Seniors - College Information

Graduation Information for Seniors

Class of 2024 Information - Handout given to students in September

Future Plans Handouts

• College-Bound
• Career-Bound
• Military-Bound

College Information for Seniors 

** College-Bound Seniors - see this handout for information about the College process (applying to college, requesting transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.)

** Naviance Information - How to request Letters of Recommendation, Transcripts, etc. 

COLLEGE VISITS: 

• Although we'd like seniors to schedule a college visit on a day FHS doesn't have school, seniors are allotted 2 on-campus college visits.  Students should set up the visit with the college, pick up a 'College Visit' form from the main office and turn the form in 1 week before the visit.
• In-school visits take place at 9:00 during Advisory. Students should sign up for visits on Naviance then students will be called to the Media Center.

APPLYING TO COLLEGE:

• Students should begin applying to college(s) beginning in August of his/her senior year. Students can apply via the Common App or Direct to the Institution (through the college's website). 
• The counselors would like for any student interested in attending college after high school to please apply by Thanksgiving of his/her senior year.  Seniors should make sure he/she is paying attention to deadlines!! 

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION (LOR):

• Not all schools require a LOR in order to apply. For those schools that do require a LOR, seniors should make sure they talk to his/her teacher before sending the teacher the electronic LOR request!  Give the teachers 2 weeks notice prior to that college's deadline. 
• Also, if seniors are applying via the Common App, the counselors must write a LOR. Please give them 2 weeks notice as well.
• All seniors must fill out a Brag Sheet to help school staff write the glowing LOR that you deserve. Students have been asked to fill out their Brag Sheet on Naviance. 

REQUESTING TRANSCRIPTS:

• Transcript requests are processed through Naviance.  Please give counselors a 2 week window to get this step completed. 
• AFTER a student has applied to a college, he/she needs to request the transcript be sent to the college via Naviance. 
• Naviance step-by-step screencast(s) for how-to request transcripts, LOR's, etc. 
• Access the Naviance Guide here
• Review this presentation for a step-by-step guide of the college application process in Naviance.

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid):

• All families with a college-bound Senior should fill out the FAFSA in the fall. The application opens October 1 every year.
• Every October, the counselors, in conjunction with either Sinclair College or Wright State University, hold a FAFSA night for senior students and parents. All students planning to attend college after high school need to apply for the FAFSA at fafsa.gov 
• FAFSA Resources
  • Sinclair's FAFSA Informational Night (Zoom Recording) 
  • FAFSA Info
  • FAFSA Completion Workshop - what to bring
  • Tackling the FAFSA presentation
  • FAFSA Step-by-Step Guide that walks students and families through each question of the FAFSA, including screenshots and explanations and a FAQ page for students with special circumstances.

COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS:

Scholarship opportunities will be also posted in Naviance each year. New scholarships are posted daily. On the Naviance homepage, at the top, click on 'Colleges' ---> a window will pop up with more options ---> click on 'Scholarship Search' on the far right under 'Scholarships & Money'.

• Scholarship Internet Resources 
• Ohio Scholarship Directory, a list of 100+ vetted scholarships for students across the state, broken down by month.
• Use Naviance as a tool in the scholarship search - scholarships will be added almost daily in the coming months (ie: Franklin local scholarships will soon be available & posted on Naviance). At the top of the Naviance homepage, click on ‘Colleges’ - then ‘Scholarship Search’. (Naviance, Username - FRANKLIN EMAIL, Password - **Set by you (if you forget it, you can reset your password. Still having problems - email your FHS counselor
• Middletown Community Foundation Scholarships: Local scholarships in which many Franklin students are chosen to be awarded money for college. The application opened at 5:00 PM on December 1st. The application will close at 5:00 PM on February 1st. Just like college applications, the counselors are responsible for submitting information on the student’s behalf so DO NOT wait until February 1st to apply.  Give the counselors at least 2 weeks prior to the deadline to submit the information needed on their end.  Students should register at MCF - 2024 Scholarship Application Portal.  There is a tutorial for the students to watch prior to applying.  SLM Applicant Tutorial - Universal Application
• We've been adding weekly/monthly scholarships to this document as well
• Franklin's local scholarships are posted on Naviance in February of each year.