Nolan Catholic College Counseling
Class of 2023 - April 2022
Junior To Do List - April 2022
- Make a SAT or ACT Test Plan!
For those taking the SAT on April 13 at Nolan, see below.
For those NOT taking the April 13th SAT, make a plan to take a test later in the spring or early fall. See options below.
Practice for the SAT or ACT Test. See below for test prep suggestions. - Use Naviance Student to continue researching careers, colleges, majors and minors (see below for more info and instructions).
- Create a "Colleges I'm Thinking About List" in Naviance.
- Prepare to ask for Letters of Recommendation. See process below.
- Plan to visit colleges this spring and summer. See tips below.
- Keep your grades up! Junior year grades are usually the last set of grades that colleges will consider for college admissions (but colleges will see the classes you are taking your Senior year!)
- See the Junior Year College Checklist below. Get ahead on the process by going through the steps listed in the checklist!!
Parent To Do List - April 2022
- Talk to your student about a TEST PLAN -- when would be best for your student to take the SAT or ACT. See below for dates.
- Talk to your student about possible colleges, careers, majors. Work together to create a college list.
- Complete a NetPrice Calculator for every school your student is interested in applying to. See instructional video posted below. (TX Colleges NetPrice Calculator)
- Explore Naviance Student, a comprehensive website that students and parents can use to research colleges and careers. Work together with your student to explore the following:
- Assist your student with the Letter of Recommendation process -- see below for details.
ACT / SAT TESTING - Make a Plan!
SAT School Day, April 13
- An email will be sent a week prior to the test to all who registered with instructions.
- Bring:
- Two No. 2 pencils with erasers
- An approved calculator - See HERE for list of approved calculator
Nice to Have
A watch (without an audible alarm)
Extra batteries and backup equipment—you’ll have to ask for permission to access them. They can’t be on your desk during the test.
A bag or backpack
A drink or snacks (for your break)
SAT DATES 2022
SAT
It's a good idea to plan ahead—and get comfy—before you start to register.
- Determine which administration you plan to take.
- Sign in to your free College Board account. Do not create a new account if you already have one! Your parents or counselor can't register for you.
- Provide your full, legal name and other identifying information. Make sure it’s the exact same name and information shown on your photo ID.
- Decide if you want to answer other questions about yourself. This takes time, but it’s worth it if you want colleges and scholarship organizations to find you. Learn why you should opt in to Student Search Service®.
- Explore test center locations and dates for when you can take the SAT.
- Upload a photo that meets very specific photo requirements.
- Check out, and print your admission ticket.
Note: Online SAT registration can take up to 30 minutes to complete, but you can start your registration process and come back to finish it later.
ACT
- Computer with internet
- Credit card or other payment
- High School course details
- Headshot photo
REGISTER HERE
Current as of Feb 9, 2022
NAVIANCE STUDENT & THE COLLEGE LIST
START YOUR COLLEGE SEARCH NOW!
- Think about what is most important to you in a college - price, location, field of study? See tutorials on reverse.
- Use Naviance to explore colleges that might meet your interests.
- Add colleges you are interested in to the Naviance, "Colleges I'm thinking about" list.
- Do you have a safe school, good fit school, and a reach school or two? If you're unsure, look at the school 's website for admission trends or talk to your counselor!
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
WHO SHOULD YOU ASK?
✓ A TEACHER who taught you Junior or Senior year in a core subject—English, math, science, social studies, science, or world language.
HOW MANY RECOMMENDATIONS?
✓ A letter of recommendation from 2 TEACHERS!
HOW DO YOU ASK?
✓ In person! “Would you be willing to write me a positive letter of recommendation?”
WHEN DO YOU ASK?
✓ Ask 4 weeks prior to your deadline!
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?
The following 5 items must be completed before letters will be written!
- FERPA Release (Naviance > About Me > Surveys > FERPA Release).
- Resume (Naviance > About Me > Resume). Your letter of recommendation writer will use this to reference what you have been involved in throughout high school.
- Letter of Recommendation Questions (Naviance > About Me > Surveys > Letter of Recommendation Survey)
- ASK 2 teachers and/or counselor to write a letter of recommendation for you.
- When the above items are done, complete this FORM!
TEST PREP OPTIONS
Khan Academy is a FREE Test Prep Option
- Personalized practice just for you! Khan creates a tailored practice plan for you based on your PSAT/NMSQT scores or a diagnostic test.
- Provides 8 full-length, real practice tests and content created in partnership with CollegeBoard.
- It's interactive and has thousands of practice questions, videos, lessons, and hints plus study and test-taking tips and strategies
- Gives you instant feedback and progress so you know where you stand!
Students can link their CollegeBoard PSAT scores and Khan Academy accounts. Follow these steps (or see the video and pdf instructions below):
- Go to satpractice.org. Create an account on Khan Academy or sign in to your existing account.
- When prompted, agree to link your Khan Academy and College Board accounts.
- Send your scores.
ACT Test Preparation
- The Official ACT Live Online Class, Powered by Kaplan - A team of top-rated teachers show students what to study and how to study during a series of engaging live classes. Get all of your questions answered in real time. Learn more about ACT Live Online.
- The Official ACT Self-Paced Course, Powered by Kaplan - Learn anywhere, anytime with on-demand tutorials. These bite-sized lessons offer the perfect mix of structure and flexibility. Learn more about ACT Self-Paced Course.
- The Official ACT Tutoring, Powered by Kaplan - Learn test content and test-day strategies in individual tutoring sessions led by an expert from Kaplan, who will adapt to your needs in real time, answer your questions, and provide you with personalized recommendations. Learn more about ACT Tutoring.
- The Official ACT Prep Guide 2021-2022 Edition - Practice with real ACT tests so you know what to expect on test day. Now with 6 official practice tests and 400 new digital flashcards, you can familiarize yourself with the test format and review explanations for all your answers. Learn more about the Prep Guide.
COLLEGE APPLICATIONS
FINANCIAL AID
Net Price Calculators - How much will a college really cost?
Search for Net Price Calculators on each college's financial aid page or search HERE
Texas Universities Net Price Calculator search HERE
What is a Net Price Calculator?
A Net Price Calculator is a tool that is available on every college or university’s website and allows prospective students to enter information about themselves to find out what students like them paid to attend the institution in the previous year, after taking grants and scholarship aid into account.
What does Net Price mean?
Net Price is the amount that a student pays to attend an institution in a single academic year AFTER subtracting scholarships and grants the student receives. Scholarships and grants are forms of financial aid that a student does not have to pay back.
Complete a NETPRICE CALCULATOR for each school on your list! Students and parents will need to work together to provide the required information.
SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES
Duke Pre-College Middle School and High School Summer 2022 Applications are open!
Apply to join Duke University this summer for academic programs for grades 9-11.
Academically motivated high school students will discover courses from across the curriculum in Duke's summer 2022 programs. Courses are offered in engineering, humanities, mathematics, science, social sciences and technology.
Application links and information about program types, FAQs, course descriptions, costs and dates can be found on the website.
The University of Alabama Alumni Scholarship Assistance Program
High School students (9th-12th) interested in attending The University of Alabama are invited to an Alumni Scholarship Assistance Program session. Students are encouraged to attend this session before applying for admission, as the scholarship application is now part of the admissions process.
Monday, April 11
6:00 PM Central Daylight Time
Students are invited to join representatives from Alumni Scholarships, Admissions, and the local alumni chapter to learn about available scholarships and discover ways for their scholarship application to stand out.
Register at adm.ua.edu/register/asap-texas.
US Naval Academy Admissions Forum
You are invited to attend:
- US Naval Academy Admissions Forum
- Saturday, April 9, 2022
- Fort Worth, Texas
- An Admissions Counselor will present information about the Naval Academy as a college choice, as well as our summer programs for pre-college students.
Register HERE
Many of these may only be applicable to seniors but it's good to plan ahead and be prepared to apply next year.
Scholarship search engines
- Going Merry - It’s free! Going Merry has thousands of national, regional, and local scholarships. To sign up, go to: https://app.goingmerry.com/sign-up#students
- Scholarships for High School Juniors
- Access Scholarships
- CollegeBoard, BigFuture - Complete the college planning steps on the BigFuture dashboard! Participating Juniors will be automatically entered into drawings (.pdf/403 KB) for $500 scholarships plus two $40,000 awards every month.
Scholarships Awarded By A College Or University
Check the Financial Aid and Scholarship webpages of each college you're applying to! Are there any additional applications needed (besides the admissions application)? Are there any scholarships that fit your profile and need an additional application?
Complete a Net Price Calculator for every college on your list! A Net Price Calculator is available on every college's website and is an easy tool to use to estimate how much each college might give you in scholarship money!