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Senior Year

Consider attending the Application Workshop held in August prior to the start of school.

Seniors and parents should attend the evening meeting held the first week of school.

Schedule a meeting with a member of the College Counseling staff in September to review your preliminary list of colleges and develop an application plan.

Complete any needed standardized testing no later than December. It is recommended that all seniors take either the SAT or the ACT once in the fall of the senior year.

The fall semester is the final set of grades before colleges will make a decision on your record, so finish with your best performance.

Take advantage of the opportunity to meet with admissions officers visiting St. Christopher’s during the fall to get your questions answered and demonstrate interest.

Be aware of deadlines and admission plans at each of the schools you are considering. The application process is becoming accelerated at many schools, and at some colleges applying Early Decision or Early Action may impact your chances of admission. Talk to Mr. Jump or Mr. Mayer for more information.

Make sure that you request official score reports from SAT and ACT to be sent to all colleges where you are applying.

Set aside time during the fall to work on college applications and essays. Mr. Jump and Mr. Mayer are glad to review what you’ve done or help you think through what you want to articulate through the application.

Visit campuses as needed. St. Christopher’s understands how important the campus visit is in seeing the subtle personality or culture of a place, and allows you to miss school provided that you get a College Cut form (available in the College Counseling office) signed in advance by your teachers and either Mr. Jump or Mr. Mayer. Failure to follow proper procedures may result in disciplinary action. Take advantage of several three-day weekends to visit without missing class.

Ask any teacher you want to write a recommendation at least three weeks in advance.

Meet with Mr. Jump and Mr. Mayer as needed, and be sure to communicate with them as you receive college decisions.

If you are applying for need-based financial aid, there are two forms you may be asked to complete. The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the form used by the federal government, and all colleges will want your parents to complete that. It is not available until December and requires year-end tax information, but should be completed on-line as soon as possible in January. Many private colleges require the College Scholarship Service PROFILE as well, which allows colleges to ask for information the Federal government doesn’t ask. The PROFILE can be completed in the fall, and you will then be asked by each college to submit relevant information.

Mid-year grades are sent automatically in January to every school where you have applied.

Stay out of trouble. If you are suspended for honor or disciplinary reasons after you have applied to college you will be required to contact the colleges and inform them of your situation. If you are sorry and seem to have learned from your mistake chances are it won’t affect admission, but it is better not to get in trouble in the first place.

You will need to make a deposit to one and only one college where you have been admitted by May 1. It is considered unethical to double deposit, and if colleges discover you’ve done it they may withdraw the offer of admission. If you are on a Wait List and offered admission after May 1 it is acceptable to take the new offer and withdraw from the other school (you will lose your deposit). Inform the colleges you will not be attending so they can make decisions about going to Wait Lists.

Finish the year strong. We are required to send a final transcript, and it is not unheard of for a college to withdraw an offer of admission for a student whose grades have dropped precipitously. Colleges don’t accept senior slump as a legitimate phenomenon or excuse.

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