1. College Planning Timeline Junior Year: On the Path to Graduation and Beyond

2.  Junior year is the best time to begin getting organized for senior year so that the College Application period is less stressful and more productive.  Planning now allows your learner to focus on getting the best grades that they can between now and graduation  There are lots of tools available to help you with research. Organization will be your best friend.

3. First Step: Explore (Feb/March) Knowing what major your learner desires will help you decide on what college to consider. Be sure to use career exploration tools that are available to you. Undecided? That’s ok. Go into this with an open mind, but consider what your learner’s interests are so that you can make the best choice. Talk with your learner about what is important to you in the college that they may attend. What is important to them? Use a comparison tool to help you organize and keep track of colleges that interest you and your learner. Research up to 10 or more. College Navigator lets you compare costs, graduation rates, and more. http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ http://www.act.org/path/parent/college/collegecomparison.html

4. Step Two: Prepare (March/April) Keep an eye on grades. Junior year grades say a lot about academic performance. Make plans to prepare for the ACT/SAT. LearningExpressLIbrary is a free resources available to you! (www.ohiomeansjobs.com) National ACT will be given @ STEM on April 28, 2015 at no cost. Attend College Fairs UA College Fair will be on April 13. 40 spots available. Start to research Scholarships. Starting your search now will help you zero in on the best ones for you to apply for next year. Get out on College Visits with your family throughout the Spring/Summer.

5. Upcoming College Open Houses Contact the Office of Admissions at each University for more information and to sign up. Take along your checklist and a list of questions you want to ask. Don’t forget your camera! Colleges love when you post pics from your visit to social media. Keep it positive! What if your learner is more interested in the military or going into the work world? Now is still a good time to talk to a recruiter or attend a job fair. They may be able to line up a great option for themselves, like an internship! Ohio reimburses businesses for HS interns: http://development.ohio.gov/bs/bs_oceip.htm Upcoming Campus Visit Days The University of Akron April 18, 2015 June 26, 2015 July 24, 2015 Kent State University Multicultural Visit Day - April 11, 2015 April 22, 20115 Bowling Green State University April 18, 2015 Ohio University Ohio STEM day - April 2, 2015 May 22, 2015 July 17, 2015 Baldwin Wallace University March 19 & April 16 (overnights) April 25, 2015 University of Mount Union April 25, 2015 College of Wooster March 28, 2015 April 3, 2015 April 18, 2015 April 25, 2015

6. Step Three: Make your Moves! (April/May) Spring: Encourage your learner to request letters of recommendation now – Beat the last minute rush next fall and your learner will get a better letter! Request admissions information from your colleges and schedule visits and interviews. Support your learner in constructing a strong Senior Year schedule. They should take challenging courses that will stretch them as a learner. Assist them in putting together a senior portfolio of their best work and letters of recommendation. Remember, their account on OhioMeansJobs.com can save everything in one place! www.ohiomeansjobs.com

7. Step Four: Plan Ahead for Next Year (May/Summer) Retake the ACT/SAT if desired Get a head start on the college essay. Practice makes perfect Get a summer job to gain experience and to save money for college. See if it can be made into an internship for the fall. Continue to visit colleges. Be a campus explorer! Be sure to check out the school’s net price calculator to compare costs. Start to make financial aid plans: Continue to research scholarships. Go to FAFSA4caster (https://studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa/estimate) to get an estimate of how much financial aid you may qualify for. Get to know the different kinds of aid that are out there.https://studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa/estimate

8. Make the Most of This Year!  It’s not too late to get involved with extra curricular activities and clubs. It will make your learner stand out!  Encourage your learner to create a professional email account for yourself that they use just for college research.  While they are at it, they should change their names on social media and delete pictures in order to reflect what a thoughtful, ambitious students they are. (Colleges WILL Google them! What do you want them to see?)

9. Senior Year Timeline 2015-16  Fall 2015 – Be aware of College Application Deadlines  Retake ACT (if desired)  Attend Senior Planning Night (Date TBD)  November/December 2015 – Financial Aid Night (Date TBD)  Register for a password on the FAFSA.gov website  January 1, 2016 – FAFSA for the coming academic year goes live for completion.  February 2016 – FAFSA should be completed by now.  March 2016 – Look for other scholarship courses.  April 2016 – Compare financial aid packages.  May 2016 – Notify the college where you plan to attend by May 1.  June 2016 – Congratulations! You made it!!