As a senior applying to college, trying to find everything can be overwhelming. There are so many applications, essays, and scholarships, each with different websites and requirements for them. This is a list of several resources that are useful for exploring and applying to colleges. It can also be helpful to make a document or spreadsheet to store college info and compare colleges.

Apply early for scholarships. Many people will be applying, and many scholarships have deadlines that are soon.

When you start applying to colleges, you will need to request transcripts, school reports, and teacher recommendation letters through Naviance. First, match your CommonApp and Naviance accounts. Then request the paperwork in Naviance. Go to myPaymentsPlus to pay a 2$ processing fee per college you are applying to. This is necessary for the counselors to fill out your paperwork.

For recommendations, ask a teacher who knows you well and can talk about what you are like in class and you as a person. A teacher from your junior or senior year is preferable.

There will be a college fair at Lassiter to check out colleges and show your interest in them. It is from 1:00 to 4:30 pm on September 10.

Check colleges’ admission requirements and statistics. Some colleges, especially Honors Colleges, have minimum GPAs or SAT/ACT scores.

Here are websites and resources that you can use to make the college application process easier:

GA Futures is a comprehensive website on which you can calculate your Hope GPA, find information on the Hope scholarship and grants, and explore other scholarships. If you get an error message when calculating your Hope GPA, let your counselor know. Your social security number might not be in the system. GA futures also has an Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter account on which they post helpful resources and videos.

https://www.gafutures.org/

CommonApp is the platform that most colleges accept applications through. It will organize the colleges that you are applying too, tell you what they require in the application, and have their essay questions.

https://www.commonapp.org/

The College Board website itself has a plethora of scholarships. You can also sign up to take the SAT and AP tests, view your scores, and send them to colleges.

https://www.collegeboard.org/

Naviance is great for comparing colleges’ cost, programs, size, and other attributes. You can save colleges, search for scholarships, and estimate cost with your family’s income. There are two main scholarship search engines in Naviance. One has national scholarships and is called “National Scholarship Base”. The other has local scholarships, which can be easier to win because the application pool is smaller. These are posted by KMHS counselors under “Scholarship Search”. Naviance also has career and personality quizzes that can help you explore what you want to pursue. Access Naviance through the KMHS website. Click on “Find it Fast” and then “Naviance”.

https://www.cobbk12.org/KennesawMountain

The FASFA, through which you will apply for federal financial aid and the Hope scholarship, is different this year. It will open in December instead of in October like in previous years. There will be two virtual meetings for parents and students this fall, one discusses financial aid and the other is a step-by-step guide to filling out the FAFSA.

https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

The colleges’ websites themselves have information, tips, and resources.

College Vine is a website that helps you explore colleges and calculate your estimated admission chances. You can rank your favorites and connect with them by messaging admissions people and students.

https://www.collegevine.com/

The Questbridge scholarship is a full ride to an ivy league college for students with incomes below 65,000, or other factors that make it difficult to pay for college. Applications for the 2024 school year are due September 26, 2023.

https://www.questbridge.org/

The College Essay Guy has free resources to inform essay writing and applications, including webinars, YouTube videos, and essay examples. An essay is very important in the application process because it is personal and can showcase one’s writing skill and personality.

https://www.collegeessayguy.com/

FastWeb is a reputable place to find scholarships and other financial aid.

https://www.fastweb.com/

Counselors help applications by answering questions and providing the necessary paperwork. They are also there for if one is feeling overwhelmed or stressed. Your counselor is a great person to ask questions about classes, applications, scholarships, and choosing colleges. A counselor will be available in the computer lab (Mr. Addam’s room) every I-Block to answer college application questions. You can also drop by the counseling office before and after school and during lunch.

Counseling Instagram: @kmhs_counseling