Parent Checklist

Your student’s college future? It starts with the steps they take right now.

9th & 10th Grade Checklist

• Get to know your student’s school counselor. Meet with your student’s counselor to get advice about what classes your student should take to put them on the path to explore their academic interests and provide a strong foundation for college.

• Help your student stay organized and develop healthy study habits. Grades matter! Your student’s grades in 9th and 10th grade count equally towards their overall grade point average and class rank (if your student’s school calculates class rank).

• Encourage your student to get involved in clubs and activities that support their personal and academic interests. Now is the time to try new things!

• Start the college discussion with your student by introducing them to different college options.

• Find out which subject areas interests your student and where their natural curiosities lie. With so many majors to consider, this may help guide the discussion on possible majors and career interests.

• Research college admissions requirements online. Colleges have different admission requirements and may also have different requirements for certain majors.

• Many students take the PSAT as a sophomore to prepare for the SAT junior/senior year. Find out if your student will be taking the PSAT and then help them prepare for the PSAT test here.

11th Grade Checklist

• Meet with your student’s school counselor to discuss your student’s classes and get recommendations on what classes they should take to make them a competitive candidate for college.

• The PSAT is a good practice test for the SAT, which is administered in the spring, should your student decide to apply to colleges that require standardized test scores as part of the admissions process. Not all colleges, including UNH, require students to submit their standardized test score for review as part of their application.

• Encourage your student to talk to friends, family members, teachers and recent graduates to learn about colleges that they may be considering.

• Let your student take the lead in researching colleges online and ask them to compile a list of colleges they would like to explore further.

• Attend college fairs and plan college visits with your student during school breaks. College virtual tours are a great option if you can’t visit campus.

• Start thinking about financial considerations and research scholarship opportunities online. Your school counselor can also be a great resource for scholarship opportunities.

• If your student is enrolled in AP classes, encourage them to take the AP exam. Many colleges like UNH will review AP scores for college credit here.

• Encourage your student to reach out to their school counselor and teacher to write a recommendation letter to be submitted with their admissions application. Many teachers receive a lot of requests to write student recommendation letters, so it’s best to ask early – by the end of their junior year.

• Encourage your student to compile a list of accomplishments and start jotting down ideas for their college essay.

12th Grade Checklist

• Continue to support your student through the college search process and help them narrow down a list of their top schools they’d like to explore further.

• Encourage your student to connect with their admissions counselor at the colleges they are considering applying to.

• Encourage your student to start working on their admissions application. Be sure they check each college’s website to find which application they should complete. UNH, for example, accepts the Common Application. While most college applications will go live starting August 1, UNH's application will be available in mid-August.

• If your student is applying to colleges that require standardized test scores, be sure that your student registers to take the SAT or ACT test. Some schools may also require applicants to take SAT Subject Tests. UNH is test-optional and does not require students to submit standardized test results as part of their admissions application.

• Work with your student to complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if you are interested in being considered for financial aid. The FAFSA application will be available starting October 1.

• Help your student decide whether they should apply Early Action or Regular Decision and help them organize the different deadline dates. UNH’s Early Action deadline is November 15 and Regular Decision is February 1.