| | High School Timeline
Freshman Year
FALL
- Get involved! Join clubs, sports, and school & community activities, volunteer.
- Colleges think highly of continuous student involvement.
- Get to know your counselor and teachers. Begin thinking about which high school classes will prepare you for college. Take interests and skills assessments to help you think about possible career options
- Practice setting and reaching goals. Ask for help to develop and learn good study habits.
- Take the EXPLORE Exam on HFCHS All School Testing Day.
SPRING
- Talk with your school counselor and parents about careers that interest you.
- Schedule meeting with your assigned counselor to consider sophomore classes, remember to academically challenge yourself!
- Create a tentative 4 year high school plan.
SUMMER
- Continue volunteer involvement over the summer months.
- Maintain a portfolio of your activities and accomplishments including service volunteer work. This will make it easier for junior year when you are creating your college resume.
Sophomore Year
FALL
- Continue involvement with clubs, sports, volunteering, and school and community activities.
- Schedule meeting with assigned counselor to discuss career options and the education required for those careers.
- Take the PLAN Exam on HFCHS All School Testing Day.
SPRING
- Discuss PLAN (ACT predictor) exam results with counselor. This will help with identifying which ACT Test Prep is right for you.
- Discuss with your counselor specific SAT II spring exam options if you have taken an advanced course.
- Review your course selection for junior year with your counselor, remember to challenge yourself!
- Attend college fairs.
SUMMER
- Explore internships, apprenticeships, and shadowing an adult with a career that interests you.
- Consider College visits-What does the college require for tests (ACT, SAT), course, GPA, community service involvement, etc.
- Continue to maintain a portfolio of your work.
Junior YearFALL
- Continue involvement with clubs, sports, volunteering, and school & community activities.
- Pay close attention to Counselor visits in your English and Religion classes.
- Attend the Minnesota National College Fair at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
- Consider college campus visits over MEA weekend, Thanksgiving break, or any chance you get. Be sure to call the admissions office beforehand to schedule a visit time. Come prepared with questions you would like to know about that particular college.
- If you plan to play sports at a Division I or II level you must complete the application for the NCAA Clearing house. (www.ncaaclearinghouse.net)
- Take the PSAT Exam on HFCHS All School Testing Day.
- Consider ACT/SAT test prep options for your upcoming standardized test.
SPRING
- Discuss PSAT (SAT predictor & National Merit Scholarship possibilities) results with your counselor.
- Be sure you have registered for an ACT and/or SAT. This must be done at least a month ahead of the testing date. If you are currently using testing accommodations, be sure to submit all appropriate paper work and documentation to the HF learning Specialist a month prior to the regular registration deadline so you have a better chance of qualifying.
- Attend HFCHS College Planning Night.
- Attend College Fair.
- Arrange college campus visits to those schools that interest you.
- Parent and student meet with your assigned counselor to discuss colleges and options.
- Research scholarship opportunities. Create a profile for fastweb.com
- Ask two teachers to write you a letter of recommendation for college and provide them with a resume. Teachers can work on it over the summer and provide you or your counselor with a copy of it.
SUMMER
- Register for the fall ACT and/or SAT.
- Work on your College Essay, Resume, and other required materials.
- Get a summer job to earn and save money for college. Continue to add and update your resume/portfolio.
- Research and apply for scholarships.
SeniorFALL
- Arrange campus visits to those school that interest you (if you haven't already done so).
- Take or retake the ACT and/or SAT in the fall.
- It is mandatory that you meet with your assigned counselor and start applying to college. You MUST have applied and completed three applications by October 31.
- Make sure you obtain your two letters of recommendation from your teachers.
- Attend HFCHS annual Financial Aid Night.
- Continue to apply for Scholarships and doing your best academically.
SPRING
- Apply for Financial Aid (fafsa.ed.gov) s soon as possible after January 1.
- Verify your applications are complete. Make sure your semester one grades have been sent to your colleges and NCAA, if you plan to play Division I or II sports.
- Decision letters should start arriving. Technically all schools have until the first Friday in April to give you a response/decision.
- Revisit financial aid and scholarship options.
- Take Advanced Placement Exams if applicable.
- Prepare for Graduation! Yeah!!
- May 1 is the National Decision date for all colleges. You must contact ALL the colleges you applied to on or before this day to let them know if you are going to attend their school or not (this can be done via phone, email or by paper form).
- Choose one college and send in any required forms or deposits (housing, meal plan, etc.).
- Make sure your counselor sends your final transcript to the college you will be attending.
SUMMER
- College Registration and materials start arriving.
- Get a summer job to earn money for college.
- Get to know your roommate.
|
