Timetable and Specific Pre-College Planning Activities for Felicity-Franklin Students...
Freshman Year
1.
Develop strong
study skills;
2. Do well in school. Give your academic work your fullest attention (at
least two hours per night);
3. Get involved in one or several meaningful activities which are
not only fun but which will help you grow personally. Those who get involved are
typically more committed and energized about their entire school life;
4. Meet with the counselor occasionally through the year to
discuss school and life in general. Your counselor is there to be an adult you
can trust and to whom you can talk.
5. Begin the process of learning about various careers/jobs.
Ask the counselor to assist you with this;
6. You might want to begin thinking about the types of colleges and
universities in which you might have an interest. Your counselor will talk to
you about early preparation work for college.
Sophomore Year
1. You
can take the PSAT/NMSQT in October.
2. Meet with the counselor periodically throughout the year. Do not wait
to be called in for a meeting. Take the initiative. Your counselor wants to keep
in touch with you about anything that is important to you;
4. Plan to attend National College Fair at Convention Center
downtown in September/October (Felicity-Franklin advertises the date). More
than 200 colleges send reps to provide information. Get a lot of information at
one time and early in your high school career. Ask your parents to go with you,
too;
5. Get involved in activities, which are meaningful for you. Those who
get involved are typically more committed and energized about their entire
school life;
6. Do well in school. Give your academic work your fullest attention.
Ultimately, the colleges and scholarship programs will evaluate your performance
at Felicity-Franklin more than any other item in your background;
7. Begin to develop a rough draft of a "personal statement" or
self-description, a description of you, your interests, your commitments,
involvements, your ambitions, and your plans for the future. Also, begin to
rough out a listing or résumé of any activities, honors, awards, jobs, sports,
special talents, etc. The bottom line: you have got to communicate effectively
and powerfully about yourself to your prospective colleges and universities,
scholarship programs, etc. Never underestimate the power of a good-looking and
well-written personal statement;
8. Visit colleges and universities whenever possible. Getting to a
college campus, taking the official tour, etc., is the only way you will ever
really know if a certain college/university is right for you;
9. Continue to read about various careers/jobs. Your counselor can help
you with this. You can take the PLAN assessment. This is both a pre-ACT practice
test for college entrance and also an interest assessment that will provide you
with information about potential occupations that might be a good fit for you;
and,
10. Use the library resources to learn more about various potential
careers/jobs. Your counselor can help you with this.
Junior Year
** You can register to take the October PSAT/NMSQT: this one counts for the National Merit Semifinalist status; work for a Selection Index Score of 214+;
1.
Continue to work diligently and do well in school. Give
your academic work very serious attention. Remember that in the case of most
colleges, your admissions application will be judged primarily on the grades you
have earned during your first three years of high school (most seniors apply
during the first semester of senior year);
2. Attend some of the college information sessions when the official
college and university reps come to Felicity-Franklin from September to
November. Consult the counselor’s office for dates and times;
3. Get involved in meaningful activities. Extracurriculars at all levels
offer you many possibilities for personal growth;
4.Meet with the counselor on a regular basis. Take the initiative. Your
counselor wants to meet with you:
5. It is critical that you take the "best" course schedule in senior
year. Your counselor will automatically meet with you in February/March to plan
the scheduling of your senior courses;
6. If you think either the ROTC or the U.S. Service Academies are in your
future (and right for you), you need to start this process in the spring of your
Junior year. Notify your counselor who can help you with this procedure;
7.Plan to take the American College Test (ACT) in either April or
June. 8. Seek out a
maximum of three recommendations from some of your former and/or current
teachers, employers, etc.;
9. Visit colleges/universities whenever possible;
10. Write to colleges and universities asking them to send you admissions
material, financial aid and scholarship information, etc.; and,
11. Remember! All applications to any college or university or
scholarship program begin at the start of the senior year - NOT before.
The only exceptions are the admissions procedures to the ROTC scholarship
programs and the U.S. Service Academies.
Senior Year
1. Applications
should be sent out as soon as you and your counselor have thoroughly discussed
all of the implications of your specific applications for admission,
scholarships, etc. There is no magic moment as long as your applications meet
the minimum deadlines. The best rule of thumb for college applications is to
apply during October, November, or December - earlier is better than later;
2. Review your college plans with your counselor in August or September
of senior year;
3. Take and/or re-take SAT I, SAT II (Subject Matter) or ACT in October,
November or December, if necessary;
4. Visit colleges to which you are applying sometime during junior or
senior year (preferably while classes are in session); if at all possible, a
student should make a point to personally visit any college before he ultimately
enrolls there;
5. Perfect your personal statement or self-description and your
resume/list of activities, honors, etc.;
6. November 1 is application deadline for certain university programs,
"Early Decision" schools, etc.;
7. Some colleges require students who are applying for financial aid to
submit the CSS Profile in the fall. Check each specific college's
directions regarding financial aid application (s);
8. Make sure you and your counselor are in sync about when you and he/she
will be sending out your respective packets of the college application
materials; Remember: the counselor sends your transcript, secondary school
report, senior-year schedule, and recommendations;
9. Make sure you visit with college reps who come to Felicity-Franklin in
the fall (September - November);
10. Read carefully all of the handouts from the counseling department
about available scholarships, and other important college notices. Take these
handouts or announcements home for your parents to read;
11. January 1 - February 15: submit the FAFSA to appropriate agency; some
colleges also require filing the CSS Profile as well. Check each specific
college's directions regarding financial aid application (s);
12. February 10: deadline for sending "Mid-Year" or first semester grades
to those colleges, which request them. Continue to work hard and do well
during senior year. For some students, first semester grades can be
critical - admissions decisions can hinge on your first semester performance;
13. May 1: traditional reply date when you must notify your college that
you will be attending there the next fall; and,
Keep in Mind:
The
following seven elements go into most colleges' decisions to admit or not
admit a student. The more selective or competitive the college or university,
the more important the personal qualities and characteristics become. For the
top schools, ostensibly, everyone has good grades; the personal and/or
subjective factors take on increasing importance.
·
> grade
point average for six or seven semesters (three+ years);
> the quality and level of challenge of the courses taken;
> relative rank standing in senior class (six semesters);
> scores on SAT I, ACT, & if required, SAT II (Subject Matter tests);
> the quality of your high school;
> recommendations of college counselor, teachers, others;
> extracurriculars, personal achievements, jobs, athletics, etc.