College Scholarship Plan - November Game Plan -12th Grade

NOVEMBER GAME PLAN - 12th GRADE

Prepare for your 1st semester exams.

Work on college applications and essays- You should be well into the college application process by now, whether you’ve chosen to use the Common Application or each university’s application. If you are applying for early admission, the deadline will probably be in early November, at the latest.

You should be refining and polishing your essays, requesting letters of recommendation and researching scholarships for which you may be eligible at each school. Be aware that some scholarships will require separate applications or require a nomination by your school. There may also be other scholarships for which you will automatically be considered simply based on the strength of your admission application.

Follow up with the writers of your letters of recommendation to confirm they have sent the letters before the deadline. Sometimes the writers will give you a copy of their letter after they have sent it but typically not before.

Send in any early admission or early decision applications. Make sure you understand the implications of each of these options.

Finalize scholarship applications- Most major merit scholarship applications are due by the end of November. Make sure you have a complete and error-free application, compelling essays and strong letters of recommendation. Submit it before the final deadline and follow up to make sure the scholarship committee has all of your information.

Practice for scholarship and admission interviews- The more selective and prestigious schools will require an admissions interview, as will many scholarship competitions. If you are a member of this site, access the Top 50 Interview Questions and practice them with a trusted adult. Even as you read through them on your own, practice answering out loud. Use complete sentences, avoid slang and try to start and end your answer well. Also, read through the helpful articles in the Interview section of the Toolkit in order to be well prepared. Do not wear a watch into the interview and leave your cell phone in the car. The last thing you want is any distraction during such an important meeting.