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Transformative Thursdays: A High School Senior’s Checklist

Summer is almost over and it’s time to get down to business for high school seniors. This year will go incredibly fast as you prepare for graduation, college, and the work force. You will be bombarded with decisions that will affect your future so make sure you have a clear head and a realistic plan. …

iambeauty4ashes

July 23, 2015

4–6 minutes

Here are a few tips to make sure you (and your parents) have a successful, stress-free year.

Spend the last couple weeks of summer planning your senior year by month. What do you want to accomplish in September? By December? By May? Write down goals for each month. They should be SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound).
If you plan to work during your senior year, set a realistic number of hours you can work and still balance homework, projects, and college/career planning. Stick to what you can do and make sure your supervisor knows the number of hours you can work.
Write down your “Plan A” for post-graduation. What do you plan to do after graduation? Write down your “Plan B” in case “Plan A” doesn’t work out. Most students don’t plan beyond their first choice school, job, etc. If something doesn’t work out, you should always be prepared with the next best choice.
If you are planning to attend college, apply for early admission at two or three schools by mid-November. Typically, early admission notices are received in December or January so you have plenty of time to lock-in your admission decision. On the other hand, if you don’t get into one of these schools, you still have time to apply to another round of schools. Follow up with the schools if you haven’t heard anything after a few weeks and make a copy of everything you mail.
If you are planning to attend college, take the ACT or SAT as soon as possible. The ACT is given in September, October, December, February, April and June. The test fee is $39.50 (no writing component) and $56.50 (includes writing component). The SAT is given in October and November. The test fee is $54.50. A newly designed SAT will begin in March 2016. You should plan to take the earliest ACT or SAT available to meet college application deadlines. Don’t forget to study for the test as much as possible. There is an abundance of free resources online and at the local library.
If you are planning to attend college, begin looking for scholarships yesterday. You will need plenty of time to apply, write essays and gather recommendation letters. Plan to search/apply for scholarships at least two to three hours each week.
If you are planning to attend college, don’t forget to apply for financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in January after your parents receive their tax information. Keep in mind once federal aid is gone, it is gone so apply early.
If you are planning to work or begin a career after graduation, attend job fairs and put together a nice resume. Take time to practice interviewing skills. Make sure you have a nice interview outfit (suit, dress, etc.) and dress to impress. Don’t wait until the month before graduation to find a job. Make sure you have a career plan so you don’t end up working at a fast food restaurant and getting stuck with an entry-level job for years.
Become best friends with your high school counselor and check in with them monthly to find out about scholarships, colleges, ACT deadlines, and other important information. He/She will also print your transcripts for college and scholarship applications. Counselors get very busy during the year and may not have time to look for you. Make sure he/she knows who you are so they can get important information to you.
Maintain good relationships with your teachers, community leaders, pastor, etc. You may need them to write recommendation or reference letters for you. Communicate with them often and give them plenty of time to write a good letter for you.
Study, study, study to ensure good academic performance. If you do not keep your grades up, colleges will overlook you. Your complete senior year will be on your final transcript which colleges will look at to finalize their admission decision. If you’ve been a good student through your junior year, but slack off your senior year, you may not get into the school of your dreams.
Talk often to your parents and let them know your goals, thoughts and where you are in the process of getting a job, going to college, etc. If your parents are not supportive of your efforts, find a mentor or someone who can help you with planning for your future. You will need lots of cheerleaders along the way.
Don’t spend more time preparing for the prom, graduation, and senior trip than you do preparing for your future. Make sure you have a plan and follow your plan. Your plan may need tweaking throughout the year, but stay on task. Beware of time wasters like spending too much time on social media, watching hours of tv, hanging out with friends all night, etc.