9th GRADE COLLEGE PLANNING CHECKLIST
Academic and Extra Curriculum Suggestions
- Get to know your school counselor. Plan a meeting just to introduce yourself, even though you don't need any help at that time. For many schools, counselors have to write college recommendations (in addition to teachers), so make certain he/she gets to know you within the next four years.
- Consider where you desire to be as a senior and map out a four-year curriculum to get there. Would you like to take AP classes in junior and senior year? What prerequisites do you want in 9th and 10th grade to be ready for advanced classes?
- Get involved in clubs and out activities that allow you to pursue your interests. If you want to start new things, this is the time to try-colleges want to see passion and commitment. When there is something which really excites you, explore it. Don't wait until junior year to get going.
- Keep track of your accomplishments. Start developing a file and jot down a listing of your activities, jobs, and experiences to use in developing a resume and for generating suggestions for college essays.
- Buckle down and strive in classes. Grades inside your freshman year count equally towards your overall GPA and in your eyes of college admissions.
- Don't waste your summers. You do not have to do anything fancy, but use the time wisely. Are you currently entrepreneurial? Start a small business…not just mowing lawns. Using a job, even in a local ice cream store, will highlight are reliable. Consider volunteering in an area you have curiosity about. Or even have a summer class to obtain ahead and get ready for more complex classes.
- Make sure there is a firm foundation. The best test prep for college entrance exams is for your student to have a firm foundation and knowledge of their course work. Good grades might not always mean they truly learned the topic. And not-so-good grades mean they need more assistance to really comprehend the subject matter. Consider hiring a tutor or push your student to ask for the aid of their teachers.
College Financing Suggestions
- Review your college savings vs. potential costs. Review savings you've for school and compare them to the total 4-year price of a potential college your son or daughter might be thinking about. Take a look at family budget to see if there is scope to place aside more for college.
- Start understanding educational funding terms. Complete the College Board Calculator to get an estimate of your Expected Family Contribution.
- Start discussing your financial situation with your child, so they have an understanding of what you can afford. Start researching merit aid, which students can earn according to their grades and test scores.
- Get a duplicate of your credit rating. If it requires improvement, start taking steps to achieve the best score possible when your child is really a senior. This will help if you want to apply for private student loans.
10th GRADE COLLEGE PLANNING CHECKLIST
Academic and Extra Curriculum Suggestions
- Register to accept PSAT even if your school is not offering it. This gives your student practice.
- Start researching schools that might interest your student. Consider attending a university fair-check out NACAC for fairs near by. Visit websites to start creating a listing of potential schools and evaluate the college admissions statistics. This gives your student an idea of what kinds of grades and test scores are needed to enter into schools he/she might be thinking about.
- Encourage your student to develop relationships using their teachers, especially in subjects they're strong in. This helps when asking for college recommendations.
- It's not too early to begin visiting colleges. If you live by colleges, consider visiting to obtain an idea of the kind of school your child might be interested in – urban/rural; big/small; public/private. Start referring to subject areas they might be thinking about pursuing as a major because this will assist them decide what schools to incorporate on their listing of potential colleges.
College Financing Suggestions
- The January of your student’s sophomore year starts the start of a family’s base year that will be used for financial aid assessment by colleges. FAFSA asks for tax information from two years prior to the year your child starts college. The tax year from January of 10th grade to the end of December of junior year, is the tax year that'll be used for the FAFSA you’ll be filling out whenever your student pertains to college.
- Consider schools that are “financial safety” schools. Include schools that are financial safety schools on the list.
- Know what a net price calculator is. Start looking into net price calculators for the schools on your student's list. The school Board includes a link to every school’s net price calculator. ECMC lets you enter your data and financially compare six schools at once.
- Start your scholarship search. Be wary of “no essay” scholarships or ones that don't request many details – they are much like sweepstakes with companies seeking to gather your information. Do not ever pay a charge to try to get a scholarship. Likelihood of winning a scholarship are highest when applying for locally sponsored funds, so start researching and developing a list.