Here are some items to check off your list before your children start their senior years:
- Help them choose their career paths and find out which majors can get them there.
- Assist them in creating a tentative list of colleges they want to attend.
- Tell them to collect information about those colleges by doing online research, attending college fairs and college nights (virtual or in-person), and speaking with representatives from colleges who come to their schools.
- Make sure they keep their resume current throughout their senior year.
- Find out about college scholarships and help your children apply for them.
- Explore financial aid options.
- Get your students to schedule appointments with their preferred colleges to arrange personal interviews and tour campuses.
- Encourage them to start writing their college application essays and showing them to their teachers for feedback.
- Remind them to request one or more letters of recommendation from their teachers, coaches, academic advisors, mentors, and/or employers.
- Ensure that they have already taken the SAT or ACT.
- Make sure they have their senior photographs taken. If your children haven’t done any of these by the end of their junior year, they should do so as early as possible in their senior year to stay on track.