COUNTDOWN TO THE COLLEGE APPLICATION MARATHON MONDAY OCTOBER 20

1. COUNTDOWN TO THE COLLEGE APPLICATION MARATHON MONDAY OCTOBER 20 Update your College Greenlight student profile : : you’ve signed up for the College Application Marathon, now you need to make sure your College Greenlight profile is complete! Take a few minutes to login to College Greenlight and make sure to answer all of the available questions. This way you’ll be matched to the perfect scholarships during the marathon. TUESDAY OCTOBER 21 Build your college and scholarship lists : : now that your profile is complete and full of great scholarships that have been matched to you, it’s time to decide which colleges and scholarships you are going to apply for. Login to your profile and review the scholarships in your list, and build a college list with at least 6 different schools you want to apply for on the day of the marathon. WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 22 Prepare your essays : : now that your lists are complete, you can go through each of the scholarships and colleges on them to determine the essays you will need to write. Remember that many of the prompts you will encounter are similar enough that you can use a single essay with some minor changes for multiple applications. After you’ve found out how many separate essays you’ll need, start working on rough outlines for each of them. THURSDAY OCTOBER 23 Ask for nominations and letters of recommendation : : for many college and scholarship applications, you may have to get 1 or 2 adults to write you a letter of recommendation. You should ask these adults now, so that they have plenty of time to prepare their remarks prior to your application deadlines. FRIDAY OCTOBER 24 THROUGH SUNDAY OCTOBER 26 Draft your essays : : this stage will take the most preparation time, and should be taken seriously. If you have several different essays to write, spend the next few days composing rough drafts, having a friend or relative look them over, and polishing your work.

2. COUNTDOWN TO THE COLLEGE APPLICATION MARATHON MONDAY OCTOBER 27 Get your transcripts : : it’s Monday, and you’re already at school. Take a moment to see your guidance counselor (you may need to schedule an appointment) and let them know you’ll need copies of your transcripts. For your college applications, make sure to find your high school’s CEEB code in advance. TUESDAY OCTOBER 28 Collaborate with friends : : you’ve put a lot of hard work into your essays, profile, transcripts, and applications. Now, see if a friend or trusted mentor can look over your application materials for you, and provide you with good feedback on what looks great, and what needs work. WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 29 Check your workstation : : if you’re participating in the marathon from home, make sure your computer and internet connection are working properly. If you share your computer, make sure everyone who uses it knows you’ll need it all day on Saturday! If you are participating with your after-school program, double check with your counselors about what time to arrive, and what you need to bring. THURSDAY OCTOBER 30 Final preparations : : if you have essays to finish, transcripts to print, or test scores to gather, get all those details completed before the big day. FRIDAY OCTOBER 31 Rest your brain and HAPPY HALLOWEEN! : : it’s almost here! Take it easy, knowing that you’ve taken the steps necessary to complete the Scholarship Marathon successfully.