Here is a general guide as you walk through the school year for different things to think about at different times!

By September:

Plan a few college visits if you have not done so already. The best way for students to know if they can see themselves attending that school is to step foot on campus! Check out the dorms, dining hall, gym, lecture halls and get a feel for the overall campus environment.

The student should have an idea of if they want to go to college or obtain a job after high school.
- If they want to go to college, they should have an idea of what schools they are interested in applying to. If they know what they want to study, great! If they aren’t sure? That is okay, too, and they have the option to apply undecided! Knowing which path they want to take will help them to get started.
- If they are interested in pursuing a career, start building a resume for any job opportunities that may arise. Interested in the union? Start looking at dates for tests and interviews!

By the end of October:

FSA ID should be obtained if completing the FAFSA application and the application should be started.
College applications should be ready to submit- Priority deadlines usually fall November 1 and November 15th.

By the end of December:

Have FAFSA application submitted.

January:

Any seniors who are not on track for graduation (fail a fall semester course that is required) will have their name pulled from graduation.

February:

Local scholarships will start being announced. Seniors should be listening to the announcements, visiting the guidance office and checking the guidance Google classroom for information.

March:

Accept an admission to the school they would like to attend!
Applying to Parkland Pathways? Application opens March 5th. The Parkland College application needs to be submitted and accepted to complete the U of I portion of the Pathways application.
Attending Parkland College? Their scholarship application opens this month and is one of the easiest to complete! Fill out one application and it will attach to all of the scholarships you are eligible for.

March-April:

Financial Aid packages will be sent from the school they plan to attend. Pay the housing deposit to secure their spot.
Parkland Pathways deadline is April 5th.
Sign up for a college orientation date if available!

April:

If you are not completing the FAFSA application, make sure you have completed the opt-out form!

June:

Students will need to send their final transcript through Parchment from SJO to the school they will be attending! This is a requirement from colleges for incoming freshman students. SJO Transcripts are free to send until August 1.
If you took a dual credit course, you will need to utilize Parchment to also send your transcript from Parkland College to the school you will be attending.

**You will need to add Parkland College to your Parchment account if you have
not already done so. Your Parkland ID number will be needed to do this! If you
don’t know your Parkland ID number, you can find it by logging into your
Parkland Connect account.

St. Joseph-Ogden High School

Seniors and senior parents/guardians:

FAFSA: Financial Aid

Dates/Timeline

College Applications