September
As classes begin and the school year resumes, September is a great time to complete some key action steps in the college process, listed below for grades 9-12.
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Seniors
Congratulations on starting your final year of high school! While the fall will be a busy time, remember to be organized, stay on top of deadlines, and ask for help when you need it! Parents, teachers, and counselors are here to support you during this exciting time.
As the semester begins, make sure you are organizing your application process and are aware of all upcoming application deadlines. Complete and review your Common Application, fine tune your personal essay, and make sure you have completed or started working on all supplemental essays. Click HERE for a helpful video on approaching college specific supplemental essays. Review your list of schools and see if there are any colleges you might consider applying to early. Click HERE for more information on what it means to apply early and the three different types of early admission – Early Decision, Early Action, and Restrictive Early Action.
More schools are requesting that students complete a self reported academic record, which means students record their courses and grades onto a standard form that is submitted to some colleges. Click HERE to learn more about this process. For Florida schools, click HERE to see some key application details and metrics provided by a conference Kristen attended in early September on the state university system of Florida.
If you are interested in learning more about financial aid applications, click HERE for a webinar on September 23rd and HERE for a webinar on September 27th. Remember to work hard as colleges will continue to see and care about your senior year grades and involvement!
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Juniors
As you start your junior year of high school, it is a great time to become more invested in your college admissions process. Continue to develop and research the schools on your exploratory list and get to know them in a more meaningful way. Utilize all of the resources available to you and check in with your school to see if there are any colleges that will be visiting with your school in person or virtually. Click HERE to see some of CACG's favorite books and HERE for a list of helpful websites. If you have the opportunity, begin to think about on campus visits, take virtual tours, attend information sessions, and learn more about college fairs at your school or in your area. Click HERE for a list of questions that can be asked on tours, at info sessions, in interviews, and to current students or faculty. Finally, it is a good time to make a testing plan for this year. The PSAT is offered in October, and if you have not already, take a practice ACT and SAT or a combination diagnostic test. Additionally, register to take a real ACT or SAT. Challenge yourself this year and remember grades matter but ask for help when you need it!
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Sophomores
During your second year of high school, it is important to show commitment and deepen your academic and extracurricular involvement. Reflect on your first year of high school and make a note of practices you wish to keep and areas you hope to improve upon this year. Seek out opportunities to get involved both at your school, by joining sports, art, volunteer, or other clubs, or through your community. Continue to build up a list of exploratory colleges and conduct preliminary research on schools you might be interested in attending. Click HERE to see some of CACG's favorite books and HERE for a list of helpful websites.
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Freshmen
Welcome to your first year of high school! Your freshman year will lay the foundation for your upcoming high school career. Make school a top priority. Show up on time, complete your homework, and pay attention in your classes. As your high school career begins, it is a great time to start to get involved and explore potential areas of interest. Join athletic, arts, education, or community service-related clubs and organizations at your school and in your community. However, remember that depth means more than breadth so be thoughtful about your time and commitments. Most importantly, remember to ask for help when you need it!
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