Keep studying!
You want to avoid "senioritis" - a drop in motivation and,
consequently, grades, that is sometimes experienced by
seniors. |
|
| Talk to your counselor about
possibilities for concurrent enrollment (taking college-credit
courses while you're still in high school). Apply before October
end. |
Concurrent
Enrollment Opportunities  Concurrent
Enrollment Student Worksheet  |
Save your money!
It's a good idea to start or continue planning for those
unexpected costs of college. |
College Savings
Calculator  |
Some colleges require the
CSS/PROFILE, a supplemental financial aid form, in addition to the
FAFSA.
Find out if schools you may wish to attend will need this. |
|
| Check your transcripts to make
sure you have all the credits you need to get into the colleges
that interest you. Use the College Admissions Tool
to make sure you understand
how your GPA, ACT/SAT scores and coursework taken in high school
will affect your choice of four-year colleges. Talk with your
counselor and update your coursework plan as necessary. |
College Admissions Tool
|
Be sure to consult with your
school counselor about scholarship opportunities.
Scholarships are not just for top students and athletes. There may
be a perfect scholarship for you - it's worth doing a little
research. |
Find a
Scholarship |
| Register for the October/November
SAT and ACT tests if you plan to take re-take them at your own
expense. |
|
Get a jump-start on College
Application Month; make sure you meet the requirements (including
any transcript requirements) for all the colleges to which you want
to apply.
Double-check their application deadlines and set reminders on your
My Plan page in the College Admissions Tool. |
College Admissions Tool
Direct-to-College Connections |
Keep an eye out for financial aid
workshops and seminars, for both you and your
parents.
There is a lot of help out there when you're looking for info on
financial aid. |
Financial Aid Wizard |
Most early decision and early
action applications are due between October 1 and November
1.
Keep this in mind if you intend to take advantage of these
options. |
|
| Explore programs and
majors for careers that interest you. |
Explore Programs and Majors |
| Find colleges that
offer your programs/major. |
College Matching Assistant |
| Take virtual campus
tours. |
Explore
Schools |
| Use the School Finder;
what's important to you about a college? |
School Finder |
| Do Side-by-Side
Comparisons of schools. |
Compare Schools |
Use the College Admissions
Tool
Consider all of your after high school options including two- and
four-year colleges, occupation/technical schools, military or
learning a trade through an apprenticeship. And, doing basic
coursework at a two year school and transferring to a four-year may
serve you well and save you money |
College Admissions Tool
|
Make a final list of schools
that interest you and use the My Plan page of the Admissions Tool
to track deadlines and required admission items for each
school.
Many students like to have a "dream school" and a "safety school"
as well as two or three others. |
Saved Colleges & Postsecondary Schools |
| Order Official
Transcripts to be sent to each college you have selected.
Transcripts are sent directly from your school to the colleges.
Make sure your counselor understands the date by which each college
must receive your transcript. |
|
FAFSA, the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid, is the key that opens the door to
financial aid. It serves as the application for most
financial aid, from federal and state programs to aid offered by
colleges and universities.
In order to complete the FAFSA, you will need to create an FSA ID,
a username and password combination that allows you to sign your
FAFSA electronically. Your FSA ID also can be used to sign loan
contracts and to access certain information online. |
Tips for FSA ID
Application Completion |
Enter to win a laptop for
school. September 29th:
Tell us how you narrowed down your college choices. Email CollegeIncolorado@dhe.state.co.us
with "Week 1 prize" in the subject line. |
CAM Website Prize page
|
| Once your FSA ID has been
created, start gathering the documents needed to apply, such as
Social Security, parent's Social Security, Federal tax information,
etc. |
FAFSA on the Web
Worksheet |
| When you have all your
documents ready, fill out and submit your FAFSA. Once
submitted, FAFSA information is shared with the colleges and/or
career schools you list on the application. The financial aid
office at the school uses your information to figure out how much
federal student aid you may receive at that school. |
File the FAFSA |
Update your scholarship
profile and get your matching scholarships.
Select at least ten Scholarships and look at the deadlines and
requirements you need in order to apply. Start applying as soon as
possible. |
Find a
Scholarship |
| Get some guidance on how to
request letters of recommendation. |
How to Info on letters of recommendation |
Read How to Request
 Letters of
Recommendation and look at samples. |
|
| Use the Checklist to
prepare your
request. |
|
| Complete the "All About Me" worksheet . |
|
| Enter to win a tablet. October
6th: Tell us about the scholarships opportunities that you
found. Email CollegeIncolorado@dhe.state.co.us
with "Week 2 prize" in the subject line. |
CAM Website Prize page
|
| Distribute your letter of
recommendation requests including a stamped,
college-addressed envelope (or provide send to information) for
each. Make sure your portions of the forms are filled out
completely and that recommenders know by when they must send in the
recommendation. |
|
| Use the Resume Builder to
create or update your resume. |
Resume Builder |
| Complete Personal and
Educational Information of the Practice Application |
Practice Application |
| Complete the High School
Coursework section of the Practice Application |
Practice Application |
| Get some guidance on writing a
great essay or personal statement |
How to Info on essays and personal statements |
| Help on how to begin
. |
Essay Tips Step-by-Step
|
| Review the dos and don'ts of personal
essays . |
|
| Complete the Prepare First
checklist |
|
| Enter to win a tablet. October
13th: Send us your completed resume. Email CollegeIncolorado@dhe.state.co.us
with "Week 3 prize" in the subject line. |
CAM Website Prize page
|
| Complete Enrollment
Information on the Practice Application |
Practice Application |
| Talk with your parents about your
plans and work with them to complete the Tuition
Classification and Contact Information sections of the Practice
Application. |
Practice Application |
| Review the College Materials
Checklist for each of your colleges to ensure you
understand the focus or question to be addressed in your essay |
College Materials
Checklist |
Check out sample essays  . |
|
| Use the Get
Ready to Write worksheet |
|
| Write each essay or personal
statement to be included with application to each of your
colleges. Give your essays to others (teachers, parents,
and friends) for feedback. |
|
| Complete an application for
each of your colleges, using the materials you have
prepared during the month. Use each college's online
application. |
Online applications |
| Enter to win a laptop. October
20: Send us your best essay or personal statement. Email
CollegeIncolorado@dhe.state.co.us
with "Week 4 prize" in the subject line. |
CAM Website Prize page
|
| Finish and send your college
applications. |
|
| Complete and submit at least
one scholarship application. |
|
| Review the "I Applied. Now What?" worksheet. |
|
Make sure that your SAT scores
are sent to all of your colleges (you may send your scores
to more colleges even if you did not register them at the time you
took the test).
Register for December or January ACT, if necessary. |
SAT Scores |
| Create a thank you
note for the teachers, employers and others who helped you
with your applications. |
Thank you letter builder |
| Enter to win an Amazon Echo.
October 27th: Just tweet @CollegeInCo and tell us where you applied
using #IApplied. |
CAM Website Prize page
|
| Congratulations, you've worked
hard! If you are not quite done with all your
applications, complete them during the month of November. |
|
You can continue to submit college
admission applications.
Be sure to check them over thoroughly! Having someone else review
your application with you can help you catch any errors. |
|
| Work on your scholarship
applications, and mail according to deadlines. |
|
| Check with the financial aid
office of schools to which you are applying for specific
information on scholarships and costs for tuition, fees, room and
board, and any additional financial aid info they
require. |
|
Watch your mailbox if you
submitted an early decision application.
Early decision replies usually arrive between December 1st and
31st. If you do get an acceptance letter and decide to attend that
school, you should withdraw any other applications. |
|
| If you haven't already done so,
make sure your official test scores are being sent to the colleges
to which you are applying. |
|
| Schedule any remaining required
interviews. |
|
Start thinking about how you're
going to spend your summer. Summer is a great time to earn extra
money and gain work experience.
Ask your counselor about internships and start researching the
summer job market in your area. |
|
Check for other financial aid
options.
In order to be considered for financial aid, you will need to
submit a FAFSA, even if you have not yet been notified of your
acceptance to the college(s) to which you applied. |
|
If you don't already have a good
computer, investigate purchasing one for college.
You or your parents can subsidize the cost of a computer for
college in your student loans. |
|
| Request that your high school send
your official transcripts to the colleges to which you are
applying. |
|
| Contact the admissions office of
the colleges to which you have applied to make sure that your
information has been received, and that they have everything they
need from you. |
|
| Complete your scholarship
applications. |
|
| Contact the financial aid office
of the colleges to which you have applied to make sure your
information has been received, and that they have everything they
need from you. |
|
| You will probably hear from the
colleges as to whether or not you are accepted by April
15. Use the Award Letter Comparison Tool to help you
analyze your reward letters. |
Award Letter Comparison
Tool |
Compare your acceptance letters,
financial aid and scholarship offers.
These are all important things to consider when choosing a
college. |
How to Select a College or University |
| Use the SLOPE (Student Loans Over
Projected Earnings) calculator to determine the interest and
monthly payments for your student loans based on your potential
career choice. |
SLOPE Calculator |
When you choose a college that has
accepted you, you will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit
for freshman tuition.
This should ensure your place in the entering freshman class. |
|
| Take AP exams for any AP subjects
you studied in high school. |
|
Decision time!
You should decide on a college by May 1. Notify that school by
mailing your commitment deposit check. Many schools require that
your notification letter be postmarked by this date. |
How to Select a College or University |
| If you were placed on a waiting
list for a particular college and have decided to wait for an
opening, contact that college and let them know you are still very
interested. |
|
| Have your school send your final
transcripts to the college you will be attending. |
|
| Contact your college to determine
when fees for tuition, room and board are due, and how much they
will cost. |
|
| Prepare for college and living on
your own by understanding how to manage your money. Complete the
online Money 101 courses. |
Money
101 |
| Participate in any summer
orientation programs for incoming freshmen. |
Find Your School |
| Now that you know you will be
attending college in the fall, it is a good idea to make sure you
have student health insurance in case of any
emergencies. |
|