Post-Secondary Planning

Getting a college education is an investment that will pay back for a lifetime: people with post-secondary education/training have better job opportunities, earn more money, and develop skills and knowledge that can never be taken away. However, what many families don’t realize is that preparation must begin before a student’s junior or senior year of high school. It begins even before a student first sets foot in school, and it continues through middle school and high school. It is never too early to start the college planning process! So, don’t procrastinate…start planning now! There are a few things you can do from day one to help ready yourself for the next big step!

Even if school comes easily to you, it’s important to get into good habits now. These will serve you through high school and into the more difficult challenges you’ll face in college.

Colleges are looking for well-rounded applicants who succeed both inside and outside of the classroom. Look for extracurricular activities that suit your interests – these should be fun! – and demonstrate positive qualities such as leadership and social responsibility. Volunteering is another good way to show prospective schools that you’re more than just a grade point average. This can also help you fulfill your high school’s service-learning requirement if it has one.

Here are the clubs STHS offers.

Keep up either your extracurricular activities or your volunteering service, or both if you’re ambitious. Research your colleges. Your junior year is a good time to start learning more about colleges. Start thinking about what factors are most important to you, such as size, location, and type of institution, and do some research into schools that meet those criteria.

Your senior year is crunch time for college applications. Here’s how to stay on top of the game:

Visit Schools

If you have the time and money to travel, start visiting colleges to get a feel for what they’re really like. If you can’t travel, long-distance options include phone interviews, virtual campus tours and forums where you can ask questions of current students.

 
Attend information sessions

Many colleges send recruiters to visit high schools and share information about their schools. Attend as many of these as you can, particularly if you aren’t doing very many campus visits.

 
Take tests

Get the SAT and ACT out of the way as early as possible, just in case you need to retake a test to get a better score.

 
Polish your application

Meet with your school’s college counselor for tips on preparing an effective application. Make sure you leave yourself lots of time to get good recommendations and write a solid admissions essay.

 
Apply for financial aid

Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) starting in January. Most federal and institutional funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so this will help you get an early start on financing your education. Apply for the Bright Futures Scholarship and keep abreast district’s scholarship bulletin.

Online Resources Post-Secondary Education Planning Online Assistance

• Choose Your Destination
• College Planning
• Broward Technical Colleges
• Florida Colleges
• College Board: Big Future
   

Scholarship & Other Financial Aid 

• Bright Futures Scholarship & State Grants
• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Florida Prepaid College Program
• Broward Advisor for Continuing Education (BRACE)
   

Exams

• ACT
• SAT
• PSAT
• ASVAB (Military)