| Fall |
| • |
Create an account
on www.gacollege411.org
if you haven't done so yet. If you have already created an account,
be sure you know how to access it. |
| • |
Take
the SAT or ACT if you are attending a college that requires
it.
See the dates and register on line.
|
| • |
Continue
to explore colleges using the resources listed below. Plan
to make decisions and apply by Thanksgiving, or sooner for
early action applications. Know your deadlines!
|
| • |
Check
your credits and schedule that you can find on your account
on Infinite
Campus for the new year to be sure you are on track for
graduation and are meeting the requirements of the college you
plan to attend. |
| • |
Check
your HOPE GPA on www.gacollege411.org.
- Select "My HOPE GPA" on the home page.
- You will need to know your social security number.
- After viewing your HOPE GPA, select the option to view
the details. You will see your transcript. Check to be sure
there are no errors. If there are, contact
the counseling department.
|
| • |
If your applications
require essays, get started on them early. Ask an English teacher
to help critique your work. |
| • |
Request scholarship
and financial aid information from each postsecondary institution
on your list. |
| • |
Look in the
scholarship file in the counseling office and check scholarship
information on the Internet. Take note of all scholarships
for which you are eligible, along with their deadlines. Each
time you obtain an application, check immediately for needed
recommendations, transcripts, signatures, and take note
of the deadlines. |
| • |
If you are
planning to participate in collegiate athletics and have not
already
registered with the NCAA Clearinghouse,
you should do that now. |
| • |
Submit
college/technical college applications by Thanksgiving,
even if the deadlines are later in the year.
If a deadline is at the beginning of January, you may not
have time to gather all needed materials by the deadline date
if you wait until January to submit the application material. |
| • |
Request
transcripts after you have submitted applications.
. |
| • |
Plan to visit
the colleges to which you've applied if you have not already
done so. You can obtain a college visit form from the counseling
office. If the form is returned at least seven days before your
visit, a college visit does not count as an absence from school
for attendance or exam exemption. Print
the college visit checklist from the College Board. |
| • |
If you are
applying to a technical college, take the ASSET test the college
gives rather than the SAT or ACT. The ASSET is given by the
technical colleges. |
| • |
Continue to
check the scholarship links
in PantherHelp and the files in the counseling office to see
if new scholarships have arrived. |
| • |
Sign up in
the counseling office or contact us via E-mail to meet with
college representatives as they visit Jackson County Comprehensive
High School. To know when they are coming, pay attention to
the JCCHS televised and intercom announcements. |
| • |
Be sure to
take any Georgia High School Graduation Tests that have not
been passed. |
| • |
At the
beginning of the new year (after January), you should submit
the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Parents and students should begin gathering family income information
for tax preparation now (November). In order to complete the
FAFSA, you must have your income taxes for the previous year
completed. For example, for the 2004/2005 school year, income
tax information for 2003 is used. (The income tax forms do not
have to be submitted before completing the FAFSA.) |
| • |
Write
thank you notes to those who wrote recommendations for you. |
| Winter
and Spring |
| • |
Ask
the counseling office to mail mid-year grade reports to your
colleges if any require them. |
| • |
Check
your credits and schedule that you can find on your account
on Infinite
Campus for the new year to be sure you are on track for
graduation and are meeting the requirements of the college you
plan to attend. |
| • |
Check
your HOPE GPA on www.gacollege411.org.
- Select "My HOPE GPA" on the home page.
- You will need to know your social security number.
- After viewing your HOPE GPA, select the option to view
the details. You will see your transcript. Check to be sure
there are no errors. If there are, contact
the counseling department.
|
| • |
Continue
to work on gathering income tax information so you can complete
the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The FAFSA
should be completed as soon as possible after January and can
be completed on
line. For most people, it can't be done until early February
after W2s are provided by employers. |
| • |
Complete
the E-HOPE online application on www.georgiacollege411.org.
|
| • |
Be sure
you have mailed the FAFSA, or that you have completed it on
line. |
| • |
If
you receive acceptances from colleges, read the material carefully.
Many colleges require hat you return a signed acceptance of
financial aid by a deadline. Failure to do so may result in
your losing financial aid. |
| • |
Take the Georgia
High School Graduation Tests, if necessary. |
| • |
Make
the final decision about postsecondary plans and/or institution.
Notify colleges of your decision to enroll or not to enroll.
|
| • |
During graduation
practice, sign up for the final transcript to be sent to the
college of choice. |
| • |
If you
intend to play college athletics, be sure the counseling office
knows to send your final transcript to the NCAA
Clearinghouse. |
