As you embark on your senior year and the college process, we wanted to share a few things that will help you stay organized and feel prepared as we head into the next school year.
Senior Groups and Individual Counselor Meetings: - August 28,29
All seniors will attend the Senior Groups beginning on Wednesday, August 28 thru Thursday, August 29 during their SRT followed by an individual appointment with their counselor starting August 30. During these meetings, students will be given information to help with their post-high school planning. Some of the topics to be discussed include college application procedures, procedures to request transcripts and letters of recommendation, and scholarships/financial aid. Students will have the opportunity to review their transcripts for errors before transcripts are sent to colleges. For this reason, we will not accept transcript requests until August 28. Please know that students will not be disadvantaged in the admission process by waiting until early September to send transcripts to colleges. The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) has a policy that states that colleges must give equal consideration to all applications received by October 15.
Standardized Testing: ACT and SAT:
Many colleges have continued to be test-optional for the Class of 2025. All colleges promise to exercise good judgment as a matter of equity around using ACT/SAT scores during the upcoming admission cycle. Please feel free to consult the following links for the most current information regarding testing. In addition, it is important to remember that there is still plenty of time to take fall standardized tests and meet the earliest admissions deadlines at any college or university.
Summer To Do List:
Explore SchooLinks Platform:
As you may know, we have changed platforms from Naviance to SchooLinks and will be using SchooLinks this upcoming application season. Please use this link to find out more about SchoolLinks and how you can get started with creating an account.
College Essays:
Summer is a great time to write your college essays or a draft of your college essay! To find out whether your colleges require essays, check the websites of the colleges where you will be applying. For Common Application schools, find essay prompts on Commonapp.org. We will have college essay writing tutors ready to read and help with your essays in the TLC starting in September. You might also want to consider the following resources if you begin this process over the summer.
Teacher and Counselor Letters of Recommendation:
Some, but not all, colleges require one or more teacher and/or counselor recommendation letters, please check your colleges websites to confirm whether you need a letter. If your college requires a teacher letter, it should be an academic teacher (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, or World Language) preferably from junior year. You can informally ask your teachers now to write you a letter, but DO NOT request these letters through the Common App, we will do this in the fall via Naviance. See the attached document with requirements for the 25 most popular schools for GBS students.
Counselors require that you complete the Counselor Letter of Rec Questionnaire and the Parent Brag Sheet found in your counselor’s google classroom or on the “About Me” tab in Naviance before asking for a counselor letter of recommendation. Complete this in the summer to save time in the fall!
College Research
Continue your research on schools through on campus visits, virtual visits, and perhaps through our GBS college ambassadors, which are former GBS students who have volunteered to answer questions you might have about their school. You can find their contact information on Naviance > (scroll to bottom) Document Resources > GBS College Ambassadors.
Common App
Many schools use Common App for their applications. Common App will roll-over to the 2024-25 application cycle July 1. Feel free to start an account and get a jump start on filling it out over the summer. We will have support around this and any questions that you may have in the fall.
Stay Organized:
There is a lot to keep track of in the college process. Find the way that best works for you to keep track of everything from deadlines to passwords. We have attached an Application Management Chart as one tool you can use to track all that will be required by the colleges where you plan to apply. You can find a college's application requirements on the admissions section of their website or under “my colleges” in common app. Most colleges’ online applications will become available over the summer.
College Counselor Appointments:
The College Counselors will continue to be available for meetings with seniors and parents throughout the fall no matter where you are in the process. These appointments will be available for booking after the Senior Assembly on August 24. Please book appointments through the GBS website under the College and Career Center or in Naviance.
Mark Your Calendars:
- Common Application Workshop Webinar: Friday, August 16, 10am (webinar)
- Senior Groups: Wednesday, August 29 - Thursday, August 30 during SRT
- College Night for Parents: Wednesday, August 28, 7:00 pm (webinar)
- College Admissions Representative Visits to Glenbrook South: September-November
- Priority Deadline and Early Decision/Action Deadline for many schools: November 1
- College Finance Night: Monday, November 16, 7 p.m. (webinar)
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Opens in December
- FAFSA Completion Night: Tuesday, December 17, at 5:30 p.m. - GBS
- FAFSA Friday workshops: Individual Appointments January - February, sign-up online
- Senior Exit Interview: Beginning May 1
