Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Donna’s Monthly to Do List - August

Some of you will be packing to head off to college for freshman orientation. Saying goodbye to family and friends while looking forward to making new friends is exciting and sad at the same time. Take the time to contact your roommate in advance, if you know them. You can decide on items to bring to make that dorm room more comfortable. Rather than having 2 of everything, agree on who is bringing what. Talk with your parents about finances so that both you and your parents know what the budget looks like.

Those of you returning to high school should be focused on what is ahead of you. Are you a senior? If so, you should have already drawn up a list of colleges, and started on their applications. You should know all the various deadlines and familiarize yourself with your schools procedures. If you are applying early decision to a college, this is important. Although you can't fill out the FAFSA until January of your senior year, have you downloaded a copy to familiarize yourself with it? Have you put the dates for college fairs that are being held locally or regionally on your calendar? Have you planned to take the SAT or ACT in the early fall? Although school hasn't started yet, you can't afford to wait for a couple of weeks to get started on some of these things. The first month goes by so quickly and deadlines creep up very quickly. This is especially true if you are applying to college Early Decision. Most colleges have early November as a deadline. The only way to make these deadlines is to be prepared before school starts. Remember, you are not the only person requesting transcripts and teacher recommendations. Depending on each teacher and the school, these requests can be delayed by a couple of weeks; you need to make sure that those delays don't hurt you. Have you reviewed your academic program with your counselor to make sure you are taking the most challenging course load you can handle? Too many kids I meet have never done this, assuming that the guidance counselor has made that determination. If you feel that the guidance counselor is not helping, ask your parents to come with you to speak to them.

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