January/ February:
_____Check your email!
_____FAFSA should already be completed. Everyone planning to attend college or a trade school HAS to have this completed. You are not eligible for the A+ scholarship unless you complete the FAFSA. Priority deadline is February 1st.
____Start gathering (2-3) letters of recommendation from teachers and other professionals. Give teachers plenty of notice, quality letters take time.
____ Complete scholarship applications and apply for them at the school you will attend.
____ Take Campus Visits. Try to schedule them on days high school is not in session.
____ Work ahead on local scholarships. Most are due in the spring!
____ Start comparing your financial aid packages from all the different colleges and narrowing down your decision on where you want to attend.
____ Be in touch with your college’s admissions rep and make sure you are asking questions about deadlines.
____Jan 15th Scholarlink opens, these are local scholarships, get on and apply at https://www.cfnwmo.org/
____If you are taking Dual Credit or Dual Enrollment courses this semester and part of the free and reduced program, apply at https://web.dhewd.mo.gov/studentportal/
March/ April/ May:
____ Complete scholarship applications (Note: MANY local and college scholarships are due in March and April)
____ Take a follow up visit to the colleges that you are interested in to help make your final decision.
____ Register to take the April 15th ACT. (Deadline is March 10th)
____Review and return a financial aid award letter to the school of choice. You will probably find this info on your college online account. You will want to accept all grants and scholarships given to you because these are all free money. Talk to your parents/guardians and the financial aid office about loans that you are awarded. Remember loans have to be paid back so only take what you need.
____ Secure housing arrangements for next fall.
____ Notify colleges to which you have been admitted, but decided not to attend
____ Double check that you have everything turned in for A+. This needs to be done before May 1st.
____ Make sure you complete all of your community service hours.
____Have your final transcript sent to the college you plan to attend.
____ Complete summer orientation registration at your selected school
June:
____ Follow up with your college financial aid office to ensure they have all the paperwork and forms needed.
____ Attend summer orientation.
____ Send thank you notes to all who wrote letters of rec, helped you with college applications, or organizations who gave you a scholarship.
____ Make sure all of the scholarships that you have received have the correct college listed for you.
____ Make a list of all of your scholarships that are renewable and put the renewal dates in your calendar for next year. Some scholarship organizations do not contact you to renew it and it is up to you to remember to submit the necessary documentation in order to renew. Some even require you to fill out another application to renew it. Keep in contact with the organization.
____ At the end of June (early July), forward your AP scores and/or college transcripts (for dual credit courses) to your institution.
_____Check your email!
_____FAFSA should already be completed. Everyone planning to attend college or a trade school HAS to have this completed. You are not eligible for the A+ scholarship unless you complete the FAFSA. Priority deadline is February 1st.
____Start gathering (2-3) letters of recommendation from teachers and other professionals. Give teachers plenty of notice, quality letters take time.
____ Complete scholarship applications and apply for them at the school you will attend.
____ Take Campus Visits. Try to schedule them on days high school is not in session.
____ Work ahead on local scholarships. Most are due in the spring!
____ Start comparing your financial aid packages from all the different colleges and narrowing down your decision on where you want to attend.
____ Be in touch with your college’s admissions rep and make sure you are asking questions about deadlines.
____Jan 15th Scholarlink opens, these are local scholarships, get on and apply at https://www.cfnwmo.org/
____If you are taking Dual Credit or Dual Enrollment courses this semester and part of the free and reduced program, apply at https://web.dhewd.mo.gov/studentportal/
March/ April/ May:
____ Complete scholarship applications (Note: MANY local and college scholarships are due in March and April)
____ Take a follow up visit to the colleges that you are interested in to help make your final decision.
____ Register to take the April 15th ACT. (Deadline is March 10th)
____Review and return a financial aid award letter to the school of choice. You will probably find this info on your college online account. You will want to accept all grants and scholarships given to you because these are all free money. Talk to your parents/guardians and the financial aid office about loans that you are awarded. Remember loans have to be paid back so only take what you need.
____ Secure housing arrangements for next fall.
____ Notify colleges to which you have been admitted, but decided not to attend
____ Double check that you have everything turned in for A+. This needs to be done before May 1st.
____ Make sure you complete all of your community service hours.
____Have your final transcript sent to the college you plan to attend.
____ Complete summer orientation registration at your selected school
June:
____ Follow up with your college financial aid office to ensure they have all the paperwork and forms needed.
____ Attend summer orientation.
____ Send thank you notes to all who wrote letters of rec, helped you with college applications, or organizations who gave you a scholarship.
____ Make sure all of the scholarships that you have received have the correct college listed for you.
____ Make a list of all of your scholarships that are renewable and put the renewal dates in your calendar for next year. Some scholarship organizations do not contact you to renew it and it is up to you to remember to submit the necessary documentation in order to renew. Some even require you to fill out another application to renew it. Keep in contact with the organization.
____ At the end of June (early July), forward your AP scores and/or college transcripts (for dual credit courses) to your institution.
- Contact College Board for AP scores
- Contact Metropolitan Community College if you took Dual Credit History with Yaple
- Contact Metropolitan Community College if you took Dual Credit English with McCulley
- Contact Missouri Western State University for Dual Credit Algebra, Biology, Chemistry and all other online dual credit courses