12-13 Senior Guide Book
LIMESTONE COUNTY CAREER
TECHNICAL CENTER
505 East Sanderfer Road ♦ Athens, AL 35611 ♦
Phone: 256-233-6463 ♦ Fax: 256-233-6667
www.careertechnical.org
Mickey Glass, Director ♦ Donna Morris, Counselor
Senior Year College
Planning Calendar
During your senior year, you will finalize your college
choice. This year is filled with admission applications,
scholarship essays, financial aid information, and the need to meet
deadlines. Throughout your senior year, continue to build
your resume by achieving academic success, as well as participating
in extra curricular activities. Colleges are very interested
in well-rounded students.
The college preparation that takes place during your senior year
is filled with a lot of details and paperwork. It is very
important that you involve your
parents with this process. It
is also very important that you pay attention to
deadlines and do not miss them.
August
- Review your career plans and decide which type of postsecondary
school is best for you: technical school, junior college,
4-yr college or university.
- List your top college choices. Choose at least three colleges
to apply for with one being a sure thing.
- Request admissions information and school catalogs.
- Go on college visits
- Obtain registration materials and test dates for the ACT and/or
SAT.
- Compare costs of each school that interests you.
- Visit web sites for information about career, college, and
financial aid.
- Prepare your resume.
September
- Mark your calendar with registration, admissions and financial
aid deadlines and fees.
- Determine if the schools that interest you have online
admission applications. If not, request them by mail
now.
- Meet with school representatives who visit your high
school.
- Look at virtual tours of college campuses online.
- Attend College/Career Days.
- If you haven't already taken the ACT and/or SAT, register for
the test. Last ACT Test considered for December 1 deadlines is the
October test.
- Attend college planning and/or financial aid information nights
and college fairs.
- Ask employers, teachers, and guidance counselors for letters of
recommendation to accompany your admissions and/or scholarship
applications.
October
- Take the ACT and/or SAT.
- Work on your admission/scholarship essays.
- Attend any college planning and/or financial aid info
nights.
- Visit your top school choices. If possible, make
appointments with faculty, staff and students.
- Complete applications for every scholarship for which you may
be eligible.
- Meet with your guidance counselor to develop a college
admission and financial aid application plan.
- Make a folder for each of your college choices.
- Contact the schools' financial aid offices to determine if they
require any special forms.
- Finalize portfolios, audition tapes, writing samples, or other
evidence of talent if required for admission.
November
- Complete admissions applications by their deadlines.
- Continue to attend college planning and/or financial aid info
nights.
- If necessary, register to retake the ACT and/or SAT.
- Request financial aid forms and applications. Double
check the deadlines for submission.
- Follow up to ensure your employers, teachers and counselors
send letters of recommendation.
December
- Sign up for a PIN, to complete your FAFSA online. (Also
let your parents know that they will need a PIN.)
www.fafsa.ed.gov
- Finalize admission applications.
- Urge your parents to file their taxes as soon as possible after
January 1. This will ease the financial aid process.
- Research and apply for other financial aid, including grants
and scholarships.
- Watch for early admissions notices.
January
- As soon as possible after January 1 and when tax forms are
complete (they don't have to be filed until April 15; you can use
estimates), complete your FAFSA online (or go to www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov
to download a PDF version of the FAFSA). Keep copies of all
documents, including your PIN, in a file.
- Check high school web sites and bulletin boards for
scholarships you may be eligible to apply for.
- February 1 or March 1 is scholarship deadline at most junior
colleges. Check deadlines for schools you are interested
in.
February
- Be mindful of deadlines. Always submit information on
time.
- Watch for the e-mail notice indicating your Student Aid Report
(SAR) is ready.
- Review your SAR for errors and make any corrections as
indicated.
March
- Check with the financial aid offices to ensure your paperwork
is complete. Submit tax forms if they request them.
- Narrow your school choices and make campus visits.
- Be on the lookout for acceptance letter
April
- Compare financial aid award letters.
- Make your final school decision and mail deposits, as required,
and return financial aid award letters.
- Notify the schools you have chosen NOT to attend.
- Plan for registration, orientation and housing and mark your
calendar for important dates.
May
- Be aware of any summer orientation sessions that you must
attend at the school in which you will enroll and make plans
accordingly
- Follow up with your high school to ensure the counselor
forwards your final school transcripts to the college
- Send "thank you notes" to everyone who helped you plan and
prepare for college
- Notify colleges of acceptance or decline of
scholarships.
- Send deposits
- If you are attending a junior college in the state of Alabama,
it is your responsibility to ask for articulated credit if you are
eligible. Make sure you have a copy of your instructor's
recommendation form to take with you when you register.
Advice for Parents
Yes, there are things you can do to help your senior prepare for
continuing their education after high school.
- It is important to attend financial aid presentations and
career day functions WITH your student. Many of these events
will be held in the evenings and on weekends. If you don't
know when they're scheduled, contact your son or daughter's high
school counselor.
- Ask them monthly, "Have you been searching websites? What
are you working on and what scholarships have you applied
for?"
- Sit down with your student and prepare a list of what he/she is
looking for in a college and help them sort through the information
they receive from the different institutions to decide which ones
offer what's on the list.
- Complete applications with the student.
- In November, register for a PIN so you can assist your student
with financial aid forms.
- In January or February, you will need to help your student
complete the FAFSA. Your PIN will help speed up the
process.
- In March, the award notices will start coming in. Look at
the financing carefully and contact the schools with any
questions. Make comparisons.
- Go on trips with your student to as many of his or her top
school choices as possible. A visit to the campus is
invaluable to making a decision.
- Hug them, send them on their way, BUT don't change the locks -
they'll be back!
Reprinted from
www.mappingyourfuture.org/collegeprep/seniorcalendar.htm
HELPFUL WEB SITES FOR
CAREER
- www.kuder.com (Students
will have to remember login and password )
Web Sites for Financial Aid and Scholarship
Information
Web Sites for Job Search
Web Sites for College Entrance Exams
Scholarships and
Programs
Seniors: Please remember when submitting
college applications this fall to complete any additional
scholarship applications that may be required. Almost
every college or university has scholarship opportunities based on
GPA, ACT score, academics, or leadership. Please make sure
that you complete a scholarship application if you are eligible for
any of these.
Some scholarships that are currently available are listed
below. Please check with the counselor's office
during the school year for others.
NCAA Scholarships: All rising seniors
interested in registering for athletic scholarships must register
with the NCAA Clearinghouse at the following address: http://www.ncaa.org. The NCAA guide for
college bound student athletes is available, including coursework,
GPA, and ACT score requirements. All college bound athletes
need to review this information each year of high school to ensure
compliance and eligibility.
Berea College: Berea College offers 100 percent
tuition aid to admitted students demonstrating financial need.
Scholarships.com Scholarship Offers: Search is
free, meet the scholarship deadlines. See http://www.Scholarships.com for more
information.
John F. Kennedy Library Foundation: The
JFK Library Foundation invites U.S. high school students to write
an original essay on the political courage of a U.S. elected
official. For contest information, registration, and to
submit your essay online, visit the Profile in Courage Award
Program at http://www.jfklibrary.org.
The first place winner receives $5000, second place receives $1000,
and up to five finalists receive $500 each in scholarship
money. The winner will also receive an expense-paid trip to
Boston.
The United Negro College Fund: Many
scholarship opportunities are available for students here.
Please visit http://www.uncf.org to apply online.
Better Business Bureau of North Alabama 2009 Torch
Awards Scholarship: $1000 scholarships will be awarded to
junior or seniors. The criteria for the award includes: Leadership
20%, Community Service 20%, Academic 10%, Essay 50%. http://www.northalabama.bbb.org
Oh, The Places You'll Go Scholarship:
Recognizes a high school senior who understands and values the
limitless possibilities that education can offer with a first place
$5,000 scholarship. Visit www.ohtheplaces.org to print
out an application.
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation: Awarding
scholarships to motivated, dedicated, involved high school seniors.
For additional information go to www.coca-colascholars.org.
Deadline: October 31.
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards:
Applications must be completed by November 2, 2010. For more
information go to http://spirit.prudential.com.
Juniors and Seniors
need to visit the colleges they are thinking of attending
to see if the college is a good fit!
Contact the college to schedule a tour. Tours are usually
given M-F and sometimes a Saturday tour can be arranged.
Several colleges and universities will have preview days.
Check the college web site frequently for dates of these.
Preview Days
Calhoun Community College
- Campus tours Monday-Friday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Call 306-2870
Wallace State Community College
- Campus tours Tuesdays 9:00 - 1:00 - Fridays 9:00 a.m.
- Space is limited to 10 per group. Call 256-352-8031 to make an
appointment. Campus visits will meet in the James C. Bailey
Center.
University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa University
Days
Auburn University
- Go to www.auburn.edu/admissions/visit/
to schedule a tour Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m, 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m.
- Saturday tours are also available in the fall
- War Eagle Days are by invitation only
