1. Senior Information 2015-2016

2. ACT Testing Take your ACT ASAP, if you have not previously done so. The school code for TCHS is 012 005. The following are codes for Tuscaloosa testing locations: UA is 000520 Shelton State is 000070 Northridge High School is 230580 Central High school is 238250

3. ACT Testing… The following dates to take your ACT are still available: October 24, 2015 (reg. is available until 9/18/15) December 12, 2015 (reg. deadline is 11/06/15) February 6, 2016 (reg. deadline is 01/08/16) April 9, 2016 (reg. deadline is 03/04/16) June 11, 2016 (reg. deadline is 05/06/16) Don’t wait this late!!! If you think you may qualify for a waiver to cover the cost of the ACT, see Mrs. Fox. Check with your intended school to see if you need the writing portion of the ACT. Check with Mrs. Fox for free online ACT prep.

4. SAT Test Register online at www.sat.org/register. 2015-2016 SAT Calendar Test Dates Registration Deadline Late Registration Deadline October 3, 2015 September 3, 2015 September 18, 2015 November 7, 2015 October 9, 2015 October 23, 2015 December 5, 2015 November 5, 2015 November 20, 2015 January 23, 2016 December 28, 2015 January 8, 2016 March 5, 2016 February 5, 2016 February 19, 2016 May 7, 2016 April 8, 2016 April 22, 2016 June 4, 2016 May 5, 2016 May 20, 2016 See Mrs. Fox for registration materials in the TCHS counseling suite or register online. Fee waivers are available also.

5. Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) When to Apply: After January 1, 2016, if you are beginning in August 2016. If you are planning to attend in Summer 2016, apply now. Apply as early as possible!! How to Apply: The address to apply for federal student aid is www.fafsa.gov. Before applying, you must get a FSA ID. This replaces the old PIN that was required. Check out www.studentaid.gov for more information.

6. Scholarships Go to www.countyhigh.com and on the top, choose the Parent Info tab. Then choose Guidance. Once on our home page, choose “News” on the left. Every scholarship that I know about will be listed. The ones that require teacher/counselor nomination will not be listed. You will be notified if you have been nominated. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, let me know when you have been awarded a scholarship!! Check with the financial aid office of the school that you are planning on attending. They have plenty of good information. See Mrs. Fox if you need a phone number for your school of choice.

7. The University of Alabama Typically, a student with a 21 ACT or 1000 SAT and a 3.0 GPA will be successful at UA. Scholarship application deadline is December 15, 2015. To apply for UA scholarships, complete the scholarship application online, found in myBama at www.mybama.ua.edu. Click on the “academics” tab and find the application under the Scholarship section. The resume portion is also required. A completed admissions application will need to be submitted to UA before you complete the scholarship application. The December ACT and the December SAT are the last college entrance exam results accepted for freshman students who want scholarship consideration.

8. The University of Alabama… Scholarships begin with an ACT score of 27 or SAT score of 1210-1240 and a 3.5 GPA. For the most up-to-date list of scholarships and scholarships requirements, go to www.scholarships.ua.edu. You can apply to UA online at www.apply.ua.edu by February 1, 2016, for priority consideration for admissions. (not scholarship consideration-that’s Dec. 15). Financial aid priority deadline is March 1, 2016. Check out www.gobama.ua.edu for information on housing, orientation, and health services.

9. Auburn University Applications for admission are available online at www.auburn.edu/apply. Early Action application deadline is October 15. The application for priority admission deadline is January 15. This is the final round of admission decisions. Scholarship application deadline is February 10. For scholarship information, go to www.auburn.edu/scholarship.

10. Auburn University… Academic scholarship offers begin with 26 ACT and a 3.5 GPA. Other types of scholarships are available. Check out their website. Financial Aid priority deadline is March 1. Make sure your FAFSA is complete and Auburn receives it by this date in order to receive consideration for aid from AU. Once accepted for admission, you have until May 1 to make your decision and let AU know. Then you are eligible to apply for housing.

11. Shelton State Community College Apply online at www.sheltonstate.edu.www.sheltonstate.edu Scholarship applications are also available at the website. Check out the deadlines on their site. Early March is the typical deadline. They offer academic, athletic, ambassador, performing arts, and technical scholarships. They also have Foundation scholarships. Shelton State Summer Studies (S³) program You can take the ACT or Compass to get into Shelton.

12. College Preview Days Look to see if your intended college has a “preview” day. You can get an idea of what’s available on campus, and see if that’s the place you want to spend the next four years. And it’s fun too! Look online at the TCHS Guidance website and the posters in the hallway by the counseling suite for any upcoming preview days. College recruiters who visit TCHS’s campus will generally come during lunch. Listen for announcements. Sometimes they will want to meet with individual students who are interested in their particular school.

13. NCAA Eligibility Center If you plan to play a sport in college, be sure to enroll with the NCAA Eligibility Center. The website is www.eligibilitycenter.org. If you qualify for an ACT waiver, you also qualify for a fee waiver for the NCAA. See Mrs. Fox for a fee waiver and a transcript. If you have attended school somewhere else besides TCHS, you need a separate transcript from that school(s).

14. How to apply to college Complete application Pay application fee Send ACT/SAT scores Send transcript Once accepted and decided, after graduation, send final transcript. Do this in May or June. DO NOT wait until August.

15. Common App & Common Black App You can use these applications to apply to several schools at one time. Common App is found at www.commonapp.org.www.commonapp.org Not all schools are available. There is a fee. Common Black App lets students apply to historically black colleges and universities (HBCU’s) for a one time fee of $35. You can apply at www.eduinconline.com.