Quick Links for Seniors
- ASD Portfolio Guidelines
- Letter of Recommendation Request (RTF)
- Class of 2012 Special Events Calendar
Senior Planning Calendar for the 2011-2012 School Year
September and October
- Continue researching information on colleges, universities, and technical schools by going to the following webpage: http://www.AKCIS.org and putting in the following login information to access the system: username= dimondhs and then password= 4akcis.
- If you haven’t already done so, contact all colleges, universities, and technical schools that you are considering for application materials. Most schools also have applications online.
- Contact military recruiters if interested in a military option.
- Set up a file for each application, including a checklist for all admission requirements. Check priority deadlines and entrance requirements.
- Participate in community service projects to enhance your resume.
- Start gathering material for student scholarship portfolio.
- Order your AP exams.
- Research which tests are required for applications and note any requiring SAT II Subject tests.
- Register for SAT and ACT tests and any required SAT II Subject tests. Registration can be completed by application available in the Career Resource Center or online. The web addresses are www.collegeboard.com for the SAT and www.act.org for the ACT. Students are encouraged to take both tests and they may be taken more than once. Some schools require SAT II subject tests as well. It is the recommendation of the College Board to take the subject test following the completion of the related high school course. Only a few schools require subject tests and they tend to be the more selective schools. If you have any questions you should contact your counselor.
- Begin work on essays for applications
- Research private scholarship sources and request application materials. Visit www.fastweb.com
- Meet with vocational, college and/or military recruiters when they visit Dimond H.S. Check with Ms. Reeves in the CRC for dates.
- Seniors who plan to play Division I or Division II sports in college should file a NCAA Clearinghouse Application in the spring of their junior year or fall of their senior year. NCAA determines eligibility through reconfiguring a GPA from grades earned in qualified classes. To register, prospective student-athletes should access the registration materials by visiting the NCAA Clearinghouse website. Final eligibility will not be determined until your final transcript is sent into NCAA at the end of your senior year.
- Decide whether to apply under a college’s Early Action or Early Decision application. Early Decision is usually binding while Early Action is not. Know the difference.
- Check out two and four year colleges that participate in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE). Eligible students pay 150% of the receiving schools resident tuition, thereby saving significantly over the standard nonresident tuition. The web address is: www.wiche.edu/sep/wue.
- Attend a College Information and Scholarship Folder Workshop. This workshop will provide basic college choice information as well as information on the completion of the Scholarship Folder.
- The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test will be administered several times during the school year. See Shirley Reeves in the Career Resource Center for dates and times for this test. The ASVAB is a multi-aptitude test battery. Aptitude can be defined as capabilities that you have developed, so far, that indicate your readiness to become proficient in a certain type of activity, given the opportunity. This may refer to your capacities to learn a particular type of work, or your potential for general training. The ASVAB measures aptitudes that are related to success in different jobs. It is an excellent career-planning tool. There is no fee for the test and you should register in the Career Resource Center.
- Pick up a letter of recommendation packet in the CRC. Allow a minimum of two weeks for writers to finalize letters. You should be requesting letters from at least three people who know you and your accomplishments.
- Check frequently with the Career Resource Center for new scholarship opportunities.
- Attend the Career/College Fair. See the CRC for details.
November
- Schedule your senior interview with your counselor to plan second semester courses and to discuss plans for after high school.
- Attend an ASVAB interpretation session after school in the library to go over the results. The information gained can assist students in career planning purposes.
- Check to see if your school requires the CSS Profile Financial Aid Form.
December
- January is the deadline for many college applications. Complete the applications for school you have selected, typically three to five. Keep copies of the application and other paperwork in your file folders.
- Fill out the request form in the Registrar’s office for your transcript to be sent to college or vocational schools.
- If your college requires a mid-year report, turn the form into your counselor to be completed. Be sure and make a request through the registrar for a transcript one the 1st semester grades are posted.
- Attend the Alumni Workshop hosted at Dimond during the week before Winter Break. Talk with graduates who are currently enrolled in vocational/college, military or went directly into the work force. Check in the CRC for date and time.
- In order to be considered for federal financial aid, your must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Remind your parents that the FAFSA forms are due as soon as possible after January 1st. It is a good idea to get your taxes done as early as possible this year. Please consider filing the FAFSA on line. It is much easier to do. Apply for a PIN # to file your FAFSA on line at www.pin.ed.gov. After you receive your pin # the web site for the FAFSA is www.fafsa.ed.gov.
- Work on your Scholarship Folder.
January and February
- Scholarship Folders due in the CRC in January. Portfolios will be accepted after this date, but you may miss out on some scholarship opportunities.
- Attend the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Workshop. A college financial aid officer will help parents fill out this form which is necessary for seniors seeking federal financial aid to further their schooling. If you have your pin# and tax documents, the financial aid advisor can help you fill out the form that day. This is a very informative workshop.
- Continue working on your Scholarship Folder.
- Visit the CRC frequently for new scholarship opportunities.
- Sign up for the ASVAB to be given at Dimond. The test is free and you can sign up in the CRC.
- Attend the ASVAB interpretation session after school in the library to go over the results. The information gained can assist student in career planning purposes.
March and April
- Inform Ms. Reeves in the CRC and your counselor of your post-secondary plans.
- Prepare for AP exams coming up in May.
- Do your very best work. Don’t slump in the quality of work you are doing. College acceptances are provisional until after your final transcript is received.
May
- Participate in special senior events for the Class of 2012; click here for a calendar.
- Take AP exams if appropriate. Click here for the 2012 AP Exam schedule.
- Prepare for final exams and do your very best.
- Request from the registrar that your final transcript be sent to the college/vocational school that you will be attending.
- Participate in graduation on May 7 at 7:00 PM at the Sullivan Arena!