As you prepare to enter your senior year of high school, you’ll want to take some steps now and over the summer to be ahead of the game. Here are a few things you can take advantage of over the summer months:
- Visit colleges and career technology centers. Have you decided on the school you want to attend after you leave high school? If you have a few schools on your list, it’s best to step foot on their campus in order to make the decision that’s best for you. UCanGo2.org offers the Making the Most of Campus Visits guide, which supplies you with a checklist of offices to visit, questions to ask and suggestions that can help you make a more informed choice when you decide where you’ll pursue higher education.
If your summer is slammed and you won’t have time to see all your schools of interest, OKcollegestart.org provides a list of Oklahoma college and technology centers that offer virtual tours. OKcollegestart.org also offers very detailed information about higher education institutions in Oklahoma and nationwide. Check out your favorite schools and see if they offer the sports programs you’re interested in, the classes you want to take and much more.
- Create your FSA ID. The first step in applying for federal and state financial aid to help with college expenses is completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). This December, the FAFSA will become available and you will complete this online form at StudentAid.gov. To access and sign the FAFSA online, you and one of your parents will need to create a FSA ID, or Federal Student Aid Identification. This username and password will be used each year you apply for financial aid for college so keep it in a safe place. UCanGo2 offers FSA ID Worksheets in both English and Spanish so you can keep track of your information. It’s best to save your worksheet in a file with your 2022 tax forms so you’ll have these important documents ready when you begin the FAFSA completion process.
- Search for scholarships. As a junior, you should already be searching and applying for scholarships. In fact, scholarships are available for students in middle school and even younger. When you enter your senior year, we suggest you apply for 3-4 scholarships a week. That sounds like a lot, but just remember — the more you apply for, the more you may win! Check out these scholarship resources as you navigate the application process:
Enjoy your summer, but take a little time to prepare yourself for senior year. If you have questions, please contact our office at UCanGo2@ocap.org.