Senior Planning Calendar for the 2007-2008 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.
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 clearinghouse Web site at http://www.ncaa.org/wps/portal.
From the home page, the prospect should click on “Prospective
Student-Athletes,” which will link the student athlete to the
necessary information. 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.
Scholarship Folders due
in the CRC by January 22nd.
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.
Register for AP exams. Prepare for 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.