Meet with Your Counselor
If you haven’t done so already, register for and take the standardized tests required for college admission. Check with the colleges you are interested in to see what tests they require.
Well before your application deadlines, ask your counselor and teachers to submit required documents (e.g., transcript, letters of recommendation) to the colleges you’re applying.
Meet with your school counselor to make sure you are on track to graduate and fulfill college admission requirements.
Apply to College
Apply to the colleges you have chosen. Prepare your applications carefully. Follow the instructions, and pay close attention to deadlines. Early Action and Early Decision deadlines are typically around the beginning of November, and Regular Decision deadlines range from December-February.
If you are thinking about applying Early Action or Early Decision be sure to:
- Schedule an appointment to check in with your School Counselor so he or she can support the faster timeline.
- Add the college(s) of interest to your Scoir and Common Application accounts.
- Talk with teachers and school counselors about letters of recommendation by the end of September.
- Work on essays. English teachers and school counselors are happy to help edit – just make an appointment in advance!
- Register to take the ACT or SAT again if necessary. You might want to take the ACT again to be more competitive in the admissions process or to qualify for the next level of Hathaway Scholarship.
- Request ACT or SAT scores be sent to the schools you are applying to.
If you are planning to apply Regular Decision be sure to:
- Build a list of 5-10 colleges, making note of deadlines (these will typically be in January; try using a spreadsheet like this to get organized). Aim to have 2-3 “reach” schools, 4-5 “match” schools, and 1-2 “good fit” schools, based on grades, ACT scores and cost.
- Add these to your Scoir account.
- Register to take the ACT again. You might want to take the ACT again to be more competitive in the admissions process or to qualify for the next level of Hathaway Scholarship. The next opportunity to take the ACT is in October. The deadline to register is usually in September. Register at act.org. (This is also the website where you’ll order ACT scores be sent directly to colleges.)
- Request ACT or SAT scores sent to the colleges you are applying to.
- Work on any college application essays.
Submit FAFSA
As soon as possible after December 1, complete and submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid(FAFSA), along with any other financial aid applications your school(s) of choice may require. You can complete the FAFSA online or on paper, but completing the application online is faster and easier. You should submit your FAFSA by the earliest financial aid deadline of the schools to which you are applying, usually by early January.
- After you submit the FAFSA, you should receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) within three days to three weeks. Quickly make any necessary corrections and submit them to the FAFSA processor.
- 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.
Scholarships
Each year, graduating seniors in Teton County, Wyoming, receive over $1 million in scholarships through the Teton County Scholarship Program (TCSP)
- Teton County Scholarship Program Application Walk through the TCSP application and learn how to go about completing the application. Sample application
- Teton County Scholarship Program Words of Advice.
- Complete any scholarship applications. Check out this scholarship search resource.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Make an appointment with your school counselor in September.
- Learn about choosing a college and find a link to a free college search tool.
- Sign up for college visit trips (dates will be announced in mid-September) and meet with college representatives at JHHS.
- Discuss next steps if you are planning to enter the workforce after graduation.
- If you are planning to enter the military after graduation arrange to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). This is a test that measures students’ natural and developed abilities to help predict future academic and career success.
- Check into vocational career paths.
