How to make the most of your freshman year - every day counts!

I'm a sophomore!  What should I be doing this year?

• Continue taking challenging courses.  An "B" in AP Gov't is more impressive than an "A" in Team Sports. Your success in challenging academic courses provides college admissions reps with the best evidence of your ability to succeed in college.  Plus, AP and IB courses can increase your GPA.     
• Continue to keep your grades up.  Grades, grades, grades. Consider your grades as your salary in a job. Your job is to go to school and your salary is your grades.  The higher your grades, the higher the reward.  An occasional "C" is okay, but you want to aim for something higher.  If you're doing the best you can and you receive a "C", then that's okay.  Students with an occasional "C" still have plenty of options.  Work on self-discipline and time management. 
• Put effort into extracurricular activities.  By the time you apply to college, you should be able to demonstrate depth and leadership in an extracurricular area.  Think about what you can bring, not only to a college community, but what you can bring to Laurel.  How can you make things better?
• Begin learning about the college admissions process.  Go on a college tour to experience life on a college campus.  Speak with your counselor to make sure you're on track for graduation and to select the right courses for the college you're interested in.  Get familiar with the general college entrance requirements.   
• Continue studying a foreign language.  Colleges will be more impressed with a student who can read and write in a foreign language than one who can only say "hola" or "bonjour."  Depth in a single language is better than an introductory class in two or three languages.  
• Get your hands on some cash...for college.  Research funding for college, including scholarships, grants, loans, etc.  Take a look at the LHS Scholarship Database or School Links for ideas.

10th Grade Orientation Presentation from Counseling

It's my junior year.  What shall I do this year?

Early Fall

• Keep your grades up.  Junior year is probably the most important year for earning high grades in challenging courses, especially if you have a few minor bumps in 9th and 10th grade.  Improvement in 11th grade shows a college that you've learned how to be a good student. Your senior year grades usually come too late to play a major role on your college application.
• Continue gathering college information.  Go to college fairs, attend college nights, and speak with college representatives who visit your high school; use an online college finder and search top college lists. You may be able to narrow your choices or add a school to your list.  
• Make a college list. Your list of colleges should include schools that meet your most important criteria (for example, size, location, cost, academic majors, or special programs). Weigh each of the factors according to their importance to you and develop a preliminary ranking of the schools on your list.  Include "reach", "safe", "target" schools in this list.
• Evaluate your education options.  Now is the time to follow a more specific path. Decide whether you want to pursue full-time employment, further education or training (such as a vocational-technical school, career college, or two-year or four-year college), or a military career. If interested in attending a military academy, talk to your counselor about starting the application process now.
• Update your resume' to include leadership roles in extracurricular activities. Get involved and make a difference. Colleges are looking for future leaders, not passive bystanders.
• Talk to your parents about your future goals.  Now is the time to have that sit down and discuss with them about what your post-secondary goals are.  After all, they do have to participate in the financial aid process!   

Midyear

• Prep for the SAT scheduled in March when all juniors take the SAT. 
• Register for senior year classes.  Each February, juniors meet with their counselor to choose their classes for senior year.  Remember to continue to take challenging courses like a fourth year of language, AP and/or honors classes. Some students may even be eligible for dual enrollment classes offered at PGCC or other local colleges. Senior year is not the time to "take off."  Limit your selection of "filler" classes and "release time." Colleges want to see that you're still interested in school.     

Spring

• March & April:  Register for the May or June SAT or ACT.  Registration information is available here.  
• Attend the NACAC College Fair.  Each year LHS takes a bus or two to the NACAC college fair for students to interact with college admissions representatives from all over the country.  This is a great opportunity to find out what each school has to offer.
• Sign up to go on a college tour.  Each spring, the counseling center hosts a trip to a local college for a nominal fee.  Be sure to listen to the announcements and check your email and website for more information. 
• Attend the College Information Night held at LHS.  Each student is encouraged to attend with their parent or guardian the College Information Night held in June.  Students will learn all about the admissions process to get them prepared for applying to college in the Fall of senior year.  
• Student Athletes:  If you want to play sports in college, you need to register for the NCAA Clearinghouse before the end of your junior year.
• Take AP exams as appropriate.  Don't just sit for the exam, make an effort to do well on the exam.  The score you receive could make a difference in being in college for three years vs. four or five years. Try to get the credit for the class. 

Summer

• June-August: The summer before your senior year is a great time to visit colleges. Call ahead to schedule a time to visit so that admissions reps can accommodate you for a tour.  
• Gather applications and materials for college.  This is the perfect opportunity to "get your ducks in a row." Gather everything you need in the summer so that in the Fall you can concentrate on finishing school and completing college applications.     

It's my senior year!!!

Congratulations on making it to your final year of high school!  This year will be an exciting year for you as you make your transition to adulthood and on to your next role in life as a college student or a full-time employee.  This year can bring about a pot of mixed emotions as there are many dates and deadlines to remember and so many things to do. Just remember your counselor is here for you whenever you need to talk it out!

Below is a breakdown of what you should be doing this year.  

September-October 

• Take (or re-take) the SAT and/or ACT College Entrance Exams. The SAT is now optional for most colleges and most students take this extremely important exam as juniors. Many re-take it as seniors to try to improve their scores. Register online at www.collegeboard.org.  If one or more of the colleges you are applying to require the ACT exam, register online at www.actstudent.org. 
• Senior Conference.  Each senior meets individually with his or her counselor to review graduation and course requirements and post-graduation plans.  A college application timeline, if applicable, is formalized at this meeting. Additionally, counselors will meet with each senior during September and October to discuss senior year plans, post-secondary plans, and financial aid.   
• Start checking for scholarships.  Remember to read your email at least weekly to get updates from the counseling staff.  Be sure to check out the LHS Scholarship database from the LHS School Counseling Office.  New scholarships come in at different times during the year and they aren't just for the "straight A" students.
• Visit some college campuses.  Sign up for the LHS Counseling Center sponsored Fall College Trip, if available. If you haven't done this already, try to schedule some college visits this fall.  Interview some students, faculty and staff if possible. 
• Finalize your college choices.  Decide on at least six potential colleges.  You should be thinking about some "reach" schools, "target" schools and "safety" schools.  This pertains to academic, as well as financial, considerations.  Finalize your "colleges I'm applying to" list in School Links.  You will be able to apply to most colleges online through the Common Application or the Black College Common Application, or the college's main website.   
• Start your college application essay(s) early.  Most schools require essays as part of their application packet. Even if the essay is optional, do it!  It is the first "test" to see how much time you will spend on that college's application. Get the topic and start writing it early.  Try to make your essay compelling and be sure it reflects your best effort.  Give it lots of thought, edit, spell-check and ask for feedback from an English teacher, counselor, parent, etc.
• Make a list; check it twice.  Make a checklist for each college you are going to apply to.  Include all the pieces of information that need to be assembled (i.e., forms, recommendations, essays, transcripts, etc.) and all deadlines. This will help you break the application job into smaller parts. It will also help you stay organized, calm, and on track. 
• Request recommendation letters.  NOW is the time to ask teachers, school counselors, coaches, and employers for letters of recommendation related to your activities and employment.  These will be required for college applications.  Ask for the recommendations in person.  If a teacher, school counselor, or coach agrees to write you a recommendation letter, be sure to provide them a copy of your resume' and a list of schools you are applying to.  Be sure to write a thank-you note to each person who provides a recommendation.  This is easily done in Naviance when you request your letters of recommendations from your teachers. 
• Request your transcript in School Links.  Each college that you apply to requires an official transcript directly from Laurel HS. Complete the transcript request in SchooLinks or via Scriborder if not available through Naviance.
• Plan now for a smoother financial aid application process --- Apply for your FAFSA pin number in October and start gathering financial information.  Virtually all colleges require the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to apply for financial aid.  Visit FAFSA on the Web at www.fafsa.ed.gov and sign up for your personal pin number.  This is also a good time to print out the worksheets for filling out the FAFSA so you'll know what's involved and can begin gathering the financial records. 
• Complete the FAFSA form. Submit the form as soon as possible after October 1. Some schools require it as early as January 1, but be sure to submit it no later than March 1.  You improve your chances of receiving financial aid if you submit your forms early. Colleges are handing out aid as the applications come in and there IS a limit to how much they have to give.  Get your application in late and all their available money may be gone.
• Find out if colleges require the CSS/Financial Aid Profile. Some colleges (mostly private schools) require this special form, which is essentially a supplement to the FAFSA.  The College Board website has a list of the schools that require it, but it's always better to check with the college directly.  
• Call the financial aid offices to find out if they require any other special financial forms of their own. This is most common at private colleges. If they require specialized forms, ask them to send them to you now. Find out the deadlines for all financial aid forms now. 

November  

• Continue checking for scholarships every week in your PGCPS email, Senior Google Classroom, School Links, and the LHS Scholarship database.
• Finish up your college applications.  Some early action deadlines are November 1st.  

December

• Try to finish your college applications by December 1.  Even if the college's official deadline is March 1, it's better to get your application in to your counselor by December 1.  You'll be ahead of the game and able to shift your focus to financial aid applications, scholarships and simply enjoying your senior year. Unless you thrive on stress, there is no good reason to wait until the last minute to begin working on college applications. 
• If you're still applying to colleges, get those applications filled out and submitted as soon as possible, allowing at least three weeks for processing. Keep in mind counselors are often on vacation over the December break; not reviewing college applications. January 1st deadlines should be turned in to your counselor by December 1st at the latest.

Review the list above.  Are you on schedule?  Have you skipped anything?  Not on track?  Stop by to see your counselor ASAP!

January-February

• January and February are financial aid months.  Look for notification of financial aid seminars and other similar programs throughout the county and state. 
• Apply for financial aid through the state of Maryland at the Maryland Higher Education Commission.  Students can apply for grants and other scholarships through this site.  
• Apply for outside funding and scholarships.  Keep checking for scholarship database every week and explore other sources.  For example, parents might belong to organizations or work in businesses that award scholarships.  Ask around. Visit Fastweb, the Internet's largest free scholarship search.  

February-March

• Make sure your FAFSA has been completed and submitted by March 1.  
• Check on mid-year transcripts.  Did you tell your counselor which colleges want mid-year transcripts?  Request your mid-year transcript in Naviance.  
• Watch for your Student Aid Report (SAR).  This is a one-page summary of the FAFSA information you submitted.  It is sent to you to confirm the accuracy of all data one last time before it is forwarded to your colleges.  Occasionally the SAR will note that information is missing or incomplete.  In all cases, follow directions on the SAR and return it as quickly as possible.  If you have not received your Student Aid Report within five weeks after sending in your FAFSA, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at (301) 722- 9200. The report arrives by email if you filed the FAFSA electronically. 
• Rank your college choices while you wait for responses to your applications.

April 

• Watch the mail and/or email for college acceptance letters. They typically start arriving in April or earlier depending on when you applied.
• Compare financial aid packages from each college.  If a financial aid offer is not what you expected, do not hesitate to contact the college's financial aid office to discuss your concerns.  They may have the ability to adjust the offer.
• Make a decision on which college you will attend and send them your formal acceptance.

May 

• May 1st - National Decision Day (and beyond):
• Submit your deposit and corresponding forms to the college you will be attending. Be sure to call the admissions and financial aid office of the colleges that you will not be attending.
• Watch for important deadlines at your college of choice.  These may include housing deposits, financial aid and more.
• Complete the two required graduate surveys.  Each student must complete a graduate survey before he or she receives their cap and gown.  
• Request your final transcript to be sent to your college.  

After Graduation

Have a fun, relaxing, and safe summer and good luck in college, your apprenticeship, or career!