AUGUST

• Think about what you want to do after graduation. Do you plan to get a full-time job, join the military, or enter an educational program at a technical school, two or four-year college? If further education is one of your options, consider which type of college or technical school is right for you (two or four-year, large or small, public or private, near home or far away).
• Visit schools and narrow down your choices. Visit schools’ websites for information on course catalogs, admission applications, housing, and financial aid.
• If your ACT and/or SAT scores need improving, register to take the exam again. If you have not taken any admissions tests, register online now!

 

SEPTEMBER

• Make a list of five to ten schools you like the most.
• Take a college tour. You have two days allotted during your senior year for college visits.
• Revise and update your school list based on visits.
• Complete applications well before stated deadlines. Be sure to complete a written request (in the counseling office) for an official transcript to be sent to each school where you apply.
• Many schools have limited housing so apply early. Each school has its own application.
• Keep copies of all forms you send.
• Start contacting people to write letters of recommendation. Be sure to contact anyone writing a recommendation letter at least two weeks prior to the date the letter is needed. Allow a few extra days for mailing.
• Read the GHS counselor webpage for information concerning college visit days, career information and scholarships.
• Get information on scholarship requirements for the schools that interest you.
• Begin working on your resume.
• Research careers and determine what type of training or education you need to qualify for careers that interest you.
• Talk with recruiters from all branches of the military so you can compare the programs they offer. If you are interested in an ROTC scholarship, get the application and begin working on it.

 

OCTOBER

• As early as October 1, complete and submit the FAFSA at fafsa.ed.gov. You will use your parents’ 2016 tax information to apply for any state and federal grants or supplemental loans.
• Complete the request for your FSA ID in order to electronically sign your FAFSA.
• Set up campus visits at the top three or four schools of your choice. Be sure to meet with departmental advisors, students, and financial aid officers and complete interviews.
• Continue to complete applications. Don’t forget to request a transcript!
• Watch the GHS counselor web site for available scholarships.
• Complete any additional scholarship requirements necessary for each particular school or organization.
• ROTC scholarship forms must be filled out and the required recommendation forms must be distributed to the appropriate people.
• Narrow down the type of job you are interested in and continue to work on your resume.

 

NOVEMBER

• Complete your admission testing (SAT/ACT) and college applications. Be sure that all necessary documents have been received by the school’s admissions office prior to the stated deadline. Allow time for mailing!
• Continue to obtain, complete and send scholarship applications.
• Now that you have met with the military recruiters and compared their programs, choose which one or two best fit your needs. See these recruiters again and get very specific when asking them questions.
• Complete and submit your ROTC scholarship application(s).
• Watch out for admissions and scholarship deadlines! Some are as early as December 1st.

 

DECEMBER

• Check on the status of your application for admission.
• Keep in touch with your military recruiter.

 

JANUARY

• Continue the scholarship application process. Be sure you meet all deadlines.

 

FEBRUARY

• Request seven semester transcripts to be sent to the schools to which you have applied.
• If you are enrolled in AP classes, register for your AP exams.
• Check with your school counselor about local scholarships. These will be listed in a special section on the GHS counselor web site. The local scholarships offered vary widely. Not all are based on financial need or academic excellence. There are several for students planning to attend a technical school and many are available to students entering a two-year school.

 

MARCH

• Review acceptance letters and financial award packages. Make your final decision on the school you want to attend and submit your deposit.
• Notify other schools that you will not attend.
• Complete local scholarship applications and return to the counseling office before the stated deadline.
• Keep in touch with military representatives concerning the status of your ROTC application.
• Keep working in all your classes. Slacking off could keep you from graduating! Pay close attention to your attendance as well.

 

APRIL

• Watch for replies regarding scholarships, awards, and other sources of financial aid for which you have applied.
• If you have not already done so, reply to the school you have decided to attend. Let the other institutions that have accepted you know that you will not be attending.
• Be sure you are keeping your grades up and watching your attendance.

 

MAY

• Write thank you notes for scholarships and awards received.
• Be sure to provide your scholarship donor(s) with your contact information and the name and address of the school you will attend.
• Stay current on all graduation information and procedures.
• Apply for that full-time job or a summer job if you need only temporary employment.
• Complete a request for your final transcript to be sent to the school you will be attending.
• Keep working in your classes until the last test is completed.
• HAPPY GRADUATION!

 

Fall Semester

• Maintaining your grades during your junior year is especially important.
• Talk to your guidance counselor about the following:
• Obtain schedules for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP exams
• Discuss why you should take these exams and how they could benefit you.
• Determine which exams you will take.
• Sign up and prepare for the exams you've decided to take.
• Ask for a preview of your academic record and profile, determine what gaps or weaknesses there are, and get suggestions on how to strengthen your candidacy for the schools in which you are interested.
• Determine what it takes to gain admission to the college(s) of your choice, in addition to GPA and test score requirements.

August:

• Obtain schedules and forms for the SAT, ACT, and PSAT exams.

 

September:

• Register for the PSAT exam offered in October. Remember that when you take the PSAT in your junior year, the scores will count toward the National Merit Scholarship Program (and it is good practice for the SAT).

 

October:

• Take the PSAT. Narrow your list of colleges to include a few colleges with requirements at your current GPA, a few with requirements above your current GPA, and at least one with requirements below your GPA.  Start researching your financial aid options as well.
• Begin scheduling interviews with admissions counselors. If possible, schedule tours of the school grounds on the same days.  You are allowed two days during your junior year and two days during your senior year to use toward college visits.  These are excused absences and they will not count against exam exemptions.  Come by the Counseling Office for the College/Military Visit form.

December:

• Review your PSAT results with your counselor in order to identify your strengths and to determine the areas that you may need to improve upon.
• Depending on the results of your PSAT, you may want to consider signing up for an SAT or ACT preparatory course. See your counselor for more information.

 

Spring Semester

 

January:

• Take campus tours online or in person to further narrow your list of colleges to match your personality, GPA, and test scores.
• Sign up for your senior year classes.  Remember to choose your classes carefully and wisely.  Choose the classes that will most benefit you academically, and that will best prepare you for college.
• Attend the College and Career Fair to find out more information about area colleges and the military.

February:

• Register for the April ACT and/or the May SAT tests. Find out each college’s deadlines for applying for admission and which tests to take. Make sure your test dates give colleges ample time to receive test scores. It is a good idea to take the SAT and/or ACT in the spring to allow you time to review your results and retake the exams in the fall of your senior year, if necessary.
• If you are taking any AP classes, you should sign up for the exam(s) at this time.  Scoring well on the AP exam can sometimes earn you college credit.

March:

• Register to take the April ACT and May SAT.

April:

• Take the April ACT test.
• Discuss post high school plans with parents/guardians.
• Gather information about careers and training.
• Gather information from school’s web sites (four yearcolleges usually end in .edu; i.e. www.utexas.edu or www.tamu.edu, or use links to Texas schools at www.collegeforalltexans.com). Research course catalogs, descriptive material, and/or financial aid information from post-secondary schools.
• Identify the characteristics of a college that matter to you – size, location, cost, academic rigor, social environment, and diversity, for example. Go online to specific colleges' websites to learn more information.

 

• Work up a list of schools to visit during the summer (or in the fall) with your parents. It's best to plan to be on campus while schools are in session if you can, so that you can visit classes and talk to students and professors. Remember that you get two college days to use during both your junior and senior years (four days total).

May:

• Take AP and/or SAT exams.
• Register to take the TSI test if you are taking dual credit classes next year as a senior.  You must fulfill the TSI requirement before you enroll in college courses unless you are exempt by your SAT or ACT scores.  The exemption policy is posted in the Counseling Office. You must provide proof of TSI scores or exemption by August 1st or you will be removed from the dual credit class.
• NCAA Registration is required to participate in Division I or Division II college athletics. Register at www.eligibilitycenter.org.
• Double-check your pre-registration senior schedule to see that you are taking the courses recommended for your college admission and NCAA requirements.

 

Summer Between Junior and Senior Years

• Take the SAT and/or ACT tests, if you haven’t already.
• Look for chances to talk to college students who are home for the summer about the schools that they attend.
• Compile a résumé of activities, honors, leadership positions, and job experience. You'll need this information for college applications and scholarship forms.
• Counselors advise entering your senior year with three or four schools in mind that are likely to accept you and one or two for which you might be "possibly eligible." Make a calendar of deadlines.
• Visit colleges. Call ahead for appointments with the financial aid, admissions, and academic advisors at the college(s) in which you are most interested. During your visits, talk to professors, sit in on classes, spend a night in the dorms, and speak to students about the college(s). Doing these things will allow you to gather the most information about the college and the atmosphere in which you would be living, should you choose to attend. Some colleges have preview programs that allow you to do all of these; find out which of the schools that you will be visiting offer these programs and take advantage of them.
• Access the Apply Texas Application at www.applytexas.org or download applications from colleges’ websites.  Begin filling out your applications before your busy senior year begins.  Spend extra time on the essays that are required on some applications. Be ready to apply to colleges beginning August 1, 2018. Applications should be completed by approximately December 1, 2018.
• Begin a scholarship search by filling out your student profile on one or more of these scholarship search engines: www.fastweb.com, www.scholarships.com, www.wiredscholar.com, www.collegeboard.com. These are secure web sites and there is no fee for their service.
• Continue to read extensively and work on your writing skills.
• Try to find a job that will give you experience in a field that interests you and that will sharpen your leadership skills as well as add to your savings account.

Talk honestly with your parents about how you will finance your college costs and how much they expect you to supply.