College and Career Readiness- 12th Grade

9th Grade  |  10th Grade  |  11th Grade  |  12th Grade  |  On Track for Graduation  |  Career Options  |  College Supporters  |  Naviance  |  Transcript Request  |  Scholarships

Senior practicum will require you to demonstrate the skills and abilities you have gained and developed from 9th through 12th grade. There is an intense focus on career readiness, college application and financial aid process. By the end of the year, you will complete a senior project and service day.

Below is a timeline of what you should expect to do as a senior and important items to complete:

College Application Process

As you begin your college application process, you must keep in mind that your list of schools should be balanced. A balanced list should include: schools that meet your academic profile, schools that provide you with the most financial aid, and whether it is geographically accessible (will you be able to afford traveling back home for the break or is it a good distance for you?)

Below are useful links to help you with your college search:

1) City University of New York or CUNY– Colleges  in the city that include 2 and 4 year schools.

2) State Universe of New York or SUNY– Colleges and universities located outside of the city, but still in the New York State area.

3) Big Future by College Board- This site helps you look for colleges based on your preferences, which is not exclusive to CUNY and SUNY schools. It’s also a great website for topics like career search, finding your best fit school, finding out how to pay for college, and much more!

If you don’t find what you are looking for, then take a look at Naviance or ask your CCR teacher.

Paying for College

One of the biggest concerns for high school seniors is paying for college. Even though it may look like its too much for your parents or you to afford, there are ways to making this work. The first step is filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA.

Below are ways of making college affordable:

1) Scholarships: This is free money for college that you must apply for and compete with all other high school students. Useful scholarship sites are: College Board, Fast Web, and Scholarships.com.

2) Grants: This is free money given to you by the state or college/university. For example, if you attend a New York State school, the state gives you money for staying in-state. This is done via the Tuition Assistance Program or TAP.

3) Loans: This is money that you borrow to pay for college. Depending on the loan you take, interest on the loan doesn’t begin to accumulate until after you graduate college. Before taking out loans, it is important to understand the terms and do your research. This glossary will help you get started on some confusing terms used in the world of loans: Student Loan Glossary.

4) Work study: This is money that you earn while working a job on-campus (ex. working in the library, or gym).

Resume and Teacher Recommendations

Your resume and letters of recommendation provide colleges/universities with more information about you. Beyond your GPA, regents, and SAT scores, these documents help admissions officers learn mor about you. Take a look at the Naviance tool to help you build your resume. This will help your recommender as he/she writes your letter.