• Graduation Requirements

Check-in with Mrs. Hibbs and make sure you are on track to graduate.

• Finalize enrollment through Pratt Community College

  • Composition I/English Literature, 18+ English ACT

  • College Algebra/Trigonometry, 23+ Math ACT

  • Online Psychology, Sociology, Public Speaking, Agriculture, etc.

• Looking to play a sport in college? All colleges and universities belong to an athletic organization. Find out which one!

• For NCAA Division I or II: Register online: http://web3.ncaa.org/ECWR2/NCAA_EMS/NCAA.jsp

• NCAA is the most stringent: Use your transcript in Skyward to enter your core classes. Double-check that you will graduate with 16 core classes in May! Core classes include English, Maths, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Language. NCAA standard is a GPA of 2.3 in these core classes.

• For the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA) – Register online: http://www.playnaia.org/eligibility-center

• For National Junior College Athletic Association: http://www.njcaa.org/landing/index

• To cover all your bases, you might consider registering for all three.

• Improve Your ACT

• You should have taken the ACT at least one time by June (the summer BEFORE your senior year). Use this initial ACT to gauge where you are and where you want to be. Benchmark for the ACT is a 21 to be admitted to most state universities. KU is an exception.

• Make sure to send your ACT scores to schools of interest. You can send your scores to 4 schools FOR FREE when registering to take the test. If you request scores to be sent to a school after you see the results, it is an extra $13 fee.

• Sign up for the ACT Question of the Day. Go to ACT Profile, set up a free account (sign in easily with your Google account), sign up for the weekly email option, and every Sunday you will receive 7 ACT test prep questions with solutions sent directly to you.

• Complete any additional test prep sessions to help you make any wanted improvements to your ACT.

  • If you attended the Chad Cargill workshop, study those handouts.

  • Purchase an ACT prep book and work through the sections you need.

  • ACT offers an online prep option. Log into your ACT student account for more information.

  • Wichita State University offers recurring test prep sessions on Saturdays. For more information, visit: http://www.registerblast.com/wsu/exam

• Search for scholarships!

Consult Mrs. Hibbs’ webpage for local and state scholarship opportunities. Go to: Norwich School > Office > Counselor – Carla Hibbs > Local Scholarships and State and University Scholarships. Most local scholarships will roll around in January. Don’t forget the scholarship search engine in Career Cruising!

• Set up college visitations

Visit the college campuses that are of interest to you. Tour the campus, get answers to your questions and visit with financial aid, professors, students, and/or coaches to help you narrow your choices. See Mrs. Hibbs for the paperwork you need to complete before you go. USD 331 provides two excused absences for college visitations.

• Update your resume in Career Cruising

If you haven’t kept track of your involvement during your high school years, you need to start this list now. Think of all of the activities, athletics, clubs, and community service projects you have completed during your high school career. Colleges and scholarship committees are looking for students who are involved. Having this list at your disposal makes scholarship and college applications a breeze! Include your hobbies and interests, extracurricular activities, volunteer/community service, and work experiences. When it’s finished, you can export from Career Cruising to Word or Docs, make it pretty and voila – your resume!

• Write sample college and scholarship essays

Most college applications and scholarships will ask for an essay that describes who you are, what motivates you, lessons learned, and/or why you have chosen this university. Writing this short essay in advance will speed up the application process later. Common Application essay prompts can be found here: https://www.commonapp.org/whats-appening/application-updates/2019-2020-common-app-essay-prompts

• Apply to the college(s) of your choice

Most schools have a priority deadline in the fall, starting as early as November 1. This priority includes admission, as well as scholarship opportunities. Your transcript can be found in Skyward under the Reports Card tab.

• Apply for a FSA ID

If you plan to apply for federal financial aid, sit down with your parents and secure a FSA ID for your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Your ID is used each year to electronically apply for federal student aid and to access your Federal Student Aid records online (statements, etc.). Create your ID at https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm. Record this information and keep it in a safe place so you can access your information every year!

• Complete the FAFSA with your parents

Any student wishing to receive federal student aid (including grants, work-study, and loans) for college or technical training must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The 2019-20 FAFSA will use tax information from 2017, allowing parents and students to submit the FAFSA as early as October 1st. Visit studentaid.gov for more information. Federal Student Aid has also produced short, helpful videos you might want to consider watching as you prepare to complete the FAFSA.

OVERVIEW OF THE FINANCIAL AID PROCESS (1:47)

• Types of Federal Student Aid (2:15)

• FAFSA and FSA ID Tips for Parents (5:59)

• How to Create Your FSA ID (3:18)

• How to Fill Out the FAFSA (3:02)

• Responsible Borrowing (2:20)

• Repayment: What to Expect (2:21)

• Ask for letters of recommendation

Secure three people from school, church, the community, and/or the workplace who will write a letter of recommendation for you for upcoming scholarships. Ask the individuals to describe the nature of and length of your relationship, information about your character, your strengths, and his/her opinion of your potential success in a higher education setting. All scholarships have a deadline; asking for these letters to be written now will prevent you from missing out on deadlines later! Remember – you are asking others to do this favor for you – be respectful by giving them adequate time to write the letter. Two weeks is a respectable time frame, and asking in advance is the best practice!

• Apply for local scholarships

• Pay attention to emails from Mrs. Hibbs regarding scholarships you are interested in.

• Consult Mrs. Hibbs’ webpage for local and state scholarship opportunities. Go to: Norwich School > Office > Counselor – Carla Hibbs > Local Scholarships and State and University Scholarships.

• Apply, apply, apply! Chad Cargill suggests sorting applications according to “requires an essay” and “no essay.” Complete the “no essay” pile first. And remember, putting in two hours on a scholarship that pays $100 is a really good paying job. How many high school students earn $50/hr?!?

• Scholarships all have deadlines, and most vary from January 15 – April 30. Do not procrastinate – finish what you start, and finish on time!

• After graduation, request your Pratt, HCC or WSU Tech transcript to be sent to the college of your choice (if you enrolled in dual credit courses).

  • HCC: http://www.hutchcc.edu/administration/records/transcript-request

  • Pratt: http://prattcc.edu/student-services/transcript-request

  • WSU Tech: https://tsorder.studentclearinghouse.org/school/select

• Mrs. Hibbs will send your official high school transcript to the school of your choice.

  • You will address an envelope for each post-secondary school in April for Mrs. Hibbs.

Mrs. Hibbs will submit your final transcript to the school of your choice after graduation!