•    Steps for becoming College Ready

    ​9th Grade Goals:

    • Start planning early so that you are better prepared.

    • Take a Career assessment and consider your skills, values, and interests and how these connect to careers.

    • Begin a college savings account.

    • Keep track of courses and grades.

    • Be mindful that colleges will look at grades from 9th-12th grades.

    • Meet with your School Counselor and be certain you are taking the right courses .

    • Develop relationships with your Teachers.

    • Use electives to try out courses of interest.

    • Learn about college entrance requirements.

    • Create a file for report cards, awards, honors, school and community activities, and volunteer work.

    10th Grade Goals:

    • Prepare to take the PLAN/PSAT tests.

    • Get involved in clubs, sports, community service, and other extracurricular activities.

    • Consider the reasons you like different colleges, such as programs, location, cost, size.

    • Tour colleges of interest.

    • Consider taking more challenging courses, such as honors, advanced level courses, and AP.

    • Keep your resume up-to-date by including awards, scholarships, relevant courses, and workshops. Your career center can help.

    • Consider your academic schedule before making a part-time job commitment.

    11th Grade Goals:

    • Be mindful that colleges look closely at junior year grades.

    • Challenge yourself academically.

    • Take ACT/SAT http://actstudent.org;  http://sat.collegeboard.org

    • Attend college fairs

    • Visit colleges

    • Know admission requirements for colleges of interest.

    • Find a summer job or internship in a field of interest.

    12th Grade Goals:

    • Review courses, graduation requirements, and scholarship information with your school counselor. 

    • Update resume.

    • Write college admissions essays early to be reviewed by teachers.

    • Ask teachers and counselors for letters of recommendation.  

    • Make transcript request early and follow up. 

    • Complete college applications

    • Be prepared for Early Decision Replies Dec. 1-Dec. 31.

    • Complete the college financial aid application and FAFSA between Jan. 1-Feb. 15.

    • Make sure your parents have completed their income tax returns.

    • Be prepared to hear from colleges by Spring.

    • Decide on a college and accept before college deadline. 

    • Prepare to take exams for AP and college-level courses.

    • Determine when fees for tuition and room and board are due and how much they will cost.

    • Learn about student health insurance in case of an emergency.

    • Prepare for college placement exams.

                                                                                                                                *source College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC)

  • College Research

    College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC)

    Plan, apply and pay for college.  CFNC is a free service of the State of North Carolina that provides comprehensive college and career planning resources; electronic applications and transcripts accepted by all 110 North Carolina colleges and universities; and, information on student financial aid and college affordability.  www.cfnc.org 

    North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS)

    To research NC Community Colleges, Degree Programs, Distance Learning Opportunities and read Success Stories visit the NC Community College website: http://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/about-us/main-campuses 

    North Carolina Universities & Colleges 

    Research the sixteen NC institutions that grant baccalaureate degrees at  http://www.northcarolina.edu.  

    Learn about:

    • The online application process

    • Programs and degrees

    • Certificate programs

    • Campus profiles

    FAFSA

    Complete a FREE Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by visiting the website: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.  Also, learn about deadlines, your college’s school codes, and other options for filing your FAFSA.  

    Applying to College:

    • ​Check to see if your colleges/universities use the Common Application- nearly 700 schools do, but some only have applications through their school website.

    • Start early- this will give you plenty of time to go back and make revisions as needed.

    • Make sure you are putting activities in order of importance

    • You only have 150 characters to describe each extracurricular activity- make each word count.

    • Do not  work on your essay in the Common Application- type it up in Microsoft Word and then paste it in when you are ready.

    Essay Tips:

    • ​Start in the summer- many schools release their essay topics during the summer, so start writing before senior year starts. Your future self will thank you.

    • If you have to choose between several prompts, pick the one that speaks to you the most.

    • Write with personality- this is your chance to show a part of yourself that the rest of the application can’t

    • Keep an eye on your word count

    • Don’t stress- college admissions will look at more than just your essay, so write as well as you can, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself.

    Letters of Recommendation:

    • ​Try to choose someone that knows you well and will have lots of positive things to write about.

    • Give your recommender a resume or “brag sheet” to remind them a little about yourself and your interests.

    • Don’t be afraid to follow up- if it’s been two weeks and you haven’t heard anything from them, send a polite email reminding them of the deadline.

    • Give thorough information on how to submit the letter- does it need to be submitted online or do you need a physical copy?

    • Be sure to send a thank you note