WHAT TO DO AND WHEN TO DO IT

The final two years of high school are busy times in your life-homework, sports, proms and work. At the same time, you should be planning for college. The following is a checklist to use as a guide to help you obtain financing for your educational dream.

JUNIOR YEAR

Attend college nights and education fairs.

Take the PSAT, ACT and/or SAT exams.

Visit schools that interest you during the spring and summer. Call ahead to arrange campus tours.

Investigate scholarship opportunities. Find out about scholarships offered by your church, fraternal organizations to which your parents belong, and civic and business groups in career fields that interest you.

SENIOR YEAR

Attend college nights and education fairs.

Write to the admissions offices of colleges that most interest you.

Obtain admission, scholarship and financial aid information.

Review the information you receive and select the schools, which interest you.

Send in admission application forms. (See College Application Procedures.)

Work with your high school counselor to obtain applications for scholarships.

Ask teachers, employer or minister if they would provide you with a letter of reference if necessary.

College application procedures
Applications for colleges/universities are available on-line. Most colleges require an application fee and high school transcript. To have your official high school transcript sent to the college or university at which you are applying, you need to sign for the transcript with the registrar in the high school principal's office. There is no charge for a transcript. Most applications also request verification of classes you are or will be taking during your senior year. You will need to go to Student Services for verification and a counselor's signature. If applying on line, you will need to pay your application fee by credit card. If you are sending in a paper application, you will need to include a check. The administrative assistant in the Student Services office will help you with this process, and will send your completed application, payment and official transcript to the appropriate college.

From now until the end of the school year, you will be making and remaking decisions about your future. Whether your plans include college or the world of work, you’ll need to produce a record of your academic endeavors at WHS. That record comes in the form of a “transcript.” A transcript not only includes grade marks from your freshman through senior years with GPA & Class Rank, but also shows your ACT, SAT, and AP testing results, as well as, immunization records and a listing of activities in which you participated at WHS.

Each time you fill out a college or scholarship application, you must also sign for an official transcript to go along with that application.

Here’s how to complete this process:

• Go online to the college website and enter the required data. If you do not make an online fee payment by credit card, personally mail any fee that may be required. (At your own cost)

• Sign for an official transcript in the Principal’s office with the registrar indicating that you applied online.

• Be sure to mention if you need to include any additional data such as a class schedule or teacher/counselor recommendation, etc.

• Mrs. Ulrich will mail your transcript to the college. (At no cost to you)

OR

• Obtain an application or scholarship form directly from the college.

• Personally mail the application and applicable fee to the college. (At your own cost)

• Sign for an official transcript in the Principal’s office indicating that the transcript should be mailed separately to the college. (At no cost to you)

Some things to remember:

Applications for all SD state sponsored schools: [USD/SDSU/DSU/NSU/BHSU/SDSMT] are sent to the Enrollment Service Center (ESC) in Vermillion. Your transcript will be mailed to the ESC, not directly to the college.Transcripts located on the Campus portal are not official!!!Sign for an official copy from the Registrar, Mrs. Ulrich, in the Principal’s office.

GENERAL COLLEGE & CAREER SEARCH INFORMATION

College board’s What To Do Before You Borrow

http://www.collegeboard.com/article/0,1120,6-33-46-442,00.html?oig+sub
This site provides tips for saving money on loans.

College Is Possible – Responsible Borrowing

http://www.collegeispossible.org/paying/borrowing.htm
Need help knowing how much you really need to borrow? This site also provides loan and credit card information.

Managing Your Student Loan Debt

http://www.slcsloanhelp.com/managing_your_student_loan_debt.htm
This site shows you how to make repaying your student loan as painless as possible

FinAid-Military Aid

http://www.finaid.org/military
This FinAid site provides information about the financial aid resources available through the military.

My Future

http://www.myfuture.com
This site contains military opportunity and tuition assistance information.

Selective Service On-Line Registration

http://www.sss.gov
Use this link to register for Selective Service on-line.

CONTACT EAC FOR ASSISTANCE
EAC is here to help you.

Financial Aid Questions 1-800-874-9033

Loan Questions 1-800-592-1802, Press 1

FAFSA Questions 1-800-874-9033

EAC Website www.eac-easci.org

*These sites were provided by EAC, a private nonprofit corporation. EAC is a guarantor in the Federal Family Education Loan Program and provides financial aid information to students and their families. EAC does not endorse any products and/or services listed on these sites.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Winning Money for College: The high school student's guide to scholarship contests.

Alan Deutschman

The first complete guide to scholarship competitions that students can enter and win on their own. It is the only compilation of facts, figures, dates and advice pertaining to America's most prestigious and most financially rewarding privately offered scholarships. Includes over 50 national contests that cover public speaking, science, citizenship, and more.

The College Money Handbook The complete guide to expenses, scholarships, loans, Jobs, and special aid programs at four-year colleges.

Eighth Edition Editor: Andrea E Lehman

Data Editor: Eric A. Suber

The only book that describes the complete picture of costs and financial aid at accredited four-year colleges in the United States. The book is divided into three sections: an overview of the financial aid process and ways to make it work for you; and directories listing colleges by the types of financial aid programs they offer.

Guide to Four-Year Colleges

Twenty-second Edition Editor: Andrea E. Lehman

Data Editor: Eric A. Suber

The largest, most up-to-date guide to the over 1,900 accredited four-year colleges in the United States and Canada. Contains concise college profiles, a reader guidance section, and two-page "Messages from the Colleges" that are found in no other guide.

How the Military Will Help You Pay For College: The high school students guide to ROTC, The academics, and special programs.

Don M. Betterton, Director of Financial Aid, Princeton University

This book gives full information on this important source of financial aid for college. Written with the cooperation of ROTC officers, Academy admissions officers, and other military personnel, this book explains eligibility and service obligations in detail and helps you choose the program that would be best for you. This book is divided into three sections: a description of all the scholarship options open to graduating high school seniors going directly to college, describes all scholarship and tuition-payment programs open to men and women who go into the Armed Forces after graduation from high school, and contains overview of all ROTC host units, Army, Navy, Air Force units, officers' height/weight requirements, and military pay and benefits.

Discover What You're Best At: A complete career system that lets you test yourself to discover your own true career abilities.

Linda Gale, former Executive Director of Career Aptitude Testing, Ltd.

This best-selling career guide will help you discover your true talents and make successful career choices.

Its unique National Career Aptitude System enables to you identify not only your interests but also your innate talents and potential skills, and then to match your career strengths to dozens of the more than 1,100 jobs described in detail. "Discover What You're Best At" enables you to set realistic and rewarding career goals based on your abilities. It gives you the edge you need to take on the job market and succeed in your chosen career.

This book will help you get your college application noticed with an unforgettable college admission essay. Find need-to-know tips on content, theme, style, and format. Get your creative juices flowing with a ton of brainstorming ideas. Find out what keeps admission officials reading - in their own words. Discover why the essay may be the most important part of your application.

The Secrets of Taking Any Test - 2nd Edition

Judith N. Meyers

Taking a test can be nerve-wracking, especially when your future is riding on the results. But test taking can be a positive experience, especially when you follow the test-preparation program in The Secrets of Taking Any Test. You can dramatically improve your test scores by following the Learning Express method. Ace any test by learning:

- The most effective ways to memorize.

- The 5 classic methods to overcome test anxiety

- The right (and wrong) way to cram

- The 10 most common test-day problems - and solutions

- How test makers try to distract you.

- How to become an educated guesser.

- How to predict the subjects for essay questions in advance.