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TFC College Planning: Eleventh Grade Best Practices September 

Create your own COLLEGE NOTEBOOK



Focus on Academics o Graduation Requirements. Are you on target? o NCAA Athletics  http://web1.ncaa.org/ECWR2/NCAA_EMS/NCAA.jsp o Are your high school courses meeting NCAA eligibility requirements?  https://web1.ncaa.org/hsportal/exec/hsAction?hsActionSubmit=searchHighSchool  http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/eligibility_center/Student_Resources/Initial_Eligibility_FAQ.p df o Meet with academic advisor o Organization/Focus/SHOW/Continue improvement



Expand extracurricular activities/leadership roles o Become more involved in current clubs. Leadership role or not, be active. o If you are not engaged, find an activity. Quality not Quantity.

October, November, December •

Take SAT/ACT (Rest/eat well/arrive early)



College Fairs o Prior  Become familiar with College’s website to better understand campus resources, academic information, and news.  View the Class/Student Body Profile which will provide helpful statistics and information about the College and the students we select.  Read Online publications (Student Newspaper), follow school’s Twitter feed, “Like” Facebook page.  Create list of questions want answered.  Secure a copy of your transcript with current courses on it.

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TFC College Planning: Eleventh Grade Best Practices o

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Day of Event  Arrive early and dress appropriately.  Bring Cheat Sheet of Questions  Introduce yourself to Admissions Counselors (You- not mom or dad!)  Feel free to pair up with a friend if you are nervous/shy.  Ask for Business card if it is not offered. After  Send personalized email to admissions counselors/staff you met .  Follow up with any additional questions you might have.



Finish first quarter strongly



Develop relationships with all teachers



Discuss Standardized Testing as a family with Counselor o http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/when-to-take-sat o http://www.actstudent.org/ o http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-subject-test-dates o How many/what kind tests do colleges you may be interested in ask for?



Alumni Panel Program- Attend if it’s offered!



College Visits o Visit no more than two per day o Try to visit when school is in session o Stay overnight in a dorm, if possible o Use school holidays/teacher workshop days when possible o Eat in a dining hall o Sit in on a class (pre-arrange this with Admissions) o Take the tour o Bring a list of questions to ask o Take pictures, journal, record observations (Both Parents and Students) o Read newspaper/take copy o Meet with Alumni from your school for coffee o Weekends are not the same as week days

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TFC College Planning: Eleventh Grade Best Practices •

Attend Your High School College Night o Take notes, attend as a family o Set up meeting with school counselor/college counselor! o Develop plan of action

January- March •

Start exploring summer opportunities (internships/work/academics/leadership).



Finalize/Continue your standardized testing schedule for the spring.



Continue to develop your relationships with your teachers/Counselor.



Continue to develop leadership/extracurricular activities.



January – Talk to your AP teachers or AP Coordinator about taking the AP Exams.



Connect with current teachers about course selection - Senior Year academics matter!



Teacher recommendations o Two teacher recommendations are the norm. o Most teacher recs come during junior year. o Solidify by end of junior year. o Do not automatically select a teacher in which you have high grade. o Showing growth over the year is important/Process of learning o What do you contribute? Teachers are often answering the question, “What would their classroom suddenly be missing if you were not there?” o Do not ask your teacher over email. In Person. Ask if they are comfortable writing a positive recommendation- if not, find another teacher. o Ask teacher what you can do to make this process easier. o Thank your teacher in writing for committing to writing the later.



Continue overnight college visits, Standardized testing

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TFC College Planning: Eleventh Grade Best Practices April -May •

DEVELOPING the college list (Tiers- safe, medium, reach).



AP Exams o https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/home?navid=gh-aps



Refining/narrow of colleges based on preferences, finances, and selectivity.

June • • • • •

Finalize college list. Finish strong academically. Teacher recommendations (for the procrastinators). Standardized testing completion. Senior schedule choices submitted and confirmed.

Summer • • • • •

Revise/Build your resume. Continued expansion of extracurricular activities Start writing your essays - YES! APPLICATION TIP: Optional means REQUIRED! What are Schools looking for? o Difficulty of courses taken o Excellent grades o Upward trend o Intellectual curiosity o Creativity o Commitment o Passion o Personal maturity and integrity o Ability and willingness to contribute o POTENTIAL o Leadership o Service

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