2023-2024 Maynard High School Profile

MHS Class of 2023 College Acceptances

MHS Class of 2024 College Acceptances

**NOTE: Many colleges and universities that went test optional during the pandemic have made the decision to stay that way. However, some are bringing back the requirement for students. We recommend that students take at least one SAT or ACT in case they need to submit scores.

Register at www.collegeboard.org
-Oct 5 - reg deadline 9/20
-Nov 2 - reg deadline 10/18
-Dec 7 - reg deadline 11/22
*SAT tests are now digital. Students need to bring their school-issued Chromebooks to the testing site. All MHS Chromebooks already have the Bluebook App installed.

**Free SAT prep and practice tests are available through your College Board account.

Register at www.actstudent.org
-Sept 14 - reg deadline 8/9
-Oct 26 - reg deadline 9/20
-Dec 14 - reg deadline 11/8
-Feb 8 - reg deadline 1/3

**Free ACT prep and practice tests are available through the ACT website.

Students who receive free or reduced price lunch are eligible for fee waivers for the SAT and ACT. Please speak to your school counselor to get a code to use during registration.

If a student has an IEP or 504 plan and has testing accommodations, they are eligible for accommodations on the SAT and ACT. However, there is a separate process for requesting these accommodations through the College Board and through ACT.

Counselors will reach out to students and families for consent to request these accommodations through College Board. The consent form can be found here.

For the ACT, students must note that they receive accommodations when registering and the ACT then reaches out to the counselor for documentation.

It is never too early to start planning for your future. Here are some guidelines by high school year that may assist you in exploring career and college choices. The underlined words are links to resources to support you - from SAT prep to financial aid webinars to MHS school counseling-specific forms. No matter what you plan to do after high school, school counselors are here to support you.

Freshman Year:

• Begin to understand that what you do in school matters, even this early.

• When counselors visit your classes, learn about important new terms that apply to high school, such as credits, transcripts, and graduation requirements.

• Meet your school counselor to begin to build a relationship and learn about the different pathways we have available for students interested in communications, computer science, business, and global studies.

• Get involved by signing up for extracurricular activities and athletics.

• Participate in leadership and community service activities.

• Work on a financial plan for college that will work for you and your family.

• In Intro to Capstone, create a MEFA Pathway account, which you will use for career interest inventories, college searches, and much more.

• Stay busy over the summer! Participate in camps or activities, get a job, and do summer reading.

Sophomore Year:

• Begin to discuss plans with your school counselor, whether you are thinking about college, careers, or the military.

• Choose electives that reflect your interests and are challenging.

• Take practice college entrance exams, like the PSAT. MHS offers this to sophomores who choose to take it in October. 

• Stay involved with all extracurricular, leadership and community service activities.

• Take the time to look more closely at some colleges and careers that interest you. Maybe visit a school.

• Start the college search by narrowing down options based on your interests, where you might want to go to school, and more. College Board and MEFA Pathway both have search functions.

• Stay busy over the summer! Participate in activities, camps, internships, and jobs.

Junior Year:

• Meet with your counselor to start making specific college and career choices and ensure you are on track with graduation requirements and requirements for any special programs you are a part of.

• If you think you are planning on a 4-year college, take a look at this timeline to help you prepare.

• Use NACAC's college preparation and planning tool to get started with the college process.

• For more information on the application process in video form, check out NEACAC's video FAQs.

• Choose classes and electives that reflect interests and are challenging.

• Take the PSAT when it is offered at MHS in October.

• Meet with college representatives at MHS! Throughout the fall, admissions officers will visit the career center. Check Google Classroom for the calendar of dates.

• Visit colleges by attending college fairs, open houses and scheduled tours. Juniors are allowed 2 excused absences for college and career fair visits in the spring semester.

• In the spring, register for the SAT through collegeboard.org and the ACT at actstudent.org.

  • Unsure which to take? Check out this article for tips on how to decide.

  • If you receive free/reduced lunch, talk to your counselor about a fee waiver!

  • Prepare for the SAT for free through Khan Academy and the ACT for free through their ACT test prep.

• If you are considering the military, take the ASVAB test. Check with your school counselor to see when it is being offered at MHS.

• View our postsecondary planning presentation

  • Slides

  • Recording

• Parents should consider meeting with their student’s school counselor to share post-secondary plans and get support with the process.

• Start narrowing down your college list. Detailed college information can be found at the US Department of Education College Scorecard page.

• As you are making your list, if you are thinking about public schools in New England, check out NEBHE's Tuition Break, a money-saving program that reduces the fees for Massachusetts residents attending certain schools and planning on certain majors.

• Begin work on your college essay and your resume over the summer.

• Establish a Common App account after Aug 1.

• Begin applying for scholarships. Register on websites like FastWeb and Going Merry.

• Stay busy over the summer! Participate in activities, internships, and jobs.

Senior Year:

• Continue to take interesting, yet challenging courses. Consider classes like VHS and Dual Enrollment.

• Grades count...all year!

• Follow checklists for whatever pathway you are planning to follow:

  • 4-year College

  • 2-year College

  • Faculdade de 2 anos (Português) [COMING SOON]

  • Employment

  • Military

• Check out Bentley University's Admission 101, with information on everything from creating a college list to how to get recruited as an athlete.

• Stay organized! Have a calendar with important dates, identify a dedicated location to keep all materials, and work with your parents.

• Listen to the announcements and check Google Classroom for visits from college representatives in the career center throughout the fall.

• Take SAT and ACT tests in the fall and AP exams in the spring.

• If you do not want to take the SAT or ACT, or do not like your scores, consider applying to test optional schools.

• Complete your brag sheet and transcript request form so your counselor can write your letter of recommendation and send your transcript to schools, programs, and/or scholarships. (These forms are available on Google Classroom)

• Ask your parent/guardian to complete the caregiver brag sheet.

• Ask teachers for college recommendations early.

• Work with your school counselor to make sure you have all the information you need to complete college applications.

• Finalize your essay(s). Make sure at least one person proofreads each short answer or essay in your application.

• Continue applying for scholarships (also check out this Finding Scholarships document). Check Google Classroom for local scholarship opportunities.

• Attend MEFA financial planning webinars and utilize additional MEFA resources

• Apply for Financial Aid with the FAFSA after October 1.

  • Create your FSA ID (username and password) in order to complete the Federal Application for Free Student Aid (FAFSA). Both the student and parents/guardians will need to create these in order to submit the FAFSA. This must be done 1-3 days before starting the FAFSA.

  • Complete the FAFSA

• Check colleges for additional financial aid requirements, such as the CSS profile or institutional forms.

• If interested in the military, meet with recruiters to begin the process.

• Talk with your parents and counselor about early action and/or early decision.

• Plan official visits to colleges and interview whenever possible.

• Think about supports you might need in college, such as for your mental health and/or disability support (if you have a 504 or IEP currently).

• Compare financial aid packages. Check out MEFA webinars for help in determining how much you will need to pay.

• If your financial situation is different than it was when you completed the FAFSA or you simply need more aid, consider appealing the financial aid package.

• In the spring, share college acceptance information with your counselor for assisting in making your final decision.

• Colleges need to be informed of your decision by May 1 and you will need to put down a deposit to hold your spot.

• Send thank you notes to teachers who wrote recommendations for you.

• Enjoy your summer and get ready to enter your post-high school life.

Links updated 5/2024