As fall arrives and our students head back to classes, it’s imperative for seniors and younger students to leverage the season to make sure that they’re staying on top of their respective checklists.
For seniors, coming back to school means that they are simultaneously engrossed in the most exciting and the busiest time of their high school careers. As they, and their families, prepare for the litany of tasks on their senior checklist we at Galin Education would like to lend a helping hand in making sure that our soon to be graduates are staying on the right track.
Galin’s Senior Checklist:
Academics:
The bread and butter of any senior’s checklist should start with making sure their academics are in order. Of course, as you head into senior year you should be taking a courseload that reflects your most rigorous courses to date, covers all of your core academic areas, and ensures you will have just as strong (aim for stronger) of a GPA as you ended your junior year with.
Testing:
Of course, we can’t forget about testing! Whether the SAT or the ACT, testing plays a large role in solidifying the work you’ve done in the classroom on a more regulated and universal scale. While not all universities are requiring standardized tests for applicants this year, more and more are going back to the days of required testing being the rule of the land. Because of this please make sure to identify any schools you’re applying to that require testing, identify if you can self report your test scores or if they need to be officially submitted, and don’t forget to schedule upcoming testing before the registration deadlines. Remember, testing is a tool that you’d rather have and not need versus needing and not having!
Extracurricular Activities:
Whether Lacrosse, DECA, NHS, or Band, senior year is going to be full of engaging & exciting opportunities to make your last year of extracurricular activities your best! For seniors, this means constructing your activities list of all of the highlights of the cool clubs you’ve been a part of, the awards you’ve earned, and the descriptions of your leadership roles throughout high school.
The College List:
The college list, simultaneously exciting and often the source of dread for our seniors. Remember, the sooner you finish your college list the less you and your parents will be stressing as our application deadlines approach. A well balanced college list of Reach, Target, and Likely universities is the way to go and, while students may be tempted to fully exhaust the 20 school maximum allowed through the common application, we at Galin advise aiming for a total of 12-15 universities to apply to.
Essays:
For any senior applying to college, the essays are your best chance to stand out from the crowd and prove that ChatGPT is not on the other side of your application. Whether the personal statement or the college specific supplemental essays, seniors should make sure to outline each and every required essay for the colleges they are applying to. When in doubt, adding colleges to your common application is a quick way to have access to the most updated essay prompts for the schools of your choice. And while it may be tempting to stress about the writing process, students and families should create a calendar breakdown of when they will be working on essays and what essays they will be working on to ensure that they are progressively making progress on the looming work ahead.
Of course, Galin can’t and never will forget about its younger students!
For all 11th grade and younger students, the fall is an amazing time to organize your resumes, identify what activities you want to pursue in high school, decide on whether you’re taking the ACT versus the SAT (and work with Galin Education on test prep!), and begin to plan when & where you will be going for all of your college visits.
Remember, whether you’re a senior or an underclassmen it’s never too late to get help for the college application process. We have a wonderful roster of counselors who are just an email away so, please reach out to learn more about our services and allow us to help you across the finish line!
