I hope parents and seniors alike are
heading into the new school year with energy and enthusiasm! These next few months until the finish line
for college applications in January will require many tasks. Here are some important items to add to your senior’s to-do list for the fall:
1)
Make an appointment with your
college counselor and/or guidance counselor.
Counselors will be preparing an important document this fall—the Secondary School
Report (SSR)—which puts the academic and extra-curricular activities a student completes in context of the whole school community. It also evaluates the student's achievements and personality. The better you know your
counselor, the better the counselor can tailor this report to your strengths.
2)
Ask 2 teachers in academic
subjects (not electives) to write recommendation letters.
3)
Register for any SAT or ACT
tests you intend to take or re-take this fall.
4)
Finalize your college list.
Ideally, it should contain 8-10 schools.
Multiple UCs or CSUs can count as one if you wish. Make sure your list contains a balance of
safety, target, and reach schools. To
narrow down choices, try this method from Mamlet and Vandevelde’s guide College Admission: From Application to
Acceptance, Step by Step:
Choose one safety college on your
list where you definitely plan to apply, most likely will be accepted, and
would attend. Label this college “College A.”
Then compare it to every other school on your list asking yourself,
“Would I prefer to attend this college or College A?” Anytime the answer is “College A” you can
take the other college off your list.
5) Focus on performing well in your classes this semester. Make
school a priority over extra curricular activities and sports (not always easy
to do).
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