Senior Fall Checklist!

Senior Fall Post-Secondary Planning Checklist!

September

Identify 3-5 post-secondary education options (college, trade school, apprenticeship, etc)

Identify 3-5 scholarship opportunities that YOU are eligible to receive.

Create your FSAID if you are eligible. Have a parent create one too if they are eligible!

Register for an SAT retake if needed. Talk to your school counselor. 

Mark your calendar for FAFSA Night/Day at your school. Let your parents know in advance!

Gather documents needed to complete FAFSA and/or other financial aid forms.

Ask questions! Yess.emily@gmail.com (720) 446 9688

October

Start your college/post-secondary applications. Keep in mind Colorado FREE App day on October 15^th!

Share your Personal Statement and/or Common Application Essay response(s) as google docs with yess.emily@gmail.com

Attend FAFSA Night/Day. Be sure to bring ALL needed documents!

Request AT LEAST 2 Letters of Recommendation.

Submit at least 1 college application and 1 scholarship application.

Ask questions! Yess.emily@gmail.com (720) 446 9688

November and December

Complete your COF (Colorado Opportunity Fund) application. If you have a social security number, be sure to enter it on this application!

Identify Institutional Scholarships at the colleges you are interested in attending. Note deadlines! Start these applications as soon as you are able to do so.  

Continue completing and submitting college and scholarship applications.

Prepare for your Semester 1 Exams!

Ask questions! Yess.emily@gmail.com (720) 446 9688

FAFSA and FSAID!

On Monday, October 1, many of you will be able to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid! You can start to prepare NOW! Check out the resources linked below for more info and instructions on how to create your FSAID. Make sure you save this information in a secure location. A parent or guardian will also need to create an FSAID in order for you to submit your FAFSA!

Here's the link for creating your FSAID. Follow the directions carefully. I'd recommend taking a screenshot of your Security Questions and Answers so that you never get locked out of your account. Remember, do NOT use your school email address! Your parent or guardian will also need to make an FSAID to sign your FAFSA application. Ideally, they need an email address to do this. We can always set one up for them if they don't have one! It is essential that your name, SSN, and date of birth are entered exactly as they appear on your Social Security card otherwise you will get an error. 
Let me know if you need help with either process or have any questions (especially about Social Security cards and numbers)!

Prepare NOW to complete your FAFSA as early as October 1st. Check out this 12th Grade Checklist to guide your preparation and keep you on track. If you are not in 12th grade, this page has links to other great resources for you.

If you are not eligible to complete the FAFSA, there are other sources of $$$ for college. Colleges have institutional scholarships as well as their own forms for determining financial aid. LMK if you need more info!

Senior Fall Checklist!

Hey Seniors! I know you have A LOT going on...SAT prep and testing, homecoming, sports, clubs, enjoying the last year of high school, work, AP/Honors classes, concurrent enrollment, etc, etc.

Don't forget your Post-Secondary Planning! Check out the checklist below to help guide your planning, application and access process. As always, let me know if you have ANY questions!

FALL OF SENIOR YEAR! 

• Finalize your College/Post-Secondary Program Application List! Be sure to include some schools that may be harder to get in to as well as at least one school to which you will for sure be admitted. This list can include colleges, apprenticeships, military and/or technical schools. These are all GREAT post-secondary options. 

APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS! 

• Prepare for and complete the FAFSA. Use the search tool in the blog to find LOTS of information regarding what documents you need, creating a FSAID and other info about the process. The application opens October 1!

APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS! 

• Stay focused on your grades and extracurricular activities. These remain important parts of your resume. Finish strong! 

APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS! 

• Keep track of deadlines! Consider using calendar reminders on your phone to alert you well ahead of deadlines (so you take time to work on applications) as well as the day applications are due. 

APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS! 

• Meet with your School Counselor. They will need to know what schools/programs you are applying to so they can send Transcripts, Score Reports, and other application items. Be sure to give them access to the required forms WELL in advance. Be sure to THANK them for their help. 

APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS! 

• Continue researching scholarships, add them to your College Research Spreadsheet, and complete these applications! 

APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS! 

• Ask for Letters of Recommendation NOW! Be sure you are giving your teachers, counselors, etc enough time to write you an AWESOME letter. If you wrote one for yourself last year, you an share it with them along with your resume to help them out! 

APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS! 

• Complete your College/Post-Secondary Program applications as soon as possible. Even if a school has a deadline in the spring, aim to complete your application by Thanksgiving Break. Put yourself at the TOP of the pile! 

APPLY TO SCHOLARSHIPS! 

• ASK for help! If you have questions, ASK them! It's ok to not know everything about the post-secondary process. It's a whole new world. If something doesn't make sense, ASK! This is a good habit to get into as you'll have LOTS of questions once you get to college. ASKING for help is part of being an adult, trust me! 

Senior Year 1st Semester Checklist!

Hey Seniors! I know you have A LOT going on...SAT prep and testing, homecoming, sports, clubs, enjoying the last year of high school, work, AP/Honors classes, concurrent enrollment, etc, etc.

Don't forget your Post-Secondary Planning! Check out the checklist below to help guide your planning, application and access process. As always, let me know if you have ANY questions!

FALL OF SENIOR YEAR! 

• Finalize your College/Post-Secondary Program Application List! Be sure to include some schools that may be harder to get in to as well as at least one school to which you will for sure be admitted. This list can include colleges, apprenticeships, military and/or technical schools. These are all GREAT post-secondary options. 

• Prepare for and complete the FAFSA. Use the search tool in the blog to find LOTS of information regarding what documents you need, creating a FSAID and other info about the process. 

• Stay focused on your grades and extracurricular activities. These remain important parts of your resume. Finish strong! 

• Keep track of deadlines! Consider using calendar reminders on your phone to alert you well ahead of deadlines (so you take time to work on applications) as well as the day applications are due. 

• Meet with your School Counselor. They will need to know what schools/programs you are applying to so they can send Transcripts, Score Reports, and other application items. Be sure to give them access to the required forms WELL in advance. Be sure to THANK them for their help. 

• Continue researching scholarships, add them to your College Research Spreadsheet, and complete these applications! 

• Ask for Letters of Recommendation NOW! Be sure you are giving your teachers, counselors, etc enough time to write you an AWESOME letter. If you wrote one for yourself last year, you an share it with them along with your resume to help them out! 

• Complete your College/Post-Secondary Program applications as soon as possible. Even if a school has a deadline in the spring, aim to complete your application by Thanksgiving Break. Put yourself at the TOP of the pile! 

• ASK for help! If you have questions, ASK them! It's ok to not know everything about the post-secondary process. It's a whole new world. If something doesn't make sense, ASK! This is a good habit to get into as you'll have LOTS of questions once you get to college. ASKING for help is part of being an adult, trust me! 

FAFSA and your FSAID!

In a few short weeks, you'll be able to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid! You can start to prepare NOW! Check out the resources linked below for more info and instructions on how to create your FSAID. Make sure you save this information in a secure location. A parent or guardian will also need to create an FSAID in order for you to submit your FAFSA!

Here's the link for creating your FSAID. Follow the directions carefully. I'd recommend taking a screenshot of your Security Questions and Answers so that you never get locked out of your account. Remember, do NOT use your school email address! Your parent or guardian will also need to make an FSAID to sign your FAFSA application. Ideally, they need an email address to do this. We can always set one up for them if they don't have one! It is essential that your name, SSN, and date of birth are entered exactly as they appear on your Social Security card otherwise you will get an error. 
Let me know if you need help with either process or have any questions (especially about Social Security cards and numbers)!

Prepare NOW to complete your FAFSA as early as October 1st. Check out this 12th Grade Checklist to guide your preparation and keep you on track. If you are not in 12th grade, this page has links to other great resources for you.