With each new year comes a new set of goals to accomplish, which for high schools parents and students may include a to-do list of scholarships to apply for, deadlines to meet and colleges to visit. As we enter the middle of the school year, high school juniors and seniors are on a tight schedule to ensure they’re taking the proper steps to be college ready.
With the Obama administration pushing to meet their goal of having America in the leading spot with the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020, we’ve rounded up 6 tips to help guide students on the right track to reaching their higher education goal.
Fill out your FAFSA form:
The new 2015-2016 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available online for college-bound students and parents to fill out.
While tax information from the previous year is required to complete the form, FAFSA allows families to provide an estimated figure until after their taxes are completed. According to Dr. Frank Mussano and Dr. Robert Iosue, authors of College Tuition: Four Decades of Financial Deception
, it’s best to fill out the application as soon as possible after January 1 of the year the student plans to attend college in order to maximize their options for federal financial aid.Click here for more information provided by BlackEnterprise.com on what parents and students should know about FAFSA.
Sign-up for the SAT/ACT:
Collegeboard.org is one of you best resources when planning out your testing schedule for college. With study plan tips, a registration deadline reminder and a test-taking schedule based on your college application plan, College Board has you covered when it comes to preparing you for the SAT.
For high school juniors, it’s recommended that you sign up to take the SAT at least one time before your senior year, with most students taking the test in the spring. The next spring exam offered this year will be held on March 14th, with a registration deadline of February 13th.
In addition to taking the SAT, students and parents should also look into the ACT in order to see which test they perform best on. To learn more about the ACT, visit actstudent.org.
Apply for scholarships:
Scholarships deadlines are fastly approaching, and the pressure is on for parents and students to collect as much money as they can to help offset the cost of a college education. In addition to applying to scholarships through your church, neighborhood organizations and nationally recognized companies, also do your research to see what types of scholarship opportunities the college of your choice offers.
Click here to learn more about the various scholarship opportunities made available each year to minority students.
Narrow down your options if you’ve already received acceptance letters:
By now, some of you may already be hearing back from the schools of your choice because you met their early application deadlines. If you are ahead of the game and in this position, then it’s time to start narrowing down your top options. The sooner you notify a school that you will be attending their institution the better chance you have of getting the best housing option that is most suitable to making your college experience enjoyable.
Look into summer college courses:
One way to better prepare for college is to take summer courses at your local community college. Not only will you get a head start on your college work load by getting some of your general courses out of the way, you will also save money as community college classes are cheaper than those at a four-year college/university.
Apply for a summer job:
While the idea of relaxing and enjoying your summer is appealing to many students, it may not be a bad idea to look into a summer job to keep you occupied during your time off. With the expenses of textbooks, food and other miscellaneous items forcing you to come out of pocket throughout the school year, it’s always good to go into college with a little bit of extra spending money saved up.