College Advising Timeline

SUMMER

• Consider a significant community service, volunteer opportunity, or summer employment

SCHOOL YEAR

• Identify study methods that improve your performance
• Get involved in campus, teams, clubs, organizations, and leadership roles
• Beginning in September, attend appropriate visits by college admission representatives to campus
• First administration of Pre-ACT; standard administration
• Learn to identify your learning differences. What learning style suits you best?
• Begin college exploration. Schedule a meeting with the Director of College Counseling; re-evaluate three-year academic planning
• Sign up for next fall courses; consider choosing Honors, consider choosing college credit coursework.
• Identify and apply for leadership roles for next year

SUMMER

• Consider a community service volunteer opportunity or pre-college learning experience / summer college study
• Consider a significant internship or summer employment
• Consider ACT / SAT Preparation
• Complete registration for college credit coursework,

SCHOOL YEAR

• New students develop two-year academic plan with Director of Upper School/Director of College Counseling
• Pursue opportunities for leadership;
• Continue to be involved in campus, teams, clubs and organizations
• Beginning in September, attend appropriate visits by college admission representatives to campus
• Second administration of Pre-ACT; standard administration
• Attend Gow college fair
• ACT/SAT preparation classes at Gow (completely optional, extra fees charged); classes run through March/April
• Work with College Advising Center to draft college application essay
• Students Admitted at Mid-Year: assess two-year plan with Director of Upper School/Director of College Counseling
• Meet with Director of College Counseling regularly; consider scheduling a family conference with the Director of College Counseling when family is on campus;
• Classes with College Coordinator begin (classes run through May)
• Take career interest inventory
• Begin work on rèsumé
• Revise major college essay draft
• Work on minor essays
• Request letters of recommendation from teachers
• Complete accommodation inventory
• Create ACT/SAT account
• Create Common Application account
• Compose draft essays for scholarship applications
• Learn how to research third party scholarships
• College Advising Office registers students for April ACT;
• Sign up for Grade 12 Courses; choose challenging courses; consider choosing Honors Courses; consider choosing college credit coursework.
• Spring Break: Visit Colleges, take detailed notes;
• Meet with Director of College Counseling
• Take ACT (with accommodations, if you qualify)
• Check individual arts colleges for portfolio requirements and deadlines
• Complete development of a list of colleges to which you will apply

SUMMER

• Plan to visit a few colleges over the summer. It is beneficially to take notes to help students once the fall comes around.
• Parents fill out the Parent Information Form
• Summer reading
• Summer math preparation
• Consider a significant community service, volunteer opportunity, pre-college learning experience / summer college study, significant internship, summer employment
• Consider ACT / SAT Preparation
• If student intends on taking the SAT, SAT Subject Tests, or TOEFL, please let the College Advising Center know.

SCHOOL YEAR

• Take September administration of ACT
• Continue to be involved in campus, teams, clubs and organizations, volunteer for service clubs and opportunities. Pursue opportunities for leadership;
• Articulate and describe your learning differences; what resources and accommodations do you need to be successful?
• Students begin completing college applications
• Students must keep track of deadlines, especially for early action and early decision applications
• Students revise major college essay
• Be prepared to explain why a particular college interests you
• Applications must be reviewed by the Director of College Counseling or the College Coordinator;
• Meet with the Director of College Counseling to develop application plan;
• Beginning in September, attend appropriate visits by college admission representatives to campus
• Attend Gow College Fair;
• Schedule additional college visits
• Begin completing scholarship applications;
• Take late October administration of ACT
• Many early action and early decision deadlines due, November 1. Students are responsible for monitoring these well in advance.
• Students complete last applications; most applications close February 1^st
• Watch for communications from colleges concerning student status and admissions decisions, scholarships and financial aid packages
• Communicate promptly with College Advising Center concerning admissions decisions, scholarships and financial aid packages
• Schedule additional college campus visits if necessary
• Meet regularly with Director of College Counseling concerning college selection
• Make enrollment deposits; one and only one enrollment deposit can be made.
• Take placement tests, if necessary
• Schedule a meeting with student support services
• Make housing deposits and meal plan deposits, if necessary
• Deposits cannot be made through the Govian Bookstore.
• Notify all other colleges applied to that their offers of admission are being declined.
• USA universal decision and deposit date: May 1^st. All decisions and deposits are to be made by May 1st.
• Graduation!
• Final transcripts sent out in early June