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

Senior Fall!

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 tasks 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! 

Second Semester Senior!!!!

Hey Seniors, Congrats on making it through the FIRST semester of your Senior Year. 

ONE MORE TO GO! 

Here are some thoughts on making the most of your next few months of high school....

• Slow down! Take time to appreciate the people around you even the challenging ones! Think of all of the lessons you've learned and how you've changed over the last 4 years. 

• Stay FOCUSED! It's easy to get sidetracked. You are almost across that finish line...BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO FINISH. Your grades and attendance still matter.  

• Dream BIG! Imagine your dream future. Where will you live, what will you do and, most importantly, who will you choose to spend your time with especially your free time. Some people think we are the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with...Who are you?

• Apply for ALL the scholarships. Come on, you knew I was going to say that!!! :)

• Use a checklist like this one so you stay on top of your college admissions and financial aid requirements. Check that college email!!!! 

Please let me know if you have any questions as you continue on your Road to Success! 

Have fun out there! 

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! 

Class of 2018! Why go to college?

Hopefully you're thinking about your future...What's next for you after high school? In about 9 months, you'll be a High School Graduate. Time is going to FLY between now and then. Be sure to make time to PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE! Do your research and have conversations with the people who know you best (and some who don't!) about what your Future will look like. 

It's YOURS! 

Check out the content below from "The Common Application"

Maybe you're the first in your family to go to college. Maybe you're worried about the cost of tuition. Or maybe you're not a fan of homework and exams at the moment. If any of these ring true, you might be wondering, "Is college worth it?" In a word: YES. And here’s why:

College is the most valuable investment you can make in your future – both financially and personally. 

How Going To College Helps You Financially

Let's pretend that there are two versions of you: one with a high school diploma and one with a college degree. Can you guess which version will earn more money? 


Over the course of a lifetime, someone with a college degree will earn $1 million more than someone with a high school diploma.
 As for someone with a graduate degree? Their earning potential will be even higher. 


In the simplest of terms: higher education = greater financial stability. Money isn't everything, of course. But if you want to give yourself the best chance to earn a comfortable salary, a college degree is not optional; it's essential.

How Going To College Helps You Personally

Let's get back to those two versions of you: the one with a high school diploma and the one with a college degree. Can you guess which version will have a broader network of connections?

When you step outside of your comfort zone and onto a college campus, you enter a world filled with fresh faces, diverse backgrounds and various worldviews. In addition to sparking lifelong friendships, a college community broadens your horizons – fostering a period of self-discovery and personal growth.

College is about defying expectations, breaking the mold, and finding yourself. 

You have curiosity. EXPLORE IT.

Whatever intrigues you, college is your opportunity to pursue that interest at a deeper level.

• Enroll in classes and sign up for activities that excite you, without the structured limitations of your high school curriculum.
• Meet people from various backgrounds and cultures who have interests similar to and different from your own. They’ll introduce you to new interests you didn’t know you had.
• Become a part of an enriching campus community and ultimately realize that we live in a globally interconnected world – a concept that will spark your curiosity and stimulate your growth.

You have purpose. BECOME IT.

No matter how uncertain your future seems right now, college will show you that everyone has a role to play in our society, including you.

• Get exposed to a variety of professions and resources to help you discover the career path that matches your interests and motivates you to become the best version of yourself.
• Gain the skills and knowledge to become anything you want to be, while living independently and preparing for your future.
• Make a difference. Meet mentors and fellow student-leaders who compel you to contribute, inspire you to give back, and shape you into a stronger global citizen.

You have potential. EXCEED IT.

College is your key to increasing your economic mobility, unlocking your earnings potential, and shattering preconceived financial expectations.

Whether you dream of owning a home, traveling the world, or starting a family – your goals are attainable, but they require financial stability. Here's how your likelihood of achieving economic success improves with a college degree:

• A high school dropout can expect to earn $973,000 over a lifetime.
• Someone with a high school diploma can expect to earn $1.3 million over a lifetime.
• A worker with some college but no degree earns $1.5 million over a lifetime.
• An Associate’s degree-holder earns $1.7 million over a lifetime.
• A worker with a Bachelor’s degree will earn $2.3 million over a lifetime.
• Graduate degrees provide for even higher earnings. A Master’s degree-holder earns $2.7 million over a lifetime, a Doctoral degree-holder earns $3.3 million over a lifetime, and a Professional degree-holder earns $3.6 million over a lifetime.

Remember: An investment in college is an investment in yourself. 

Hey, Juniors! Are you ready to STAND OUT as a college applicant?!

Now that you are ALMOST Seniors, it's time to make a college application prep plan for your SUMMER! Remember our conversations with your current Senior classmates...They expressed wishing they'd done some prep work for Senior fall during the summer after their Junior Year. It really is a part-time job. Consider spending a few hours a week on your college research and preparation.

Here are some ideas of what to work on! 

1) Complete a Letter of Recommendation for yourself! Highlight skills and activities that truly reflect your abilities and interests. Your teachers/counselors will be SO impressed with your extra effort when you ask for Letters of Recommendation for college and scholarship applications. Share your Letter with them to help them out.  Here are some tips on how to ask for a Letter of Recommendation when the time comes!

2) Create or update your resume! Summer can be a great time to add some volunteer work in addition to your paid summer job. Just a few hours a week goes a long way! 

3) Put in a few hours a week looking for MORE scholarships to add to your College Research Spreadsheet! Add deadlines to your calendars with reminders in advance of these due dates!

4) Complete at least 2 essays for the Common Application Essay Prompts. Remember, even if you are NOT using the Common App, these essay questions will be applicable to other application questions for schools and scholarships. Be sure to save them in your google drive with clear file names. Share them with yess.emily@gmail.com if you want feedback!

5) If you are not happy with your SAT score, there are plenty of resources that will allow you to improve your skills. Don't forget to sign up for the SAT in the fall if you choose to retake it!


(If you haven't started your College Research Spreadsheet, here's the link again! Be sure to follow the directions for COPYING and saving as your own file.)

As always, let me know if you have any questions! 

It's Essay Time!

Hey, Juniors! You've done an amazing job so far of working on your YESS College Research sheets. They are filling up with great info about post-secondary programs you are interested in and ALL of the scholarships you are eligible to receive. Well done! 

Now it's time to take the NEXT STEP! The majority of college and scholarship applications require an essay or two. We'll start on those NOW so that you go into your Senior Year with a solid groundwork! Sure, you'll have to edit and update these essays. But you'll have a step ahead when you walk in for your Senior Year in 5 short months! 

A great place to start is with the Common Application Essay Prompts. Review the questions below. We'll work on answers to each of these prompts. Trust me, these will ALL be valuable to you next year as you apply for various programs and scholarships!

Once you've read over the prompts below, please email me and let me know which one you will BEGIN working on this week! Check out this post for some tips!

2017-2018 Common Application Essay Prompts

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.