Prospective Students

For some high-achieving students, senior year of high school drags. You’ve taken the challenging courses, you’ve matured emotionally—you’re just waiting to move on. Now is the time to apply, starting in the fall of your junior year.

• Continue taking academically rigorous courses, such as AP or honors courses.
• Communicate with your school as to whether you will graduate at the end of your junior year or use courses from The University of Iowa to fulfill requirements for your diploma. NAASE students finish their degree either way, it is up to you and your school how that is worked out.
• Communicate with your guidance counselor so that University requirements will be met through the courses you have taken. Refer to the Building Your Future Resource (pdf) for entry requirements for The University of Iowa.
• Take the PSAT, even if you do not plan to take the SAT. The PSAT can qualify you for the National Merit Scholarship, National Achievement Scholarship, and National Hispanic Scholarship.
• Register to take the ACT or SAT by November, if you haven’t taken one yet or if you want to try to improve the score you received. To be considered for the Presdiential Scholarship at The University of Iowa, you must have an ACT score of 30. Your guidance counselor can help you find web sites, books, or classes to help you prepare for the tests.
• Attend a NAASE Information Day in the fall.
• Talk with your guidance counselor about how your school and community will handle scholarships for you—will you need to apply as a junior? Or wait until your first year at the University, your “senior year”?
• Send in completed NAASE application, including transcripts through sophomore year of high school by December 1.
• Send in transcript including fall semester grades by February 1.
• Apply for financial aid, even if you don’t think you’ll need it. The U.S. government designed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to help colleges nationwide establish a student’s need for financial assistance. The FAFSA is widely used to determine a student’s eligibility for certain scholarships and grants. Complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1 to apply for need-based financial aid for the following academic year.