When you are a high school
JUNIOR:
- Take the SAT and/or
ACT...this is a must.
- Keep your grades up!
Remember that colleges look at your entire high school academic record
when making admissions decisions: what you do in 9th through 11th grade
is just as important as what you do as a high school senior.
- Consider college options.
Decide what is important to you: Location? Curriculum? Size? Diversity?
Athletics? Social life?
- Keep an eye on your
local papers and community bulletin boards for college nights and open
houses; talking to representatives at college fairs is a great way to
find out about the colleges you are considering.
- Research your scholarship
and grant options. Utilize the best online scholarship search service
available on the Internet. You just can't mimic their resources yourself;
they will save you time and headaches, and help you avoid scams.
- Send away for scholarship
information and applications with early deadlines. It's never too soon
to do so since some scholarship and grant applications need to be received
in the fall of your senior year.
- Make an effort to be
involved in your community or in extra-curricular activities at school.
- Join a club, do a service
project, sign up for a committee at your church. Admissions officers
and scholarship providers will want to see evidence of your leadership
and commitment to service when they review your applications next year.
In the FALL of your SENIOR
year:
- Select the colleges
that interest you most, as soon as you enter your high school homeroom.
Don't delay. Send away for information and applications; be sure to
check out web sites for information you can obtain online.
- Sign up to re-take the
SAT or ACT. Buy a study guide or sign up for a test prep course to take
before the actual test date. Believe it or not, you CAN improve your
test scores by taking them a second time, and better scores could affect
your ability to get scholarships!
- If possible, visit any
colleges you can. Find out when there are prospective student activities
or if you can sign up to "shadow" an existing college freshman.
- In September (and then
once each month thereafter), search for scholarship opportunities using
a scholarship online service. Take time to fill out the entire profile
on the site, making sure to ask your parents about their work experiences
and association/union memberships for optimal results.
- Pay attention to early
admission deadlines. By October or November, submit applications for
early decision programs.
- Attend a financial aid
presentation. These are offered at schools, libraries, and college campuses.
- Narrow your list of
intended colleges, and make sure you have all the financial aid forms
required by each school. Required documents may not be the same at each
school, so pay close attention to what each requires.
- Obtain a Free Application
for Student Aid (FAFSA). This should be available in January, and it
is very important. Call 1-800-4-fed-aid; the online address is www.fafsa.ed.gov.
The FAFSA form can also be obtained from high schools, colleges, and
local libraries.
- Complete and submit
the FAFSA immediately (it can be submitted anytime after January 1st
in your senior year). Make a copy for yourself. Parents should compile
income tax information and complete taxes early.
In the SPRING of your
SENIOR year:
- Verify that you have
submitted all of your financial aid forms. The FAFSA must be filled
out and sent in between January 1 and March 15 -- get it in early and
file it correctly to avoid delays in funding decisions.
- Be sure to send in your
scholarship applications on time; several scholarships have spring deadlines.
Check back regularly with your online scholarship service to find even
more awards during the spring and summer months; you should update your
profile each month to generate new, customized award lists.
- Verify that you have
received your Student Aid Report (SAR); it should arrive about 4 weeks
after you have submitted your FAFSA.
- Compare financial aid
packages when you receive admissions notifications. Look for the best
rather than the most.
- Finalize your choice
and notify the college.
- Sign and return financial
aid forms to the university you plan to attend.
- Send your final transcript
and student loan application.
- Notify the schools whose
enrollment offers you decline.
Now celebrate! You are
about to enter one of the most amazing times of your life, and one that
will change you forever. Make the most of your college experience, and
remember to study. It is important to maintain your GPA so that you can
maintain your scholarships throughout your college career.
Scholarship Experts is
an Internet service that instantly provides accurate and tailored scholarship
search results without compromising the privacy of students and parents.
For additional information about this topic, visit www.ScholarshipExperts.com.
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