GRADE 11
This is a key year in the college planning process because you’ll be taking standardized tests, narrowing down your college list, and learning about financial aid. In addition, you’ll need to stay involved in your high school courses and activities.
GRADE 11
This is a key year in the college planning process because you’ll be taking standardized tests, narrowing down your college list, and learning about financial aid. In addition, you’ll need to stay involved in your high school courses and activities.
11th GRADE ROADMAP
Stay Involved
Stay involved in school or community-based activities that interest you or allow you to explore career interests. Remember, it’s quality or quantity that counts.
- Colleges look for consistency and depth in the non-academic activities you pursue. Taking on leadership roles and making a commitment to the same groups are more important than trying out tons of new activities each year.
- Add any new activities/clubs/jobs to your list (resume) as well as any leadership roles you hold. Colleges, universities and jobs like to see how you have used your time and what skills you have developed.
Meet with Your Counselor
Meet with your counselor to check on your class decile rank and your GPA. Even if your grades haven’t been that good so far, it’s never too late to improve. Colleges like to see an upward trend.
- Evaluate your education options. Now is the time to follow a more specific path. Decide whether you want to pursue full-time employment, further education or career training (such as a vocational-technical school, career college, or two-year or four-year college), or a military career. If you’re interested in attending a military academy, talk to your school counselor about starting the application process now.
- Take as many challenging classes as you are capable. Consider your time constraints, academic ability, and other life stressors as a balanced life is important.
- Select purposeful electives that may lead to a career path. Obtain industry certifications. Learn about dual credit classes, which allow you to earn high school and college credit at the same time, and how they transfer.
- Go to college fairs and college-preparation presentations by college representatives who have scheduled a visit with JHHS.
Gather College Information
- Attend college information nights (programming designed specifically for 11th grade students and their families starts at JHHS in January of your junior year).
- Use Scoir’s College search function to begin building your college lists. Your list of colleges should include schools that meet your most important criteria (for example, size, location, cost, academic majors, or special programs). Weigh each of the factors according to their importance to you and develop a preliminary ranking of the schools on your list.
- It’s good to have reach, fit, and likely schools on your list from an academic perspective. It’s good to have the same range from a financial perspective too (colleges you can definitely afford and colleges you’d need a huge scholarship to make work out). Use this document to help build a college list.
- Looking for more affordable options outside Wyoming? Be sure to look at colleges that offer the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE - pronounced woo-eee) scholarship to students from Wyoming.
- Check out the Going Merry scholarship database to get matched to scholarships that meet your personal criteria.
Take the PSAT
Taking this standardized test qualifies you for the National Merit Scholarship program, which means you could earn money for college. In addition, it’s a good way to practice for the SAT and ACT.
Organize a Testing Plan
- Figure out when you’ll be taking important tests like the ACT, SAT, and AP exams, and mark the dates on your calendar. You’ll want to have plenty of time to prepare.
- Prepare for standardized tests. While many colleges are test optional, a good test score can help you qualify for scholarships (like Hathaway!) and help your application. Register to take the tests you need; most juniors take them in the winter or spring. You can take them again in the fall of your senior year if you’re unhappy with your scores.
- REMEMBER: all TCSD students will take the ACT in April of their junior year. This free, official ACT is a state requirement offered during the school day.
- REMEMBER: register for all tests in advance and be sure to give yourself time to prepare appropriately! If you have difficulty paying a registration fee, see your school counselor about getting the fee waived.
- Many colleges are “Test Optional.” Fair Test’s website has a comprehensive list of schools and how they look at your test scores. Talk to your school counselor if you have questions - this is a confusing topic!
Organize College Information
Start a spreadsheet like this with entrance requirements (recommendation letters, minimum ACT/SAT scores, minimum GPA), tuition, room and board costs, course offerings, student activities, financial aid, etc. Then begin comparing the schools by the factors that are most important to you and rank your choices.
- Make sure you’re meeting any special requirements. For example, if you want to play Division I or II sports in college, start the NCAA certification process and check with your counselor to make sure you’re taking a core curriculum that meets NCAA requirements.
- Now is a great time to get key information using the College Scorecard for the schools that you are thinking about. Visit each school’s website to see if virtual tours are available.
Talk with your family
Have a discussion about the colleges you’re interested in. Your family can learn about what you want to pursue and you can hear any concerns or suggestions they might have.
Talk to your family about how much money you have for college. This is a tough but important conversation. It’s the worst to find out spring of your senior year that you just can’t afford colleges you applied to.
The cost of college doesn’t have to be a surprise to you and your family next year. Be sure to check out the financial aid resources.
Financial Aid
Learn more about financial aid. Examine your family’s financial resources and gather information about financial aid from the schools you’re interested in. High-school sponsored financial aid nights, college financial aid counselors, and advice articles online are also good sources of information.
Take the PSAT
Taking this standardized test qualifies you for the National Merit Scholarship program, which means you could earn money for college. In addition, it’s a good way to practice for the SAT and ACT.
Take the ACT in April
Register for the ACT here, or check with your school counselor to find out the testing dates available at your high school.
Prepare for Senior Year
Prepare a challenging schedule for senior year. Meet with your counselor to determine what classes you’ll take next year and to make sure you’re on track for graduation. When you pick your classes, don’t load up on easy electives. Colleges do consider your senior year courses and grades, so stick with a schedule that challenges you.
Visit Colleges
If time and money allow, try to set up appointments to visit your top college choices. You’ll often have to plan ahead when visiting colleges. Call the Admissions Office to set up a personal interview, tour, and a meeting with a professor or coach if you’re interested. You can also ask them to send you an application.
If it is too costly to go see the college campuses you are interested in or you just don’t have the time, many colleges also offer virtual tours and the opportunity to speak with current students to ask them questions about their experience!
Letters of Recommendation
Think about who you might ask to write letters of recommendation for your college and scholarship applications during your senior year. Teachers and school counselors are often asked to write recommendations for lots of students. Consider whom you want to ask now and let them know so they’ll have time to prepare before getting tons of requests in the fall.
- Ask teachers who know you well and who will have positive things to say. This doesn’t have to be the class you naturally are strongest in - teachers who saw you work hard and ask for lots of help can write great letters too.
- Consider filling out this form to help your teachers focus their letter.
- Letters of recommendation from a coach, activity leader, or adult who knows you well outside of school are also valuable.
Summer Job or Internship
Apply for a summer job or internship. Summer employment and internships in fields you’re interested in will look appealing on a college application or resume - and can give you interesting stories to write about on your college application! The money you earn can also be used to help pay application and testing fees in the fall.
Sign Up for the June ACT
After reviewing your April ACT scores, which you should receive in the mail, consider retaking the ACT in June or July if you were not happy with your scores, or if you landed with a score on the cusp of the Hathaway Scholarship criteria. There are also many opportunities to retake the ACT next school year, though the earlier during senior year the better.
Choosing a College
- Learn about choosing a college and find a link to a free college search tool.
- Visit colleges. If time and money allow, visit the campuses of your top five college choices. Take a tour and speak with the admissions and financial aid staff. You may also be able to talk to students if some classes are in session. If you have an interview, be sure to send a thank-you letter to the interviewer once you return home.
- Get advice from other college students. If you have friends or relatives in college, talk to them about what college life is like, especially if they attend a school you’re interested in. Although it’s important to hear what the admissions staff has to say about a school, it’s also important to get the students’ perspective.
Applications
Create a Common Application account.
- Get organized for the application process using a spreadsheet like this.
- Make early decision preparations. If you plan to apply “early decision” to any school, take the time to visit the school again and make sure you’re willing to commit. If you elect to apply early decision, you should start working on your application as soon as possible because its deadline will be earlier than others.
- Consider applying to Fly-In programs if you qualify. Many colleges seek to increase their student diversity by offering chances for first generation, minority, and/or students from rural communities to fly to their campus and visit for free. Most applications open the summer between your 11th and 12th grade year; fly-ins happen in the fall of 12th grade. Check out this list of colleges that offer some form of fly-in program to prospective students.
What is Early Decision?
According to collegeboard.org -
Early decision (ED) plans are binding: A student who is accepted as an ED applicant must attend the college.
Early action plans are nonbinding: Students receive an early response to their application but do not have to commit to the college until the normal reply date of May 1.
College Essays
Start working on your application essays. Compose rough drafts of the essays you’ll need for your college applications. Have a teacher read and discuss them with you so you can see what to work on. Make any revisions to your application essays and prepare final drafts. Don’t forget to proofread your final essays a few times.
- Tips for writing those pesky essays.
- Examples from Johns Hopkins.
- Some colleges offer virtual workshops to help with your application. Check out these free Application Workshops from Johns Hopkins.
Stay Involved
Stay involved in school or community-based activities that interest you or allow you to explore career interests. Remember, it’s quality or quantity that counts.
- Colleges look for consistency and depth in the non-academic activities you pursue. Taking on leadership roles and making a commitment to the same groups are more important than trying out tons of new activities each year.
- Add any new activities/clubs/jobs to your list (resume) as well as any leadership roles you hold. Colleges, universities and jobs like to see how you have used your time and what skills you have developed.
Meet with Your Counselor
Meet with your counselor to check on your class decile rank and your GPA. Even if your grades haven’t been that good so far, it’s never too late to improve. Colleges like to see an upward trend.
- Evaluate your education options. Now is the time to follow a more specific path. Decide whether you want to pursue full-time employment, further education or career training (such as a vocational-technical school, career college, or two-year or four-year college), or a military career. If you’re interested in attending a military academy, talk to your school counselor about starting the application process now.
- Take as many challenging classes as you are capable. Consider your time constraints, academic ability, and other life stressors as a balanced life is important.
- Select purposeful electives that may lead to a career path. Obtain industry certifications. Learn about dual credit classes, which allow you to earn high school and college credit at the same time, and how they transfer.
- Go to college fairs and college-preparation presentations by college representatives who have scheduled a visit with JHHS.
Gather College Information
- Attend college information nights (programming designed specifically for 11th grade students and their families starts at JHHS in January of your junior year).
- Use Scoir’s College search function to begin building your college lists. Your list of colleges should include schools that meet your most important criteria (for example, size, location, cost, academic majors, or special programs). Weigh each of the factors according to their importance to you and develop a preliminary ranking of the schools on your list.
- It’s good to have reach, fit, and likely schools on your list from an academic perspective. It’s good to have the same range from a financial perspective too (colleges you can definitely afford and colleges you’d need a huge scholarship to make work out). Use this document to help build a college list.
- Looking for more affordable options outside Wyoming? Be sure to look at colleges that offer the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE - pronounced woo-eee) scholarship to students from Wyoming.
- Check out the Going Merry scholarship database to get matched to scholarships that meet your personal criteria.
Take the PSAT
Taking this standardized test qualifies you for the National Merit Scholarship program, which means you could earn money for college. In addition, it’s a good way to practice for the SAT and ACT.
Organize a Testing Plan
- Figure out when you’ll be taking important tests like the ACT, SAT, and AP exams, and mark the dates on your calendar. You’ll want to have plenty of time to prepare.
- Prepare for standardized tests. While many colleges are test optional, a good test score can help you qualify for scholarships (like Hathaway!) and help your application. Register to take the tests you need; most juniors take them in the winter or spring. You can take them again in the fall of your senior year if you’re unhappy with your scores.
- REMEMBER: all TCSD students will take the ACT in April of their junior year. This free, official ACT is a state requirement offered during the school day.
- REMEMBER: register for all tests in advance and be sure to give yourself time to prepare appropriately! If you have difficulty paying a registration fee, see your school counselor about getting the fee waived.
- Many colleges are “Test Optional.” Fair Test’s website has a comprehensive list of schools and how they look at your test scores. Talk to your school counselor if you have questions - this is a confusing topic!
Organize College Information
Start a spreadsheet like this with entrance requirements (recommendation letters, minimum ACT/SAT scores, minimum GPA), tuition, room and board costs, course offerings, student activities, financial aid, etc. Then begin comparing the schools by the factors that are most important to you and rank your choices.
- Make sure you’re meeting any special requirements. For example, if you want to play Division I or II sports in college, start the NCAA certification process and check with your counselor to make sure you’re taking a core curriculum that meets NCAA requirements.
- Now is a great time to get key information using the College Scorecard for the schools that you are thinking about. Visit each school’s website to see if virtual tours are available.
Talk With Your Family
Have a discussion about the colleges you’re interested in. Your family can learn about what you want to pursue and you can hear any concerns or suggestions they might have.
Talk to your family about how much money you have for college. This is a tough but important conversation. It’s the worst to find out spring of your senior year that you just can’t afford colleges you applied to.
The cost of college doesn’t have to be a surprise to you and your family next year. Be sure to check out the financial aid resources.
Financial Aid
Learn more about financial aid. Examine your family’s financial resources and gather information about financial aid from the schools you’re interested in. High-school sponsored financial aid nights, college financial aid counselors, and advice articles online are also good sources of information.
Take the PSAT
Taking this standardized test qualifies you for the National Merit Scholarship program, which means you could earn money for college. In addition, it’s a good way to practice for the SAT and ACT.
Take the ACT in April
Register for the ACT here, or check with your school counselor to find out the testing dates available at your high school.
Prepare for Senior Year
Prepare a challenging schedule for senior year. Meet with your counselor to determine what classes you’ll take next year and to make sure you’re on track for graduation. When you pick your classes, don’t load up on easy electives. Colleges do consider your senior year courses and grades, so stick with a schedule that challenges you.
Visit Colleges
If time and money allow, try to set up appointments to visit your top college choices. You’ll often have to plan ahead when visiting colleges. Call the Admissions Office to set up a personal interview, tour, and a meeting with a professor or coach if you’re interested. You can also ask them to send you an application.
If it is too costly to go see the college campuses you are interested in or you just don’t have the time, many colleges also offer virtual tours and the opportunity to speak with current students to ask them questions about their experience!
Letters of Recommendation
Think about who you might ask to write letters of recommendation for your college and scholarship applications during your senior year. Teachers and school counselors are often asked to write recommendations for lots of students. Consider whom you want to ask now and let them know so they’ll have time to prepare before getting tons of requests in the fall.
- Ask teachers who know you well and who will have positive things to say. This doesn’t have to be the class you naturally are strongest in - teachers who saw you work hard and ask for lots of help can write great letters too.
- Consider filling out this form to help your teachers focus their letter.
- Letters of recommendation from a coach, activity leader, or adult who knows you well outside of school are also valuable.
Summer Job or Internship
Apply for a summer job or internship. Summer employment and internships in fields you’re interested in will look appealing on a college application or resume - and can give you interesting stories to write about on your college application! The money you earn can also be used to help pay application and testing fees in the fall.
Sign Up for the June ACT
After reviewing your April ACT scores, which you should receive in the mail, consider retaking the ACT in June or July if you were not happy with your scores, or if you landed with a score on the cusp of the Hathaway Scholarship criteria. There are also many opportunities to retake the ACT next school year, though the earlier during senior year the better.
Choosing a College
- Learn about choosing a college and find a link to a free college search tool.
- Visit colleges. If time and money allow, visit the campuses of your top five college choices. Take a tour and speak with the admissions and financial aid staff. You may also be able to talk to students if some classes are in session. If you have an interview, be sure to send a thank-you letter to the interviewer once you return home.
- Get advice from other college students. If you have friends or relatives in college, talk to them about what college life is like, especially if they attend a school you’re interested in. Although it’s important to hear what the admissions staff has to say about a school, it’s also important to get the students’ perspective.
Applications
Create a Common Application account.
- Get organized for the application process using a spreadsheet like this.
- Make early decision preparations. If you plan to apply “early decision” to any school, take the time to visit the school again and make sure you’re willing to commit. If you elect to apply early decision, you should start working on your application as soon as possible because its deadline will be earlier than others.
- Consider applying to Fly-In programs if you qualify. Many colleges seek to increase their student diversity by offering chances for first generation, minority, and/or students from rural communities to fly to their campus and visit for free. Most applications open the summer between your 11th and 12th grade year; fly-ins happen in the fall of 12th grade. Check out this list of colleges that offer some form of fly-in program to prospective students.
What is Early Decision?
According to collegeboard.org -
Early decision (ED) plans are binding: A student who is accepted as an ED applicant must attend the college.
Early action plans are nonbinding: Students receive an early response to their application but do not have to commit to the college until the normal reply date of May 1.
College Essays
Start working on your application essays. Compose rough drafts of the essays you’ll need for your college applications. Have a teacher read and discuss them with you so you can see what to work on. Make any revisions to your application essays and prepare final drafts. Don’t forget to proofread your final essays a few times.
- Tips for writing those pesky essays.
- Examples from Johns Hopkins.
- Some colleges offer virtual workshops to help with your application. Check out these free Application Workshops from Johns Hopkins.
Stay Involved
Stay involved in school or community-based activities that interest you or allow you to explore career interests. Remember, it’s quality or quantity that counts.
- Colleges look for consistency and depth in the non-academic activities you pursue. Taking on leadership roles and making a commitment to the same groups are more important than trying out tons of new activities each year.
- Add any new activities/clubs/jobs to your list (resume) as well as any leadership roles you hold. Colleges, universities and jobs like to see how you have used your time and what skills you have developed.
Meet with Your Counselor
Meet with your counselor to check on your class decile rank and your GPA. Even if your grades haven’t been that good so far, it’s never too late to improve. Colleges like to see an upward trend.
- Evaluate your education options. Now is the time to follow a more specific path. Decide whether you want to pursue full-time employment, further education or career training (such as a vocational-technical school, career college, or two-year or four-year college), or a military career. If you’re interested in attending a military academy, talk to your school counselor about starting the application process now.
- Take as many challenging classes as you are capable. Consider your time constraints, academic ability, and other life stressors as a balanced life is important.
- Select purposeful electives that may lead to a career path. Obtain industry certifications. Learn about dual credit classes, which allow you to earn high school and college credit at the same time, and how they transfer.
- Go to college fairs and college-preparation presentations by college representatives who have scheduled a visit with JHHS.
Gather College Information
- Attend college information nights (programming designed specifically for 11th grade students and their families starts at JHHS in January of your junior year).
- Use Scoir’s College search function to begin building your college lists. Your list of colleges should include schools that meet your most important criteria (for example, size, location, cost, academic majors, or special programs). Weigh each of the factors according to their importance to you and develop a preliminary ranking of the schools on your list.
- It’s good to have reach, fit, and likely schools on your list from an academic perspective. It’s good to have the same range from a financial perspective too (colleges you can definitely afford and colleges you’d need a huge scholarship to make work out). Use this document to help build a college list.
- Looking for more affordable options outside Wyoming? Be sure to look at colleges that offer the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE - pronounced woo-eee) scholarship to students from Wyoming.
- Check out the Going Merry scholarship database to get matched to scholarships that meet your personal criteria.
Take the PSAT
Taking this standardized test qualifies you for the National Merit Scholarship program, which means you could earn money for college. In addition, it’s a good way to practice for the SAT and ACT.
Organize a Testing Plan
- Figure out when you’ll be taking important tests like the ACT, SAT, and AP exams, and mark the dates on your calendar. You’ll want to have plenty of time to prepare.
- Prepare for standardized tests. While many colleges are test optional, a good test score can help you qualify for scholarships (like Hathaway!) and help your application. Register to take the tests you need; most juniors take them in the winter or spring. You can take them again in the fall of your senior year if you’re unhappy with your scores.
- REMEMBER: all TCSD students will take the ACT in April of their junior year. This free, official ACT is a state requirement offered during the school day.
- REMEMBER: register for all tests in advance and be sure to give yourself time to prepare appropriately! If you have difficulty paying a registration fee, see your school counselor about getting the fee waived.
- Many colleges are “Test Optional.” Fair Test’s website has a comprehensive list of schools and how they look at your test scores. Talk to your school counselor if you have questions - this is a confusing topic!
Organize College Information
Start a spreadsheet like this with entrance requirements (recommendation letters, minimum ACT/SAT scores, minimum GPA), tuition, room and board costs, course offerings, student activities, financial aid, etc. Then begin comparing the schools by the factors that are most important to you and rank your choices.
- Make sure you’re meeting any special requirements. For example, if you want to play Division I or II sports in college, start the NCAA certification process and check with your counselor to make sure you’re taking a core curriculum that meets NCAA requirements.
- Now is a great time to get key information using the College Scorecard for the schools that you are thinking about. Visit each school’s website to see if virtual tours are available.
Talk With Your Family
Have a discussion about the colleges you’re interested in. Your family can learn about what you want to pursue and you can hear any concerns or suggestions they might have.
Talk to your family about how much money you have for college. This is a tough but important conversation. It’s the worst to find out spring of your senior year that you just can’t afford colleges you applied to.
The cost of college doesn’t have to be a surprise to you and your family next year. Be sure to check out the financial aid resources.
Financial Aid
Learn more about financial aid. Examine your family’s financial resources and gather information about financial aid from the schools you’re interested in. High-school sponsored financial aid nights, college financial aid counselors, and advice articles online are also good sources of information.
Take the PSAT
Taking this standardized test qualifies you for the National Merit Scholarship program, which means you could earn money for college. In addition, it’s a good way to practice for the SAT and ACT.
Take the ACT in April
Register for the ACT here, or check with your school counselor to find out the testing dates available at your high school.
Prepare for Senior Year
Prepare a challenging schedule for senior year. Meet with your counselor to determine what classes you’ll take next year and to make sure you’re on track for graduation. When you pick your classes, don’t load up on easy electives. Colleges do consider your senior year courses and grades, so stick with a schedule that challenges you.
Visit Colleges
If time and money allow, try to set up appointments to visit your top college choices. You’ll often have to plan ahead when visiting colleges. Call the Admissions Office to set up a personal interview, tour, and a meeting with a professor or coach if you’re interested. You can also ask them to send you an application.
If it is too costly to go see the college campuses you are interested in or you just don’t have the time, many colleges also offer virtual tours and the opportunity to speak with current students to ask them questions about their experience!
Letters of Recommendation
Think about who you might ask to write letters of recommendation for your college and scholarship applications during your senior year. Teachers and school counselors are often asked to write recommendations for lots of students. Consider whom you want to ask now and let them know so they’ll have time to prepare before getting tons of requests in the fall.
- Ask teachers who know you well and who will have positive things to say. This doesn’t have to be the class you naturally are strongest in - teachers who saw you work hard and ask for lots of help can write great letters too.
- Consider filling out this form to help your teachers focus their letter.
- Letters of recommendation from a coach, activity leader, or adult who knows you well outside of school are also valuable.
Summer Job or Internship
Apply for a summer job or internship. Summer employment and internships in fields you’re interested in will look appealing on a college application or resume - and can give you interesting stories to write about on your college application! The money you earn can also be used to help pay application and testing fees in the fall.
Sign Up for the June ACT
After reviewing your April ACT scores, which you should receive in the mail, consider retaking the ACT in June or July if you were not happy with your scores, or if you landed with a score on the cusp of the Hathaway Scholarship criteria. There are also many opportunities to retake the ACT next school year, though the earlier during senior year the better.
Choosing a College
- Learn about choosing a college and find a link to a free college search tool.
- Visit colleges. If time and money allow, visit the campuses of your top five college choices. Take a tour and speak with the admissions and financial aid staff. You may also be able to talk to students if some classes are in session. If you have an interview, be sure to send a thank-you letter to the interviewer once you return home.
- Get advice from other college students. If you have friends or relatives in college, talk to them about what college life is like, especially if they attend a school you’re interested in. Although it’s important to hear what the admissions staff has to say about a school, it’s also important to get the students’ perspective.
Applications
Create a Common Application account.
- Get organized for the application process using a spreadsheet like this.
- Make early decision preparations. If you plan to apply “early decision” to any school, take the time to visit the school again and make sure you’re willing to commit. If you elect to apply early decision, you should start working on your application as soon as possible because its deadline will be earlier than others.
- Consider applying to Fly-In programs if you qualify. Many colleges seek to increase their student diversity by offering chances for first generation, minority, and/or students from rural communities to fly to their campus and visit for free. Most applications open the summer between your 11th and 12th grade year; fly-ins happen in the fall of 12th grade. Check out this list of colleges that offer some form of fly-in program to prospective students.
What is Early Decision?
According to collegeboard.org -
Early decision (ED) plans are binding: A student who is accepted as an ED applicant must attend the college.
Early action plans are nonbinding: Students receive an early response to their application but do not have to commit to the college until the normal reply date of May 1.
College Essays
Start working on your application essays. Compose rough drafts of the essays you’ll need for your college applications. Have a teacher read and discuss them with you so you can see what to work on. Make any revisions to your application essays and prepare final drafts. Don’t forget to proofread your final essays a few times.
- Tips for writing those pesky essays.
- Examples from Johns Hopkins.
- Some colleges offer virtual workshops to help with your application. Check out these free Application Workshops from Johns Hopkins.
Parents’ Corner
- Talk to your student about the schools he or she is considering. Ask why those schools appeal to your student, and help him or her clarify goals and priorities.
- Learn about choosing a college and find a link to a free college search tool.
- Attend college fairs with your student, but don’t take over the conversation with the college representatives. Just listen, and let your student do the talking.
- If time and money allow, take your student to visit college campuses, preferably when classes are in session. If you are unable to visit college campuses with your student, sit down with them to observe and discuss the college’s virtual tour. Contact the college admissions office to see what options might be available for becoming familiar with the campus from afar. Visit our college tours page to learn more.
- Complete the Federal Student Aid Estimator - results from FAFSA don’t have to be a surprise next year. Also, websites like collegedata.com and collegescorecard.ed.gov provide information about the amount and type of financial aid students receive at specific colleges as well as the average debt in comparison with the typical salary after graduation. To better understand FAFSA watch YouTube.com/FederalStudentAid. Follow or like the office of Federal Student Aid at Twitter.com/FAFSA and Facebook.com/FederalStudentAid to get regular financial aid tips.
