| While you may be focused on preparing for the | | | | 4. Register for Selective Service- If you are a male |
| holidays, you should not slack off on your college | | | | age 18 to 26 years old, you need to register for |
| planning process. In fact there is plenty that can and | | | | Selective Service in order to be eligible for financial |
| should be done between December and January. | | | | aid. You can either pick up the the SS Registration |
| Here is a mid (academic) year to do list: | | | | Form at any US Post Office or register through the |
| 1. Admission Applications- Now that Early Decision | | | | FAFSA form itself. |
| Early Acceptance deadlines are past, you need to | | | | 5. Exams- It is also time to register for SAT I and |
| make your final choice of colleges for regular | | | | SAT II, if needed. Check with the Admissions Offices |
| admission. Apply for admission! Keep records of your | | | | of all the colleges you intend to apply to for |
| application materials. | | | | information on test requirements. Also make sure to |
| 2. Scholarship Search- If you haven't begun your | | | | register for your AP tests, as well. Note that unlike |
| scholarship search yet, now is the time to start. Most | | | | past years, CSS allows you to send your best scores |
| private scholarships will have deadlines ranging from | | | | to colleges. So it may be advisable to retake your |
| January through June. Great sites to help you with | | | | SAT I or SAT II. Discuss this strategy with your |
| your search are collegeboard.com, and finaid.org. You | | | | parents and counselor. |
| can even do a search on Google. For example if you | | | | 6. Transcripts- Have mid-year transcripts sent to |
| are interested in a scholarship for orchestral music, | | | | colleges. Colleges will use your mid-term transcripts in |
| search that phrase and you will find a link to the John | | | | the admissions review process. But don't think that |
| Belushi Memorial Orchestral Music Scholarship. While a | | | | you can let your grades slide in the spring! College will |
| search of poetry scholarships will provide you with | | | | required you to provide final transcripts later at the |
| information for The National High School Poetry | | | | end of the spring semester as well and if your |
| Contest. Beware of scholarship scams that promise | | | | grades tank, your admissions offer may disappear!! |
| scholarships or require an application fee. Read the | | | | 7. Plan Your Summer - Winter is a great time of year |
| Federal Trade Commissions warning at ftc.gov | | | | to apply for summer jobs, internships and volunteer |
| 3. Financial Aid Applications- You can complete and | | | | programs. With the current unemployment for |
| submit the CSS Profile any time from mid-fall on. The | | | | teenagers (as of December 4, 2009, Bureau of Labor |
| FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is | | | | Statistics) was 26.7%, you can start to look for |
| available in paper form from high schools and college | | | | summer opportunities and get a jump on the |
| begining in December. Although you can not file the | | | | competition! |
| form until January 1st 2010, you can complete the | | | | 8. Financial Planning for Parents - Year end is a great |
| paper form or the online worksheets found at | | | | time to review your 529 plans. Remember that this |
| fafsa.ed.gov to have it ready to go January 1st. (The | | | | only year (2009) you are allowed two opportunities |
| online FAFSA form itself is not available until January | | | | to change your plan without changing beneficiaries. So |
| 1st.) You will need to gather tax, income and asset | | | | if you are unhappy with your current 529 plan you |
| information, some of which may not be available at | | | | have until the end of this month to make a move, |
| this time. Be aware that you can estimate on the | | | | even if you made a change earlier in 2009. Beginning |
| FAFSA if your W-2 forms and other tax statements | | | | in January 2010 the rule reverts to an annual change. |
| are not available when you are ready to finalize your | | | | Parents should also pay down credit card debt, as |
| FAFSA information and submit the form. Don 't worry | | | | the FAFSA and Profile do not consider that form of |
| you always update the information once you have | | | | debt in the calculations. By doing so you reduce your |
| received the missing data. It is important to get the | | | | cash/savings and decrease your assets, which are |
| FAFSA in as soon as you can after Jan 1st as | | | | considered on the forms. |
| financial aid is awarded on a first come- first serve | | | | Include these tasks on your holiday to do list and you |
| basis. | | | | are sure to reap the rewards this coming spring! |