Sign up on-line to
FACTS.org, the State of Florida website for high school planning and the
“gate-keeping” website for Bright Futures. Use ePEP to plan your high
school courses.
When you register at
FACTS.org be sure to use your name as it appears on your report card and
your correct Social Security Number to insure eligibility for Bright
Futures and other state of Florida scholarships.
Familiarize yourself
with entrance requirements for colleges and universities of interest to
you (i.e. 2 or 4 credits of a foreign language?).
Schedule yourself into
courses that fulfill college entrance academic requirements. Keep up
with your class work--your GPA starts NOW!
Select extracurricular
activities you are interested in and “just do it”. Colleges look at
sports, activities outside school and community service as well as
academics.
SOPHOMORE
Maintain academic
performance.
Continue or branch out
in after school activities.
Take the PSAT
(Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test), a preview experience of college
entrance exams.
Talk to people who are
working in careers you are considering. They are great sources of
information about colleges that have strong departments in their
professions and what skills, aptitudes, and characteristics are required
to be successful and satisfied working in that field.
Go to Florida CHOICES
website for an interest inventory and careers that match your profile.
(You can also access this website through FACTS.org)
Begin checking out
college websites to decide which campuses you want to visit during spring
or summer breaks.
JUNIORS
Take the PSAT again in
October. It will give you a good idea of what your SAT/ACT scores
(important for Bright Futures) may be and it is the only way to be
eligible for the National Merit and Academic Scholars Competition.
Sign up for a test
prep class if you need to improve your scores.
Register on-line for
the spring administration of the SAT or ACT. You will need your scores
when you begin applying to colleges and universities early in the fall.
Taking college entrance exams early gives you time to retake the exams to
raise scores if needed.
Begin to narrow your
“Apply here” list to a dream school, a reality school (or two) to which
you feel sure you will be admitted, and a back-up.
Check your transcript
on FACTS.org to determine what courses you may still need to qualify for
a Bright Futures Scholarship.
