The Summer Before Senior Year Toolkit combines a senior year checklist and a college visit checklist to help rising seniors use the summer to prepare for their final year of high school. Students review academic progress, plan for life after graduation and evaluate colleges during campus tours.

The toolkit is designed for students in grades 11-12, specifically the summer between junior and senior year. All pages are printable and suit counseling departments, advisory classes and college access programs.

This resource will help you:

⭐ Give rising seniors a clear summer plan before the school year begins

⭐ Prompt students to check transcripts, GPA and graduation credits

⭐ Introduce career inventories, résumés, applications and test registration

⭐ Remind students and families to complete the FAFSA

⭐ Prepare students with questions for college tours

⭐ Help students compare colleges after each campus visit

This resource includes:

✔ The Summer Before Senior Year Checklist

✔ Personal Checklist (5 tasks)

✔ Academic Checklist (5 tasks)

✔ Post High School Planning Checklist (8 tasks)

✔ Campus Visit Scorecard with a sample row and scoring guide

✔ Questions to Ask During Your Visit for tour guides and students, professors and the financial aid office

A closer look at the tools:

The Summer Before Senior Year Checklist
The personal section covers community service, summer jobs, volunteering and internship or job-shadowing opportunities. The academic section asks students to review their transcript, confirm graduation credits, set a GPA goal and finish summer assignments. The post high school planning section includes a career or interest inventory, a calendar of senior-year deadlines, a résumé, application preparation, ACT, SAT or ASVAB registration and the FAFSA.

Campus Visit Scorecard
Students rate each college from 1 to 5 on dorms and living, campus life, classes and academics and overall feel, then total the scores to compare schools side by side. A completed sample row shows how the scoring works.

Questions to Ask During Your Visit
Twenty-one questions are organized by audience: tour guides and current students, professors, and the financial aid office. Topics include campus culture, the transition from high school, internships and research, the cost of attendance, payment plans and work-study.

Why you'll love this toolkit:

⭐ One checklist covers personal, academic and postsecondary planning

⭐ Simple to send home with juniors before summer break

⭐ Makes college tours more focused and easier to compare

⭐ Fits junior meetings, senior meetings and college planning nights

⭐ Print and use with no prep

Seniors who start the year with transcripts reviewed, deadlines on a calendar and campus visits completed are better prepared for application season. The toolkit organizes those summer tasks in one place.

Pairs well with:

High School College Fair Toolkit

High School Senior Meeting Toolkit

FAFSA and Financial Aid Toolkit