Tips for Freshman Year

• Meet with your school counselor and find out your high school’s graduation requirements.
• What kind of high school diploma do you want in 4 years? IB, Honors, College & Career Ready, Standard? The choice is yours!
• Decide on a graduation plan with classes and electives.
• Get Active! Choose a few electives and extracurricular activities to get involved in. Try something new. High school is a great time to try out new things. There are lots of clubs and athletic opportunities that may not have been available to you previously.
• Have fun and study hard.
• Make sure you complete the Community Service for MYP. This year you have to complete six Reflections that are based on community service. This is a requirement for MYP Certification and off-campus passes. All freshmen will have this as part of their Individuals and Societies course in their Seminar. Talk to Mrs. Evenson in the IB room if you have any questions.
• At the end of the year: Write down your accomplishments! Were you in band? What did you play? What clubs did you try? Did you play freshman sports? Did you have an after-school job? Did you help at home? Put this list some place safe. You’ll need it in 3 years.
• Volunteer or learn a new hobby during your summer break.

Tips for Sophomore Year

• Meet with your school counselor for a follow-up on your grades from freshman year. Has your type of diploma plan changed? There is still time to make changes. Remember your counselor is here to help you. Be sure to communicate!
• Implement any advice gained from your school counselor check-in into your yearly plan
• Take the PSAT to get familiar with the testing format and time constraints before taking the SAT/ACT in your junior year
• Stay involved by adding extracurricular activities to your schedule. Try something you didn’t try last year.
• Complete your MYP Project, which is a requirement for the MYP Certification and off-campus passes in your sophomore year. If you complete your MYP Personal Project, you earn an off-campus pass during your sophomore year. (Sophomores don't have off-campus passes.) MYP Project is part of your Sophomore Seminar course. Talk to Mrs. Evenson in the IB room if you have any questions.
• Make sure you complete the Community Service Reflections. You had six Reflections on community service during your freshman year. In your sophomore year, you will have to complete four more Reflections during your seminar class. This is a requirement to earn your MYP Certificate and off-campus pass.
• Add electives to your schedule that allow you to explore areas of study that you might be interested in.
• At the end of the year, break out that list! Add to it. What did you do? Did you have an afterschool job? Where? How many hours? Did you volunteer? Did you check out any new clubs? Did you pass 16 tests to become the youngest certified gas mechanic that your school has ever produced? Did you show any art? Have you gone viral for a musical instrument you created? Did you receive any awards? Were you involved in a worldwide pandemic? WRITE IT DOWN.

Tips for Junior Year

• Meet with your school counselor. Review your grades and discuss your graduation plans. Discuss your current GPA. Keeping in contact with your counselor is important because you will need a letter of recommendation from them next year. It is easier to ask when you know them and it’s easier for them to write a personal letter when they know you too.
• Now is the time, if you haven’t already, start paying attention to when colleges come to campus for visits. Check out a few. It does not commit you to applying, but it may give you better ideas about what is important to you and where you want to apply next year.
• Start checking out some colleges on-line and request some information.
• Take the ACT/SAT. If you don’t like how you did, consider taking it again. Study this time.
• Start paying attention to the scholarship board for scholarships and essay contests that are open only to juniors.
• Take a career interest survey. Take more than one.
• Your classes will probably be tougher this year. Stay focused. Get some sleep and take your vitamins. For some college applications, these are the last grades that will show up on your applications to them.
• Stay involved. If you have the time, say yes, instead of no.
• Grab your list! Were you selected for any varsity sports? Have you started taking leadership roles in your clubs or student government? Were you awarded most argumentative for your persuasive essay? Did you solo the Star Spangled Banner at a swim meet? Did you take your club to State or Nationals? Were you the youngest participant that placed in a ROTC rifle competition? What about volunteering? What about after-school commitments? How many hours a week are you spending on a job? This has become your activity resume! This will be VERY helpful next year.
• Make summer plans: visit colleges, consider finances, get a summer job, volunteer and make sure to take time to relax!

Tips for Senior Year

• Meet with your school counselor to review your current academic standing. Finalize your last classes and make sure you are on track for graduation. You don’t want any surprises in May. (Feel free to bring a chocolate bribe. You may leave it in the Career Center. I’ll make sure they get it. Eventually. Maybe. They will definitely get the wrappers…)
• Retake the SAT/ACT, if needed. Remember, some colleges are making these tests optional, but some are still using these tests for scholarship awards.
• Life is about to get busy! Study hard and have fun.
• Participate in Senior only activities, like Senior Sunrise and Senior nights for sports and clubs.
• Take lots of pictures!
• If you are thinking about applying to TMCC, submit the Promise Scholarship application before the deadline in October.
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in October
• Fill out the Wooster Scholarship Application. This is one application that has multiple scholarship opportunities attached. No letters of recommendation are required.
• Narrow your college list down to the top five and find their application forms, deadlines, and enrollment requirements. Apply to those schools.
• Fill out a “brag sheet” and ask for letters of recommendation.
• Write college application essays.
• Attend college fairs that come to campus and visit with the military. Ask lots of questions. What about cosmetology? Consider CTE/trades. Often, these great programs will pay you while you are learning. Not interested in a four-year (or more!) degree program? Look into certificates and two-year programs. There are lots of opportunities out there that you may not have considered. It is not too late. Come visit the Career Center. We want to help!
• Remember that list, the activity resume you’ve been working on for 3 years? You are set to finalize and submit it to colleges. It can also be used to fill out your “brag sheet” for letter of recommendation requests.
• Find and apply for local and national scholarships. We have a great list on our scholarships page. Deadlines for those come fast and furious in the spring!
• Order transcripts
• Order cap and gown
• Order graduation announcements!
• Graduate!

Senior Timeline for the College Process
Summer/Early Fall – Narrow Down Colleges of Choice
o Review Admission Requirements for Undergraduates - Look to see what each College/ University requires for their application:
 GPA
 Required classes - do they require specific high school class requirements
 SAT or ACT - how do they use SAT/ACT - requirement for admission or freshmen class placement
o How to Apply
 Admission deadlines - Make a list of your top colleges’ admission deadlines
 Bonus for early registration - some universities have early registration, if you apply and accept early- you can receive your class schedule early
 Fees – there will be a cost for each application you submit– most are nonrefundable
 Common App or application through college - look to see how they are wanting you to submit an application
o Finances - How will you be paying for college? Have those critical conversations now. Colleges/Universities have “Net Price Calculators” on their websites to give you an estimate of your family's EFC (what it is going to cost you to go there). If you know finances are going to be a major hurdle for you to attend college, please come by the career center - there are many options out there.
o Update and/or Create a Resume - Word has templates for Resumes. Woostercolts.com (Career Center “important websites”) has templates for resumes and there are a ton of free resume building programs on the internet. Pick a resume that works best for you.
 

Fall - Admissions Process Starts
o Admissions and deadlines
 Apply (directly to the college or through the Common App) to Universities /Colleges/Trade Schools
o Transcripts -
 Order official transcripts for Colleges/Universities that do not use the COMMON APP
 Common Application - Counselors will upload your transcript with a letter of recommendation.
o Letters of Recommendation/Resume/Essays
 Letters of Recommendation - Many (not all) colleges require a recommendation letter from your counselor and 1-2 teachers. Identify which teacher/teachers (ideally from your junior or senior year) know you the best, have taught you in a core subject, and can speak to how you show up in the classroom.
 Ask them what they need from you to write an effective letter (a brag sheet or resume)
 Ask EARLY - our teachers get hundreds of requests, some have deadlines, so ask early
 GIVE THEM A MINIMUM OF 2 TO 3 WEEKS! Respect their time!
 Essays – write one and then tweak for different requirements
 Resume – update with most current information
 

Late Fall/Winter - Spring -
o FAFSA (December) - FAFSA will be rolling-out the application on or before December 1, 2024 (but usually opens in October)
 ALL of Washoe County High Schools will be holding FAFSA nights. (more information coming soon)
 Contact TMCC or UNR Financial Aid for extra help with FAFSA (you don’t need to go there to use this service)
o Scholarships - Start looking in the Fall thru Spring
 Look at the college you will be attending for first-year scholarships.
 WHS General - Opens in October and the deadline is mid-November. One application to be eligible for 35 internal scholarships (thanks to all our wonderful WHS Donors!!)
 Local vs National - Go Local / State to have a smaller pool of candidates. Go for those National Scholarships, but be realistic, you are going against the entire country.
 Fast Web – tons of websites out there for scholarships. Just make sure they are legit and do not sell your name
 You can reuse/tweak essays from your College Essays (don’t reinvent the wheel). BEWARE: DO NOT USE ANY TYPE OF AI FOR COLLEGE ESSAYS.