By Leslie O’Connor, College Counselor

College Corner appears in the Wyvern Weekly with suggestions and dates to help make the college search and application process as stress-free and enjoyable as possible. We have a number of college events coming up next week! Note: All college visits not otherwise noted take place in the College Resource Room on the Downtown Campus.

Monday, October 15th

  • University of Louisville – 10:20 – 10:50 a.m.
  • Washington and Lee University Admissions Presentation at 6:30 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn (Mall St. Matthews) at 400 Sherburn Lane.

Tuesday, October 16th

  • Miami University (Oxford, OH) – 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Hanover College – 12:15 – 12:45 p.m.

Saturday, October 20th

  • Indiana University Southeast Open House from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Click here for more information and to register.
  • Miami University (Oxford, OH) Preview Day at 9:00 a.m. Click here for more information and, for questions, call 513-529-4632.
  • Brescia University Open House at 11:00 a.m. (CT). Click here to RSVP.

12th Grade College Planning Guide for October and November

Visit colleges! Fall is a great time to see college campuses because classes are in session and you are better able to talk to students and professors. Make a reservation for a campus tour and presentation well ahead of when you plan to visit, this is a busy time of year for admissions offices. You can usually sign up online. You may want to see if the college offers an interview, a class visit, or an opportunity to speak with someone in the department of your major. If you are unable to visit, become familiar with the college through websites or check out YouVisit

Finalize your college list. After researching and visiting colleges, decide which school(s) you will apply to. It’s ok to have “reach” schools on your list, but you must balance it out with schools where you are likely to be admitted and where you can afford to attend. The College Board has great tools to compare colleges regarding cost, selectivity, GPA, test scores, etc.

Complete standardized testing. You may have one more ACT or SAT you want to take, but deadlines are fast approaching:

SAT Dates

  • Saturday, November 3rd (registration was Friday, October 5th)
  • Saturday, December 1st (registration is Friday, November 2nd)

ACT Dates

  • Saturday, October 27th (registration was Friday, September 28th)
  • Saturday, December 8th (registration is Friday, November 2nd)

Colleges require ACT/SAT scores to be sent directly to them as official scores. If you selected four colleges to send scores to when you registered, then you do not need to resend to those colleges. You must go online and send scores (College Board and ACTto colleges electronically. You can do this before or after you submit your application. They can take 10 days or more to arrive at the colleges, so watch the deadlines!

Keep track of college deadlines. Find a system that works to organize all the emails and mailed information from colleges. You do not want to skip reading emails from the colleges you are applying to, as they contain scholarship, housing, and financial aid information. Make a chart of deadlines for applications, honors programs, and scholarships; they can occur at different times of the year and many are now/coming up (Tuesday, October 15th, Thursday, November 1st, and Friday, November 15th).

Submit financial aid forms. The FAFSA was available on Thursday, October 1st. Please complete it and send to colleges as soon as possible. Some colleges require the CSS Profile. This can be found on College Board and is required from many private colleges.

Continue your scholarship search. There are many sources of aid through scholarship websites (remember they should all be free to use) and if you are diligent about applying for scholarships it can help defray college costs. Most scholarship money comes from the college when they package your financial and merit aid, but there are other sources of money out there.

Work on completing college applications and the Common Application. Proofread all of your work and reach out to your English teacher and/or Ms. O’C if you need help. *You must first apply to the college and then submit the RED transcript request form to Ms. O’C for every college you apply to.

Thank your teachers for writing your letters of recommendation. They take a lot of time and effort.