Remember Your Tools
College Aid Pro and Financial Fit for List-Building –
Families, this is a critical tool for supporting your planning and decision-making. If you don’t remember being invited and you’d like to be, email or text Brynnen brynnen@schoolingdoula.com or 206-631-1773
Free Practice ACT and SAT through Compass Prep at this link: Online and In-Person
See below for more about Financial Aid, Gap Years, and more for 12th Graders.
Next Steps
Here are some other things to consider for each grade in partnership with my colleague Ethan Sawyer:
9th-graders
Values Exercise (video): If you haven’t already, identify your core values with this simple exercise. What did you learn about yourself?
Uplevel your study skills: This is a good time to review what worked and what didn’t this year, and set some intentions moving forward.
10th-graders
Build an awesome summer reading list, starting with some picks from this list of titles that college freshmen are reading.
Values Exercise (video): Identifying your core values now can help guide your major and career exploration. And it only takes 5 minutes.
Tips for Planning a College Visit: Make a commitment to visit one local college between now and the end of the school year. Learning about different types of schools will help you figure out which schools you want to spend time researching.
11th-graders
Ask teacher(s) for letters of recommendation you’ll need in the fall: Many teachers cap the number of letters they’ll write, so it’s good to make the ask early. They may write your letter this summer while your work and contributions to the classroom are fresh in their mind.
Keep making progress on your college list. Make sure you’re excited about all the schools on your list, not just the reaches. Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be is a great read.
Free test prep:- If you’re planning to test in late summer into the fall, take advantage of these resources:
Khan Academy SAT Prep Curriculum – FREE
5 Resources and Tips for Getting Scholarships and Financial Aid: These are a great set of tips and resources as you begin your scholarship search. Use this template to keep track of opportunities that might be a good fit.
12th-graders
Values Exercise (video): This 5-minute video could help you figure out what to do this summer.
Keep searching for scholarships.
Build a personal campus resources directory: Learn about the services available on your college campus, and keep track of them here. It will serve as an important guide as you settle in on campus in the fall.
The Summer Before College: A Five-Step Guide (for Productivity or Fun): It’s your last summer before heading off to college. Make it count.
Extra for 12th Graders:
Seniors: Colleges do actually rescind offers for students, so:
Please keep your social media presence clean during this Spring – I know there is goofy stuff that happens, but your accepted colleges and universities could still rescind your offer if they get news that you are out there being offensive or hurtful.
Please do keep up your academic performance, as well – you need to stay within range or you will be at risk when your intended-to-enroll school checks your final grades. UW has a whole department for this–you don’t want to be that person who has their offer rescinded right before or on the day you’re leaving for school.
You can use Counselmore, College Aid Pro or this simple spreadsheet to compare financial aid awards. In College Aid Pro, if you update with acceptances there is a place to compare awards. You can also use the “Financial Fit” tab in Counselmore. Look for the Awards tab, like in the pic below.
I’d love to meet up with you to help you make sense of these, so book a meeting any time. No additional cost.
Financial Aid Appeals – this is possible in some cases, let’s be in touch if you’re thinking about appealing your Financial Aid Award.
Financial Aid – Change of Circumstances (Divorce, Death, Loss of Job…)
If, as the year moves forward, you are considering a Gap Year, please be in touch. I recently completed 20 hours of training through the Gap Year Association. Most Gap Years are planned between March and May of Senior Year or possibly later. It can be a great option with a solid plan.