PowerPoint Presentation
Choose a balanced course load with you future and GPA in mind.
Work with the school counselor to create a yearly schedule for meeting graduation requirements. (Career Planner)
Talk to a school counselor about taking PAP,AP, and/or Dual Credit courses.
Get involved with community-based, leadership-oriented, and extracurricular activities.
Explore and identify career fields of interest through online research and by attending career fairs and other events.
Keep a running list of accomplishments, awards, and recognitions to use in preparing a resume and college applications.
9th Grade Focus
Research funding for college, including scholarships, grants, loans, etc.
Reach out to mentors in the fields of interest.
Exploring college and career options.
Consider taking a practice test to prepare for the PSAT.
10th Grade Focus

Take the PSAT. Students must take the test in 11th grade to qualify for National Merit scholarships.
Attend college fairs and college-prep presentations.
Register for college admission exams such as the SAT and ACT
Research ways to pay for college.
Identify scholarship opportunities to pursue.
Contact colleges/recruiter to request information.
Narrow down the colleges being considered.
Start college visits
11th Grade Focus
Register for and take (or retake) the SAT and/or ACT.
Contact colleges/recruiter to request information.
Complete and submit college applications prior to deadlines.
Complete and submit scholarship applications prior to deadlines.
Request transcripts and letters of recommendation.
Work with parents to complete and submit the FAFSA.
Finish submitting scholarship applications.
Decide on the college to attend and contact its offices.
12th Grade Focus
Take personality and career assessments:
Career Cluster (can be taken every year)
StrengthsExplorer® (middle school; can only be taken once)
Career Key (middle school only)
Career Interest Profiler (high school only)
Do What You Are® (high school only)
Learning Style Inventory™ (high school only)
MI Advantage™ (high school only)
Naviance
Students in NISD use Naviance Family Connection to:
Research, examine and reflect on the assessment results
Research, pin, and save colleges in About Me tab using SuperMatch College Search, watch videos and interviews on a multitude of careers through Roadtrip Nation.
Build a resume
Counselors

Counselors

Academic Advising

Academic Advising
Taking all the classes you need to graduate on time
Taking the types of classes that most colleges look for
Getting the help you need if you’re having trouble in class

for College Success
College Planning College Planning


Career Planning
Your school’s counseling office can help with planning for your future in several ways.
Career fairs
Tests that reveal students’ strengths and interests — information that may help with career decisions (ASVAB)
Naviance

Counseling

20 Questions to Ask Your School Counselor
Your school counselor is one of your best resources as you plan for college. Your counselor has information about admission tests, college preparation, and your education and career options.
Here are some basic questions to help get your conversation started:
1.What courses do I need to take to be ready for college?
2.How should I plan my schedule so I'll complete them?
3.Which elective courses do you recommend?

5.When is the PSAT/NMSQT going to be given?
6.How should I study for the SAT, and is it given at this high school or do I need to go somewhere nearby?
7.Do you have any college planning sessions scheduled?
8.Do you have college handbooks or other guides that I can browse or borrow?

10.What kinds of grades do different colleges require?
11.Are there any college fairs at this school, or nearby?
12.What colleges do other kids from our school go to?
13.What are the requirements or standards for the honor society?
14.Can you put me in touch with recent grads who are going to the colleges on my wish list?

20 Questions to Ask Your School Counselor
16.If my colleges need a recommendation from you, how can I help you know me better, so it can be more personal?
17.Are there any special scholarships or awards that I should know about now, so I can work toward them?
18.Can I see my transcript as it stands now, to see if everything is as I think it should be?
19.What forms do I use to apply for financial aid and where I can find them online?

Reality Check

Parent Action Plan: 9th Grade

Summer Before High School

Summer Before High School
Show your child how to explore career ideas. He or she can make a list of interests, talents and favorite activities and start matching them with occupations.

Fall

Fall
Help your child set goals for the school year. Working toward specific goals helps your child stay motivated and focused.
Make a plan to check in regularly about schoolwork. If you keep up with your child's tests, papers and homework assignments, you can celebrate successes and head off problems as a team.

Winter
Start thinking about financial aid. It’s not too early to look into types of aid that could help you cover college costs.

Spring


Summer

Summer
Help your sophomore explore career ideas. He or she can make a list of interests, talents and favorite activities and start matching them with occupations.

Fall

Fall

Fall

Winter

Spring
Make a college wish list together. Talk with your 10th-grader about qualities he or she may want in a college in terms of location, size, majors offered and so on. Check out How to Find a College That Fits You to learn more about deciding on college must-haves. (www.collegeboard.com)

Spring

Parent Action Plan: 11th Grade

Summer
Get the facts about what college costs. You may be surprised by how affordable higher education can be.

Fall
Make sure your child meets with the school counselor. This meeting is especially important this year as your 11th-grader starts to engage in the college application process.
Encourage your child to set goals for the school year. Working toward specific goals helps your high schooler stay motivated and focused.

Fall

Winter

Winter

Winter
Encourage your junior to consider taking SAT Subject Tests. Many colleges require or recommend taking these tests to get a sense of your child’s skills in a certain academic area. In general, it’s best to take a Subject Test right after taking the relevant course.

Spring
Search together for colleges that meet your child’s needs. Research scholarship options through Naviance. This form of financial aid provides money for college that doesn’t need to be repaid.

Spring
Help your child make summer plans. Summer is a great time to explore interests and learn new skills — and colleges look for students who pursue meaningful summer activities. Help your high schooler look into summer learning programs or find a job or internship.

Parent Action Plan: 12th Grade

Summer
Visit colleges together. If you haven’t already, make plans to check out the campuses of colleges your child is interested in.

Summer
Find out a college’s actual cost. Once your 12th-grader has a list of a few colleges he or she is interested in, use the Net Price Calculator together to find out the potential for financial aid and the true out-of-pocket cost — or net price — of each college. (www.collegeboard.com)

Summer

Fall
Encourage your child to meet with the school counselor. This year, he or she will work with the counselor to complete and submit college applications.

Fall
Help your child prepare for college admission tests. Many seniors retake college admission tests, such as the SAT and the ACT, in the fall.

Fall

Winter

Winter
Fill out the FAFSA to apply for aid. The government and many colleges use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to award aid. Now it’s easier than ever to fill out this form because you can automatically transfer your tax information online from the IRS to the FAFSA.

Spring
Help your child process college responses. Once your child starts hearing back from colleges about admission and financial aid, he or she will need your support to decide what to do.

Spring

FAFSA

Where to Find the FAFSA
January 1 is the first day you can file the FAFSA

FAFSA on the Web

Before You Apply

FAFSA

FSA ID

FSA ID
Note: The FSA ID replaces the FAFSA PIN as of May 10, 2015. If you already have a FAFSA PIN, you can create a new FSA ID and link that to your existing PIN.
Collect documents.
Reminders and Resources
January 1 is the first day you can file the FAFSA. You should try to file as close to this date as possible. College, state and private aid deadlines may be much earlier than federal deadlines. You should pay attention to your colleges' priority financial aid deadlines.

The New IRS Data Retrieval Tool
You can save time and effort if you qualify to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. It will transfer your income tax data directly from the IRS to your online FAFSA.
You and your parents may be eligible to use this tool if:
Your family income tax returns were filed electronically at least two weeks before you complete the FAFSA.

The New IRS Data Retrieval Tool

The New IRS Data Retrieval Tool

What Happens After You Apply

The Student Aid Report (SAR)
After the information you provided is analyzed, you will receive a SAR that contains the data you entered on the FAFSA. The U.S. Department of Education will send this form to you either by email or by postal mail.

Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

Other Financial Aid Forms

Help with the FAFSA
If you have questions about the application, FAFSA on the Web or federal financial aid for students in general, call:
Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC)
800-4-FED-AID (433-3243) / TTY 800-730-8913
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time