Preparing
for College
A checklist provided for you by
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8th Grade
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Meet with your middle or high school
guidance counselor to determine the college prep courses you should plan to
take during high school that will meet college entrance requirements. Colleges typically prefer four years of
English, history, math, science, and a foreign language. Prepare to register
for the appropriate ones your freshman year.
Take advantage of opportunities to
earn high school credit during 8th grade if available at your middle
school. This will give you a head start
on earning college prep courses.
Freshman
Year
Start a calendar with important
dates and deadlines.
Begin to get involved with
extracurricular activities.
Find out about college firsthand
from college friends who are home for the holidays.
Look for a great summer opportunity
– job, internship, or volunteer position.
Consider a summer reading list. Ask
your teachers to recommend books.
Begin making quick visits to local
college campuses to get a feel for your options (perhaps while your family
travels during school breaks or on weekends). Start with colleges near you; large,
small, public, and private. Get a feel for what works for you. Begin to develop
a list of 15-20 colleges that interest you.
Sophomore Year
Review your plan and schedule with your
guidance counselor to make sure you're on track.
Go to college fairs in your area.
Review plan w/guidance counselor. Discuss registering for the PSATor PLAN (a pre-ACT test). These tests will help identify areas for
improvement and give you a chance to strengthen future courses. Ask your counselor which test might be right
for you and which will be offered at your school. Also discuss Advanced
Placement (AP) courses that will be offered at your school during your
junior and senior years.
Look for another great summer
opportunity – job, internship, or volunteer position.
Consider another summer reading
list. Ask your teachers to recommend books.
Junior Year
September
Register for the October PSAT.
Meet with guidance counselor to
review your course plan for the school year and begin planning your senior
schedule.
Get a head start on your college
planning by thinking and reading about majors and careers that might interest you. Make lists
of your abilities, preferences, and personal qualities. Think about areas you enjoy studying.
Attend college fairs and financial
aid nights held in your school or your area.
October
Take the PSAT. Understand that these scores are used to
qualify for the National Merit
Scholarship competition and the National Achievement program.
Begin requesting college admissions
materials from schools that interest you.
Begin doing a preliminary research
for financial aid. Find resources (guidebooks,
websites, professionals) that can be of help when you apply. Remember, options include grants,
loans, student employment, and scholarships.
December
Review results of PSAT.
Consult with guidance counselor regarding whether an SAT prep course (offered
either through school or outside agency) would be a good investment of
time/money. Also, look for free
resources that offer SAT practice tests.
February
Register for the April or May SAT and/or
ACT and contact colleges that interest you to
determine which test is required or preferred.
Spring Break
Consider making campus visits to
colleges that interest you. It's a great time to see more than one
school, but keep in mind that visiting 12 in five days might be campus visit
overload!
April
After campus visits, narrow your
list of colleges to between three and six, eliminating the ones that no longer
interest you. Review the list with your
counselor and also review your senior year class schedule. Be certain you are
challenging yourself with honors and AP classes and stick with sequences you've
begun, in the languages, for example.
May
Take Advanced Placement (AP) exams
if you have participated in AP class(es) as a junior. Score well on them and you will receive
credit or placement at most colleges.
Plan summer activities early. Enrich
yourself by volunteering, getting an interesting job or internship, or signing
up for special summer learning programs.
June
Take SAT
Subject Tests if required by your top college choices - or to enhance your
opportunity to receive credit or placement at some colleges.
Request an application and financial
aid/scholarship info from each college still on your list. Check important dates; some colleges have
early dates or rolling admissions. Consult the colleges’ application and
financial aid calendars for a basic idea of the timelines you will need to
follow.
If you plan to play intercollegiate sports at an NCAA
college, apply to the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse. Your transcript must shows six semesters
of completed work. You must also apply to the NCAA Amateurism
Certification Clearinghouse. Click here for more details.
Look for another great summer
opportunity – job, internship, or volunteer position.
Consider another summer reading
list. Ask your teachers to recommend books.
Senior
Year
September
Make a master senior year calendar
and note:
- Test dates, fees, and deadlines
- College application due dates
- Required financial aid
applications and their deadlines
- Recommendations, transcripts,
and other necessary materials
- Your high school's deadlines
for application requests, such as your transcript
Attend college fair programs offered
in your school or area in the fall. Meet
with admissions representatives who are visiting so you can investigate the
colleges where you would like to apply.
Ask about admission and financial aid deadlines.
Ask teachers, guidance counselors
and employers for letters of recommendation if needed. Give each person your
resume, a stamped, addressed envelope, and any required forms.
Review for SAT and/or
ACT if
you need to take the exam one more time.
Attend financial aid info events in your area.
October
Take the SAT and/or ACT if you need one additional score.
Begin writing and editing admissions
essays (if required by your college choices).
Teachers, parents, and friends can be great editors.
Plan additional college visits - either to see colleges that are new on
your list or to make return visits to your top one or two choices. Ask to meet with faculty, coaches,
program directors, and students.
November
Take SAT/ACT if you need one additional score.
Take appropriate SAT
Subject Tests if necessary.
Begin researching for
outside/external scholarships at your high school and selected colleges.
Use an online scholarship search,
review scholarship books, and ask your counselor about local and state funding sources. Remember, reputable organizations do not
charge for scholarship searches. If in
doubt, contact your guidance
counselor or the financial aid office at one of your college choices.
Obtain scholarship/financial aid
forms from your guidance counselor or college choice and submit by the
appropriate deadlines.
Submit applications for admission
along with high school transcript and all other supporting documents by end of
October. Keep records (and copies if
possible) of everything you send to colleges.
December
Finish admissions essays (make
copies before mailing).
Make certain that all admissions and
scholarship applications are completed and mailed.
Determine if retaking SAT/ACT is necessary. To receive academic
scholarships, certain test scores may be required.
Determine if admission interviews
are required and schedule them if necessary.
Also gather any additional financial aid/scholarship forms from your
colleges of choice.
Encourage
your parents to save their
year-end payroll stub showing earnings for the year. It may be needed for
financial aid eligibility.
January
File your completed Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon after January 1 as possible. Filing the
web-based version located at www.fafsa.ed.gov
is strongly encouraged. Save copies of all completed forms.
Look for special financial aid programs
in your area and confirm the financial aid calendars and deadlines at the
colleges on your list.
Encourage your parents to file their
federal income taxes as early as possible.
This will greatly assist in the financial aid process.
Discuss with your guidance counselor
about any special financial aid forms your state or colleges of choice might
require.
Request that your high school send
your senior year grade report/transcript to the colleges. Contact colleges to make sure they've
received all application materials.
Apply for on-campus housing.
February
Send your mid-year transcripts to
the schools to which you have applied.
Communicate with
Meet with admission representatives
who are visiting your school.
March
If requested, submit copies of
completed tax forms to the
Begin looking for a summer job. This
money will be helpful in your freshman year!
April
Compare the financial aid awards you
receive from different colleges. If you have questions, talk with financial aid
officers. If you feel you need additional assistance, ask if other financing
plans are available or for other advice they can offer.
Make a final decision about your
school and send in your admission/enrollment deposit (if required) to reserve
your space.
Follow-up with the
Notify the schools that you will not
be attending.
May
May 1 is notification day! Your admission/enrollment deposit (if required)
should be in by now to the college you have chosen. You must tell every college whether
you are accepting or rejecting their offer of admission or financial aid.
Take Advanced
Placement (AP) exams if you have participated in AP class(es) as a senior. Have
official scores sent to
your college.
Complete orientation registration
materials and all necessary immunization records for your college.
Request that your final high school
transcript be mailed to your college.
If you plan to play intercollegiate sports at an NCAA college, request that your final
high school transcripts and SAT/ACT scores be submitted to the NCAA Initial
Eligibility Clearinghouse and submit follow-up documentation with NCAA
Amateurism Certification Clearinghouse. Click here for more details.
Summer
Touch base with the Admissions and
Be aware of new student orientation
dates.
Make contact with your assigned
roommate if planning to live on campus.
Get ready to have a great freshman
year at your college!
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Updated: April 2006