College and Career Checklist: 12th Grade

Complete August through Early December (fall):

____Continue discussing your future educational/career goals with family

• Review progress and make adjustments as needed
• Discuss what type of support you need to achieve your goals

1. ____Prepare for FAFSA and all the steps involved
   • Parent(s) and student must complete their tax returns in order to fill out FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) if required to file. Visit https://www.irs.gov/uac/do-i-need-to-file-a-tax-return to determine if you need to file taxes
   • Parents must allow at least three weeks from the time they file their taxes to the time they can use the retrieval tool to import tax return information to the FAFSA form
   • Determine which parent’s information will be used to complete the FAFSA https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/parent-info
   • Complete an FSA ID for student and parent, which will be needed to submit the FAFSA https://fsaid.ed.gov/
2. ____Attend Financial Aid and Scholarship Night at your high school (Dates posted on CCPS website)

http://www.collierschools.com/Page/10426

4. ____Attend Parent/Student night at school
5. ____Ask teachers, counselors, coaches, or other adults for Letters of Recommendation early and give them at least a two-week to a month period to complete
6. ____Update your resume to reflect new activities and opportunities
7. ____ Retake the SAT/ACT as needed
   • Check SAT, SAT Subject Tests, and/or ACT testing dates schedule
   • Mark your calendar with registration deadlines and test dates
   • Register for tests
     • Visit: http://sat.collegeboard.com/register/sat-dates
     • Visit: http://www.actstudent.org/regist/dates.html
   • Take ACT and/or SAT no
   • Prepare for test using SAT/ACT prep courses
   • Majortests.com
   • act.org
   • collegeboard.org
   • princetonreview.com
     • number2.com

8. ____Complete the 2018-2019 FAFSA (opens Oct. 1^ST, 2017) https://fafsa.ed.gov/ using 2016 tax information
   • Attend the FAFSA completion events at any Collier County Public Schools site (Dates and locations posted on CCPS website) to receive assistance
9. ____Complete college admissions applications by the priority deadlines (early October)
   • Continue writing application essays
   • Understand the differences between rolling admissions, and early and regular decision deadlines
   • Many colleges /universities waive application fee if you qualify for SAT/ACT test waiver
     • You can also ask your counselor for an application fee waiver
   • Find out what standardized tests your chosen colleges/universities prefer and accept
   • You can apply to Florida Colleges and Universities through flvc.org
     • Degrees & Careers tab, under Search College & University Profiles link

10. ____ Start applying for scholarships early and all throughout the school year as deadlines vary
    • Community Foundation of Collier County: http://www.colliercountyscholarships.org/
    • Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program: FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org
11. ____ Continue to work on community service hours and ACT/SAT scores for Bright Futures and other scholarships
    • You need 30 Community Service Hours to qualify for the Florida Gold Seal Scholarship, 75 hours to qualify for the Florida Medallion Scholarship and 100 hours to qualify for the Florida Academic Scholarship
    • Visit your school counselor for approved sites and the community service form
    • Make sure community service hours appear on your transcript
12. ____If you plan to work after graduation with no further education, research companies and career fields that hire students right out of high school and/or offer tuition reimbursement programs
    • Most applications completed online
    • A job- or position-specific resume will be valuable to provide to employer
    • Most companies include an in-person interview as part of the hiring process

Complete Mid-December through February (winter)

13. ____Send mid-year high school transcripts to colleges as part of your college application packet
    • Schools also require final official transcripts, which will only be available after graduation
14. ____Continue applying for scholarships

Complete March through June (spring):

15. ____Continue to complete community service hours for Bright Futures and other scholarships
16. ____Confirm that colleges and universities received all necessary documents
17. ____Talk to financial aid office at school(s) you are considering about your financial aid package
18. ____Write Thank You notes to people who wrote Letters of Recommendation or helped this year
19. ____Finalize preparation and planning to respective postsecondary program
    • Fill out any remaining documents
    • Choose orientation date and prepare for enrollment process
    • Find a summer job to have a little extra money for school/dorm and school supplies
    • If you still need money for post-high school program, apply for student loans, jobs etc.
    • Confirm housing arrangements, moving timeframe, meal plans, course selection, etc.
20. ____ If going into the workforce, continue to search and apply for jobs, especially those offering professional development and educational opportunities
    • Update resume
    • Line up interviews
    • Secure a job prior to graduation

Thank you for your support