Keep in Mind to…
Start making moves! Attend every College and Career fair.
Complete a scholarship search, take a college & career assessment, and update your plans with your counselor.
Where to Start?
Make a plan with your school counselor.
Create your official academic email.
Study for and schedule SAT, ACT, CLT exams.
Get and stay organized.
Academics & Testing
Speak often with your school counselor.
Do your best on every standardized test throughout the year.
Register for and take the PSAT & PreACT.
Be prepared for AP and IB exams.
Activities & Service
Get involved in clubs, sports, and extracurricular activities.
Collect at least 25 community service hours each year.
Pursue leadership positions and summer enrichment programs.
Consider an internship in your field of interest.
Remember as You Get Closer to Graduation
It’s crunch time! Continue to work hard and get great grades. Remember that your final transcript reflects every class you’ve taken in high school.
DON’T GIVE IN TO SENIORITIS!!! Attend classes on time and prepare every day.
Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application!
Make sure to create your StudentAid.gov account—and remember your username and password so you can access and submit the 2025-2026 FAFSA form in October of senior year. Find out if your parent(s) or spouse will need to be contributors (contribute their info on your FAFSA form).
Include SAT/ACT scores and final transcripts with your college applications.
Stay Focused! Now is an exciting and stressful time, but don’t forget your goals and the future you’re working toward. You have a lot of deadlines to juggle, but stay calm. You Got This!
Make a PACT for next year’s goals and expectations.
Purposeful: Meaningful, long-term, and aligns with your passion; ask yourself does this fit with your long-term goals?
Actionable: Based on outputs and the actions taken to achieve it; ask yourself would you rather take action today than over-plan tomorrow?
Continuous: Consistent actions, simple and repeatable; ask yourself what actions can you take that will help you achieve your goal?
Trackable: More of a “yes” or “no” approach, not measurable; ask yourself have you done the thing today? Yes or no? This makes your progress easy to track
Applying for Scholarships
Create a digital Scholarship Portfolio.
Write a purposeful and inspiring personal statement.
Think about your past experiences, community activities, and goals. Write an accurate essay that tells your story. Ask trusted adults to review your writing and make suggestions for fine-tuning.
Request letters of recommendation from your trusted mentors and teachers.
Try to give teachers 2-3 weeks notice if you want a stellar letter.
Finding a College or Trade School
Take a tour or attend an open house on a college campus to see precisely what you’re working toward.
Research and create a college list. Start by considering your desired career and the courses or programs required to obtain that degree. Visit Big Future to get started.
