School for the Arts

CAPITAL AREA

SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS

CHARTER SCHOOL

JUNIOR AND SENIOR

COLLEGE INFORMATION PACKET

2014-2015

Education Timeline

Use this timeline as a guide to make sure you’ve accomplishing everything.

ELEVENTH GRADE

Fall

·  Meet with your counselor to review the courses you’ve taken, and see what you still need to take.

·  Check your grades. Even if your grades haven’t been great so far, it’s never too late to improve. Colleges like to see an upward trend. Every point counts.

·  If you didn’t do so in tenth grade, sign up for and take the PSAT/NMSQT. This is the qualifying test for National Merit Scholarships, and you must take the test as a junior to qualify.

·  Develop an understanding of yourself by exploring your interests, aptitudes, values, and experiences. Clarify your career plans and explore the best type of post-secondary education for you.

·  Make a list of colleges that meet your most important criteria (size, location, majors, academic rigor, housing, and cost). Weigh each of the factors according to their importance to you.

·  Visit college fairs. You may be able to narrow your choices or add a college to your list.

Winter

·  Collect information about college application procedures, entrance requirements, tuition and fees, room and board costs, student activities, course offerings, faculty composition, accreditation, and financial aid. Begin comparing the schools by the factors that you consider to be most important. Go to www.collegeboard.com to search for colleges based on a variety of criteria.

·  Begin narrowing down your college choices. Find out if the colleges you are interested in require the SAT, ACT, or SAT II Subject Tests for admission.

·  Begin preparing for the tests you’ve decided to take. The college board website is a wonderful resource for this. www.collegeboard.org

·  Have a discussion with your parents about the colleges in which you are interested. Examine financial resources and gather information about financial aid.

·  Collect and organize admissions materials and begin to decide on a list of schools (10-15) that meet your initial criteria.

Spring

·  Meet with your counselor to review senior-year course selection and graduation requirements.

·  Discuss SAT/ACT tests with your counselor. Register to take the SAT and/or ACT either for the first time or again if you’d like to try to improve your score.

·  Stay involved with extracurricular activities. Colleges look for consistency and depth in activities.

·  Consider whom you will ask to write your recommendations. Think about asking teachers who know you well and who will write positive letters about you. Letters from a coach, activity leader, or an adult who knows you well outside of school (e.g., volunteer work contact) are also valuable.

·  Apply for a summer job or internship. Be prepared to pay for college applications in the fall. Costs range from $30 to $50 per school. Many schools will offer an application fee waiver if the fee is a hardship.

·  Begin to explore college scholarship opportunities. You can do preliminary searching at www.fastweb.com or www.finaid.org.

Summer

·  Visit the campuses of your top five college choices. Contact the Admissions Office directly to set up an appointment to visit and talk with an admission counselor.

·  Talk to people you know who have attended the colleges in which you are interested.

TWELFTH GRADE

Fall

·  Meet with your school counselor to review your transcript, request a letter of recommendation (if needed), and talk about the college admission process.

·  Continue to take a full course load of college-prep courses.

·  Keep working on your grades. Make sure you have taken the courses necessary to graduate in the spring.

·  Continue to participate in extracurricular and volunteer activities. Demonstrate initiative, creativity, commitment, and leadership in each.

·  Male students: you must register for selective service on your eighteenth birthday to be eligible for federal and state financial aid. Visit www.sss.gov

·  Talk to counselors, teachers, parents, and friends about your final college choices.

·  Make a calendar showing application deadlines for admission, financial aid, and scholarships.

·  Check online for information on scholarships and grants. Ask colleges about scholarships for which you may qualify.

·  Give recommendation forms (if required) to the teachers you have chosen. Be sure to fill out your name, address, and school name on the top of the form. Talk to your recommendation writers about your goals and ambitions. Be sure to give them at least two weeks’ notice! Many recommendations are now handled completely on-line.

·  Register for and take the SAT, ACT, or SAT II Subject Tests, as necessary.

·  Be sure you have requested that your test scores be sent to the colleges of your choice.

·  Complete college applications for early-decision admission by due date.

·  Visit www.fafsa.ed.gov and obtain a PIN number for yourself and your parents.

Winter

·  Send midyear grade reports to colleges. Continue to focus on your schoolwork!

·  Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and, if necessary, PROFILE®. http://www.fafsa.ed.gov to file electronically. These forms may not be processed before January 1, so don’t send them before then.

·  Use tax return information to complete the FAFSA. Remember to send results to all colleges that you are considering attending. Be sure all information is complete and that you meet individual college priority deadlines for financial aid.

·  Mail or send electronically any remaining applications and financial aid forms before winter break. Make sure you apply to at least one college that you know you can afford and where you know you will be accepted.

·  Follow up to make sure that the colleges have received all application information, including recommendations and test scores.

·  Meet with your counselor to verify that all applicable forms are in order and have been sent out to colleges.

Spring

·  Watch your mail between March 1 and April 1 for acceptance notifications from colleges with deadline admissions and for financial aid awards.

·  Compare the financial aid packages from the colleges and universities that have accepted you. Compare them carefully to determine what types of aid are being offered as well as total dollar amounts.

·  Make your final choice, and notify all schools of your intent by May 1. If possible, do not decide without making at least one campus visit while classes are in session. Send your nonrefundable deposit to your chosen school by May 1. Request that your counselor send a final transcript to the college in June.

·  Be sure to notify all colleges of your final decision (even those you are not attending) by phone, e-mail, or letter.

·  Notify Mrs. Baker of your final choice.

·  Once the FAFSA form has been processed, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the Federal government. It is critical that you review this information and make necessary corrections. This document is a very important part of the financial aid process so keep it organized with the rest of the financial aid correspondence.

·  Complete follow-up paperwork for the college of your choice (scheduling, orientation session, housing arrangements, and other necessary forms).

Summer

·  Contact your college’s financial aid office to check on the status of your account.

·  Receive the orientation schedule from your college.

·  Get residence hall assignment from your college.

·  Obtain course scheduling and cost information from your college.

·  Carefully review any/all mail from your college – it will all be important at this point of the process!

·  CONGRATULATIONS! You are about to begin a great adventure. Good luck!

Checklist/Calendar for Parents

11th Grade

This year the college search process begins in earnest. Exploration and testing should help you and your child to start developing a list of target schools by spring. Poor grades will not be as easily forgiven as those from previous years, and colleges will look for commitment and accomplishment outside of the classroom.

September

·  Make sure that your child has registered for the PSAT/NMSQT. Ascertain and save the date.

·  Ask the counselor about college fairs in your area and college admission-representative visits to CASA Charter School. Encourage your child to attend fairs and sessions with representatives at school.

October

·  Make sure the PSAT/NMSQT date is on the family calendar. Remind your child to read the Student Bulletin and to try the practice questions.

·  Schedule a day trip to visit nearby colleges. Don’t worry if these are places where your child won’t apply. The goal is to explore different types of schools. Aim for variety. Discuss which characteristics are attractive and which aren’t.

December

·  Begin informal brainstorming about possible target colleges. Take advantage of college students who are home for vacation. Ask them questions. Ask their parents questions. Ask your child to ask even more questions.

January

·  Evaluate academic progress so far. Are grades up to par? Are course levels on target? Do study habits need improvement?

·  Begin thinking about worthwhile summer plans (job, study, camp, volunteer work, travel, etc.).

·  Mark projected SAT I and II or ACT test dates on family calendar. Also mark registration deadlines.

February

·  Look ahead to SAT or ACT registration deadlines for the tests your child plans to take. Mark appropriate dates on your calendar. (Some juniors take the SAT in March. If your child will do so, heed February registration deadline.)

·  Make sure your child discusses plans to take Advanced Placement exams with teachers and/or counselor, as needed.

March

·  Consider and plan spring vacation college visits.

·  Begin listing target colleges in a notebook.

·  Visit college web sites. Begin calling and/or emailing target colleges to request publications.

·  Set aside an area for college literature. Invest in folders for materials from front-runner schools.

·  Look ahead to SAT or ACT registration deadlines for the tests your child plans to take. Mark appropriate test and registration dates on your calendar

·  Discuss senior-year classes. Urge your child to include at least one math course or science, as well as the most challenging courses possible. Recognize that colleges weigh senior classes and grades as heavily as the junior record.

April, May and June

·  Look ahead to SAT or ACT registration deadlines for the tests your child plans to take. Mark appropriate test and registration dates on your calendar.

·  Take advantage of the summer slow-down by visiting scholarship search and financial aid websites.

Summer

·  Consider and plan summer and fall college visits.

·  Oversee standardized test preparation, as needed.

·  Request publications from additional target colleges.

·  Plan and execute supplemental submissions such as audition tapes and art slides/portfolios, if required and/or appropriate.

·  Review and update target college list. Include pros and cons. Make tentative plans for fall visits.

12th Grade

This is the year when the college search can feel like a full-time job—with all of the toil, tedium, and triumphs that implies.

September

·  Discuss plans and goals for the months ahead and pro/cons of target schools.

·  Look ahead to SAT or ACT registration deadlines for the tests your child plans to take. Are you about to miss one? Mark appropriate test and registration dates on your calendar.

·  Ask about college fairs in your area and college admission-representative visits to the school. Make certain that your child attends fairs and sessions with representatives at school.

·  Visit more college web sites.

·  Finalize fall college visit plans. Include campus overnights, where possible. Visit!

·  Request additional publications.

October

·  Look ahead to SAT or ACT registration deadlines for the tests your child plans to take. Are you about to miss one? Mark appropriate test and registration dates on your calendar.

·  Discuss early decision and early action options.

·  Help your child draw up a master schedule of application and financial aid due dates, and put them on the family calendar.

·  Oversee the start of applications. Your child should be considering essay topics and looking for overlap to reduce workload.

·  Make sure your child requests teacher recommendations, as needed.

·  Visit colleges. Include interviews on campus (or with local alumni representatives), if appropriate.

·  Attend college fairs with your child.

November

·  Look ahead to SAT or ACT registration deadlines for the tests your child plans to take. Are you about to miss one? Mark appropriate test and registration dates on your calendar.

·  Nag about early application deadlines, as needed.

·  Check up on application completion and volunteer to proofread.

December

·  Look ahead to SAT or ACT registration deadlines for the tests your child plans to take. Are you about to miss one? Mark appropriate test and registration dates on your calendar.

·  Ensure that all applications due in January or February are complete.

·  Applications with a January deadline should be given to the Guidance Office by mid-December (at least 2 weeks prior to the holiday break).

·  Make sure that teachers are up-to-date with reference forms and that transcripts are being sent to all short-list colleges.

January

·  File income taxes if you can, and then begin filling out financial aid forms. Finish and submit these forms as soon as possible—and never late!

·  Encourage completion of all applications, including those with later deadlines. Don’t forget to photocopy everything that’s put on paper, or print out online materials.

·  If SATs are being taken this month, are "Rush" scores required? Ask target colleges if you’re not certain.

February

·  Unless confirmations have been received, consult colleges by phone or email to check on completion of applications. Record the name of any contacts. Track down missing records.

·  WAIT!

March

·  Your wait is nearly over. Some decision letters will arrive this month.

April

·  Resist the urge to open letters addressed to your child. (Holding them up to the light is permissible.) Keep in mind that thin letters aren’t always rejections. Some schools send out enrollment forms later.