COLLEGE AND CAREER PLANNING TIPS - 12TH GRADE
TIPS FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR
Continue to attend class and keep up your [Link] final GPA may determine whether
or not you graduate with Honors and may affect your eligibility for certain scholarships.
Also, the knowledge and skills that you gain in your final semester can affect how well you
do on your college placement exams which determine what classes you are qualified to
take during your first semester in college.
Meet with your counselor to help you stay on track and to get information about
upcoming events and support programs available to you.
FALL SEMESTER
GET INFORMED
Attend the Hawai'i National College
Fair or visit a college campus to gather
information and ask any additional
questions that you may have.
Review the admissions requirements
and deadlines for all schools to which
you will apply.
Attend a Financial Aid Night at school
or in your community.
Find out which of your college friends
will be home during winter break and
talk to them about how to prepare for
the first semester of college.
STAY ORGANIZED
Write down important event
dates and deadlines in your
personal calendar. Take note that
many scholarship deadlines are in
FebruaryHawai'i Community
Foundation, Kamehameha Schools, and
University of Hawai'i Foundation.
Register for an FSA ID and gather
up your parents tax forms and
information so that you can fill out the
Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA) starting on January 1st.
Early planning and preparation will
help you feel more informed and in
control of the bright future ahead!
TAKE ACTION
Revise and refine your personal statement so that it is
ready for all of your scholarship and college applications.
If needed, apply for college application fee waivers directly
through the colleges. All students who receive an SAT fee
waiver are eligible for four application fee waivers from the
College Board.
Make a list of 3 or 4 people that you would like to review
your college application materials. Be sure to give them
enough time to review your application so that you can
make changes before the deadline.
Make a list of 3 or 4 people from whom you need
recommendation letters. Be sure to ask for the letters
at least three weeks before the due date(s). Give each
recommender the required forms, your resume and a
stamped, addressed envelope.
Follow up with your school to ensure that they send your
official transcript to the correct colleges.
Register for the ACT, SAT Reasoning or SAT Subject exam.
Send your exam scores to the colleges to which you
applied. If you have been in the U.S. for less than 6 years
you may need to take the TOEFL. Contact your counselor
for more information.
Sign up for Running Start or Early College classes. These
programs allow high school students to take college-level
courses at school or at a community college campus
and earn both high school and college credits. For more
information see your counselor.
SPRING SEMESTER
WHERE TO GO FOR HELP:
Free application for
Federal Student Aid: www.
[Link]
Hawai'i National
College Fair: www.
[Link]/college-fairs/
Pages/[Link]
College Goal 808:
[Link]
Career Connections:
[Link]
[Link]/career_
connections/
[Link]
TAKE ACTION
GET INFORMED
If
you
have
been
accepted
to
a
college,
Submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) after January 1st.
find out about any requirements you
Attend a College Goal 808 event in January to get free help completing the FAFSA.
must fulfill before officially enrolling.
If you plan to attend community college in the fall, apply now.
Talk to financial aid officers if you have
Look for a summer job, internship or volunteer opportunity. You can earn money to
any questions about any financial aid
help pay for college or gain valuable experience in a career field that interests you.
award letters that you receive. If you
If you are enrolled in an AP course, prepare for the AP Exam held in the first two
havent received enough aid, ask about
weeks of May.
other options that are available.
Follow up with your school to ensure they send your final transcript to the college
If you have been waitlisted or not
that you plan to attend in the Fall.
admitted to any of the colleges to which
Notify all colleges of your acceptance or rejection of admissions or financial aid offers
youve applied, meet with your counselor
by May.
to discuss your options.
Inform your counselor of the colleges to which youve been accepted, the name of the
college you plan to attend and the total amount of scholarships youve received.
STAY ORGANIZED
Explore summer preparatory programs at the college you plan to attend. These
Write down important event dates and
deadlines in your personal calendar. Take
programs offer opportunities to take courses for credit and provide skills and
note that most admission decisions and
information for a successful start to college.
financial aid award letters will arrive in April. Participate in a new student orientation at the college you plan to attend in order to
get familiar with the campus and the support services that are available to you.
Source: University of California, Early Academic Outreach Programs
