Sophomore Year

• Become familiar with college entrance requirements and how your high school grades and extracurricular activities will be viewed.
• Find out about the different types of colleges and universities.
• Begin to plan what schools you would like to visit.
• Consider what characteristics are important to you as you are looking at a college; things like large or small, public or private, location, facilities, academic offerings, etc.

Junior Year

• Maintain good study habits.
• Participate in extracurricular activities.
• Identify career interests.
• Identify locations for community service activities.
• Take the PSAT October 19th 
• Prepare for the SAT or ACT.
• Begin the college search process (identify colleges, seek scholarship information, etc.).

Spring of Junior Year

• Select senior year courses. Remember to continue challenging yourself academically.
• Consider or plan to visit colleges spring semester.
• Register for upcoming SAT and/or ACT tests.
• Look for and attend college fairs.
• Begin thinking about summer plans

Summer of Junior Year

• Work – save money for college.
• Complete community service hours.
• Consider taking a summer course, such as SAT prep or essay writing.
• Visit colleges that interest you.
• Athletes: Find out if you need to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse.

Senior Year

• Maintain good study habits.
• Participate in extracurricular activities.
• Complete the college application process.
• Seek financial aid starting October 1st with the FAFSA
• Take SAT and/or ACT, SAT II and other required tests.  

Fall of Senior Year

• Check your course schedule with your school counselor. Make sure you are taking all required courses and review your transcript.
• Develop college application plans with your parents and counselor.
• Identify colleges that you would like to apply to and the get applications.
• Familiarize yourself with the application process and Naviance 
• Begin working on college applications; take note of all deadlines.
• Keep track of all correspondence with colleges.
• Bring in applications for mailing allowing 10 school days for processing
• Register for any additional ACT, SAT or TOEFL exams.
• Check the counseling website and listen to the announcements for scheduled visits of college representatives.
• Plan campus visits and interviews, or take “virtual tours” and make appointments to have interviews locally. 
• Request letters of recommendation from your teachers and counselor.
• Prepare your a student resume.
• Continue preparing and finalizing college list.
• Continue meeting college reps, visiting colleges (if possible) and interviewing.
• If applying Early Decision, prepare application, request all necessary documents.
• Begin researching financial aid and scholarships.
• Begin drafting college essays. Review the essay with your counselor, English teacher and parents.
• Apply for ROTC scholarships, if interested.
• November 1st and November 15th are the deadline dates for some colleges’ Early Decision.
• November 1st is a common deadline at several universities.

Winter of Senior Year

• Register for and take the ASVAB, if interested.
• Regular Decision admission deadlines are often December 15th or January 1st – check your college application materials.
• Submit college applications with January deadlines two weeks before winter break.   
• Rolling Admission and Early Decision students, look in the mail. If accepted, see what deposits are required for tuition and housing.
• Submit your completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Keep a copy for your records.
• Begin requesting scholarship applications.
• Continue looking for scholarship money.
• Receive Student Aid Report (SAR) from the Federal Student Aid Program, and review for accuracy.
• Respond to requests from colleges for any additional information needed.

Spring of Senior Year

• Begin receiving financial aid award letters from the colleges you have applied to, and make comparisons.
• Investigate payment options with each college.
• Accept all or part of the financial aid offered; sign and return acceptance letter.
• Many schools will require commitments to attend soon; deposits will be required.
• Send a final transcript.  Bring a stamped, addressed envelope to the guidance office with your name printed on the back flap of the envelope. 
• Graduate!