Senior To-Do: October

Hey, fellow seniors! Only just a week left in October. Right now is the time to be working on college applications. Many colleges have November 1st as the deadline for their early action/early decision. With early action, applicants will get an answer back from the colleges sooner, some as soon as December. Some colleges, like Northwestern in Illinois, will require you to end all other applications should you be accepted by early decision. This early date could also be the deadline you need to meet to be applicable for merit scholarships. If you don’t have plans for early decision/early action, right now you’ll want to have a finalized list of potential colleges you’ll want to apply to under regular admission. You’ll want to be arranging visits to the colleges you have yet to visit. Seniors get two college visit days a year. You can also take visits during breaks or on weekends if the college is hosting campus visits during them.

FAFSA began at the start of this month. In years past, it didn’t begin until after the New Year’s. Now, students can apply in October with the year prior’s tax forms. FAFSA allows students to get financial aid from the federal government and helps colleges decide how much you can get from the colleges themselves based on financial need. It is very important that you complete FAFSA. The deadline for this is in March. A note for the guys, you will need to apply to the Selective Service to apply for FAFSA. Applying to the Selective Service is a legal must for all males, ages 18 to 25 in the US.

Now is also the time to start on getting letters of recommendation from your teachers. Most teachers here at East Noble will require an activity resume before they’ll write you a letter. This will be done in your senior English classes as it is a requirement for the portfolio you will complete before you can graduate. Be sure to give your recommenders ample time for writing. Don’t show up at their rooms two days before the deadline.

Lastly, begin looking in to scholarships. You can start by looking online, talking to Mrs. Benedict, or talking to the leader of groups you’re a member of outside of school. Most scholarships don’t start until after New Year’s, after application season, but it’s never too early to start. There are scholarships all the time.

Good luck and happy Halloween.