Calling All Seniors: A Holiday College Preparation Checklist
Happy Holidays. And Merry finishing-up-college-applications-season. Let me guess — your family unwraps presents with joy, sipping hot cocoa by the fireplace while you nervously sit at your computer, biting your nails and reading over your college essays for the ninety-eighth time. If this sounds like you, congratulations, you have entered the Twelve (final) Days of the College App Frenzy. Many deadlines are approaching with the New Year and it’s time to give those applications a last minute glance and then hit the send button. Read on to see what you should be doing over your winter break to prepare for college.
- Double check application deadlines. Make sure you have the correct deadlines written down for all of your college applications. Many colleges have December 31 or early January deadlines, so make sure not to miss them.
- Have someone proofread your application one last time. You should be done filling out applications, but it’s a good idea to have your parents look over them again before you hit the submit button. Even small typos can keep you from getting into a school.
- Submit. It’s scary, but it’s got to happen.
- Register for the January SAT. The deadline to register is December 26, so do it now. If your SAT Reasoning or Subject Test scores aren’t as good as you’d like them to be, retake the test in January and spend time during your break practicing for them.
- Apply for financial aid. The 2009-2010 CSS Profile is already available and you can fill out the FAFSA after January 1. Keep track of financial aid deadlines and bear in mind that some schools award their limited financial aid on a first-come, first-serve basis.
- Find and apply for scholarships. If you haven’t done this already, don’t worry — it’s not too late. Use a search engine like FastWeb to find scholarships. MyUsearch also offers scholarships. Begin writing those scholarship essays and have them ready for your English teacher to edit after the break. Many scholarship deadlines are in the early spring, so don’t put off the search any longer. Also, make sure to look for scholarships specific to the colleges to which you are applying.
- Start thinking about AP tests. Yes, they may be five months away, but setting a date to begin reviewing for these tests and spending a little of your holiday money on prep books will get you thinking about them. Don’t forget that passing these tests can save you thousands of dollars on college tuition.
- Don’t freak out. Really, it’s going to be okay.
- Relax. Between finding last minute gifts for mom and dad and thinking about your college plans, the holidays can be more like a rush of worry and work than a break. Make sure to take time for yourself. Hang out with friends. Bake cookies. Have a snowball fight.
- Make your New Years resolution to avoid senioritis. Next semester you’ll be done applying for colleges and will be on the downhill slope to graduation. This doesn’t mean you should slack off. Colleges do care about your last semester grades and admissions can be rescinded due to low grades. Keep up the work and finish your high school career with strength.
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