Checklist & Timelines for Parents

Parent of a Middle School Student

• Discuss career opportunities with your student. 
• Discuss the learning outcomes of NCC’s 8th Grade Career Day.
• Encourage your student to be involved in extracurricular activities in school and outside of school.
• Instill in your student that successful grades in middle school are important.
• Remind your student to stay out of trouble in school and outside of school.
• Be involved with your student’s four year plan.
• Attend high school orientation with your student. 

Parent of a High School Freshman

• Be involved with your student’s goals for the future.
• Help your student choose courses that support their future goals. It is better to take more challenging courses, and remember that Math and Writing are required in all NCC Programs!
• Encourage your student to earn good grades. Freshman year is the beginning of the high school transcript that will be evaluated for admission to NCC. Every grade counts!
• Help your student develop a list of high school and community accomplishments.
• Promote your student to get involved in extracurricular activities.
• Encourage your student to participate in job shadowing and career exploration opportunities.

Parent of a High School Sophomore

• Visit colleges with your student during the Summer. 
• Attend college fairs with your student. 
• Discuss outcomes of the ACT PLAN test and PSAT. These tests are taken in the Fall of the sophomore year and prepare students for the ACT. 
• Encourage your student to take the ACT in Spring or Summer.
• Begin to research scholarship opportunities with your student. 
• Encourage your student to attend academic summer camps.
• Encourage your student to job shadow career fields of interest.       

Parent of a High School Junior

• Encourage your student to:
  • Continue the sophomore checklist.
  • Take college prep courses at their high school, or college credit courses at NCC.
  • Participate in organized extracurricular high school activities and/or community organizations, and to work a summer part-time job.
  • Save money. 
  • Job shadow.
  • Read NCC’s Viewbook and other NCC college brochures.
  • Begin exploring scholarship opportunities. 
  • Retake the ACT or Accuplacer assessment if necessary.

NOTE: Many NCC programs reach capacity. Guide your student to apply for admission their junior year if they are interested in powerline, diesel technology, nursing, and radiologic technology.

Parent of a High School Senior

Fall

• Encourage your student to retake the ACT or Accuplacer Assessment at NCC if necessary.
• Attend college fairs with your student. 
• Encourage your student to keep an NCC file that includes all correspondence.
• Visit the NCC campus with your student. 
• Help your student complete an application for admission. NOTE: Many NCC programs reach capacity. Guide your student to apply for admission their junior year if they are interested in powerline, diesel technology, nursing, and radiologic technology.
• Help your student complete scholarship applications. Many of NCC’s are due March 1!
• Encourage your student to submit a housing application.
• Help your student submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). NCC’s ID number is 004600.

Spring

• Help your student submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) if you did not complete it in the Fall. NCC’s ID number is 004600.
• Attend a campus visit to NCC with your student if you haven’t already. 
• Help your student send deposits for enrollment and housing.

Summer

• Attend NCC’s Orientation with your student. Many orientations are in June. 
• Help your student list things needed for college.
• Encourage your student to connect with their roommate if they’ll be living on the NCC campus.
• Remind your student about debt and their responsibility. Review money management and the college budget. Avoid credit card offers!