Senior Questions - Class of 2023

How do I start the FAFSA process?

● The first step is to sign up for a FAFSA ID. Your parent needs one too if they have not already done so!
● Here is a really helpful step-by-step guide!
● We will also be hosting a Financial Aid Fair, The College and Career Access Center will be available to
help, and you can always bring us your questions as you work through the process!

How do I get started? Where do I start on my journey to applying?

● Start by exploring. Look up colleges that you have heard of and may want to visit. Explore their website,
look at their admissions requirements, check out their majors. From there use a search engine to find
more schools with the major/programs you are interested in and do the same with them.

How long do we have to apply for colleges?

● Each College has their own deadlines. Some schools have rolling admissions, meaning there is not a set
deadline overall, but there are deadlines in order to take classes by a certain semester. Look up the
deadlines for the schools you are interested in, and while you are doing so, also make note of the deadline
to apply in order to be considered for scholarships too!

What is the average gpa that colleges accept?

● Each school is different. Some will not have GPA requirements or expectations. Others will have high
requirements. So there is not really an average, and we advise that you look up the schools you are
interested to see what they recommend for applications.

When can you help me look for a college/trade school?

● We have started meeting with Seniors individually, and will continue to do so throughout the semester. If
you have not been called down yet, but have questions, feel free to make an appointment to meet with us!

When will we be able to start looking?

● You can start now! We will show you some ways to search for colleges on October 3rd, but there is
nothing to stop you from doing so now! Have you looked at the Senior folder in Schoology yet?

I was wondering how college dual enrollment works and what would be necessary for me to fill my prerequisites
for the major I want to go into.
● Dual enrollment varies student to student, college to college, and really by where you eventually want to
attend after high school too! We really recommend you talk to your counselor about your particular
situation and in the meantime, check out the information on our website.

Because I want to go to MSU after one year at Lansing Community College, should I wait on applying until I
complete that year?
● You are going to hear this a lot, but really that depends on your situation. Can you afford to apply and see
what type of scholarships you get this year, and then just defer your enrollment, or are your grades a bit
shaky and maybe you should wait until after your year at LCC to apply when you have a strong chance at
acceptance. Talk to your counselor for more information.

What is the difference between 13th year and dual enrollment?

● Traditional Dual Enrollment will not allow you to take classes the year after this one and still have the High
School pay for it. JCEC (13th year program) will allow students to do so. Plus there is more support for
students built into that program.
 Senior Questions - Class of 2023

Will any of the colleges visiting talk about ROTC?

● Many of them will! Plus you can always ask!

Am I in the top percent of SAT scores for my class, this might not be something you can answer.
● We can answer that if you stop in to see us!

How will I know if credits will transfer from a community to a university?

● Every college must provide on their website their course transfer information. You can search their site
for their “transfer agreement” and then look-up the class you are curious about to see how it transfers!

When’s due date for college scholarships?

● Every college is different, and they are not always the same as their deadline for admission applications.
Check their website carefully to make sure you are not missing it!

The reason I would like to speak to my counselor is because I’m unsure if I NEED anymore credits or what credits
I’m missing.
● Have you looked at your graduation progress screen? You can find it in PowerSchool on the web version,
not the app, under your historical grades. You can also stop down to see us any time for a check!

I just don’t know exactly what I want to do after school.

● That is OK! Can you think about the things you enjoy? How can you connect them to a career? What
about job shadowing? Right now focus on exploring careers out there that are within the field of what you
enjoy in life. Not to sound like a broken record, but your counselor can help with this too!

Is it too late to dual enroll?

● For Fall yes, but not for Spring! We will be arranging meeting in November again to meet with the colleges
and set up classes for the Spring semester. Watch your email for more information!

I would like help with fasfa and financial aid but that’s in october.
● We will be in your classes for Eng12 on October 3rd to kick off Cap Month. We will also be holding a
Financial Aid Fair to walk you through the process. You cannot start FAFSA until October 1st, so you are
not behind at all with that task! We will be sharing lots of ways to get help!

If we retake the SAT does the new score blank out the old score if it was already sent to colleges? Or do we have
to send the new score to colleges to take place of the old score?
● You would need to send the new score to your college IF you wish to do so. Remember many schools are
test optional, so if you are not happy with your score, you may not want to send it. Do some research
before you hit send!

Last spring, there was a meeting regarding scholarships and a s website we could visit that helped in the
application process. Will we have a meeting like that as seniors as well?
● Yep! We will be helping you out in English 12, and also watch for workshops! You can access all that info
now too on our schoology page.

Can I get help with scholarships?

● Absolutely! Check out our schoology page, and feel free to speak with your counselor too!
 Senior Questions - Class of 2023

How many scholarships are you gonna talk about? Where do I find places to get scholarships?
● Well, there are so many scholarships out there, that there is no way we will come across the all, but we do
find hundreds and hundreds of opportunities each year, and we list them on our website! Every entry on
the calendar is clickable and will take you to that scholarship page on the web! You can also use search
engines such as fastweb.com or scholarships.com to find more opportunities.

🙃
Is it as complex as it sounds?
● Is what complex? Life, the universe, everything? Yes and no. It is so very normal to feel overwhelmed
right now, and frustrated that everyone expects you to have your whole life mapped out right this second.
Please know this is a process, a journey, and that you will likely change your mind, your path, your career
many times over, and that is OK! Life is a rollercoaster of ups and downs, with many twists and turns
along the way. Try to keep as many options open as you can, and enjoy the ride!

I would like to see if all of my credits line up for graduation.

● Have you looked at your graduation progress screen? You can find it in PowerSchool on the web version,
not the app, under your historical grades. You can also stop down to see us any time for a check!

Does it matter whether I apply during early admissions vs regular, does it help to apply early?
● Apply early decision/admission/acceptance can be confusing! And there are some big differences
between the types of early action. If you really want to go to a certain college and you are committed to it,
and there is a chance maybe you won’t be accepted, then it can be very helpful! This article does a great
job explaining the differences between them.

Best way to earn scholarships.

● Apply, apply, apply. And then apply some more! Nothing ventured nothing gained!!

Just wondering if I can waive my dual enrollment towards my graduation

● Do you mean can your DE classes count toward graduation? In most cases no, but this is a pretty
complex process. See your counselor for specific information.