Juniors

Start to deep dive into colleges.

It’s always best to start planning ahead. Think about what you might want to do in the future, and find what colleges cater to your interests. You can explore your options using College Board’s College Search tool at https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search. Remember to have dream schools, match schools, and safe schools.

Prepare for the SAT and ACT.

Juniors will be taking the ACT in Spring at Doral Academy. You should plan ahead to register for the Spring SAT. Based on your score, you can decide if there’s one test you would like to focus on so that you may study for that structure. Practice resources can be found on Khan Academy and Kaplan Test Prep.

Build up your community service hours.

Now is the time to start your Community Service Project, which is a graduation requirement for all students. It is highly recommended for  75 to 100 community service hours in order to qualify for scholarships like Florida Bright Futures.

Seniors

Research possible scholarship opportunities. 

Look into scholarships through websites such as https://www.scholarsnapp.org/ , https://www.fastweb.com/, or https://www.college-scholarships.com/scholarship-information/free-scholarship-searches/ . One of the most popular programs is Florida Bright Futures, which is a set of merit scholarships and is ideal for students who plan to attend an in-state college. Bright Futures covers the cost of tuition and select fees depending on your academic accomplishments. https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org

Apply for financial aid.
Financial aid is available to all students who need help paying for college costs. Even if you think you are not qualified, you should still submit an application in order to determine your eligibility. Some schools require FAFSA and a CSS profile (https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/), make sure to check what your schools require! Read more about completing your FAFSA form here: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/financial-aid-101/how-to-complete-the-fafsa 

Complete your Community Service Project.

All Seniors must complete and submit their Community Service Project by December. If you are stuck on what to do to build up your required hours, a good way is to volunteer at the Miami-Dade Animal Shelter, Miami Children’s Museum or the American Red Cross.

Finalize your college essay.

If your dream school requires a college essay, start to write it weeks before the deadlines approach. If you need an extra set of eyes to look over your essay, you can bring your draft to the College Essay Incubator, where you will be assisted by trained peer tutors. These sessions are held every Wednesday in room 421H.

Double-check your application statuses.

If you applied Early Action or Early Decision, make sure to check back on each university’s application portal to make sure you are not missing any documents. Make sure to send your test scores, FAFSA or/and CSS profile, recommendation letters and any other required content ahead of time.

All in all, this may all seem like a lot, but it is all possible if you work ahead of your deadlines. You can always speak to your respective counselors or ask friends who have already done this process but do not be afraid to ask questions. We wish you the best of luck throughout this journey!

Photo credit: Carmen Ordonez