Marshall School College Counseling


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Senior Checklist

September

Make sure you have all applications required for college admission and financial aid. Write, phone, or e-mail to request missing information.
Check on application and financial aid deadlines for the schools to which you plan to apply. They may vary and it is essential to meet all deadlines.
Meet with Ms. Voller-Berdan to be sure your list includes colleges appropriate to your academic and personal record. Review your transcript and co-curricular records with your school counselor to ensure their accuracy.
Register for the October/November ACT/SAT Reasoning Test and/or SAT Subject Tests, if you have not completed the required tests or if you are not happy with your previous test scores and think you can do better.
If needed, attend a regional college fair to investigate further those colleges to which you will probably apply.
If colleges require recommendations, ask the appropriate people to write on your behalf. At least three weeks before the due date, ask your counselor and teachers, employers, or coaches to write letters of recommendation. Provide recommendation forms, any special instructions and a stamped, addressed business envelope to the people writing your recommendation. Be thoughtful. Write thank-you notes to those who write recommendations and keep them informed of your decisions.
Plan visits to colleges and set up interviews (if you didn’t get to them during the summer or if you want to return to a campus for a second time). Read bulletin boards and the college newspaper. Talk with current students and professors.
If you plan to play Division I or II athletics in college, you will need to register at the NCAA Clearinghouse (www.ncaaclearinghouse.net).

October

Mail applications in time to reach the colleges by the deadlines. Check with the College Counseling Office to make sure your transcript and test scores have been/will be sent to the colleges to which you are applying. You will need to complete a “Record of College Application” before the College Counseling Office will mail any materials. (See “Record of College Application” in this handbook).
If applying for Early Decision or Early Action, send in your application now. Also prepare applications for back-up schools. Remember, if you are accepted under the Early Decision option, you are expected to enroll at that college and to withdraw all other applications. Submit financial aid information if requested from Early Decision/Action candidates.
Register for the October/November ACT/SAT Reasoning Test and/or SAT Subject Tests if you have not completed the required tests or if you are not happy with your previous test scores and think you can do better.
Have official test scores sent by the testing agency to colleges on your list if they will not accept them on your Marshall School transcript.
Attend College Night for Parents of Seniors – October meeting.
If interested in one of the Military Academies or in applying for ROTC Scholarships, continue the application process that you began last spring.

November

Keep all records, test score reports and copies of applications for admission and financial aid. Do not throw anything away until at least the end of your first year in college. Having detailed records will save you time and effort should anything be lost or should you decide to apply in the future to other colleges and scholarship programs.
Senior year grades are also extremely important in the college admission process, because they continue to measure how well you do in advanced, upper-level courses. Grades also are used to determine scholarships and grants for which you may be eligible. So put in the extra effort and keep those grades up!
Continue completing applications to colleges. Save or make copies of all applications before mailing the applications.
If you need financial aid, obtain a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) from the College Counseling Office or complete the application online (www.fafsa.ed.gov) in January. Check to see if the colleges to which you are applying require any other financial aid form. Register for the CSS Profile if required and obtain the college's own financial aid forms, if available.
Attend Scholarship Night at Marshall School – early November.

December

Have official test scores sent by the testing agency to colleges on your list if they will not accept them on your Marshall School transcript.
Remember to monitor your applications to be sure that all materials are sent and received on time and that they are complete. Stay on top of things and don't procrastinate; you can ruin your chances for admission by missing a deadline.
Consult your college counselor again to review your final list of colleges. Be sure you have all bases covered. It is a good idea to make copies of everything before you drop those envelopes in the mail. If for some reason your application gets lost, you will have a back-up copy.
If you applied for Early Decision, you should have an answer by mid-December. If you are accepted, follow the instructions for admitted students. If the decision is deferred until spring or you are denied, submit applications now to other colleges.
Complete scholarship applications. You may be eligible for more scholarships than you think, so apply for as many as you can. Many applications are due prior to January 1st.

January

Attend Financial Aid Night – early January. A local College Financial Aid Director will walk you through the FAFSA and answer any questions you may have.
Remember to monitor your applications to be sure that all materials are sent and received on time and that they are complete.
Keep working in your classes! Grades and courses continue to count throughout the senior year.
Request that the College Counseling Office send your transcript including first semester grades to the colleges to which you applied.
Parents and students, complete your income tax forms as soon as possible. You will need those figures to fill out the FAFSA (www.fafsa.ed.gov). Complete and return your FAFSA as quickly as possible after January 1. Check to make sure your colleges or state does not require any other financial aid forms. If they do, consult your college counselor or contact the college's financial aid office.
Complete scholarship applications if you have not already done so.

February

If you completed a FAFSA, you should receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) within four weeks after submitting the FAFSA. Review the SAR carefully and check for any inaccuracies. If necessary, correct any items on the SAR and return it to the FAFSA processor (if a college transmitted your data directly, notify the college of any change).
If more than four weeks have passed after sending in your FAFSA and you have not received an acknowledgment, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at (319) 337-5665. To identify you, they will need your name, social security number, address, and date of birth exactly as it was written on your FAFSA.
Complete scholarship applications, however, many deadlines may have passed.
Do not take rolling admission applications for granted. (Some colleges do not have application deadlines; they admit students on a continuous basis.) These schools may reach their maximum class size quickly-the earlier you apply, the more availability there may be.
Enjoy your senior year, but don't catch senioritis!

March

Stay focused and keep your grades up – only a few months to go!

April

Review your college acceptances and financial aid awards. Be sure to compare financial aid packages in your decision-making process. If you are positive you will not enroll at one or more of the colleges which accepted you please notify those colleges that you have selected another college. Keeping colleges abreast of your plans might enable those colleges to admit someone else.
If you know which college you will attend, send your tuition deposit and follow all other instructions for admitted students. You must decide which offer of admission to accept by May 1 (postmark date).

May

By May 1, decide on the college that you will attend. By May 1, send in your tuition deposit to the college you will attend. Notify the other colleges that accepted you that you have selected another college.
BE PROUD-you have completed a difficult task.
If your first-choice college places you on their waiting list, do not lose all hope. Some students are admitted off the waiting list. Talk with your counselor, and contact the college to let them know you are still very interested. Keep the college updated on your coursework and activities. It is also a good idea to make a deposit (usually non-refundable) at another college in case you are not admitted to your first-choice school.
Take Advanced Placement examinations, if appropriate and request that your AP scores be sent to the college you will attend.

SUMMER Prior to College Enrollment

If you are an athlete and plan on playing Division I or II sports in college, you will need to have your final high school transcript sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse (www.ncaaclearinghouse.net). Please notify the College Counseling Office.
Request that the College Counseling Office send your final transcript to the college you will attend. Notify the college of any private scholarships or grants you will be receiving.
Know when the payment for tuition, housing, meal plans, etc., is due. If necessary, ask the financial aid office about a possible payment plan that will allow for you to pay in installments.
Look for information in the mail from the college about housing, roommate(s), orientation, course selection, etc. Respond promptly to all requests from the college.
Ease the transition into college. Accept the fact that you'll be in charge of your academic and personal life. What you do, when you do it and how things get done will be up to you. You'll have new responsibilities and challenges. Think about budgeting your time and establishing priorities. Take charge of the changes that lie ahead and eliminate or minimize pressures. Go forth with confidence and enthusiasm, willingness to adapt and determination to succeed academically and personally.
Congratulations, you've made it through high school! Enjoy your graduation and look forward to college.
Pack for college. Don't forget to include things that remind you of friends and family. Be prepared for the new opportunities and challenges. Have a great freshman year!

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Junior Checklist