1. MY SENIOR PORTFOLIO & CHECKLIST NAME _____________________________

2. Senior 2014 Contact Sheet Name _____________________________________ Social # ___________________________ (memorize this!) Birthdate_________________________ Email address _________________________ Cell phone (optional) ___________________ * I will only use this for messages about college/school info & reminders about deadlines Mailing address ___________________________ ___________________________ Have you taken an ACT ? ______ SAT ? _____ *TSI exempt?_____ Colleges you are interested in at this point: _____________________________________________________________ Career Interests: _______________________________________________ Any special requests or concerns? _________________________________ Permission to release your records: I give the office permission to send my transcript and test scores to colleges/universities/scholarship committees & employers as needed. Student Signature ________________________________ Parent Signature (if you are under 18) _____________________________

3. Senior Timeline Checklist September/October: *Review your transcript & meet with your counselor to ensure that you are meeting all graduation requirements & that everything is accurate and up to date._______ *Narrow your list of potential schools/career interests to three or four _______________________________________ *If you are interested in military service, now is the time to speak with a recruiter about your options. _______ *Register for ACT or SAT exams (& SAT subject exams IF needed) _________ *Apply to the colleges/universities that interest you after making sure you meet admission requirements _______ *Keep searching (or start )for scholarships – online, family connections through work, church, etc… _______ *Work on your college/scholarship essays & ask someone to proofread them _______ *Ask your teachers/counselor/principal for recommendation letters to have on file _______ *Register with the NCAA Clearinghouse to ensure eligibility if you are looking at competing at the college level ___ *Create a resume of your activities, awards, jobs you have held, and volunteer work _______ November/December: *Continue to follow through with the items above AND check your application DEADLINES. Prepare for the FAFSA by registering for a pin # for BOTH you and your parent ______________ January/February: *If you plan to enter the workforce after high school, start looking for job openings. Update and complete your resume to send out to employers. Look into apprenticeship programs and ask for help setting up meetings with companies or employers that you are interested in working with. _______ *Fill out the FAFSA (FREE application for Federal Student Aide) as soon as possible after January 1 st _______ *Continue to search for scholarships – there seem to be more available in the spring _________ *Check and update your 7 th semester transcript, rank and GPA ________ March/April: * Make your final decisions about schools and communicate with the admissions/scholarship office about your final decisions ______ *Take care of your housing app., meal plan, and any other items required if you will be living on campus _____ *Sign up for AP exams, check into CLEP policies, look at the college course schedule if it is available ________ May – August: *Do your best on the AP tests & schedule CLEP exams ______ *Schedule your orientation session at your college to meet with your advisor & set up classes ________ *Make a request to have your final transcript sent to the school you plan to attend _________ *Update your resume to include your graduation information_______

4. ACT dates for 2013-14 Holliday High School Code #443295 Register at www.actstudent.orgwww.actstudent.org MSU is the testing center most of our students will use Cost : $50.50(with writing- take at least once) $35.00 (without writing) Test DateRegistration DateLate Registration (extra fee) Sept. 21August 23Aug 24-Sept.6 Oct. 26Sept. 27Sept. 28-Oct. 11 Dec. 14Nov. 8Nov. 9-22 Feb. 8Jan. 10Jan. 11-24 April 12March 7March 8-21 June 14May 9May 10-23 The ACT is a knowledge based test including the subjects of reading, math, English & science reasoning – ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS! Helpful questions: Does the college I am interested in require the writing? What is the required score for admissions? What is the required score for scholarships? MY “Goal Score” for the ACT _________

5. SAT dates for 2013-14 Holliday HS Code #443295 Register at www.collegeboard.comwww.collegeboard.com MSU is the testing center most students will use Cost: $50 REASONING test *Subject tests are $23 (select universities only) Test DateRegistration DateLate Deadline ($27) Oct. 5Sept. 6Sept. 20 Nov. 2Oct. 3Oct. 18 Dec. 7Nov. 8Nov. 22 Jan. 25Dec. 27Jan. 10 Mar. 8Feb. 7Feb. 21 May 3Apr. 4Apr. 18 June 7May 9May 23 The SAT is a critical thinking/reasoning test – Don’t guess on this one! Questions to ask: What is the required admission score for the college? What is the required scholarship score? Can the scores be mixed/combined from different dates? My “Goal Score” for the SAT ____________

6. College Visits – 2 junior year & 2 senior year **You MUST get a sign out sheet from the office so we can keep a record of your days. Unless the office receives parent contact or a note from the admissions office, the absence will NOT count as a college day. In some cases your college day may be used for testing purposes, job interviews or military reasons. DAY One (when & where)___________________________ DAY Two (when & where)___________________________ Use the contact information from the college website to call and schedule a visit. You can ask Mrs. Anderson for help, but YOU will make the call and set this up. Things to do on your visit: Take a campus tour _____ Check out the freshmen dorms _______ Visit the dining hall options, student center, library, bookstore, & fitness center _______ Other recommendations: Ask about meeting with a professor or advisor in your area of interest _____ Meet with admissions to discuss deadlines & helpful hints ______ Meet with financial aid to discuss grants, loans & scholarships _______ Questions to ask during your visit: Does it offer your major/area of study? _______________ What activities are available for free time? (clubs, organizations, etc…) _______________ Is there a student tutorial center or help available for transition to college?_____________ What is it like to live on campus? (security, food, dorm life) ___________________ Is there a career center & what services are offered? _________________ What is the community like around the college? ____________________

7. College Name ___________________________ Location Distance from home Size Enrollment Size of Campus Environment Type of school School setting/Nearest city Co-Ed Religious affiliation Admission Requirements Deadline Tests required GPA & courses required Academics Typical class size Your major Student/Faculty ratio College Expenses Tuition, room & board Estimated budget Application fee & deposits Financial Aid Deadline Required forms Scholarships Housing Residence Hall requirement Food/Meal Plan Activities Clubs, Organizations, Sports Facilities Conditions of buildings/recreation Campus visits

8. Apply for Admission Texas Colleges/Universities: www.applytexas.org *When you first log in, you will need to create an account & set up a profile. Your username _________________ Your password _______________ *Go to “My Applications” & create a new application Your application ID # & school name______________________ Second application # ______________________ Third application # ________________________ Common Application (for select colleges/universities – Rice & SMU in Texas) www.commonapp.org Private & Out of state Colleges/Universities Go to the College/University Website Click on Admissions or Apply tab Your username _________________ Your password _____________________ College application numbers & info to keep on file ________________________________________________________ Admissions Contact ________________________________________________________ TRANSCRIPT & TEST INFORMATION Mail transcripts & test information to: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date of Request ___________________________________________________________________________________________ College Received Info ________________

9. Apply for Financial Aid - Learn the word “FAFSA” (free application for federal student aid) ALL grants & federal loans come from this application www.fafsa.ed.govwww.fafsa.ed.gov – This is a FREE service Register at www.pin.ed.gov for a pin (your electronic signature)www.pin.ed.gov Your pin # _______________ Your parent’s pin # _______________ **You will use the same pin # throughout college Get a head start by looking at the FAFSA4Caster to see what aid you might qualify for Apply for FAFSA after January 1, 2014 The federal deadline for Texas is June 30 th, but check your college for their priority processing deadline. _______________________ SCHOLARSHIP Applications Does your school require a different application for scholarships? _________ Have you looked at all available scholarships for incoming freshmen? ______ Have you looked at department scholarships for your major? ________ What is the scholarship application DEADLINE? _________________

10. Research & Prepare Use the Counselor Corner webpage to click on links for testing info, financial aid, scholarships, AP dates & career planning. Go to www.hollidayisd.net – click on the high school tab – click on the Counselor’s Corner tabwww.hollidayisd.net Keep up with dates/activities on your phone or a calendar so you don’t miss out on those deadlines for admission, financial aid, scholarships, housing & orientation sessions! If you took courses for college credit, have you requested an official transcript from the college so your hours will transfer to the university you will be attending? ____________________________________ If you are taking AP exams, have you looked at the university’s policy & scores for earning credit? _____________________________________ Have you made sure to accept admission/scholarship awards? __________ Have you met with an advisor or looked online at degree plans? ____________ Career / Military Options: Have you made a resume? _______________ Asked for references? _______________ Met with a recruiter for the military? ____________Prepared for the ASVAB? ______