Here are your next steps and things to be aware of now that you have finished applying to college.
CHECK YOUR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PORTALS REGULARLY
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Ensure that each college received all necessary material. Resolve issues quickly.
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Keep an eye out for emails from any college.
SENDING MID-YEAR TRANSCRIPTS
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If any of your colleges require mid-year transcripts (1st semester Senior grades), follow these procedures carefully. DO NOT add a new request for transcripts in Naviance. Email Mrs. Defore your request.
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In the spring you will send your End-of-Year (final) transcripts to the college you will be attending. The College & Career Center will schedule a time to help all seniors do this.
IF YOU ARE DEFERRED: If you applied early and were "deferred", determine if you are required to submit your first semester transcript. If so, do that promptly. Read this important article for more on deferrals.
IF YOU ARE WAITLISTED
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As accepted students notify colleges they won’t be attending, those spots are given to students on the “waitlist”.
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Contact the college:
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To see where you stand on the list,
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How often this college has admitted students from the list in the past,
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Express your continued interest & confirm your waitlist status.
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Update the school if any grades or test scores have improved. (This doesn’t apply to UC’s.)
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You may not learn more about your status until July.
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Because your chances of being accepted are slim, you need to make other plans:
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Review the colleges that accepted your application.
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Come up with a second choice that you are happy with.
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Wait until close to May 1 to make a final decision.
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If by the end of April you still haven’t heard anything back from the waitlisted college, make a deposit at your second choice to ensure you have a college to attend.
GOING TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE? Please enter that college under the Naviance "Colleges I'm apply to" list.
SECOND SEMESTER GRADES: College acceptances can be rescinded if grades fall significantly. Try to keep your grades consistent with the grades in which you were accepted.
UPDATE NAVIANCE: If you submitted applications to a college, change the status to "submitted application". Update the status for any college that you've been accepted, waitlisted, or denied.
FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS
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Complete and submit the FAFSA forms if they were not required at application time.
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If you receive any financial award letters, be sure to pay attention to all the information, especially deadlines. Some schools require you to commit by a certain deadline in order to receive the aid. Missing this deadline means losing money.
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Continue your search for scholarships. Click on SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES and Check on Naviance for more scholarship opportunities.
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Watch deadlines!
SEND THANK-YOU NOTES: Be sure to thank anyone who wrote a Letter of Recommendation for you. Gift cards are appreciated. If you need an envelope come see Mrs. Defore.
IF YOU GET ACCEPTED
- Decisions: You have until May 1st to make most decisions. Use the time to weigh your options.
- Negotiate your Financial Aid package: Frequently you can negotiate with a school for more financial aid if you can prove another college gave you a better offer or you have need.
PLAN A COLLEGE VISIT
- Even if you’ve already visited a college once, you can still gain good insight from another visit. If you spent your first visit in the classroom, use your second trip to check out student hang-outs, the city around the school, or other items of interest.
HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE?
- Here are two articles on choosing a college: here and here.
- It’s all about the right fit for YOU. Do you want: small/medium/large campus; sports-focused; big Greek life; out-of-state/in-state; sense of community; most affordable? List the aspects that are important to you and assign a point system for each college. Compare results.
- Remember: There will be a Freshman adjustment period. Many Freshman are nervous. Try to work through it and don’t give up. Social media doesn’t always portray an accurate picture. Mrs. Defore and Mrs. Frank will still avaialabe to assist you even after you graduate from Sale Creek. J
ONCE YOU’VE DECIDED
- Send in required forms sent by the college.
- Send updated ACT scores
- Send tuition and housing deposits.
- Notify other colleges that you have been accepted to, that you will not be attending. They will give your spot to someone else.
- Update Naviance with your decision: under “Colleges I’m Applying To” > > “Results”
- Join your college’s social media to start meeting other accepted students.
- Continue to check the online portal and email for any additional correspondence. Respond quickly.
Take Action ASAP – Imporatnt To Do List
- Please order your Graduation Cap and Gown @ www.balfour.com
- Please complete the Senior Class Night Bio. Share with Mrs. Defore. Click the link, copy and paste
it to your google docs. Senior Bio for Class Night
- May 1 - National Decision Day
- Please submit a senior picture and one baby picture by March 1, 2021 - Sorry No extensions!
The folder is in the link below. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AByCL4vFB7qN41V1KG1vXrGbeBo5gl_6?usp=sharing
- Send a notification email to Mrs. Defore if the college is requesting mid-year transcript.
- Know the Scholarship process for the college(s) you're applying to and complete the applications.
- Please be sure to log on to your FAFSA at fafsa.gov and make sure it says processed successfully and that you can click on view your SAR and see an EFC in the upper right hand corner of your SAR(student Aid report). Please see me ASAP if you are unsure about your FAFSA or if you have not completed it.
The FAFSA deadline has been moved from February 1st to March 1st.
- Login to your TSAC - TN Promise account and make sure the correct college has been selected.
- Log your 8 hours of Job Shadowing/Community Service at TN Achieves.
- Please complete the Sale Creek - Class of 2021 - Scholarship & Awards
Mrs. Defore must know about all Awars and Scholarships you are offered.
SEEK HELP
Visit the College & Career Center if you need help navigating the process.