Dear Parent/Guardian,

We are quickly approaching the time when your son/daughter has to make decisions concerning post graduation plans. Whether your child is interested in college, the military, a tech program or moving into a career with their high school diploma, guidance has information for all. Please take note of the variety of ways that you and your child can find information:

• Guidance office (handbooks on careers/college/military)
• Guidance sessions with students and/or parents
• Guidance web page ( includes e-mail access to counselors, ongoing news scroll, direct links to college, career and financial aid sites)
• Guidance web calendar (postings of testing deadlines, college open houses, etc)
• Internet (colleges have their own web sites and on-line apps)
• Public Libraries

In order to make the process easier for you; we are sending you this basic calendar of the steps to follow between now and the end of senior year. Please post this schedule in a prominent place in your household for easy and regular reference. Feel free to call or e-mail the guidance department with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Izzo
Mr. Maloney
Guidance Department

• Meet with your counselor to discuss post high school plans
• Sign up for the PSAT/NMSQT

• Visit a college fair.
• Make a list of colleges based on your most important criteria (area, size, majors, academic rigor)
• If you are interested in one of the military academies, start the application process now. See your guidance counselor
• Discuss your PSAT results with your counselor

• Take the Spring SAT test. Include the colleges you are interested in on the registration form.
• Set up a filing system for college information, test results, guidance newsletters, teacher recommendations, etc.
• Write to colleges for information and applications and continue research on the Internet.
• Check guidance to see if there are any scholarships offered to juniors.

• Meet with your counselor on course selections for next year. Be sure you are all set with graduation requirements and course requirements for your colleges of interest.
• In the summer, visit campuses of your top five choices
• Your list of schools should include reach schools, target schools and safety schools.
• Give Community Colleges or two-year schools consideration. They are good schools and a real money-saving option.
• Visit the guidance web page regularly.

• Continue to visit the guidance web page
• Visit your college campuses and schedule interviews.
• Meet with counselor on final college decisions
• Make a list of application, financial aid deadlines of your colleges
• Register for PROFILE/CSS Financial Aid
• Register for SAT, ACT and SAT II tests. Be sure that your colleges are included on the registration form. Your scores will automatically go to these schools.
• Give recommendation forms to your teachers. Only ask for the number of recommendations needed and no more.
• Give your secondary report forms to your counselors
• Give your completed applications to your counselor as soon as first quarter grades are out. Guidance will check and mail your completed applications for you

• Attend your school's financial aid information night
• At mid-year, be sure your mid-year reports are sent to your colleges.
• File the FAFSA in January
• Send in remaining applications and financial aid forms before February vacation.

• Notifications of decisions are usually between March 15 and April 15 and notification of Financial aid packages are between April 1 and May 1.
• Send a final deposit to your college by May 1 and ask guidance to send a final transcript to your college in June
• Review all of your financial aid information and verification of your FAFSA
• By May 1, you should notify colleges of your acceptance of their offer and regrets to your other colleges

• Ask guidance to send a copy of your final transcript to your college
• Be sure to send a thank you to everyone who helped you in your college application procedure