Hey seniors, do you find yourself talking with your friends and being stressed out about college deadlines? Staying organized can alleviate a lot of your stress. Remember-your friends may have very different deadlines than you do! Your job is to know each of your specific college's deadlines for admission and for financial aid. Often, even those two deadlines will not be the same, so staying organized is the key as you move through this year. Meeting deadlines is essential for both admission and financial aid eligibility.

Looking for a handy organizational tool to help manage the process? Click here and go to page 14. Being consistent with your organization is just as important with financial aid. They will not be the same as your admissions deadlines so you should have a separate tool to keep track of that. To see the guide that we use at the CCP, click here. You'll find this chart on page 11.

If you have questions on the admissions and/olr financial aid processes, call us at 888.7.GRADUATE, x119 or email us at collegeplanning@nhheaf.org.

As you finish up applying to colleges, it's also time to apply for federal financial aid by filing your 2018‑2019 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Learn more about the FAFSA and financial aid process by attending a Financial Aid Night presentation at your high school.

In order to file the FAFSA, you and one parent will need an FSA ID. An FSA ID, which is comprised of a username and password, will provide access to the Federal Student Aid's online systems and serves as your legal signature for your FAFSA as well as any federal student loan applications. For tips on setting up your FSA ID, click here.

The Center for College Planning helps families file the FAFSA in our Concord office. Call us at 888.7.GRADUATE, x119 to book an appointment at our Concord office.

Brag (verb): to say in a boastful manner. Seniors, get out your megaphones because now is the time to let those admissions professionals know all of the great things you have done over the last four years. College applications are not the place to be shy about your accomplishments. If you are not good at bragging about yourself, let others do it for you!

Ask your school counselor and at least one teacher to write letters of recommendation on your behalf. Keep in mind that many high schools have their own processes for requesting letters. For example, a school may ask you to put your request in writing or to submit an electronic form. Find out the process at your school and be sure to check out our page on asking for letters of recommendation and resume tips. Providing your references with an updated college resume is a great place to start.

High school juniors and parents ‑ mark your calendars now and plan to join us at the 19th Annual Destination College college planning event at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) on Saturday, April 7, 2018!

Attendees will attend a variety of free college planning workshops, hear a student keynote speaker, and attend a college fair with over 70 colleges and universities in attendance. This signature event for high school juniors and parents is a collaborative effort between The NHHEAF Network Organizations and New Hampshire colleges and universities. All of the day's events are FREE to students and parents.

Registration for this event will open in mid‑January.

Begin each week by testing your college knowledge with our fun #CollegeMonday contest! Each Monday we post a college trivia question on Facebook and Twitter. Direct message us your answer, and if you win, we will send you a prize! And remember to share the post with your friends!

HS Students: Participate each month in our I Am College Bound promotion! Just read a college planning or financial aid article, answer a question about the article correctly, and you will be entered into a random drawing to win a $25 Amazon gift card.

I Am College Bound's goal is to provide New Hampshire students with the inspiration, information and planning support to pursue higher education goals - share the link with your friends!