MY SENIOR PORTFOLIO & CHECKLIST

NAME _____________________________

Senior 2014 Contact Sheet

Name _____________________________________Social # ___________________________ (memorize this!)Birthdate_________________________Email address _________________________Cell phone (optional) ___________________* I will only use this for messages about college/school info & reminders about deadlines

Mailing address ___________________________ ___________________________

Have you taken an ACT ? ______ SAT ? _____ *TSI exempt? _____Colleges you are interested in at this point:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Career Interests: _______________________________________________Any special requests or concerns? _________________________________Permission to release your records:I give the office permission to send my transcript and test scores to colleges/universities/scholarship committees & employers as needed.Student Signature ________________________________Parent Signature (if you are under 18) _____________________________

Senior Timeline ChecklistSeptember/October:

*Review your transcript & meet with your counselor to ensure that you are meeting all graduation requirements & that everything is accurate and up to date._______

*Narrow your list of potential schools/career interests to three or four _______________________________________

*If you are interested in military service, now is the time to speak with a recruiter about your options. _______

*Register for ACT or SAT exams (& SAT subject exams IF needed) _________*Apply to the colleges/universities that interest you after making sure you meet admission requirements

_______*Keep searching (or start )for scholarships – online, family connections through work, church, etc…

_______*Work on your college/scholarship essays & ask someone to proofread them _______*Ask your teachers/counselor/principal for recommendation letters to have on file _______*Register with the NCAA Clearinghouse to ensure eligibility if you are looking at competing at the college

level ___*Create a resume of your activities, awards, jobs you have held, and volunteer work _______

November/December:*Continue to follow through with the items above AND check your application DEADLINES. Prepare for the FAFSA by registering for a pin # for BOTH you and your parent ______________

January/February:*If you plan to enter the workforce after high school, start looking for job openings. Update and complete

your resume to send out to employers. Look into apprenticeship programs and ask for help setting up meetings with

companies or employers that you are interested in working with. _______*Fill out the FAFSA (FREE application for Federal Student Aide) as soon as possible after January 1st

_______*Continue to search for scholarships – there seem to be more available in the spring _________*Check and update your 7th semester transcript, rank and GPA ________

March/April:* Make your final decisions about schools and communicate with the admissions/scholarship office about

your final decisions ______*Take care of your housing app., meal plan, and any other items required if you will be living on campus

_____*Sign up for AP exams, check into CLEP policies, look at the college course schedule if it is available

________May – August:

*Do your best on the AP tests & schedule CLEP exams ______*Schedule your orientation session at your college to meet with your advisor & set up classes ________*Make a request to have your final transcript sent to the school you plan to attend _________*Update your resume to include your graduation information_______

ACT dates for 2013-14Holliday High School Code #443295 Register at www.actstudent.org MSU is the testing center most of our students will useCost : $50.50(with writing- take at least once) $35.00 (without writing)

Test Date Registration Date Late Registration (extra fee)Sept. 21 August 23 Aug 24-Sept.6Oct. 26 Sept. 27 Sept. 28-Oct. 11Dec. 14 Nov. 8 Nov. 9-22Feb. 8 Jan. 10 Jan. 11-24April 12 March 7 March 8-21June 14 May 9 May 10-23

The ACT is a knowledge based test including the subjects of reading, math, English & science reasoning – ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS!

Helpful questions:Does the college I am interested in require the writing? What is the required score for admissions?What is the required score for scholarships? MY “Goal Score” for the ACT _________

SAT dates for 2013-14Holliday HS Code #443295Register at www.collegeboard.com MSU is the testing center most students will useCost: $50 REASONING test *Subject tests are $23 (select universities only)Test Date Registration Date Late Deadline ($27)Oct. 5 Sept. 6 Sept. 20Nov. 2 Oct. 3 Oct. 18Dec. 7 Nov. 8 Nov. 22Jan. 25 Dec. 27 Jan. 10Mar. 8 Feb. 7 Feb. 21May 3 Apr. 4 Apr. 18June 7 May 9 May 23

The SAT is a critical thinking/reasoning test – Don’t guess on this one!

Questions to ask:What is the required admission score for the college?What is the required scholarship score?Can the scores be mixed/combined from different dates? My “Goal Score” for the SAT ____________

College Visits – 2 junior year & 2 senior year**You MUST get a sign out sheet from the office so we can keep a record of your days. Unless the office receives parent contact or a note from the admissions office, the absence will NOT count as a college day. In some cases your college day may be used for testing purposes, job interviews or military reasons. DAY One (when & where)___________________________

DAY Two (when & where)___________________________ Use the contact information from the college website to call and schedule a visit. You can ask Mrs. Anderson for help, but YOU will make the call and set this up.

Things to do on your visit:Take a campus tour _____Check out the freshmen dorms _______Visit the dining hall options, student center, library, bookstore, & fitness center _______Other recommendations:Ask about meeting with a professor or advisor in your area of interest _____Meet with admissions to discuss deadlines & helpful hints ______Meet with financial aid to discuss grants, loans & scholarships _______

Questions to ask during your visit:Does it offer your major/area of study? _______________What activities are available for free time? (clubs, organizations, etc…) _______________Is there a student tutorial center or help available for transition to college?_____________What is it like to live on campus? (security, food, dorm life) ___________________Is there a career center & what services are offered? _________________What is the community like around the college? ____________________

College Name _____________ ______________ ______________Location Distance from home

SizeEnrollmentSize of Campus

EnvironmentType of schoolSchool setting/Nearest cityCo-EdReligious affiliation

Admission RequirementsDeadlineTests required GPA & courses required

AcademicsTypical class sizeYour majorStudent/Faculty ratio

College ExpensesTuition, room & boardEstimated budgetApplication fee & deposits

Financial AidDeadlineRequired formsScholarships

HousingResidence Hall requirementFood/Meal Plan

ActivitiesClubs, Organizations, Sports

FacilitiesConditions of buildings/recreation

Campus visits

Apply for Admission

Texas Colleges/Universities:www.applytexas.org *When you first log in, you will need to create an account & set up a profile. Your username _________________ Your password _______________

*Go to “My Applications” & create a new application Your application ID # & school name______________________ Second application # ______________________ Third application # ________________________

Common Application (for select colleges/universities – Rice & SMU in Texas)www.commonapp.org

Private & Out of state Colleges/Universities

Go to the College/University Website Click on Admissions or Apply tab

Your username _________________ Your password _____________________

College application numbers & info to keep on file ________________________________________________________Admissions Contact

________________________________________________________

TRANSCRIPT & TEST INFORMATIONMail transcripts & test information to:________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Date of Request ___________________________________________________________________________________________College Received Info ________________

Apply for Financial Aid - Learn the word “FAFSA” (free application for federal student aid) ALL grants & federal loans come from this applicationwww.fafsa.ed.gov – This is a FREE service

Register at www.pin.ed.gov for a pin (your electronic signature)Your pin # _______________Your parent’s pin # _______________**You will use the same pin # throughout college

Get a head start by looking at the FAFSA4Caster to see what aid you might qualify for

Apply for FAFSA after January 1, 2014 The federal deadline for Texas is June 30th, but check your college for their priority processing deadline. _______________________

SCHOLARSHIP ApplicationsDoes your school require a different application for scholarships? _________Have you looked at all available scholarships for incoming freshmen? ______Have you looked at department scholarships for your major? ________What is the scholarship application DEADLINE? _________________

Research & PrepareUse the Counselor Corner webpage to click on links for testing info, financial aid, scholarships, AP dates & career planning. Go to www.hollidayisd.net – click on the high school tab – click on the Counselor’s Corner tab

Keep up with dates/activities on your phone or a calendar so you don’t miss out on those deadlines for admission, financial aid, scholarships, housing & orientation sessions!

If you took courses for college credit, have you requested an official transcript from the college so your hours will transfer to the university you will be attending? ____________________________________

If you are taking AP exams, have you looked at the university’s policy & scores for earning credit? _____________________________________

Have you made sure to accept admission/scholarship awards? __________

Have you met with an advisor or looked online at degree plans? ____________

Career / Military Options:

Have you made a resume? _______________ Asked for references? _______________Met with a recruiter for the military? ____________Prepared for the ASVAB? ______