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User Survey · Contact Us Monday, September 6, 2010 |
College CountdownMeeting deadlines is the first college entrance requirement! Failure to file the right form at the right time could hurt your chances of attending your favorite school or getting financial aid. These are dates you dare not miss . . .
October: Take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test, (PSAT) which is a shorter version of the SAT, a college admissions exam. You can also take the P-ACT+ for an assessment of your academic skills. The P-ACT+ is, in part, a practice version of the ACT exam that you may take in your junior or senior year and includes a questionnaire which provides guidance on study habits and career choices. Don't feel obligated to take either test. However, if you do, don't fret over
the results which are not passed on to colleges. These tests will familiarize
you with sample questions.
September: Register for the PSAT, given in October, even if you took it in your sophomore year. Again, the results won't be sent to colleges, but juniors who are among the top scorers in each state may be considered for National Merit Scholarships of up to $2,000. November: Attend the Hawaii Career & College Fair, an annual, non-profit community event for students, teachers, counselors, parents, college students preparing for graduate study, and for adults planning career changes or continuing education. ADMISSION is FREE! You can visit with representatives from over 200 schools and organizations and attend free seminars on college and career planning. December: You will receive your PSAT scores. Make an appointment with your counselor and discuss the schools you might want to attend. Check the schedules to determine when you will take the ACT, SAT and achievement tests which measure knowledge in regular intervals during the school year. You must register about 6 weeks before the exam date. Results will be sent to the colleges you designate. January-March: Develop a preliminary list of about 20 colleges by consulting with your counselor, using Career Kokua's CollegeQuest searches and inforamtion, college catalogs, and other materials in your career center. Make informal visits to nearby schools. May: Take advanced placement tests which award college credits to high scorers. June: Request college catalogs and application forms. Examine the material and refine your list to 10 or fewer schools. Summer: Begin to schedule interviews and campus visits for the
early fall. Start thinking about your application essay.
September: With your counselor and parents narrow your list to 5-8 final selections. Ask teachers to write the recommendations that will accompany your applications. Work on your essay so you can show it to parents and teachers in time to make revisions. If you are applying under Early Decision/Early Action plans, make sure your transcript is correct and ready to go out. October: Start sending applications to schools with rolling admissions. Complete your Early Decision/Early Action applications, which are due between Nov. 1 and Dec. 1. Some schools require financial aid forms with the applications. November: Attend the Hawaii Career & College Fair. December: Many schools require that you submit applications for processing in early December. Pick up financial aid/application forms from your guidance office. Brace yourself: Early Action/Early Decision responses will arrive from about December 15 through December 31. January: Final deadline season begins. Almost all schools require applications by: January 1 or 15, February 1 or 15, or March 1. File financial aid forms. Have your school send transcripts of your first semester grades to the colleges. March-April: Do things to try to take your mind off the waiting. Go to the movies or to the beach. Casually check the mail. Once your responses arrive, take a deep breath, open the envelopes, and read the decision letters. 10.13.08 |
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