Welcome, High School Senior! Congratulations on nearly completing high school! You're well on your way to college, vocational school, or the job market, and you've come to the right place to help you find your way!

Hopefully you've maintained a favorable GPA, taken the SAT, participated in extra-curricular activities, and gotten to know a few of your teachers already. If not, you have a lot of work to accomplish this year if you plan on applying to college, but it is well within your reach (visit your guidance counselor if this sounds like you). If you've done all those things during your time in high school, you can relax and enjoy your last year in pubic education, but don't forget to keep up that GPA you worked so hard to maintain!

During your first semester, it is important to send out all of your college applications. If you haven't taken the SAT or ACT yet, sign up immediately for the next available test date. Don't wait until the last minute to submit your applications; some colleges have been forced to cap enrollment before the final deadline!

It is also important to have a resume ready with any special recognition, extra-curricular activities, and other distinctions outlined neatly and professionally. This will help you keep a central database of information in the event that you are filling out more than one college application. Many of the applications ask similar questions, and a good resume can make the process much faster. When you are done sending out college applications, complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) after January 1. The official deadline will vary, but submitting the application as early as possible ensures greater availability of federal funds. You must submit a FAFSA to be considered for grants, work study, and federal student loans, including Federal Stafford and Federal Parent PLUS loans. You must also submit a FAFSA to collect Bright Futures and many individual college scholarships.

If you are not sure where to begin, here's a calendar for each season of your Senior year:

FALL

• Decide which colleges you are going to apply to, and complete/submit those applications. Be very careful if you plan to apply Early Decision or Early Action; those applications are binding contracts with the individual colleges, and many have very strict rules about changing your mind.
• Remember those academic teachers who got to know you during high school? Find a good time to ask a few of them for letters of recommendation to send with your college applications.
• Make sure you are still enrolled in challenging classes. If you are eligible, take Honors or Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Colleges still look at your Senior year class schedule to determine how driven you are!
• Visit college fairs in the area.
• Pick one or two extra-curricular activities in which to get/stay involved. Record and send any volunteer hours you complete to whomever collects them at your school (often in the Guidance office). Make sure you use the designated form if there is one, and get volunteer sponsors to sign for the hours. *This is very important for Florida's Bright Futures Scholarships!

SPRING

• Most of your college application decision letters will be mailed toward the end of Spring semester. Read each carefully and make a note of all decision deadlines.
• If you are enrolled in any AP courses, study for your May exams.
• Review financial aid options with your parents and a guidance counselor.
• If you are waitlisted by the college of your choice, contact their admissions office to show your continued interest in their program.
• Send the decision/enrollment form and any required deposit check to the college you have chosen. Notify any other colleges you were accepted to of your decision (this helps them start accepting people off their wait list).
• If you are not admitted to any colleges to which you applied, see your guidance counselor immediately and search online for colleges whose deadlines have not yet passed.
• Have your final transcript sent to the college you have chosen to attend.

SUMMER

• Notify the financial aid office at your college about any scholarships you have accepted. If you have not yet completed your FAFSA, do that now!
• Start packing!

Senior Checklist

• What are your plans after high school? Meet with your guidance and/or career counselor. Create a real list of your options and secure applications. Get involved in the process.
• Participate in Job Shadowing/Internships.
• Meet Financial Aid and Scholarship deadlines.
• Construct a resume, write a cover letter, and sharpen your interview skills. Create a list of schools and send out applications.
• Take dual-enrollment courses.
• Seek employment opportunities, but don't lose your focuse - school comes first! Investigate apprenticeship programs.
• Continue to take tests: SAT, ACT, SAT II, CPT.
• Check graduation credits and status with you counselor. Find out what credits you can receive for courses taken in high school and what schools accept those credits for advanced standing.
• Let your counselor know about your after-high-school plans. Arrange for a final transcript.
• If you did not successfully complete the FCAT, consider your other options for obtaining a high school diploma.