INFO FOR 12G FAMILIES & STUDENTS
Welcome to 12th grade! During the fall of 12th grade, students work to complete and submit applications for college and career training programs! This is when students identify a finalized list of institutions they intend to apply to, complete remaining aspects of their applications, and submit these applications for consideration. This is also when students and families submit the forms used to assess and determine financial aid (FAFSA - the primary form used to apply for financial aid, TAP to apply for state aid, and CSS Profile for some private colleges).
After students apply, they will begin to hear responses from colleges, indicating if they’ve been accepted and what type of scholarship or financial aid they’ve received. Students typically hear from the colleges they’ve applied to any time before the beginning of April, depending on the college’s policy. By May 1, for students planning to apply college for the next year, students must have made commitment to the college they will attend!
12G Checklist
A FULL CHECKLIST OF 12th Grade tasks (including a calendar of important dates, at the end) can be accessed by clicking the button!
12G Resources & Links
College & Career Exploration Resources:
List of Molly’s Favorite College & Career Research Tools: Resources for College+Careet List Building & Research
Links for Career-Focused Options: List of Free Job Training Programs, CUNY AAS + Certificate List, 1DegreeNYC, Construction Skills (union training program), Union Apprenticeships, Civil Service Exam Info, Americorps, Co-op Tech
College Visits: ICE Guide to Visiting, 20 Questions to Ask, Tour Notes, Sample Tour Loops
Spreadsheet for tracking applications + Google Doc version of app tracking.
ICE Application Resources:
Types of Deadlines (ED/EA/Priority) + Application Types (Common App, Coalition, UCAS, etc.) Summary
CUNY App Walkthrough
Additional Financial Aid Resources:
General Fin Aid Info: http://www.iceschoolnyc.org/financial-aid
Institutional Merit Scholarships: Merit spreadsheet avg award spreadsheet; 50 colleges that give out the most merit aid; full cost merit scholarships.
Who qualifies for Need Based Aid? (a little outdated but still helpful): Chart by income & family size
Colleges w/ the Best Need-based Aid: List of Colleges That Meet 100% of Need; List of Need Blind Colleges; Explanation of 100% Need Based Aid
Net Price Calculator: Net Price Calculator - Estimates cost of particular institutions, using an estimate of the need and merit based aid the student qualifies
FAFSA & Federal Aid: FAFSA.gov; Federal Aid Estimator - Estimates your family’s SAI & PELL (federal grant), based upon preliminary financial information. The FAFSA is undergoing MAJOR changes and will be delayed until December this year. This article does a decent job summarizing the changes.
CSS Profile: Overview of the CSS Profile (financial aid form required for some private, selective colleges)
Useful Scholarship Search Engines: Unigo, Cappex, RaiseMe, Chegg, FastWeb,
Opportunity Program Information & “Fly-in Programs”:
NYS Opportunity Programs Overview
Application Dates & Deadlines
Don’t forget! As you finalize your list, you must also research deadlines for each school or program and consider by which deadline you intend to apply. Many colleges offer the option to apply “early”, either through a binding Early Decision or non-binding Early Action plan. Early deadlines tend to be in November (there are a few in October), while “regular” deadlines are typically in late December & January. This document HERE explains the different types of college application plans, formats, & deadlines in detail.
It’s crucial you research deadlines closely. For example, some specific scholarship programs or arts programs, amongst others, may have earlier deadlines or portfolio/auditions due earlier than all the other programs at the college itself.
Your applications must be completed at least 1 week in advance of the college’s actual published deadline. This is extremely important to avoid last-minute unexpected questions and inevitable website crashes, and it also helps the ICE College & Career Office ensure that supporting materials are received on time!
