• College Application Process and Timeline:

    1. Research various careers and majors throughout your high school experience - please reference the planning websites below.

    2. Research various colleges with degrees and majors that match your interests (Junior year) - please reference the planning websites below. Make sure that you meet the academic eligibility requirements of that particular college. We highly recommend that you visit your top colleges. If you need to miss a day of school to do this college visit, you will need to take a 'College Visit Day' form from the Attendance Office. This needs to be turned in a week before your scheduled visit.

    3. Take the SAT or ACT a second and/or third time in the early Fall of your Senior year. You should have taken this for the first time in the Spring of your Junior year. If Fall of your Senior year is the first time you are taking the test, see if you can sign up to take the test twice in the Fall because you want to take the test at least two times.

    4. Students apply to colleges by the priority deadline of November 1st of their Senior year. The Guidance Office HIGHLY recommends that you have all of your college applications into the colleges you are interested in attending no later than Fall Break (usually around October 22nd and 23rd, but sooner is better). There are several state schools that fill up quickly and close their acceptance of applications (Purdue does this frequently!), and who set application deadlines that, if missed, make you ineligible for any college-sponsored scholarships. Other colleges accept students throughout the year ('rolling admission'). Check your colleges' application deadlines on their website to ensure you are not missing a deadline.

    5. Students submit their high school transcript to their colleges (E-transcript/Parchment) as well as their SAT / ACT scores.

    6. If directed by their college's application process, students should have their counselor fill out a Counselor Form (usually on their college's website under 'Admission' or a related tab). If a student sends an E-transcript/Parchment, this form is automatically included.

    7. If directed by their college's application process, students may need teachers or adults in their life to write them a Letter of Recommendation for their future college or for scholarships.

    8. Fill out scholarship applications throughout their Senior year.

    9. Students and parents fill out the FAFSA application in order to qualify for state and federal financial aid.

    10. Students notify their intended college of their plan to attend (please note the college's preferred deadline for this notification). Students then follow the college's various deadlines to ensure enrollment (ex: deposit paid, roommate information, major declaration if applicable, orientation dates, etc.).

    Planning Websites

    - List of Indiana Colleges

    College Fairs

    - Go To College Fairs - see all of the available college fairs in our state; register online and print your bar code

    - NACAC College Fairs - Search college fairs near you

    Campus Virtual Tours

    - CampusBird

    - Campus Tours

    General Websites

    - Free College GO Mobile App: Are you the first in your family to attend college? Explore colleges and create a list of schools that fit you best, search for scholarships and get the scoop on financial aid, discover majors and careers that you may be interested in, and more!

    -JA App - JA Build Your Future allows teens to discover more than 100 careers; see what levels of education are required, from a high school education to a doctorate; learn about potential income; and then calculate the cost of education, including factoring the cost of attending in-state, out-of-state public universities and private universities.

    - Trip To College Text Alerts - Text the word "grad" plus your or your student's high school graduation year to 69979 to receive free, grade-specific text reminders about test and application deadlines, scholarships and financial aid, and alternatives to the traditional college path.

    - College Score Card - Find a school that is right for you

    - My Majors - take assessments and see what majors fit you best

    - Big Future: Explore careers, find colleges, find ways to pay for college, tips on getting into college, and a step-by-step plan.

    - Fast Web: College search and career planning

    - www.learnmoreindiana.org: Offers free timelines as well as scholarship, financial aid and college search links.

    - www.petersons.com: Click on “College Center” then search through all the available tabs, there are some great, free planning guidelines for students and parents.

    - Cappex.com - search colleges, majors, and scholarships

    - www.knowhow2go.org: Sign up for a newsletter and get useful information on finding a school and financial aid.

    - College Board Planning: Find colleges, explore careers, plan finances, etc.

    - College Board College Search: Narrow down the college search through various filters (ex: location, test scores, majors, etc.)

    - Occupational Outlook: Career Planning and Outlook

    - Schoolinks.com: Offers free educational consulting; You can also find and learn about colleges, apply for admission and scholarships, and even . Once you sign up for a free student account, you can search for colleges all over the country, view their ratings, check the cost of attending, see photos of the campus, etc.

    - Preparing for College/Career - Federal government's website with career exploration, checklists, budgeting, college navigator/narrower, and resources

  • Early College

    High school students are able to take several college classes while in high school at a cheaper cost. Please visit our Dual Credit page for a list of classes that are offered within Wawasee's building.

    Grace College Jump Start is an option for Juniors and Seniors who would like to start their college classes early and are nearing the end of their high school credit requirements.

    If your high school GPA is at least a 6.5 on our GPA scale (2.5 on a 4.0 scale), you may take a total of 12 credit hours (about 3-4 classes) as a Jump Start student at Grace College for only $100 per credit hour. Juniors may take 3 credit hours per semester (1 class); Seniors may take up to 6 credit hours per semester (2 classes). Upon completion of the Jump Start class, students should request a transcript from Grace and send this transcript to their future college / university.

    If interested, please talk to your high school counselor first to discuss class options and if it fits with your high school schedule. Then, go towww.grace.edu/jump to view available classes and to apply.

    Indiana Tech also has a similar program. See information here.

    **Please Note: The Jump Start classes and Indiana Tech classes do NOT count as dual credit classes for your Academic or Technical Honors Diplomas.

    Additional Opportunity: Students Attending IPFW For College

    IPFW summer classes are a great way for students starting college in the Fall to ease their transition into college. Students can take advantage of over 350 course offerings in 38 different subjects, as well as 140 online courses. Students can jump start their college career with summer classes at IPFW. For questions, or more information, please direct them to ipfw.edu/summer.