Senior Year
1. Take Campus Visits
- Seniors may take 3
- See your counselor for a college visit pass or download from website
- Give the pass to attendance before going and bring back proof
- No visits during count weeks
- Don’t just go – make an appointment! When visiting:
- Make sure your parents go with you
- Talk with someone in admissions – be prepared with questions
- Talk with someone in financial aid and find out what is available
- Talk with students and faculty
- Sit in on a class
- Take a campus tour
- Stay overnight, if possible
- Check-out the dorms, library, student activity center, etc.
- Have a meal on campus
- Find out about campus activities, sports and organizations
2. Attend College Informational Sessions at PHS
- Check list posted in senior English classrooms, on the PHS web page, or in the Guidance Office
- Get a pass from your counselor prior to coming to a session. Give the pass to your teacher
- Sessions will either be in the CPA or in the large conference room (in the hallway between the guidance office and the main office) – listen to announcements!
- Juniors and seniors are allowed to attend 5 sessions
3. Apply to College
- Narrow your list to 5-6 colleges. Make sure you have 1 "safe" school.
- Check with the college’s admissions office or visit their website for information on what you need to do to apply. Print this off to help you check off what you have completed.
- Colleges prefer online applications. Some paper applications are available in the bottom two drawers of the black filing cabinet. If you are on free and reduced lunch, you are able to waive the application fee. See your counselor.
- For some colleges, you have to complete the Common Application. Under school forms, you must type in the counselor name and email address. The counselor will have to write a letter of recommendation. See your counselor when you complete the Common Application and give at least a two-week notice.
- Meet Application Deadlines. The counseling department suggests filling out applications for each college by Thanksgiving, no later than Christmas. If you have a first-choice college, consider applying early decision (a binding commitment to enroll if accepted) by November 1 or early action (gives students the benefit of an early yes or no without the commitment to attend) by December 1. When applying, you also want to be aware of scholarship deadlines. Have your materials in by that date, so you can be eligible for the school-specific scholarships.
- Some colleges/scholarships require letters of recommendation. If they do, choose adults who know you well, such as teachers, coaches, or employers. You will want to ask them to write about your talents and abilities, both academic and otherwise. Include a pre-addressed, stamped envelope so the writer can return the recommendation letter on time. Give them at least a two-week notice.
- After you complete your application, complete a transcript request form and provide your counselor with $1. Turn in request no later than one week before the deadline.
- Contact the college to make sure they have received all of your application materials. Some colleges allow you to check your status online.
4. Retake ACT/
- Our school code is 364-190
- Packets are in the guidance office or you can apply online.
- ACT = www.actstudent.org
- SAT = www.collegeboard.com
- If you are on Free/Reduced Lunch, you can have your fees waived. See your counselor.
- Make sure you send your test to four colleges. Otherwise, you have to pay a fee to have them sent.
- Study before taking the ACT/
SAT using online resources, software, and/or study guide books. Edison also offers an ACT prep class. - What scores are colleges looking for:
- Highly Selective (top 10% of class) – ACT = 27-36 /
SAT = 1220-1600 - Selective (top 25% of class) – ACT = 22-27 /
SAT = 1150-1230 - Traditional (top 50% of class) – ACT = 20-23 /
SAT = 950-1070 - Liberal (many accepted from lower half of class) – ACT = 18-21 /
SAT = 870-990 - Open (all accepted to limit of capacity) – ACT = 17-20 /
SAT = 830-950
- Highly Selective (top 10% of class) – ACT = 27-36 /
5. Attend the Financial Aid Meeting
- During parent teacher conferences in November from 6:00-7:00 in the CPA.
6. Search and Apply for Scholarships
- Scholarships are free money, so apply for as many as you can!
- Check the English classrooms, counseling department, and the high school website for the latest scholarship listings.
- Paper applications are located in the top drawer of the black filing cabinet in the guidance department.
- Search the Internet.
- Contact college financial aid offices for school-specific scholarships. Watch their deadlines.
- Search and make copies from scholarship books in the counseling office.
- BEWARE of Scams. You do not have to pay to find money.
7. Apply to the NCAA Clearinghouse
- It is your responsibility to register with the Clearinghouse if you plan to play Division I or II sports in college.
- Print out the two release forms that need to be returned to the NCAA. Sign and give both to your counselor with a transcript request and $2.
- When you take the ACT, have your scores sent directly to the Clearinghouse by filling in their code under the colleges/scholarship box. Their code is 9999.
8. Periodically Check Guidance Bulletin Boards
- The bulletin boards will contain ACT information.
Colleges visit days, college info, scholarships, and college fairs.
9. Complete the FAFSA
- Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) www.fafsa.ed.gov as soon as possible after January 1.
- The FAFSA is the federal form the U.S. Department of Ed. uses to determine how much federal student aid you qualify for.
- The FAFSA worksheet that is on the website will help you complete the form online.
- Even if your parents "make too much money", completing the FAFSA gives you the opportunity to borrow federal loans, which may be at a reduced interest rate than private loans.
- Apply for FAFSA Pin.
- The
PIN is the code that the U. S. Department of Education uses to identify you online. If you are completing the FAFSA by paper, you do not need to request a pin. Online applications are preferred. - Visit www.pin.ed.gov
- Students and parents should each receive their own PINs.
- Click on "Apply for
PIN" on the right hand side of the page.
- Men 18 or older must register for the selective service to receive federal financial aid.
- The following are resources for helping you complete the FAFSA.
- Edison
Community College will offer College Goal Sunday in February. Take your forms with you and they will help you complete the FAFSA. - UVJVS is also offering Scholarshop. See your counselor for details.
- You can call 1-800-4 Fed Aid or 1-877-I Attain
- Additional Financial Aid information can also be found at www.finaid.org
10. Review your Student Aid Report (SAR)
- After you complete your FAFSA, you will receive your SAR. This will tell you your expected family contribution (
EFC). This is how much the federal government says your parents should contribute to your schooling. However, you will not know how much you will have to pay until you receive your award letter from your college. - If you provided an email address, you should receive your SAR within a week of submitting the FAFSA by email. By mail, it will take a few weeks.
- Check the information and make sure it is correct. Submit any changes.
- Copies of your SAR will also be sent to up to six colleges of your choice.
11. Compare Financial Aid Award Letters
- If you applied for financial aid and completed all of the steps, you will receive award letters from the colleges that accepted you. Your award letter shows how much financial aid is offered to you.
- The awards may be in the form of grants, loans, work-study, and/or scholarships. You do not have to accept all or any of your awards.
12. Pick Your College
- You should receive acceptance letters by mid-April.
- Accept your college’s admission and financial aid offers by the deadlines noted. Send deposits and sign all paperwork.
- Contact and decline the award offers from the colleges you do not plan to attend.
13. Request Final Transcripts
- Final transcripts must be sent to your college and to the NCAA Clearinghouse. Complete a transcript release form and provide your counselor with a $1.
