12th Grade
At the very beginning of the school year, seniors are reminded about taking advantage of the CSA College Preparatory Video Series. If they haven’t already, seniors are encouraged to watch the 1st video - “How to Start Thinking About Choosing a College,” the 2nd video – “How to Research Colleges & Make a Choice,” and the 3rd video – “How to Apply to Colleges” on the College Choice section of the school’s website.
Also, seniors are highly encouraged to request any necessary letters of recommendation early to provide time for recommenders to construct the best supportive letter.
During the first grading cycle, Senior-level English teachers provide instruction and feedback to help seniors with writing college admissions essays for application. The Student Success Counselor also visits senior classes to help seniors fine-tune the essay portion of the application.
During the first 3 weeks of the school year, seniors complete a questionnaire stating his/her postsecondary plans along with respective logistics (e.g. to which colleges he/she will apply). From there, the Dean of Students schedules an individual meeting with every senior to draft up a plan to coordinate due dates & application procedures.
After the meeting, the Dean of Students creates an individualized spreadsheet of due dates cross-referenced with the necessary admissions components of the respective college, which is also shared with both parents & seniors. Also, reminders are created for both parents & students on a shared Google calendar to help everyone stay on top of the applications. As due dates approach, the Dean of Students contacts each respective senior and updates the shared document.
Early during the Fall semester, if a senior feels he/she needs to improve his/her SAT or ACT scores, he/she is encouraged to register to take it early in time for college admissions deadlines.
Before October 1st, seniors & parents are given information for completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aide (FAFSA), which is available online to complete starting October 1st. Seniors enrolled in Economics are required to complete the FAFSA as part of the curriculum.
During the fall semester, CSA hosts a annual Financial Aid Planning night for parents, as presented by College Funding Specialists. This helps families better understand college financial aid and planning for the future. Information about students applying for and acquiring various scholarships is also presented to students & parents
During the spring semester, as seniors receive admissions responses, the Dean of Students is available to discuss all options that students have.