College Advising Timeline
Gow prides itself with getting your child to and through college. This is all made possible with the hard work from our students and the one-on-one guidance from College Advising Center. While the bulk of the interactions are done during Govians Junior and Senior year, there are important pieces for all students in our Upper School.
9th and 10th Grade
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
11th Grade
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
12th Grade
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 1st
- 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 1st. All decisions and deposits are to be made by May 1st.
- Graduation!
- Final transcripts sent out in early June