Form V
- Study; grades go on your permanent transcript, so do your best work
- Explore extracurricular interests and volunteer work
- Create and populate an archive in which you store good examples of your papers, projects, performances, etc. from the year
- Begin and keep a log of community service and outside reading you do as well as cultural events and performances you attend
- In May, take AP exams, as appropriate (Biology, English Language)
- Make productive use of summer (job, time spent with family, summer programs/courses, camps, leisure reading, spiritual retreats, service)
- Visit college campuses as is convenient for families
Form VI
- Keep current with archiving good examples of your papers, projects, performances, etc. throughout the year
- Continue your log of community service and outside reading you do as well as cultural events and performances you attend
- Take PSAT in October; evaluate results to determine areas requiring further preparation for the SAT
- In January, college counselor outlines for the class an overview of college application process, criteria for college acceptance and standardized testing
- Take Pre-ACT in February; evaluate results to determine areas requiring further preparation for the ACT, or whether you’d rather prepare for the SAT
- Begin browsing the internet and books for information about colleges and career interests
- Take YouScience aptitude and interest survey in the spring at Cistercian; consider the results
- Consider attending the spring NACAC College Fair in DFW (date and location vary)
- In April, attend Service Academies Forum if interested
- In May, take AP exams, as appropriate (World History, English Language)
- Make productive use of summer (job, time spent with family, summer programs/courses, camps, leisure reading, spiritual retreats, service)
- Visit college campuses as convenient for families
Form VII
- Attend TACRAO College Fair at Jesuit in mid-September
- Keep current with archiving good examples of your papers, projects, performances, etc. throughout the year
- Continue your log of community service and outside reading as well as the cultural events and performances you attend
- Meet with individual college admissions representatives who personally visit Cistercian throughout the Fall and Spring
- Visit college campuses on extended weekends and vacations (perhaps start locally with a small, a mid-sized, and a large school in order to appreciate differences of scale in student bodies and institutional facilities)
- Take the PSAT (NMSQT) in October; examine results to determine areas requiring further preparation for the SAT or ACT
- Complete the Junior College Questionnaire in December in preparation for preliminary meeting with the college counselor
- Attend January College Alumni Panel
- Evaluate summer program materials
- Starting in January, meet individually with college counselor to consider criteria for creating a prospective college list
- If interested in a service academy, speak with college counselor about summer seminars, TX Boys State, ROTC and Service Academies Forum
- Following the meeting with the student, parents may schedule individual appointments with college counselor (complete Parent Questionnaire prior to this)
- Between January and June, students should take standardized tests, as appropriate (ACT, SAT, APs)
- Attend in-house workshop on Writing a College Resume in February
- Attend in-house workshops on Writing the College Essay in March and April
- Students request teacher letter(s) of recommendation through Cistercian’s specific process in May
- Make productive use of summer (job, time spent with family, camps, leisure reading, summer programs/courses, spiritual retreats, service)
- Over the summer, visit college campuses very intentionally, work on college essays, update resume (see summer checklist for more detailed list of encouragements)
- Get on mailing lists of colleges you are particularly interested in (via their web pages, or sending official SAT/ACT test scores to colleges)
Form VIII
- Attend TACRAO College Fair at Jesuit in mid-September
- Meet with individual college admissions representatives who personally visit Cistercian throughout the Fall
- Parents should determine their estimated cost of attendance at prospective colleges through the college’s Net Price Calculator
- Students meet individually with college counselor to go over list of colleges, Early Action/Early Decision deliberations, application details, essays, activities, teacher recs., etc.
- Students prepare a solid “college list” by October 1st
- Tend to priority and scholarship deadlines throughout the fall (e.g. October 15th, November 1st, November 15th, Dec 1st) where applicable
- Parents can begin filing financial aid forms (FAFSA, CSS Profile, etc.) October 1 using their previous year’s tax returns
- Complete all applications before Christmas break (can wait until the Regular Deadline comes due to submit if in EA or ED pools at first choice schools)
- Once committed to attending a college, formally (in writing) withdraw all applications from active status at other schools
- May 1st is the national reply deadline for regular decision and early action candidates