This week, The Choice is publishing our monthly Counselor?s Calendar, which is intended to keep students on track during the college admissions process.
This installment focuses on seniors. (Juniors, your January checklist will be published on Tuesday.) We?ve asked Sarah Markhovsky and Matthew Kaberline, the director and associate director of college counseling at Severn School in Severna Park, Md., for admissions advice for the class of 2013. ? Tanya Abrams
As we sifted through the seemingly endless supply of memorable quotations about how the new year brings new beginnings, we stumbled upon one that nicely sums up how students feel about the college admissions process in January of their senior year:
?And to make an end is to make a beginning.? ? T. S. Eliot
In previous installments of the Counselor?s Calendar, our friends and colleagues offered sage advice based on a student?s present situation. If you have applied to some colleges but still plan to apply to others, or you have yet to apply anywhere (which is O.K., we promise), then you are ?Still Applying.? If you have already applied to every college on your list, we will refer to you as ?Almost Finished.?
Seniors, here is your college admissions checklist for January:
Initial Advice for All Seniors
For both groups of seniors, there is still work to be done ? serious work that may alter the course of your college process: financial aid. Those two words strike fear into the hearts of students, counselors and parents alike. Now is the time for action, not short-lived new year?s resolutions.
Complete the Fafsa
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (www.fafsa.ed.gov) is a required form for every student applying for need-based federal financial aid. You can apply starting in January; many colleges list deadlines in February.
Hint: Though you will submit the Fafsa online, you can download a copy of the 2012-13 Fafsa on the Web Worksheet ahead of time so you will be prepared with the appropriate reference documents (like your parents? tax return). Some colleges will also require other financial aid information, like their own institutional forms or the CSS/Financial Aid Profile, which is provided by the College Board.
Don?t forget to check the financial aid Web site of each of your prospective colleges for details. It is often critical that you submit the Fafsa by the college?s stated deadline.
Checklist for Seniors Who Are ?Still Applying?
Stay Calm ?
You probably are becoming anxious as some of your classmates receive decisions about early applications. Do not despair. Each student?s process is different; not everyone should apply early to a college.
In this world of accelerated deadlines and hype about the college process, it is hard to remain calm, but here is an important fact to keep in mind: The vast majority of students admitted to college apply by a regular decision or rolling deadline.
However, you need to keep up with dates and deadlines; some are approaching quickly (like Jan. 15 and Feb. 1).
? and Follow Through
Hopefully by this point you have looked at the specific application requirements of all of the schools on your list. In doing so, you probably gained a sense of how much effort each application will require.
You have deadlines in front of you. Create a schedule that allows you to meet those deadlines with time to spare.
Checklist for Seniors Who Are ?Almost Finished?
For the ?Almost Finished? crowd, you have done the lion?s share of the work, but there are still some things you need to do:
Reassess Your College List
You may have applied to all of the colleges on your list before the end of 2012, and perhaps you?ve heard good news from some of these schools. Congratulations.
As you move forward in this process, take another look at your original list. Now is not the time to go ?trophy hunting.? If you?ve been admitted to a college or two that you really like and that are a good fit for you, then perhaps you don?t need to apply to many more colleges (if any at all).
Early Decision Etiquette
If your good news was a binding early decision admission to the college of your choice, you will be expected to submit your deposit in the near future. Remember that it is your responsibility to notify any other college to which you applied that you are withdrawing your application. A polite e-mail to the admissions office should suffice.
Final Advice for All Seniors
Avoid Senioritis Like the Plague
T. S. Eliot?s words remind us that the manner in which you close out your high school career sets the stage for your college journey. Offers of admission to colleges are always conditional, based on how you conclude your senior year.
There is a competitor to flu season: senioritis. Symptoms include failure to complete assignments, lack of attention span, persistent absences and a rapid decline in grades. Your preventive medicine for this horrible affliction is to remain engaged in your schoolwork and continue to put forth your best effort in all classes until graduation.
Seniors, as you look forward to new beginnings, we wish you all the best for positive outcomes and a fulfilling conclusion to your high school career.
This post was prepared in consultation with the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools, a membership organization.
Source: http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/07/counselors-calendar-january-seniors/
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