Counseling

Senior Parent night presentation

PREPARING FOR COLLEGE:  SENIOR CHECKLIST

Tips for applying to a 4 year university, community college
or trade school.

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER

• • Meet with your school counselor to make sure you are on track to graduate and fulfill college admission requirements
  • Register for the SAT and/or ACT if you didn’t take a college entrance exam as a junior or want to take one again. Remember: Your counselor can help with fee waivers.
  • Take a look at some college applications. Make note of all the pieces of information you will need to compile.
  • Check with your school counselor to make sure you are on track to graduate and fulfill college admission requirements.
  • Take every opportunity to get to know colleges. Meet with college representatives who visit your school, attend local college fairs, and visit campuses.
  • Narrow down your list of colleges. Collect information about the application and financial aid process at each school.
  • Create a checklist and calendar to keep track of standardized test dates, college application due dates, and financial aid deadlines. Make note of the other materials, such as recommendations or essays, you’ll need to complete your applications.

OCTOBER

• • File your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon after Oct. 1 as possible. In addition to determining your eligibility for federal funds, many colleges and states use the form when distributing grants, so don’t delay. Watch the mail for your Student Aid Report (SAR)—it should arrive four weeks after the FAFSA is filed.
  • Some colleges will have deadlines (rolling, priority, early decision, and early action) as early as this month.
  • If you cannot afford the application fees that many colleges charge, ask your counselor to help you request a fee waiver.
  • Finalize your college essay. Many schools will require that you submit at least one essay with your application.
  • Request personal recommendations from teachers, school counselors, or employers.
  • Research scholarships. Ask your counselor, your colleges, and local religious and civic groups about scholarship opportunities. You should never pay for scholarship information.

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER

• • Finalize and send any early decision or early action applications due this month. Have a parent, teacher, counselor, or other adult review the application before it is submitted.
  • Every college will require a copy of your transcript from your high school. Follow your school’s procedure for sending transcripts.
  • Make sure testing companies have sent your scores directly to the colleges to which you are applying.
  • Begin to organize regular decision applications and financial aid forms, which will be due in January and/or February.
  • If needed, register for the January SAT. It is the last one colleges will be able to consider for a senior.
  • Many popular and selective colleges will have application deadlines as early as Jan. 1. Others have deadlines later in January and February.
  • If necessary, register for the February ACT (some colleges will be able consider it).
  • In January, ask your guidance office to send first semester transcripts to schools where you applied. At the end of the school year, they will need to send final transcripts to the college you will attend. 

FEBRUARY-MAY

• • Acceptance letters and financial aid offers will start to arrive. Review your acceptances, compare financial aid packages, and visit your final choices.
  • Don’t slack in the classroom. The college you decide to attend will want to see your second semester transcript.
  • March 2nd is the DEADLINE to submit FAFSA!
  • May 1 is the date when the college you plan to attend requires a commitment and deposit. When you’ve made your college decision, notify your counselor. Send in your deposit by the postmark date of May 1. If you’ve been offered financial aid, accept the offer and follow the instructions given. Also notify schools you will not attend of your decision.
  • Request that your final transcript be sent to the college you will be attending.
  • If you are wait-listed by a college you really want to attend, visit, call, and write the admission office to make your interest clear. Ask how you can strengthen your application.

PREPARING FOR COLLEGE:  JUNIOR CHECKLIST

Next Step: Success | Parent Presentation

Preparing For Senior Year

SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER

• • Talk with your counselor about the year ahead. Confirm that your courses will put you on the right track for college admission.
  • Ask about test dates for the PSAT, ACT, and SAT. You’ll need to register up to six weeks ahead of time.
  • Start developing a résumé—a record of your accomplishments, activities, and work experience. This will be an important part of your college application.
  • If you haven’t participated in many activities outside of class, now is the time to sign up. Consider clubs at school, team sports, leadership roles, or involvement in a religious or civic community group.
  • Take the PSAT. Taking the test as a junior will qualify you for some scholarship consideration and identify you to colleges as a potential applicant.
  • Begin to prepare for the ACT or SAT. Plan to take at least one of these tests in the spring. Ask your counselor if you qualify for a fee waiver.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY

• • Work with your counselor to set your senior schedule. Enroll in the most challenging courses.
  • Register for a spring SAT and/or ACT. Ask your counselor whether you should also take an SAT Subject Test.
  • Explore summer opportunities on college campuses—a great way to find out what college life is all about.

MARCH-MAY

• • Start researching colleges and universities. Go to college fairs and open houses. Learn as much as you can about colleges online.
  • Begin planning college visits. Try to visit colleges near you over spring break. Include a large, medium size, and small campus.
  • Develop a preliminary list of colleges that interest you. Go online to request additional information.
  • Take a look at some college applications. Make note of all the pieces of information you will need to compile. Make a list of teachers, counselors, employers, and other adults who could write letters of recommendation.
  • Consider lining up a summer job or internship

JUNE-AUGUST

• • Continue​ investigating colleges.
  • Schedule campus visits at the schools that you interest you.
  • Begin thinking about your applications. Generally, colleges will have their applications online by the beginning of August.
  • Start brainstorming your college essay.

PREPARING FOR COLLEGE:  SOPHOMORE CHECKLIST

Next Step: Success | Parent Presentation 

Sophomore Year College Checklist!

• Get Involved. Activities: ...
• Get A's and study a lot! Grades really do matter as they say a great deal about your habits and work ethic. ...
• Amp up your academic game. What do I mean by this? ...
• Talk to your parents. ...
• Take the PSAT (if available) ...
• Create a test prep calendar. ...
• Amp up your skills. ...
• Explore!

PREPARING FOR COLLEGE:  FRESHMAN CHECKLIST

Freshman Year

• Meet with your school counselor and find our your high school's graduation requirements. ...
• Perform a Self-evaluation. ...
• Get Active! ...
• Decide if you'd like to take the ACT Aspire exam to evaluate your academic strengths.
• Volunteer or learn a new hobby during your summer break.

Incoming Freshman Presentation

Special Programs Night Information Presentation 

Math Placement Information for Incoming 9^th Grade Students

• 9^th grade math placement is based on the 8^th grade math teacher’s recommendation and the math course that your student took at their school in 8^th grade.
• The TUSD Concurrent Enrollment Approval Form along with a supplemental Summer Math Acceleration Request Form are included in a two-page document that is required if you choose to enroll in a Non-District Math Course in the summer prior to 9^th grade.  (The document with these two pages together will hereinafter be referred to as “the form.”)

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS FORM IS FOR ACCELERATION ONLY, NOT REMEDIATION.

• Both pages of the form must be printed and filled out completely and correctly.
• Any blanks on the form may delay or prevent processing and approval.
• Before uploading, rename the document with your student’s information as follows: LastName_FirstName (e.g. Smith_John)
• Completed forms must be scanned in PDF format and uploaded via the following: 

(Do not take a picture with your phone and submit that – scan the document as a PDF)

For the Math course to be included on the student’s Kimball transcript:

• The pre-approved math course must be taken from a district approved institution.  (See the form for details.)
• The student cannot register for and start the class until they have completed 8^th grade and the school year is over.
• Official Transcripts must be received by KHS from the institution by no later than July 20, 2026.

PLEASE NOTE: Some programs will not allow a student to complete a course until 30 days have passed since their start date.  It is the student’s responsibility to manage the timing correctly so that everything is completed before the deadline.  This may require the student to take both semesters simultaneously, which could require them to work a few hours every day over the summer and cancel other summer plans or activities.

THE FORM WILL BE AVAILABLE DOR DOWLOAD IN JANUARY 2026 which will allow plenty of time to competed it by the acceptance window opening in March.

Download a copy of the form HERE (will be available January 2026)

Submit your completed form (scanned as a PDF only) HERE (will be available January 2026)

Forms will be accepted during the following window:

Window Opens: 3/2/26 at 4:00pm

Window Closes: 4/30/26 at 4:00pm

Spots are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis based upon our receipt of Official Transcripts. 

If the form is not received online by the deadline, you must print out the form and turn it in the counseling secretary. These forms will be labeled LATE and time stamped.  By doing this you will be placed at the bottom of the list and may not be placed in your preferred next math course.

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR STUDENTS WHO TAKE NON-DISTRICT COURSES

• At the time of college applications, you will list each institution as a “high school attended” and will need to submit official transcripts from each institution.
• Courses taken prior to the first day of summer after 8^th grade has been completed will need to be repeated in order to count for college admission. They will only be used for high school course placement.

• AP Contract 2026-2027

• TUSD AVID Flyer 26-27
• AVID Application '26-'27
• AVID Information Presentation 

Deadline to submit is December 12, 2025.

2026-2027 Leadership Application:

Commissioner:  Deadline January 9, 2026 at 4:00PM

Application Link for TUSD students

KHS Leadership Job Descriptions

Application for non-TUSD students (hard copy below)

• 2026-2027 Kimball High School Leadership Application
• Teacher Recommendation 2026-27

Incoming freshmen application:  Available now through 12/12 at 4:00 pm (same applications as above).

2026-2027 APPLICATION

In order for an application to be considered complete, the following paperwork and documentation is required to be turned in together, and must be submitted in-person by the KHS Counseling Office by December 12, 2025, by 4:00PM. 

• Application Cover Page
• Application
• Reference Forms (Math AND  Science) 
• Typed Personal Statement (Prompt located in application)
• Report Card (7th & 8th Grade)
• MHSA Course Selection Sheet 
• (If applicable) Intra-District Transfer Form (Typed)

Students/families will be notified until December 19th, 2025 regarding their student's admittance status. 

MHSA Informational Presentation 

• Yearbook Application 2026-2027 
   
• Teacher Evaluation

  • As part of your application, you need to have two teachers fill out an evaluation about you.  The teacher evaluations should include one from your English teacher and another one of your choice. 

    • English/ELA Teacher Evaluation Form

    • Gen Ed Teacher Evaluation Form 

  • IMPORTANT NOTICE:  For any questions, please email Ms. Lausier, Jlausier@tusd.net

• Deadlines:

  • Current 8th graders: Fri. 12/5/25
  • Current 9-11th graders: Fri. 1/16/26

Student's  that would like to be Teachers Aide, Lab Assistant or Office Aide, please contact the Teacher or Mrs. Pajarillo (office) a nomination form for position.