 2 or 4 year, public, private, technical. Determine what factors are important to you: location, setting, size, etc. Select senior courses.
March: Identify the characteristics of a college that matter to you-size, location, cost, academic rigor, social environment, diversity, for example –and finalize your list of schools to visit. Plan to be on campus while schools are in session. This process will also help you to shorten your long list. Sign up for ACT/SAT exams for the spring. You will be taking the ACT at Boulder High in April, at no charge and no pre-registration is necessary. If you want/need an SAT score, now is the time to sign up for a spring test. Start school visits.
April: Plan to attend regional college fairs that will be in the area. Be alert to the junior college planning activities that are scheduled in the district or at Boulder High. Juniors will take the state ACT test at Boulder High during April. NCAA does not accept this as an official test for eligibility so make sure that you have scheduled a test at a national site on a national test date if you are planning on participating in college sports. Register for May SAT I and June SAT II: Subject Tests in academic subjects that may be required for schools to which you are applying early. Take the ACT at Boulder High. Sign up for spring SAT, SAT II, ACT. Work on shortening your college list.
May: Take Advanced Placement tests and prepare to take the June ACT or SAT tests. If you plan on playing sports in college, register online with the NCAA Clearinghouse. Directions and a packet to help you with this process are available in the counseling office. Register for the NCAA Clearinghouse if you plan on playing college sports.
Summer: Send for applications if you are not applying online and start thinking about your essay topics. Consider who might write your recommendations. Counselors advise entering senior senior year with three of four schools in mind that are apt to accept you and one or two “possibles.” Compile a resume of activities, honors, leadership positions, and job experience. You’ll need this information for college applications and scholarship information. Visit as many campuses on your list as you can so that you have a manageable selection of schools to work with in the fall. Take SAT, SAT II or ACT as needed. Work on resume or student profile. Finalize college application list.
SENIOR COLLEGE COUNTDOWN
September:
- Carefully check your transcript for accuracy. You will be having it sent to colleges and want it to be right;
- Continue researching your college options through Naviance;
- Visit the College Visit portion of Naviance and plan which visits you want to attend in September and October. Have your parents excuse your absences from class;
- Mark off the dates of the Boulder-area college fairs: October 4 (In-State College Night) and October 10 (Out-of-State College Fair)
- View college applications online and get a clear picture of your application tasks;
- Review your ACT/SAT/SAT Subject Test testing schedule and sign up for fall testing dates as needed;
- Prepare letter of recommendation folders for your teachers and counselor;
- Present your recommendation folders to your teachers and counselor so they have ample time to work on them;
- Thank your teachers and your counselor for writing a recommendation for you;
- Be well informed of the deadlines and requirement of your prospective colleges;
- If you plan to apply under Early Decision, research what this will mean for you as far as financial aid and other deadlines are concerned;
- Sign up for a graduation /college planning appointment with your counselor. This must take place before November 1;
October
- Begin researching scholarships online through Naviance or the Counseling Department webpage;
- In you are applying Early Decision or Early Action, have your recommendation folders to your teachers and counselor by October 15;
- Continue gathering applications and finalize your list of prospective colleges;
- Get moving on your applications!
November
- All recommendation requests must be in to Counselors before Thanksgiving holiday;
- Beware of Early Action / Early Decision deadlines!
December
- Parents begin working on the FAFSA (free application for federal student aid). These are online at fafsa.ed.gov;
- Continue research scholarships on Naviance;
- Finish college applications!
- Attend Financial Aid Night December 3, BHS Cafeteria at 7 PM
- Make arrangements with Counseling Office to have Mid-Year Grade Reports sent to your colleges;
- Verify that all your application materials have been sent out.
January
- Prepare to file all federal financial aid forms—preferential filing date is usually February 15;
February
- You are almost there! Continue scholarship search.
March
- Decision letters will begin to arrive.
April
- Evaluate your financial aid offers.
- Prepare to notify your college of choice by May 1st of your decision to attend.
May
- Submit your request to have your final transcript sent to the college of your choice;
- Complete the Senior Survey on Naviance.
* NOTE If you are applying early action or early decision to a college or university, you must speed up the above timetable. Deadlines for Early Decision and Early Action applications are usually November 1 or November 15. Many schools require that the SAT II tests be taken no later than October if applying early. |
