SENIOR COLLEGE PLANNING CALENDAR
Listed below is a rough chronological outline seniors should keep in mind relative to post-secondary school admission. The monthly guildelines are approximations; seniors should check with Mrs. Albert for specific details.
SEPTEMBER
Continue serious research of the possible post-secondary schools you might want to attend and also the major you are thinking of pursuing. See your counselor for specific information. Also, visit the post-secondary schools’ websites. Plan to meet with the various post-secondary school representatives who visit our school. In addition, you may want to register for the fall SAT or the ACT if you haven’t already taken them or in order to improve your previous scores.
Plan to attend the Lycoming County Counselors Association’s College Night hosted by Lycoming College in Williamsport. This is an excellent opportunity for you to meet with admission representatives from numerous post-secondary schools.
OCTOBER
Start to select those post-secondary schools that meet your needs and interests. Visit the various post-secondary schools’ websites for their specific admission requirements. Start to apply on-line at the post-secondary schools of your choice.
In addition, begin to check the scholarship announcements listed on the website or on the bulletin board outside Mrs. Albert’s office door. Contact Mrs. Albert for additional information.
This is the month to begin the procedures for financial aid. Parents should submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.ed.gov as soon as possible after October 1st. Information from parental W-2 forms is required to complete the application. Also, some post-secondary schools require that an additional institutional form and/or a CSS Profile Form to be submitted. Students should check with their counselors or post-secondary schools’ websites to determine which forms are necessary for financial aid consideration.
During this month you may want to arrange visits to the post-secondary school of your choice. See your counselor for information on making these arragements. You can arrange visits through the post-seondary school’s website. In addition, some private institutions require that a CSS Profile Form be submitted for students who will be applying for financial aid. Students should check post-secondary school’s website to determine if this form is required.
NOVEMBER
If you have not started, yet, begin to apply to the post-secondary school of your choice. All applications should be submitted on-line. Be aware of specific application deadlines for the various post-secondary schools. For example, all admission materials for Penn State must be received by November 30 in order to be eligible for the first wave consideration for the fall term admission to University Park. Generally, the sooner applications are received by your chosen post-secondary schools, the better your relative chance for admission.
Parents should plan to attend the Financial Aid Night hosted at the high school.
DECEMBER
Overall, all four-year college applications should be submitted no later than December, although certain colleges will accept applications after this month. Most of the Pennsylvania state universities (Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, Mansfield, etc) appreciate receiving applications for admission no later than December. Also, some students may begin receiving acceptance notices at this time.
JANUARY
Continue to watch for correspondence from the colleges. Make sure all deadlines are being met.
FEBRUARY / MARCH
Most post-secondary school financial aid deadlines are during these months. Studends should check the deadlines for the schools of their choice to make sure all financial aid materials are submitted. Failure to do so could result in a loss or reduction of any financial aid.
In addition, offers of acceptance should be arriving. Weigh a post-secondary school’s offer against your personal and financial requirements. When you’ve made your decision, notify the post-secondary school, but be sure to notify the post-secondary schools you’ve rejected, as well. Respons immediately to all requests from the post-seondary school of your choice.
APRIL
Most selective post-seoncary schools will notify you of your acceptance by April 15. Respond immediately if you receive an acceptance from your chosen post-secondary school.
In general, by the end of April you should have contacted any post-secondary school notifying them of your final decision.
MAY
See your counselor to have a final transcript of your grades sent to your chosen post-secondary school.