College Preparation

College Preparation by Grade Level: College Preparation by Grade Level: Whether a student is in 8th grade or 11th grade, if he or she is thinking about going to college after high school graduation, it is never too late to start preparing.

• 8th Grade
  • Students in 8th grade should work hard to earn good grades. Grades earned in middle school classes help determine placement in 9th grade classes.
  • Good study habits and a positive work ethic should be established at this time before high school begins.
  • Getting involved in sports or activities is a good idea. Maintaining continuous involvement in extracurricular activities is impressive on a college application.
  • If a student is thinking about playing sports at a Division I or Division II college or university, he or she along with his or her parents should attend an NCAA Clearinghouse informational meeting; normally, this meeting is held in the spring. This will give an idea of what students must do academically to be eligible to participate in sports at the next level.
• 9th Grade
  • Students in 9th grade should work hard to earn good grades. It is in 9th grade that calculation of one's GPA begins. One low grade can drop a cumulative GPA and make it difficult to bring it up again.
  • Final grades of courses begin showing up on official transcripts in 9th grade.
  • Students should begin thinking about which career field they may be interested in pursuing. Knowing the career field one wants to enter may determine the types of and levels of classes taken in future years.
  • Students should begin keeping a log of activities in which they participate.
• 10th Grade
  • Students should continue to strive for high grades during their sophomore year.
  • Students in honors level classes or fast track math classes should consider taking the PSAT. Though they will not be eligible to be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, the PSAT is a good indicator of how students would perform on the SAT if they were to take it at this time. The PSAT is normally given in October, and sign-ups begin at the beginning of September.
  • Students should continue to log all activities in which they participate.
  • If a student is considering taking an Advanced Placement course, he or she along with his or her parents should attend an Advanced Placement course informational meeting; normally, this meeting is held in the spring. These courses are demanding, and students and parents should be aware of the challenges that will be faced in Advanced Placement courses.
• 11th Grade
  • Students should continue to strive for high grades during their junior year.
  • All students considering college after high school should consider taking the PSAT. Not only is this good practice for the SAT, but students whose scores are exceptionally high may be eligible to be considered for National Merit Scholarships.
  • Juniors are encouraged to start meeting with college admissions representatives as they visit MCHS. This is a good opportunity for students to find out if a school has the characteristics and major(s) they are looking for in a college or university.
  • Counselors encourage students to wait until the end of their junior year to take the SAT. Because the SAT math section contains Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and Probability and Statistics concepts, students are generally more confident when they take the SAT after they have completed most of these math courses. The SAT verbal also includes vocabulary that is normally not introduced until the junior year of English class.
  • Juniors are also encouraged to start planning college visits. Taking tours of college campuses, meeting with admissions counselors, and meeting with financial aid officers are good ways to determine if a school is right for the student.
  • Continue to log involvement in activities both in and out of school.
  • Begin searching for scholarships. Students/parents should NEVER pay for any financial aid information. This can be obtained for free; please check with the Guidance Office.
  • Attend a financial aid informational meeting to get an idea of the financial aid process.
  • Establish a permanent email address to use to communicate with colleges and universities. Do not use your school email address as that will be deleted after you graduate, and you will need to access this email in the future. Be sure this email address is professional.
  • Set up college visits for the summer as well to help narrow the choice if necessary.
  • Student athletes who are planning on playing sports at a Division I or Division II college or university need to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse (https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/) at the end of their junior year of high school.
• 12th Grade
  • Seniors should continue to do their best to earn good grades in all classes and not just the ones needed for graduation.
  • If they wish to do so, seniors can register to take the SAT again during their senior year--it is offered in the fall at MCHS. In some instances, colleges may even encourage this.
  • Students should begin completing college applications early in their senior year. Pay attention to due dates. Be sure to understand the differences between Early Action, Early Decision, and Regular Decision. Early Action is not a binding decision to attend a specific school, but it allows students to receive an admission decision early. Early Decision will give a student an acceptance decision sooner, but the student is bound to attend that school if he or she is accepted. Regular Decision is not a binding decision to attend a school. Students who choose Regular Decision will be considered for admission when other applicants are considered. Thanksgiving Day is a solid deadline to give oneself to have applications completed and turned in.
  • Seniors must request that official transcripts be sent to their school of choice. This can be done by creating a Parchment account with the help of the Guidance Office or by filling out the appropriate form in the Guidance Office.
  • If they have not done so already, seniors should visit the colleges to which they have applied so that an accurate decision can be made in case there are multiple acceptances.
  • Attend Financial Aid Nights in the Fall. At MCHS a Financial Aid General Information Night is held in September. During this event a general overview of the types of financial aid and the financial aid process is covered. Another Financial Aid Night is scheduled in October; this is a FAFSA Completion Night. On this night, parents and students go to computer labs in MCHS where financial aid officers from local colleges and universities are on hand to help them fill out the FAFSA. The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opens on October 1.
  • Seniors should begin researching and applying for scholarships. The bulk of the local scholarships are available from February to May in the MCHS Guidance Office.