Information for Parents
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- Information for Parents
St. John's offers more than 100 undergraduate programs, ranging from pharmacy to finance to fashion studies. We are home to 17 Division I BIG EAST athletic programs, and our amazing students contributed more than 137,000 community service hours in one year alone. We have 3 NYC campuses, as well as a campus in Rome and study locations in Paris and Limerick. We are leaders, innovators, explorers, and top-level interns. Our legacy is your legacy. We are St. John's!
High School Timeline
St. John's University believes that college can be such a transformative experience, and selecting the right school is key to your child's successful transition into adulthood. Your child will graduate as a well-rounded global citizen with an understanding of service, diversity, leadership, and excellence, thanks to a world-class educational system that is built on the charitable teachings of St. Vincent de Paul. Here's how to support your child during each year of high school.
Sophomore Year: What to Expect
St. John's University will be your trusted resource for what to do and what to expect over the next three years. We will make sure to keep you aware of important deadlines and buzz words, and we will be here online at all times in between. In the meantime, don't put any immediate pressure on your student at this stage. However, take a moment to read the annual timeline below regarding what you can expect over the course of the year.
Here’s an important lesson for sophomores: start thinking ahead. Sophomore year can be overwhelming, so now is the time for students and parents to set clear goals. Organization and thorough planning will reduce the stresses that often will accompany junior year.
Parents, take the lead in helping your student finalize next year’s class schedule. An impressive academic record is key to admission at most selective colleges. It's important to demonstrate a willingness to be challenged, but at the same time it's critical to not allow students overwhelm themselves.
As your family formulates summer plans, consider what colleges are close to potential vacation destinations. Visiting colleges in an informal manner is a great way to relieve the stress involved with "official" visits.
This is the time to discuss your student's summer plans, which should include a part-time job, an internship, or volunteer experience in a field of interest. Demonstrating initiative, leadership, and commitment is evidence that your student is serious about the future.
Spring also is a good opportunity to discuss when to take the SAT/ACT, and whether prep classes will help. One of the single most important discussions to have at this point is about the cost of college. Who will bear the financial burden? What are the projected costs, and what aid is available. Begin to crunch the numbers now.
St. John's University is dedicated to providing students with every opportunity for an outstanding Catholic higher education, with world-class faculty, financial aid, safe residential campuses, and career preparation. We want to supply you with the tools and information you will need to guide your child to a great college experience.
Summer
Assess the type of student your child is and is becoming
- Does he/she know what he/she wants for a career
- Is he/she proactive when it comes to school and grades, or does he/she require some nudging
Remember that your student will be far likelier to finish college if he/she is comfortable with the environment and you are comfortable with the cost
Understand what the PLAN test is (October), as well as what AP classes and tests are all about
Begin asking around about colleges
- Where does/did other local students choose to attend college? What did they choose as a major?
- How have other parents navigated the financial process?
Encourage your student to get involved in an extracurricular activity before starting 10th grade. Being very involved in one or two things for three years has a far greater impact than suddenly joining four or five clubs during senior year.
Remember that you are still early in the process. Avoid the temptation to push your student too much on decisions at this point.
Fall
Pay attention if your student mentions college or career ideas.
Ensure that your student meets with his/her guidance counselor no later than October. Key 10 Questions to ask:
- Which elective courses and extracurricular activities do you recommend?
- Are there any college planning session scheduled either here at school or offsite?
- Do you have any informational materials from colleges that I may borrow?
- What types of activities can I do at home to start preparing myself for college?
- Are there any college fairs or informational events scheduled in this area?
- Where are students from the most recent graduating class attending college next year?
- I have no idea what I want to pursue for a career. Do you have any suggestions for how I might start looking into this?
- Is it too soon to start researching scholarship opportunities?
- Is it too soon to make sure my transcript is moving in the right direction?
- What forms will I need to apply for financial aid, and where can I find those forms online?
Check in with your student’s extracurricular activities – is he/she overwhelmed?
Learn what the PLAN, PSAT, and AP exams entail. Learn when those should be taken.
Introduce the concept of goal setting, and support your student throughout the year.
Winter
Encourage your student to enjoy winter break, but use a little of the time to browse colleges online as a fun family activity.
Start talking about what classes your student plans to take junior year of high school.
Discuss what your student plans to do for the summer – work, take classes, volunteer, etc.?
If your student took PLAN in the fall, go over the results together.
Check in with area college students that are in town for winter break – see how their experiences are going so far?
Spring
Help your student finalize his/her school class schedule for next year.
Help your student finalize his/her summer plans.
Talk to your student about the SAT/ACT and what preparations can start.
Start doing the math regarding what a college education is really going to cost in two years, for
- You
- Your student
If you plan to travel as a family during the summer, see if there are any college campuses you can breeze through along the way. (Less pressure if it’s a family affair and not formal.)
Junior Year: What to Expect
Most agree that a student's junior year is the toughest of high school. It is also the last full year that will be assessed by future colleges. We will make sure to keep you aware of important deadlines and buzz words, and we will be here online at all times in between. In the meantime, focus on financial planning for yourself and standardized test planning for your child.
As junior year comes to a close for students and parents, important decisions need to be made regarding college. For example, has your student chosen a possible major, or identified a list of preferred schools and what they offer? Are these choices realistic given your financial outlook? If you haven’t already, students and parents need to research scholarship offerings and financial aid packages as they embark on the application process.
This is also the time to solidify summer plans—for example, taking on a part-time job to save money for school, or perhaps finding an internship in their field of interest. The earlier they discover a field that is of interest to them, the better. As you discuss summer plans also begin to schedule summer college visits with your student's top choices. Aim to visit at least five schools, and call the admissions offices to set up a personal interview, tour, and a meeting with a professor or coach.
Parents can help their students finalize an academic schedule for senior year. Students should continue on a challenging academic path that shows interest, commitment, and discipline. Contact individuals who might provide letters of recommendation for your student, such as teachers, coaches, supervisors, and scout leaders. Also start to develop an application essay with your student that effectively showcases who they are and what they have to offer.
St. John's University is dedicated to providing students with every opportunity for an outstanding Catholic higher education, including world-class faculty, financial aid, safe residential campuses, and career preparation. We want to supply you with the tools and information you will need to guide your child to a great college experience.
Summer
Start looking (and encourage your student to look) into when SAT/ACT tests will be, as well as where they will be offered.
Get as much factual information regarding the true cost of college.
- Learn about grants, scholarships, loans, work-study programs – what they are and how they are different
- Learn to embrace ‘FAFSA’
Encourage your students to start thinking about where they picture themselves in two years when they are about to begin college.
Check in with your student’s extracurricular activities – is he/she overwhelmed?
Fall
Ensure that your student meets with his/he guidance counselor before the end of October to discuss:
- Transcripts
- AP classes/AP exams
- What colleges may be hosting events at school or in town
Ensure that your student takes the PSAT in October
Set the example of organizing information by creating a file that contains materials on colleges your student has mentioned, reports that highlight your student’s intended major, financial aid information, etc.
Winter
Review your student’s PSAT results – talk them through together
Encourage your student to look into taking the SAT subject tests in the spring.
Start planning your student’s schedule for his/her senior year.
- Encourage challenging courses
- To AP or not to AP?
Check on your student’s extracurricular activities – is he/she overwhelmed?
Spring
Help your student prepare for the SAT subject tests.
Plan a formal conversation regarding colleges:
- Does your child know what he/she wants to study?
- Does your child know where he/she wants to study?
- Select time during the approaching summer that will be dedicated to visiting colleges – aim for at least five
Help your student to solidify summer plans.
Help your student solidify his/her schedule for senior year.
Have your student start researching scholarships and prepare for applications
Senior Year: What to Expect
It won’t be long before your child will be heading off to college, and we want to make sure you are as prepared as you can be for what lies ahead over this year. Take a moment to read through the information on this page and throughout our entire website. You can also scroll down for the seasonal timeline that will outline what you should expect over the course of the year.
Making College Affordable
Our Office of Student Financial Services is an invaluable resource for students and their families here at St. John’s. We understand how tricky it can be to navigate through the financial aid process, and we will work with you every step of the way to ensure your student receives the best financial aid award package available.
Our best advice is for you to become as familiar as you can as soon as you can with terms such as Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), financial planning session, deposit deadlines, and financial aid package. You will be faced with all of these from January through May of your child’s senior year, regardless of where they choose to attend college.
Learn more about Student Financial Services »
Why Visiting is So Important
When last year’s St. John’s freshmen were asked how big of a factor the campus visit was in their decision regarding where to attend college, nearly all respondents answered with, “Very.” The only way to truly get a feel for life on a campus is to physically go and exist on the campus for an information session and campus tour.