Back to School Tips for Graduating HS Seniors

Graduating High School Senior, what an exciting time. I remember when I was getting ready for my last year of high school some years ago……What a time it was! Between school, sports, applying for colleges and scholarships, I was overwhelmed to say the least. There was so much to do and not enough time to do it in. On top of that, I didn’t have a college coach to help me maneuver the process, to know what to do and not to do. In many instances, it was like the blind leading the blind. Thankfully, you don’t have to be in that position because I’m here to give you some insight.

This is the final installment of my Back to School Tips Series, especially designed for my Graduating High School Seniors. Part 1 covers basic tips for starting the new school year off right, Back to School Tips for High School Students, and Part 2 provide tips for college-bound juniors, Back To School Tips for College Bound Juniors. Because we have no time to waste, I am going to get to it. There is work to do! 

If you are on my mailing list, you will see these tips are an extension to the summer checklist for graduating seniors distributed a few months ago. The summer tips were provided as a tool to get graduating seniors prepared for their last year of high school and into the college of their choice. The tips below are a continuation of what needs to be done in the months to come. 

1. Get Organized: balancing the college application process, school, senioritis, work, and extra-curricular activities successfully will require organization. Identify what organizational tools, set-up and skills are needed to help balance and fulfill the competing tasks you will encounter. Lack of organization can cost you with missed deadlines, lost documents, which translates into a loss of funding and missed opportunities. It can also make an already stressful process that more stressful.
2. Finalize Schools: this summer should have been spent on wrapping up college visits because now is the time to narrow the list down to 5 – 7 schools (2 to 3 as your Target Schools, 2-3 stretch schools and 2-3 guaranteed admission schools). Having a variety of schools will give you options in the end (negotiation power). This final list are the schools you should apply to before Christmas.
3. Apply for Scholarships: the next few months are the hottest months in scholarship season. Being proactive and prepared to tackle the many deadlines that are forthcoming can make the difference in going to school for free and not. This is your last chance at applying for these major scholarships. Don’t be caught sleeping!
4. Finalize Essays: at this point, you should have already written 3 to 4 essay shells completed based on sample essays in my book, Students, Go to College for FREE. From here, you can take the shells and tweak them to match the scholarship and college admission essays you are pursuing. After you complete your final draft, have someone review and critique your essay(s) prior to submittal.
5. Collect Recommendation Letters: if you haven’t identified at least 4 people to write letters of recommendations for you, get busy. Do not wait until the last minute to make your requests known. Remember you are not the only student going through this process. Give your recommenders a heads up with a projected timeline to show your respect for their time. You also want to give them the specifications of the item you are pursuing requiring a recommendation, the submission process, a copy of your high school resume and key pointers you want them to emphasize.
6. Track Deadlines: between high school, college and scholarship deadlines, you can miss important dates if you are not prepared. Create a tracking mechanism to help you manage the various dates. It can be as simple as an Excel spreadsheet and as sophisticated as a tracking application on your smartphone. Missing important deadlines can cost you in more ways than one.

An opportunity only exist for the lifetime in which it is presented ~ Tameka Williamson. Will you be ready and in position to receive it? Let these tips jump-start your last year of high school and catapult your college process.

Tameka Williamson

Igniting Student and Corporate Leaders to Outlive their Expectations

Executive Leadership Strategist

Best-Selling College Coach Author and Adjunct Professor

#WeIgniteLeaders #CoachTwill

www.tamekawilliamson.com

www.coachtwill.com