• Senior Year Calendar

     
    June-August

    Your senior year actually starts now! Summer is the perfect time to visit colleges, vocational schools and apprenticeship programs with family and friends. Take time to think about what you want to do after high school and discuss it with family and friends! If you are not satisfied with your ACT scores then this is the time to take an ACT preparation course or just study on your own prior to fall test dates. 

    How does your resume look? Have you started your list of extracurricular activities? Who will write you recommendation letters? 
     
    September
    _______ Are you in the correct classes to fulfill your graduation requirements? Are you taking classes that will best prepare you for your next steps?
     
    _______ Are you interested in college athletics? You need to register with NCAA 
     
    _______ Update/Complete resume, extracurricular activity list, scholarship essay, and request recommendation letters 
     

    _______ Begin searching for free money (scholarships and grants). Do scholarship searches on line and complete applications as needed.

                Ex:   https://myscholly.com/ 

    _______ Watch for scholarships made available through the counseling office via emails, posters, classroom announcements

    Check out the scholarship poster board, review the scholarships online, do a scholarship search and ask the counselor for a list of upcoming scholarship

    ______ Create an account with ACT, Call customer service with ACT and link your state scores to your account to share with schools.

    _______ Register for and take the ACT or SAT if not completed in 11th grade or student wishes to improve score of previously taken test. Ask if you are eligible for fee waivers.

                ACT:  www.actstudent.org

                SAT:  www.collegeboard.com 

    ________Discuss your classes, college plans, and test scores with your high school counselor, teachers, and guardians. 

    ________Arrange campus visits to colleges, apprenticeships, businesses, and vocational schools

    ________Attend College Fair (Mid - September)

    ________STAY ORGANIZED: File copies of applications and correspondence. Keep your calendar up-to-date tracking important dates and deadlines. Track logins and passwords. Start a binder just for planning and keeping records!

    _______ Create FSA ID

     

    October

    _______ Attend FAFSA night at the school with your parents

    ________You can start applying to schools; discuss benefits of waiting until MT College Application Week in November

    _______ Verify that your transcripts are accurate - Always be checking your transcript and its accuracy

    _______  Have you asked for letters of recommendation? Ask three mentors, coaches, employers, teachers, etc for a letter; Give them a copy of your resume to help them write a good letter for you!

    _______  Candidates for early school admissions should complete college applications. You may also want to investigate the pros and cons and get a feel for what kind of timeline you may have to meet to apply early.

    _______ Contact the selected college or university for any special financial aid, scholarship and application instructions if you plan to participate in a school’s early decision program.

     

    November

    ________ MT College Application Week - Free or Waived admission fees

    ________ Deadline for early admittance decision is often November 1st or 15th

    ________ Parents you may want to check with your accountant about how best to finance your child's education. FAFSA is based on this year's tax information but is filled out after January 1st and best before February 15th to give your child the best opportunity for specific funds. 

    ________ Continue to watch monthly scholarship deadlines and complete all that apply to you

     

    December

    _______ Complete school applications ideally by December 1st and FAFSA

    _______ Attend the financial aid workshop sponsored by the school with your parents

    _______ Look carefully at all the forms required by the selected schools and the application deadlines. You should have received specific information from the selected colleges. Be sure to submit applications before due dates. Pay attention to your emails and read each one carefully.

    _______ STAY ORGANIZED: Remember to keep copies of applications and correspondence. Continue to track important dates and deadlines on your calendar.

     

     

    January

    _______ Check your graduation progress after semester ends - MSU Scholarships require 7th semester transcript

    _______ If you are applying for the Montana University Systems Honor Scholarship have the completed packet to the HS counselor by February 15th. 
    _______ Check with the financial aid office about scholarship programs unique to each institution.
     

     

    February-March

    _______ Carefully check financial aid letters received from colleges and make financial decision

    _______ Attend college visit days at college campuses to help you become informed and familiar with the post-secondary school you are interested in attending

    ______ If  you plan to live on campus at any school of your choice now is the time to find the dorm application, usually online, and submit it. Normally there is a fee, so you will want to discuss and plan this with your guardians. 
     
    ______ Advanced Placement Exam options; see Ms. Robbins and sign up 

     

    April

    _______ Make a decision with your the financial aid packet you received; complete the online loan counseling through FAFSA and sign any required documents before the deadlines!

    _______  Evaluate student loan lenders and take time to understand student loans.

    ______  Notify the other colleges that you won’t be attending

    _______  Carefully follow the directions in your acceptance letter. Along with important deadlines, these letters provide specific instructions on housing, financial aid, orientation, and more.

    _______  Continue to mark your calendar with important deadlines.

     

    May

    _______ Ms. Robbins will mail transcripts to your post-secondary school of choice

    _______ You will receive your immunization records and extra transcripts; do not lose these 

    _______ Register for freshman orientation at your college of choice

    _______ Respond quickly to requests and return necessary forms – when in doubt contact the financial aid office.

    _______  Notify your financial aid office of any additional funding you’ll be receiving to pay for college (scholarships and loans, etc.) that will be sent directly to the school

    ______ Write thank you's to all scholarship committees that awarded you financial support

    ______ Keep a copy of all scholarships you received so you know when and how you are to receive the financial support; this should be kept in your binder started in September

     

    Summer

    _______  Attend Orientation. This may not be mandatory, but is extremely important to attend if possible. Attending orientation often allows you to register for classes earlier, meet with an academic advisor, learn where all the student service centers and important buildings are, and meet other students in your classes.

    _______  Complete any college financial aid info received. If you have questions, ask.

    _______  Finalize your budget

    _______  Still need money for college?  Remember every dollar you don’t borrow is a dollar you don’t have to repay. Learn how to borrow responsibly.  Borrow only what you absolutely need to cover the cost of your education. Why? When it’s time to repay, you’ll have other financial obligations – like rent, car payments, and other living expenses.

    _______  Send thank you notes to individuals who have helped you in any way.

     

    Financial Aid

    Scholarships. Apply to the Financial Aid Office at the selected college or university. Each institution has a variety of scholarships that are granted annually. 

    Military Scholarships. 1, 2, 3, and 4-year scholarships are available. These vary depending on the length and type of scholarship.

    Locally Sponsored Scholarships. See Ms. Robbins and the website for scholarship options.

    Student Loans. Various loans including Stafford and Perkins are available. Generally, repayment, including interest, begins after a student graduates or leaves school.

    Parent Loans. Repayment, including interest, begins within 60 days of the day the loan is disbursed. Loan applications are obtained from the college financial aid officer or from a participating lender.

    Grants. Pell Education Opportunity Grants may be awarded in the financial aid award if need is shown.

    Work Study. College work-study is often included as part of the financial award.