High School Counselor Timeline
This is a general timeline of activities and tasks. The counseling department and/or you in particular don’t necessarily do everything listed. Depends on your duties and grade levels.
JULY :
Update transcripts with summer school grades and finalize/change schedules.
Summer registration for previously enrolled and new students.
Meet with senior students and parents who need all or extra credits to graduate.
Check the transcripts of your students against their schedules to make sure they have what they need to graduate. Make a list of those that need credit recovery.
Check schedules for special populations (IEP, ESL, 504 students) to make sure they are properly placed. You will need info from their caseworker or access to the IEP.
Create an account on Send U and Common Application. You will receive emails to complete recommendations and upload transcripts through these. You will need to upload the most recent school profile.
Assign NCAA Eligibility Center Administrators and check master course list.
AUGUST:
Schedule changes per school policy.
Register New Students.
You’ll need a school profile to put in with admissions/scholarship applications. Lots of them ask for a copy. NACAC and College Board have tons of examples.
Get students set up with credit recovery and notify the credit recovery teacher.
PSAT Sign Up.
SURVIVE!
SEPTEMBER
Q1 Progress Reports.
Attend College Board Counselor Workshop. Register on their website. SAT, AP, CLEP,and PSAT info and updates. They also do a different workshop strictly for NEW counselors that is really good.
ACT College and Career Readiness Workshop—FREE to attend. Register online to attend.
Financial Aid Meeting Seniors, Night Financial Aid Overview for Parents.
Class Visits All Grades—Intro and General Info.
AP Testing Registration.
OCTOBER
Q1 Report Cards.
PSAT testing for juniors and sophomores—normally done through sign ups and students pay a fee. There are fee waivers. Pre-administration session saves LOTS of time. Two national test dates. Enters them in National Merit Scholarship competition,
Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership (HOBY)—For 10th graders—application process.
Seniors State ACT Re-take.
Oct. 1st FAFSA opens (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)—Students must complete to get financial aid for college.
FAFSA Help Workshop for parents.
AP Testing Registration.
NOVEMBER
Lots of college apps and scholarships becoming due at this time.
ASVAB testing.
Start transcript, schedule, and grade reviews in preparation for spring course registration.
Start planning spring course registration.
DECEMBER
Lots of scholarships due at this time.
PSAT score return.
Spring course registration planning.
Diploma Order Forms.
JANUARY
1st Semester report cards.
Lots of college scholarship deadlines.
Course registration planning for next school year.
New students & schedule changes per school policy or if failed fall classes.
Semester Teachers—Don’t forget to give out 504/IEP/Gifted/ESL info to teachers to any students who have new classes.
Check senior graduation status and transcripts for correctness—re-rank in February.
FEBRUARY
Course registration activities—Usually course requests need to be checked over with a full number of credits before spring break so admin can present staffing needs to district.
Lots of college scholarships due.
Q3 Progress Reports.
MARCH
1. Q3 Report Cards.
Check seniors 3rd quarter grades.
Local scholarships start coming out.
Check diploma order form excel to determine which awards/honors students qualified for.
APRIL
Q4 progress reports.
Start Awards Day planning and data collection.
Senior transition survey Google form—Plans after high school, where to send transcripts, phone numbers to be reached.
Local scholarships due.
Start next year’s schedules once master schedule is completed (may not happen until summer).
Update NCAA Eligibility Center Master Course List.
Hound the seniors!
MAY
AP testing.
Add the weighted quality points to students who took AP tests.
ACT score return.
Awards Day & Senior Decision Day.
Work on schedules.
Retainees and summer school candidates.
Double check transcripts before grades go out.
SURVIVED PARTY!
JUNE
1. Work on schedules.
Double check senior transcripts & post final rank.
Send final senior transcripts.
Send NCAA and NAIA final transcripts.
Send final transcripts through Common Application.
Double check underclassmen transcripts & re-rank.
Move/update records.
This information was adapted from information posted by Ashley Sievers, a High School Counselor in Tennessee, to the High School Counselors Group on FB
