Grade 12 Information

THE END IS NEAR!

12th Grade Checklist

Throughout the Year:

• Stay focused on your schoolwork. Avoid the Senior Slide!
• Participate in extracurricular activities.

Fall:

• Ensure you have all of the classes you need for graduation and college on your schedule.
• Visit the colleges that interest you. It's okay to go more than once. Many campuses have open houses in the Fall for prospective students. MEA break is also a great time to schedule a visit. (You are excused from school if you have you visit scheduled ahead of time, have parent permission and bring back proof of your visit.)
• Sign up to meet with the college reps at SEHS.
• Take or retake the ACT or SAT in the fall.
• Take or retake the Accuplacer in the fall.
• Print your transcript off the Portal and check it for accuracy.
• Create a Parchment account to send your official high school transcripts to colleges (see the "Transcripts" tab for more info).
• Have your Senior Meeting with the High School Counselor.
• Select the schools to which you will apply. Make a list of deadlines for each school.
• Create a resume of your academic, athletic, school, and work activities along with other achievements. Prepare a portfolio if you are interested in the arts.
• Review what you need for each application and start putting the material together – an incomplete application will not usually be considered.
• If you need to write an essay for college, write at least one rough draft and have other people check it over – parents, counselor, teacher, etc.
• Ask for recommendation letters, if needed as part of your application. Make sure you ask your letter-writers at least three weeks in advance of when you want your letter to give them plenty of time to write you a quality letter of recommendation.
• Follow up on your recommendation letters if needed. Don't forget to thank them!
• Take advantage of college fairs, career days, and other opportunities if you are still deciding on a college or career.
• Engage in the events and opportunities during College Knowledge Month!
• Apply to college! Pay close attention to deadlines, especially early decision options and preferred application deadlines.
• Start researching and applying for scholarships. Check out the "Scholarships" tab. Pay close attention to deadlines!
• Check at your parent’s work/organizations if they offer scholarships for children.
• Attend Financial Aid Night at SEHS.
• Complete the FAFSA - it opens on October 1.
• Keep studying! Your first semester grades are still reported to the college when you have to include your transcript in an application so you need to keep going strong with your effort.

Winter:

• If you have not yet applied to college, apply now! You are encouraged to apply to three colleges that interest you. Some may have earlier or later deadlines.
• Act on the results of Early Decision Applications: If you applied early, you will find out early. Once you accept a school make sure you withdrawal applications from other schools.
• Follow up with your counselor to make sure all your materials are sent in and that the schools have received this information.
• Follow up on applications that you have sent in (online application systems make this very easy for you to do!)
• Send your mid-year grade reports to the colleges that require them via Parchment.
• Complete your FAFSA if you have not already done so.
• Once you have completed the FAFSA, be on the lookout for the Student Aid Report (SAR) from the colleges you sent your FAFSA to.
• Keep working on those community service hours. It never hurts to have extra - scholarships look favorably upon volunteer hours.
• Continue applying for scholarships. Make sure you check with the colleges you are considering for scholarship opportunities.

Spring:

• If you have made a last minute decision to attend college, apply to schools with rolling admission deadlines or schools with later deadlines (many two-year colleges have later deadlines).
• APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS. There are so many - take the time to complete the applications. One hour of work on an application could end up earning you hundreds of dollars.
• As you start to hear back fro the colleges you applied to, compare their financial aid offerings and other opportunities.
• Choose your college. Once you have made your decision about which school you will attend, notify your selected college of your acceptance AND notify the schools you are not going to.
• Keep working hard, studying, and doing your best!
• Sign up for housing and/or a meal plan if you are planning to live on campus.
• Send in any required forms or deposits to your selected college.
• Sign up for Summer Nudging for helpful reminders via text messages to keep you on track for college enrollment.

May/June:

• Send your final transcript to your college via Parchment.
• Apply for any scholarships with late deadlines.
• Congratulations! You have completed high school and are onto a new chapter in your life.

Summer:

• Get a job to earn and save money for college, or explore your skills through an internship or apprenticeship.
• Sign up for orientation at your college. Review orientation materials as they become available.
• If you are living on campus, check with the college for a list of what is provided and what the school expects you to provide.
• Contact your roommate.

GOOD LUCK in your future endeavors! You're off to great places!

Reminders & Hints for Success

• Take advantage of the opportunities you will be given throughout the year to explore colleges and career paths. There will be many opportunities for Career Days, Field Trips, College Visits, and more. Take these events seriously; they are designed to help you make your final decisions about your future plans.
• Ask for help when you need it; there are A LOT Of people at SEHS that WANT to help you!
• Keep Ms. Sirianni informed about your future plans - stop back and say HI!
• Send thank-you notes to your Letter of Recommendation writers and to those who have impacted you throughout high school.