College process timeline

Freshman year

• Get to know your school counselor

• Get involved in school activities: do what you enjoy!

• Get involved in community activities and service

• Earn the best grades you can

• Take the most challenging (but appropriate) courses you can

• Read, even when not assigned for school, on a regular basis

• Depending on your courses, you might take an sat ii: subject test at the end of the year; talk with your counselor

• If your family travels over spring break or during the summer, and if you pass near a college campus, stop and take the tour

• In addition to enjoying your time off, plan to do something constructive with your summer vacation

Sophomore year

• Stay in touch with your school counselor

• If your school offers it, take the psat or plan in the fall

• Remain involved in school and community activities: follow your passions!

• Earn the best grades you can

• Continue to take the most challenging courses you can

• Continue to read for pleasure

• Depending on the courses you take this year, it is even more likely that you would consider an sat ii: subject test at the end of the school year; talk with your counselor

• In the spring, look at the list of senior college acceptances: who do you know and where is he/she going?

• Continue to take advantage of college visits if your family is near a college-- just to get a feel for the different types of colleges there are

• Use your free time in the summer productively, while also enjoying your time off

Junior year

• This is the most important year academically: do your best, challenge yourself appropriately

• Continue to remain involved in activities; try to move into positions of responsibility or leadership

• Take the psat and/or plan in the fall

• Following your school's guidelines for meeting with your counselor to start the college process; in many schools, the process begins in the late fall or after the holiday break

• In the winter, think of how you will prepare for your first sat and/or act

• When you select your courses for senior year, get advice and choose wisely

• With your counselor, develop an initial list of colleges during the spring

• Try to make some preliminary visits to colleges during spring break

• Take advantage of college representative visits to your school and evening programs in your community

• Research colleges, collect information

• Use your summer vacation time productively; visit colleges during the summer

Senior year

• Don't forget how important your grades continue to be: the first semester/ trimester is critical

• Remain in close contact with your counselor

• Remain involved in activities which you enjoy, assume leadership positions and more responsibility

• Continue to add or subtract colleges from your list as you learn about schools, make visits, etc.

• Be attentive to in-school deadlines and procedures established by your guidance or college counseling office

• Meet with college representatives who visit your school in the fall; attend evening programs in your community which are hosted by colleges in which you are interested

• When you are able, continue to visit colleges in which you are interested when you have time off from school during the fall

• If you are applying early, be aware that application deadlines are just a few weeks after school begins

• Make arrangements with teachers and others for recommendations; follow your school's procedures

• By thanksgiving time, your list of colleges should be final: six to eight schools is a good number for most students looking at selective colleges; get advice from your counselor

• Before the holiday break, be attentive to early deadlines and/ or preferred or recommended application deadlines for state universities, honors programs, rolling admission schools, and scholarship programs

• Give yourself plenty of time to work on applications, especially essays

• Know what financial aid forms you must submit, and submit them in a timely fashion

• Take advantage of interviews when given the opportunity

• After your applications are completed, continue to work hard: senior slump can have disastrous consequences

• As you receive decisions, inform your counselor, teachers, and others who helped you; thank them

• In april, consider participating in the open house/ accepted student programs hosted by colleges

• Have your one deposit at the school you will attend by may 1

• If you are on a waiting list, get advice from your counselor

• Enjoy senior year sensibly and responsibly!