Mr. High School Counselor

Some Things for Seniors to Think About

September 19, 2007

It’s been quite a while since I’ve updated this page. Sorry if you’ve been waiting… 

Summer is over and school is well under way, which means there are lots of things for college bound students to do. My next few posts will list some of these by class.
Seniors
College Admissions Testing – If you haven’t taken the ACT or SAT yet, you need to sign up for the next available test. You should take the test BEFORE December to ensure that your scores get to colleges as soon as possible.

• ACT – www.actstudent.org
• SAT – www.collegeboard.com

Visit Colleges – If the colleges you are considering are within a few hours’ drive of your home, take a roadtrip sometime soon. My students will have a couple of days off in early October that will be perfect for traveling from Tacoma to any of the colleges in the Northwest. Many colleges have weekend visit programs in September and October; others host them throughout the year. Look at college admissions sites for their visit links. Here are links to several examples of college visit pages in Washington state:

• Washington State University
• St. Martin’s University
• University of Puget Sound
• Western Washington University

Applications – When you look at college websites look for information about the application process. Here are some things you need to know about each college:

• Deadlines – Know when you have to finish your application. Don’t be late!
• Priority Dates – Priority dates are usually cutoff dates for merit based aid, i.e., tuition discounts awarded to students with higher grade point averages and test scores. At some colleges this money goes only students with very high gpa’s and scores. At others, nearly all students with gpa’s above 3.00 earn merit aid. Ask about merit aid when you visit colleges.
• Format – Nearly every college now has an online application. Some colleges use an application they developed themselves, others contract with outside organizations, and still others have joined with others in groups that use the exact same application. Just the same, most colleges still have a paper form you can either pick up at your school or from the college. Most also allow you to download their application from their website.
• Parts – All colleges ask for information about you and your high school course work. Many require at least one personal statement based on a question or writing prompt. Other colleges require a secondary school report and recommendations from teachers, your counselor, and perhaps from community members. If you need recommendations be certain to meet with your recommenders well ahead of your earliest deadline. I have a senior questionnaire I have my students complete before we meet to discuss their recommendations. I will post the senior questionnaire soon.

That’s all for now. I’m planning to post more in the next day or so. Please contact me or leave a comment if you have any questions or concerns about this post.

Entry Filed under: College Prep. .