January College Prep Checklist for High School Seniors

January is the start of a New Year and a new semester, which means you have the unique advantage of a fresh start in more than one way! How cool is that? Make sure you utilize this clean slate because it's not often that we're given such chances in life.

College Planning Checklist for High School Seniors

Here's a college checklist to follow with suggestions of ways you can start off January on a great note.

Fill Out & Submit Your FAFSA

The FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is an important component of your college search and became available on November 18, 2024. It’s important to fill it out as soon as it becomes available because it not only determines whether you qualify for federal aid, but also for certain types of state financial aid. Bonus: Your parents can use their 2023 tax income returns. The sooner you fill out your FAFSA the better chances of earning state aid, before funds become limited. Learn more about filling out the FAFSA and, remember, it’s always free to fill out – so if you’re being charged to fill out the form, it’s not legitimate. The only correct FAFSA website to access the FAFSA is studentaid.gov.

Register for February Standardized Tests, If Necessary

Whether you feel prepared or not, over-preparing is never a problem. Check out Fastweb’s test prep section for additional tips and tricks that may give you an added advantage on your test day. Also, check with the colleges and universities that you would send test scores to. Are they even considering test scores in their admissions decisions right now? Or have they gone test optional?

Send Your First Semester Transcripts to Colleges You’ve Applied To

You won’t physically be sending these – but you should ask your school counselor to do so. Then, at the end of your second semester, you will them to send your second semester transcripts as well. It’s always a good idea to check in after a week or so to ensure that they’ve been sent, just because the office will have a lot of student requests. You want to make sure your request doesn’t fall through the cracks!

Focus on Your Second Semester Classes

Keep in mind that no matter how your first semester went, the second semester is a fresh start. Colleges love to see continual improvement; and, if your grades pick up second semester, your chances of getting off a wait list or deferral list are that much better. At the same time, if your grades take a drastic turn for the worse during second semester, colleges can rescind their admission decision. So, whether you feel like putting in the work, you can't shrug off your homework assignments, writing papers, or studying for big exams. Treat this semester like you would any other. Pay attention in class, keep up with your homework assignments, and do your best on every exam.

Avoid Senioritis

Speaking of shrugging off your work...you may have heard about Senioritis and laughed it off – but it’s the real deal. It causes a lack of motivation, general laziness, and lethargy. Whatever you do, don’t allow yourself to become a victim of senioritis – it will impact your chances of getting into the college of your dreams! Just see the above. You will find that at the end of the semester, your teachers will generally be looser with assignments and tests. They understand that you have quite a bit going on right now. But while class is clipping along at its regular speed, make sure you are, too.

Update your Fastweb Profile and Apply for Scholarships

When was the last time you updated your Fastweb profile? Updating your profile with new information can increase the number of scholarships you see in your matches. For instance, you could get a scholarship just because your parents work with a specific employer in our scholarship database. Take advantage of these opportunities by updating your profile now. As always, continue to apply for scholarships for high school seniors that you qualify for in your down time. Submitting scholarship applications doesn’t take as long as you may think and has a huge pay off! Check out these Class of 2025 scholarships. This should be a constant on your to do list – just make sure you actually submit your scholarship applications. College is right around the corner, and you can use all the financial assistance available. Remember, the more applications you submit, the better your chances of winning a scholarship.

Get a Part-Time Job

Getting a part-time job is a great way to gain job experience for your resume and help stretch your student budget. But did you know that a part-time job can also help you pay for school? Whether you work part-time on or near campus during the school year, or a seasonal job during breaks from school, you can utilize the money from your paychecks to help pay for college. Furthermore, many employers offer their employees scholarships -- here are just a few examples of employer tuition reimbursement. If you're searching for a part-time job opportunity, try to be strategic about where you end up. They could help you pay for college.