1)

Sign up for eNEWS. If you or a parent have internet access, go to the district Website www.fhsdschools.org and sign up for eNEWS. This is extremely important. Many important items are advertised in eNEWS, including: college visits, summer opportunities, available scholarships, school announcements, sporting event information, and much, much more.

2)

Use the Parent Internet Viewer to monitor academic progress and keep grades high. If needed, take advantage of tutoring before and after school.

3)

Become involved in a wide variety of school activities. Many college and scholarship applications ask for evidence of leadership. If you have leadership potential, develop your skills by becoming a club officer, captain of a sports team, squad leader in band, etc. Depth of involvement is also important in any activity, meaning involvement over all four years.

4)

Participation in activities outside of school (church, scouts, and recreational sports) is also valuable and can be listed on your college/scholarship applications. Any type of volunteer work or community service is particularly impressive on an application.

5)

Start exploring career options. Use the internet, library, and college and career room resources (C123) to start identifying careers of interest. Find out everything you can about careers you are interested in, including: education and training requirements, job outlook, daily routine, salary, and schools you can attend to prepare for this career. Job shadowing a professional in a career of interest is extremely valuable and a great way to find out if this is really the career for you. Students should try to job shadow a professional in several careers of interest. To find out more about job shadowing, see Ms. Moss in guidance.

6)

Attend the Early College Awareness Night for freshmen and sophomores and their parents at Francis Howell High School in the Fall to find out more about college preparation.

1)

Continue to monitor academic progress and obtain tutoring if needed. Stay involved in activities and continue to explore careers.

2)

Register to take the PLAN Test. The PLAN test is an instrument given to sophomores that measures the same academic skills as the ACT. It addition to an “estimated ACT composite score range” sophomores can receive information on their interests and an assessment of their study skills. If you score low in any area on the PLAN, dedicate time your sophomore year to following some of the suggestions the test report offers to improve your score in those areas. Examine the interest inventory you took on the PLAN to guide you in your career exploration process. Career research and job shadowing are essential this year.

3)

Consider taking the PSAT/NMSQT. This is a national test administered by high schools in October. It is a test primarily for juniors, but sophomores can take it for practice. This may help you do better on this test if you take it your junior year.

4)

Attend the Early College Awareness Night in the Fall at Francis Howell High School for freshmen and sophomores and their parents to find out more about college preparation.

5)

Choose meaningful activities for the summer months. If possible, look for activities that provide exposure to a career field you are considering. You can stop by the guidance office to find out about employment opportunities and/or academic summer programs offered at a wide variety of universities. Continue to job shadow, do volunteer work, and research careers.

6)

Update your “Activities and Awards” file.

1)

Continue to monitor academic progress and take advantage of tutoring if needed. Since college applications are completed in the fall of a student’s senior year, the last, and most recent grades on the transcript are the junior year grades.

2)

Attend the College Information Night for Juniors and their parents in the Spring at Francis Howell High School.

3)

Continue to stay involved in activities and take advantage of leadership opportunities. Be sure to update your activities and awards file.

4)

Register in the fall to take the PSAT/NMSQT. College bound juniors should take this test for several reasons. The PSAT is good practice for the SAT and it predicts future SAT scores. Students whose scores are exceptionally high are recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation which can lead to obtaining scholarships.

5)

Make a list of colleges/universities you are interested in. This is the year that you should give serious thought as to what colleges/universities they would like to attend after graduation. You can use the internet, library, and the college and career room resources (C123) to narrow their choices of schools. College catalogs and information on hundreds of colleges are available in the college and career room. There are many factors to consider when choosing a school such as academic programs offered, cost, size, location, facilities, community, competitiveness, and much, much more. Juniors may want to visit with their counselor to discuss their options.

6)

One way to find out more about different colleges is to visit with college representatives when they come to Francis Howell High School. Most colleges that visit come both in the fall and the spring. College representatives’ visits are advertised in the daily announcements, ENEWS, and on the monthly calendars in the hallway outside the guidance office. You can also click on the calendar on the guidance website to see a list of visits. If a representative from a school of interest is scheduled, sign up in the guidance office with the guidance secretary for a pass. It is at the teacher’s discretion whether you may leave class to attend the presentation.

7)

Register to take the ACT test the spring of your junior year. Research shows that your score may improve if you take it at least three times. Therefore, you may want to take the test in the summer and fall of your senior year. You may want to consider taking an ACT prep course to improve your score. Francis Howell High School offers a prep course for a fee. Registration forms are available in the guidance office. Various local learning institutions also offer ACT and SAT prep courses. Consult with your guidance counselor to find out about other prep courses in the area.

8)

Make college visits. Once you have narrowed your choices of schools to five or less, start scheduling college visits. Students are allowed three excused absences from school during both their junior and senior year to attend college visits. Some colleges schedule campus visit days for prospective students. The best way to find out about campus visit days is to view school websites. To schedule an individual visit, contact the school and indicate the departments you are interested in. It is recommended that you visit colleges of interest before you return your senior year.

9)

Carefully plan your senior year schedule. Make sure you have met all the requirements for graduation and any awards for which you may be eligible. Be sure that you schedule any courses required by the colleges in which you are interested. Colleges want to see that seniors are continuing to follow a strong college preparatory program; therefore you should take the most rigorous courses in which you can be successful.

10)

Summer academic opportunities are most numerous for students between their junior and senior year in high school. Be sure to check out our website for a variety of summer opportunities and enrichment programs and commit to a summer activity which will enhance your education and/or help you explore a career interest.   There are many academic camps offered to help teens explore nursing, the medical field, government and politics, engineering, and many other career fields.

11)

Begin checking out scholarships. Although you won’t be able to apply for most scholarships until your senior year, you should start looking at scholarship possibilities during your junior year.  Browse through the 2010 Scholarships on our website to get an idea of what scholarships you may be eligible for as a senior.

September

1)

Sign up for the October ACT or SAT.  Most mid-west schools require the ACT college admissions test, while coastal schools and highly selective schools may require the SAT. Check the college websites to find out which is preferred. Registering on-line for the test in preferred, but you may also get a paper copy from guidance. Before you apply on-line, you will need the following: 

·         CEEB code for Francis Howell High School – 262-845

·         A credit card to pay on-line

·         A student copy of your transcript

·         The codes of the schools you wish to receive your test scores.  (These codes are available on the ACT and SAT websites). 

You must take tests at least six weeks before the college application deadline to ensure the scores will be received by the college on time.

2)

Go on-line and research colleges, their programs and admission requirements. Request application materials from colleges to which you want to apply. Some helpful web sites are: 

• www.schoolsintheusa.com
• www.petersons.com
• www.collegeboard.com
• www.collegebasics.com

3)

Ask teachers/counselors for letters of recommendations for colleges that require them. Choose someone who knows you well and can write a letter that best reflects your accomplishments. You may want to give them a resume of your activities or a copy of your senior profile to help them write the letter. Since many teachers/counselors are asked to write letters for many seniors, PLEASE GIVE THE PERSON YOU ARE REQUESTING THE LETTER FROM AT LEAST SIX WEEKS NOTICE.

4)

Prepare and polish your high school resume (activities, accomplishments/honors, jobs, volunteer work, etc.) by completing a Senior Profile for your counselor. You will need these for filling out both college applications and scholarships.

5)

Schedule campus visits (fall break is a great time to do this).

6)

Begin writing essays required on applications. (Not all applications require an essay.

7)

Listen to the bulletin for announcements of visits from college, career, technical schools, and military. See the guidance secretary for a pass to attend these visits. Check the calendar outside of guidance or go to the Guidance Web Site to see when representatives will be on campus. This site also lists important dates and scholarship information.

8)

Attend College Fairs to speak with representatives and sign-up to receive materials. There is always a big college fair at St. Charles County Community College in September. See guidance calendar for date and time.

9)

Attend the College Admissions Night for Seniors at FHHS  in September to hear a presentation from a college admissions advisor on how  to best navigate the admissions process. Please invite your parents.

10)

Athletes planning on competing in college must register with the

 NCAA at www.eligibilitycenter.org   A fee and a transcript  must also be sent.

October

1)

Take the ACT in October.

2)

Begin your application process and request the information you need (transcripts, letters of recommendation) in order to complete the application. Remember to give teachers/counselors/secretaries plenty of time to help you complete the everything you need for the application.

3)

Visit your top 3 college choices. Call the school for an appointment and request a visit tailored to your needs. Request to speak with professors and students and to sit in on classes for the major you are considering. Use the list of recommended questions in your College and Career Planning booklet and add your own questions to make your college visit meaningful.

4)

Work on College Admissions essays.

5)

Find out which Financial Aid applications your college choices require and when the forms are due.

6)

Visit the St. Louis University National College Fair in October.

7)

Attend the Financial Aid Night in October at FHHS. This is a meeting your parents would benefit from as well.

November

1)

Sign up for the December ACT. 

2)

It is recommended that you send in your college application and transcript by November 15^th. Keep copies of all forms submitted in case something should get lost in the mail.

December

1)

Re-take the ACT or SAT in December to improve your test scores.

2)

Check your College and Career Planning book for helpful information on Financial Aid Applications and FAFSA. Your counselor gave you this blue-covered book during your individual meeting in the fall

3)

Begin filling out your FAFSA form. It’s available online at fafsa.ed.gov. Completing your FAFSA online will speed processing by up to 4 weeks. The FAFSA is required regardless if you think you may not qualify for financial aid. IMPORTANT: DON’T SUBMIT YOUR FAFSA BEFORE JANUARY 1^ST. THE INFORMATION SUBMITTED IS BASED ON EARNINGS THROUGH DECEMBER 31^ST.

4)

Begin applying for scholarships. Check the Guidance Department Scholarship Book or visit the Guidance website for an updated listing of scholarships. Please come to guidance if you need a paper copy of a scholarship application.

5)

Study for finals – grades still count!!! Colleges conditionally admit students based on final transcripts. More and more frequently, colleges are rescinding student acceptance if they see a dip in grades or evidence that students drop academically important classes in favor of less challenging classes.

6)

Visit the St. Louis University National College Fair in October.

January

1)

Sign up for the February ACT to improve your test score

2)

Continue your scholarship search. There are many, many scholarships available and not all are dependent on your GPA. Check your College and Career Planning booklet for helpful web sites to assist you in your scholarship search.

3)

Request that your Mid-Year transcript be sent to colleges.

4)

Parents: Submit your FAFSA as soon as possible. It is important to keep copies of the forms you submit.

February

1)

Take the ACT in February.

2)

Rank your finalized list of colleges.

3)

Request that your Mid-Year transcript be sent to colleges.

4)

Sign-up to take the ACT in April. 

5)

Continue your scholarship search.

6)

Make sure college-specific financial aid forms have been completed and submitted.

7)

The deadline for submitting the FAFSA for most colleges is February 28^th.

8)

Attend the FAFSA workshop in February in the FHHS library. Bring completed tax returns to the workshop.

March

1)

Look for your Student Aid Report (SAR) in the mail. This contains federal financial aid information.

2)

Submit your SAR to the financial aid office.

3)

Contact each admission office to make certain your application is complete.

4)

Keep copies of everything you submit to the financial aid office.

5)

If you have not received your SAR four weeks after sending in your FAFSA, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 800-433-3243.

6)

The deadline for submitting the FAFSA for Missouri State Aid is April 1^st.

April

1)

Watch mail for acceptance letters and financial aid award letters.

2)

Compare the financial aid awards you receive.

3)

Choose a school and send in a deposit by the deadline.

4)

Check with the college you’ve chosen about the details of signing and returning financial aid award letters. Accept or decline financial aid packages by May 1^st.

5)

Notify the other schools that you will not be attending.

6)

Watch for important deadlines (housing, financial aid, etc.) at your chosen college.

7)

Re-take the ACT to improve your score in April.

8)

Continue scholarship search.

May

1)

Sign-up for the June ACT. 

2)

Take Advanced Placement exams

3)

Invitations for the Senior Awards Night are mailed the beginning of May.

4)

Complete scholarship search and applications.

5)

Request final transcript mailing to chosen college.