• Here are some things to consider as you head towards spring of junior year:

    Testing

    Be sure to register for SATs or ACTs if you have not already done so through collegeboard.org and act.org.  Keep checking email for information from the College Board and ACT regarding refunds and rescheduling SAT/ACT test dates. 

    To prepare for the SATs, you can take online practice SATs from collegeboard through Khan Academy.  You will have to create a Khan Academy account.  Sign up for a daily practice app or download a practice test.  This can all be accessed through this link: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/practice/full-length-practice-tests

    To prepare for ACTs, you can go to: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-preparation.html 

    Keep Your Resume Current

    Keeping your resume updated is very important.   You will provide your teachers with a copy of your resume from Naviance to help them write your letter of recommendation.  Counselors will also utilize your resume to write recommendations and complete school reports.  A resume also serves as a way to memorialize all of your accomplishments in high school.  If you are not sure how to create or update your resume, please go to the senior guidance info page and watch the video entitled “Updating your Resume in Naviance”.

    Narrow Down Your List

    Start to hone your list of colleges.  If you have not already done a college search in Naviance you can do one now or look at colleges who have accepted students with similar PSAT/SAT scores and GPA as you.  You can access the videos “College Search”, “College Match in Naviance”, & “Scattergrams” through the link: tutorial videos.  You can also add colleges to your list of “Colleges I’m Thinking about” in Naviance.  Instructions on how to do this are in the video entitled “Adding a College to Your List of Colleges I am Thinking About”.

    Letters Of Rec

    An important component of the college application process will be obtaining letters of recommendation.  The purpose of a letter of recommendation is to provide an admissions officer with insight into an applicant’s academic character beyond grades and test scores, expand on personal successes or challenges, and promote qualities that a prospective student can bring to campus. These letters can come from teachers, counselors, or members of the community.  Teacher letters of recommendation will be the most common and most important.  Many colleges and universities require two teacher letters of recommendation.  One of these should be written by a teacher in an academic content area from junior year since this will be the most recent year of education completed.  Teachers should be provided with a resume for reference and will need at least two weeks preparation time.  Always ask a teacher for a letter of recommendation in person!   

    Brag Sheets

    Other useful tools to help students in the college application process are the “Student Brag Sheet” and the “Parent Brag Sheet”.  The “Student Brag Sheet” and the “Parent Brag Sheet” are used by counselors as a reference to write letters of recommendations for students.  These sheets are extremely helpful to counselors and provide an opportunity for families to share additional information that the counselor may not know about the student.  The “Student Brag Sheet” and the “Parent Brag Sheet” can be completed in Naviance and will only be viewed by the counselor.  A video tutorial on how to complete these sheets can be found here under “Brag Sheets”.

    Planning for the Finances

    The total cost of college can be offset by scholarships and grants.  The majority of scholarships are merit based, offered by individual colleges or universities to current seniors. Grants are monetary aids awarded to students on the basis of financial need.  National, regional, and state scholarship information can be found on Fastweb.com.  Fastweb is an online resource that matches students with scholarships for which they may qualify based on the profile they create.  Fastweb will then invite students to apply for appropriate scholarship opportunities.  Naviance is another useful tool to find scholarship offerings.  Available scholarships can be found by logging into Naviance, clicking on "Colleges", then "Scholarships and Money".  Local scholarships and awards for Eastern High School seniors will be available in the spring of senior year. 

    Athletics in College

    The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a voluntary organization through which the nation's colleges and universities govern their athletic programs. The following information pertains to prospective college student-athletes.  College-bound student-athletes who want to compete at a NCAA Division I or II school need to meet certain standards above and beyond the school’s typical admission standards. Students who plan to attend a Division III school need only to meet the admission standards.  College-bound student-athletes should register with the NCAA Eligibility Center to ensure they have met standards and are academically prepared for college coursework.  If the student has taken an SAT/ACT at this point in time, they can send their scores directly to the Eligibility Center, using the NCAA Eligibility Center code of 9999.  In addition to the NCAA registration, Eastern also requires a transcript release form completed and on file.  This release can be found on the Eastern website under “Guidance” and “Forms” or by clicking here.  Also, attached is the NCAA student reference for planning purposes.

    College Visits

    College visitations are an essential component of the college planning process. Before deciding to apply to a specific college it is normally recommended that students visit the school in person to fully explore the campus environment. However, COVID-19 has restricted access to campuses in most places. While campus visits and scheduled tours are not currently an option, many colleges and universities have provided virtual tours of their campuses on their respective websites. Colleges are also providing webinars and student information sessions through their admissions departments for students to access while at home. Spring semester is the time for juniors to begin exploring college options, even during these restricted conditions. Please take advantage of these virtual resources. Reach out to your school counselor with questions.