Grade 12 Monthly Outline
Here are some things to consider in your grade 12 year. While these points are a relatively comprehensive listing, your career counsellor is your best resource to help guide you through this process.
SEPTEMBER
1. Review graduation plan - See your career counsellor to make sure you are in the right classes and discuss options for after high school. Is the program you are interested in direct entry, competitive, qualifying, or pre-professional option.
2. Complete graduation credit check.
3. Create an electronic and/or paper file for all documents and correspondence.
4. If you are thinking about a trade, you should be applying to a technical college and/or looking at apprenticeship opportunities.
5. If you are considering on-campus residence, know your application process. Rooms are limited! If you are living off-campus, check out the school housing registries.
6. Look for employment opportunities; you should be stopping in to talk to your counsellor about updating your résumé and program opportunities.
7. Watch for open house/spend-a-day opportunities.
8. Check out your Career Cruising account; bookmark Career Cruising for continual referral.
9. Check out SaskCareers.ca
10. Create a student profile at yconic.com, studentscholarships.org.
11. Consider arranging a job shadow or volunteer experiences that may be necessary for admission to programs of choice.
12. Gain letters of reference for scholarships. Early planning leads to success.
13. Complete a scholarship worksheet to accumulate information to have handy for other scholarships.
14. Check local, national, school, and international scholarship opportunities.
15. Prepare for the Career Expo in your area.
16. Follow your career counsellor on twitter and/or facebook at Chinook Careers
OCTOBER
1. Update your electronic and paper files.
2. Start applying for most universities and colleges. Be aware of competitive programs.
a. Consider applying to more than one institution and have an alternative plan.
3. Your applications are not complete until payment, transcripts, application fee are all processed. Be sure to ask your career counsellor about the process.
4. Check your email and online student accounts at institutions of choice.
5. Check for early entrance awards at the post-secondary schools of your choice.
6. Update your scholarship profiles when necessary.
7. If you are thinking about heading to the states for school, you should be talking to your counsellor about writing ACT/SATs. Check with your college of choice for requirements.
8. Dates are important. Be mindful of applications – entrance, scholarships – and other looming deadlines.
a. The career website will have many of these deadlines listed but the official school websites have the final say.
NOVEMBER
1. Update your electronic and paper files.
2. Check the first applied/first admitted choices.
3. Check for open houses, spend-a-days, private tours, and other campus visits.
4. Have you missed any scholarship deadlines? Be continuously checking
5. Check your email and online student accounts.
DECEMBER
1. Update your electronic and paper files.
2. Start applying for entrance awards at whatever institution you plan on attending. Most of these require you to set up a school account on their website. You can see a counsellor for assistance.
3. Deadlines for some regular and early admission programs are soon. Make sure you have your applications in before the deadline.
4. Start enquiring if part-time employment can move on to full-time next year.
5. Check out apprenticeship options. If not enrolled already check out the Sask Youth Apprenticeship program with your career counselor.
6. How are your scholarship preparations, volunteer hours, and career investigations progressing?
JANUARY
1. Update your electronic and paper files.
2. If you have a spare, consider taking a career exploration class or do job shadowing.
3. Update your resume.
4. Begin applying for spring and summer jobs.
5. Did you miss any early entrance programs deadlines?
6. If you have applied to a university you should be applying to their early entrance awards and scholarships.
7. Send in your requests to Ministry of Learning for transcripts to schools in Saskatchewan ONLY which will be issued now and in July. See Career Counsellor for assistance.
8. Are you adequately prepared for your finals?
FEBRUARY
1. Complete graduation credit check.
2. Update your paper file – hard copies of ALL correspondence should be kept here.
3. Revisit your grad plan once you receive your term one marks. Do you need to send them to your institution? If you don’t know, check.
4. Do you have questions about information in your acceptance correspondence?
5. Remember, school is not over yet. Marks still matter.
6. High-demand program deadlines occur around this time.
MARCH
1. Update your electronic and paper files.
2. Most entrance awards are due around this time; you should have applied by now to whatever college or university you are planning on attending.
3. Early entrance application deadlines for the majority of all colleges and universities are around this time.
4. Spend-a-day/open house opportunities are available. Check them out.
5. Projected semester marks should be sent in where relevant.
APRIL
1. Update your paper file.
2. Regular applications are still open for most programs once early admission deadlines end. Still apply.
3. Unofficial updated transcripts sent in, as needed.
4. Explore financing options.
5. Check SaskJobs.ca for employment opportunities.
6. Some universities and colleges will begin online course registration.
MAY
1. Update your electronic and paper files.
2. Should be hearing back as to whether you are in residence or not.
3. Check housing registry. Know the details!
4. Are you planning on bringing a car to school? Check with parking services for details!
5. Campus tours should be done.
6. Ask a teacher(s) for a reference letter.
7. Contact an academic advisor at your post-secondary school.
8. Update/create your résumés and relevant supporting documents. Make multiple copies to have immediately available.
9. Some universities and colleges will begin online course registration.
10. Attend orientation information sessions.
JUNE
1. Update your electronic and paper files.
2. Apply for student loans online. See a career counsellor for assistance.
3. Should be sending away to have your official transcript, if you did not do it already, sent directly to your post-secondary institution.
4. Finalize financial arrangements.
5. Gain employment letters of recommendation.
6. Update online student account.
7. Register for on-campus orientations.
8. Ongoing checks for updates and information on institution’s websites.
9. If you are planning on working full time, you will need to search full time. See career counsellors for online possibilities.
10. Some universities and colleges will begin online course registration.
11. Enjoy your graduation. Good luck with your future plans!
FILE SECTIONS SHOULD INCLUDE:
1. TO-DO-LIST
2. Proof of Payments (receipts)
3. Scholarships
4. Application(s)
5. Residence/living accommodations
6. Letters/Correspondence
7. Classes
8. Transcripts
9. Student Loans
10. Other