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Career and College Planning

Xello: College & Career Readiness 

Preparing Students for a Successful Future

Parents, ask your UHS students to log into their Xello account and show you all that they have been doing.  

TIMELINE -- What to do when! (adapted from the Scholarship System)

HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN YEAR:

FALL

  • Meet your guidance counselor
  • Get involved in extracurricular activities
  • Enroll in the appropriate college-prep or tech-prep classes that you’re taking
  • Study hard and get good grades
  • Read

WINTER

  • Start off on the right foot with your grades
  • Explore your interests and possible careers
  • Discuss your skills and interests with your guidance counselor
  • Consider a college savings plan and add to an existing one if you have already have one started
  • Start thinking about the classes you want to take next year

SPRING

  • Getting involved: Continue to build your credentials- Keep track of your extracurricular awards, community service achievements, and anything else you participate in
  • Begin learning about college
  • Keep your grades up
  • Schedule a meeting with your counselor to discuss your plans for the summer and the upcoming school year
  • Search for summer internship opportunities

SUMMER

  • Volunteer
  • Get a job and begin saving for college
  • Sign up for an enrichment program
  • Schedule a college visit
  • Create your resume and fill it with activities and accomplishments from your freshmen year

HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORE YEAR:

FALL

  • Take a practice PSAT
  • Begin getting ready for the ACT
  • Stay on track with your courses: Talk with your guidance counselor to make sure you’re enrolled in the classes you need to prepare you for college or a career
  • Get familiar with general college admission requirements
  • Start attending college fairs in your area
  • Explore your career options in more detail: “Job shadow” someone who does what you think you’d like to do
  • Look for a job and start a college savings account and regularly deposit into it
  • Get involved in extracurricular activities  
  • Volunteer in your community

WINTER

  • Stay involved with your extracurricular activities: Work toward leadership positions in the activities you like best.
  • Read and practice your writing
  • Meet with your guidance counselor to make sure you are on track

SPRING

  • Study hard and keep your grades up: remain focused
  • Start your college search
  • Reach out to colleges that interest you: Ask for information about their academic requirements and any programs that potentially might interest you

SUMMER

  • If you haven’t already, start preparing for the SAT or ACT
  • Get a job and begin saving for college
  • Volunteer
  • Participate in activities that align with your interests
  • Go on one or two summer campus tours at local colleges

SHOULD BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR YEAR:

  • Meet your guidance counselor
  • Get involved in extracurricular activities
  • Consider a college savings plan and add to an existing one if you have already have one started
  • Getting involved: Continue to build your credentials- Keep track of your extracurricular awards, community service achievements, and anything else you participate in
  • Create your resume
  • Begin getting ready for the ACT
  • Stay on track with your courses: Talk with your guidance counselor to make sure you’re enrolled in the classes you need to prepare you for college or a career
  • Explore your career options in more detail: “Job shadow” someone who does what you think you’d like to do
  • Volunteer in your community
  • Start your college search

FALL

  • Start studying for the SAT/ACT, SAT Subject Tests, and AP exams as soon as the school year begins
  • Take the PSAT
  • Stay on track with your classes and grades
  • Have your child study for the ACT/SAT
  • Make a list of potential colleges you would like to attend
  • Make sure your resume is up-to-date and continue updating it throughout the year
  • Create a document of any awards and involvements to use in the future
  • Evaluate education options: vocational-technical school, career college, two-year or four-year college, a military college
  • Discuss careers and which majors can lead there
  • Gather college information: Attend college fairs, and college nights and speak to representatives from colleges that attend your high school
  • Begin planning campus visits
  • Mark the dates on a calendar for upcoming tests: SAT, ACT, and AP exams
  • Continue involvement in extracurricular and volunteer activities and seek leadership roles
  • Continue building relationships with your teachers as 11th-grade teachers are the ones that you will most likely ask for letters of recommendation
  • Read as much as possible: Expand your outside reading list
  • If a course member, begin watching videos, implementing action items as you go
  • Apply for scholarships as many allow juniors to apply

WINTER

  • Stay involved with extracurricular activities
  • Study for the ACT/SAT
  • Getting involved: Holidays and winter break are great times to volunteer
  • Organize your college information
  • Start narrowing down your college choices: if you haven’t already started planning some college visits
  • Note merit scholarship requirements for these colleges
  • Continue discussing careers and corresponding majors
  • Shadow career fields
  • Prepare for standardized tests: research the test requirements of the colleges you wish to attend (SAT, ACT, or SAT Subject Tests) and register for the tests
  • Learn more about financial aid
  • Apply for scholarships: find scholarships with little competition but can fund a free ride
  • Start planning for a productive summer: Check on internship deadlines
  • If a course member, winter break is a great time to implement a large portion of the materials

SPRING

  • Getting involved: Some schools allow new members to join after winter break
  • Prepare your class schedule for senior year: stick with a schedule that challenges you versus all easy classes/meet with your school counselor to discuss your options
  • Consider ways to earn college credit via Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, CLEP, or Dual Enrollment courses
  • Continue your scholarship search and apply: find scholarships with little competition BUT will fund a free ride
  • Contact your letter of recommendation writers: employer, coach, activity leader, or adult who knows you well outside of school
  • Check for local scholarships in the guidance office before the school year ends
  • Apply for a summer internship or job
  • Set up appointments at your top college choices including a personal interview, tour of the campus, and meet with a professor/coach

SUMMER

  • Visit Colleges: Visit the top 5 campuses on your list
  • Work a summer job to gain experience, build a resume, and save money for college
  • Maximize summer to build competitiveness
  • Talk to others about their experience in college especially if the student is attending a college on your list
  • Organize your financial aid information
  • Start working on your college application essays: Have a teacher read and discuss the essays with you
  • Continue to pursue scholarship opportunities and apply! *Junior year summer is ideal for mastering the scholarship process, slowly working through the 6-step process Doing so over the summer means you can have materials ready to reuse for senior year!
  • Letters of Recommendation: Request these letters with at least a 2-week notice
  • Develop a strong personal statement for scholarships
  • Retake the SAT/ACT to improve the score
  • Finalize personal statement based on junior year
  • Write down all deadlines for FAFSA, admissions applications, and scholarships (including state-based and merit-based scholarships)

A COMPLETE COLLEGE-PREP CHECKLIST: HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR YEAR

THINGS THAT SHOULD BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR YEAR

  • Make a list of potential colleges you would like to attend
  • Make sure your resume is up-to-date and continue updating it throughout the year
  • Discuss careers and which majors can lead there
  • Gather college information: Attend college fairs, and college nights and speak to representatives from colleges that attend your high school
  • Apply for scholarships
  • Learn and organize your financial aid
  • Consider ways to earn college credit via Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, CLEP, or Dual Enrollment courses
  • Set up appointments at your top college choices including a personal interview, tour of the campus, and meet with a professor/coach if desired
  • Start working on your college application essays: Have a teacher read and discuss the essays with you
  • Discuss Letters of Recommendation: Request these letters with at least a 2-week notice
  • Take the SAT/ACT

FALL

  • Getting involved: It’s never too late for students to get involved
  • Continue to visit schools
  • Finalize your college list: use all the information that has been gathered from your college visits, interviews, and your own research to determine which schools you wish to apply to
  • Stay on track with grades and extracurricular activities: don’t slack off colleges look into what you have done your senior year too!
  • Take your standardized tests: Register for and take the ACT, SAT, or SAT Subject Tests (as necessary).
  • Create a calendar detailing application deadlines for admission, financial aid, and scholarships
  • Create a final draft of your resume
  • Ask for letters of recommendation: request these with at least a 2 weeks notice
  • Meet with your guidance counselor to discuss options for scholarships and admissions
  • Retake the ACT/SAT at least once, perhaps twice depending on the score
  • Complete applications: Finish application forms for the schools you are interested in. *To avoid rushing to make deadlines, complete prior to winter break*
  • Check that colleges received all materials: applications, letters of recommendation, and test scores
  • Submit financial aid forms: Fill out the FAFSA no matter what, and if necessary, the PROFILE as early as possible beginning in October
  • Continue your scholarship search: use the successful strategies we cover – October is a major scholarship month!

WINTER

  • Continue building involvement
  • Follow up on your college applications: Check with the schools to make sure they have received all your information, including test scores, transcripts, and recommendations
  • Take the ACT/SAT if scores can still be submitted to colleges
  • Keep working hard on your grades
  • Complete remaining admissions applications
  • Compare the costs of the schools your child is considering
  • Update personal statement with Fall semester  experiences
  • If a course member, winter break is a great time to implement a large portion of the materials
  • Work a part-time job for experience and to save money
  • Continue with your scholarship search: Holiday breaks are a great time to knock out some applications

SPRING

  • Continue saving up for college (part-time job wages)
  • Keep an eye out in the mail for notification from colleges: Admissions decisions go out by March or April
  • Keep your grades up
  • Have a family meeting about college finances/financial aid and compare financial aid packages: ideally debt-free options
  • Check out your options if you’re put on a waitlist: Keep in mind being put on a waitlist does not mean rejection. You should receive a decision by May
  • Prepare for any last standardized tests: AP, IB, and CLEP exams
  • Choose your school: Notify all colleges of your decision by May 1st
  • Complete enrollment paperwork for the college you will attend: complete all paperwork by the deadline (this includes: course scheduling, orientation sessions, housing arrangements, and other necessary forms)
  • Don’t give up on scholarships there’s still time to apply and receive money for the Fall semester! Use the successful strategies we cover
  • Just in case, begin researching and learning about student loans

SUMMER

  • Getting involved: Have your child join organizations if they haven’t already
  • Work and save money for college expenses
  • Continue to apply for scholarships – deadlines go all the way through July and into August for money for the fall!: use the successful strategies we cover
  • Be on the lookout for college admission notifications
  • Research student loans if needed, narrowing down your choices
  • Talk with your child about college bills

Financial Aid Checklist (CLICK ON THE LINK TO OPEN THE DOCUMENT)

Junior/Senior