Freshman Year

Sophomore Year

Junior Year

Senior Year

Freshman Year

Some simple steps taken early in high school can have great value to broaden your college and financial aid prospects. Select your high school courses with your high school guidance counselor to make certain you will be meeting your college requirements. Focus on building strong academic, vocabulary, mathematics and critical thinking skills by selecting challenging courses. These skills affect your college entrance exams, the SAT & ACT. Discuss your plans for the next four years with your guidance counselor. Research the types of colleges that might be of interest to you. Investigate them by sending away for catalogues and talking to older friends and family. Study hard, get excellent grades, and become involved in extracurricular activities that will help you learn skills that classrooms may never teach.

 

Sophomore Year

September

• Find out about the PSAT and the PLAN. These are preliminary preparation tests for the SAT and ACT. High scores on these preliminary tests can qualify you for academic recognition and possible scholarships. Both tests are scheduled from October through December. You will need to register and prepare several weeks in advance, so ask about important dates in the counseling center at your high school.

October/November

• The PSAT and SAT have similar questions so consider this a practice for the SAT. Your PSAT scores from your junior year qualify you for the National Merit Scholarship Competition. Take the test seriously and often so you will become familiar with the format and the questions. Your final test score will benefit from the practice.

December/January

• Meet with your guidance counselor to review the results of the PSAT and PLAN tests. Review the material included with your results.
• Read challenging books over winter break to strengthen your vocabulary.

   

  February/March

• Visit your college guidance office to research colleges, view literature, read guidebooks, and discover Internet resources.
• Read over spring break to strengthen your vocabulary.

April/May

• Visit your guidance counselor to discuss registering for the June SAT II: Subject Test. This specialized test is on academic subjects that you have already completed.
• Discuss with your guidance counselor enrolling in summer school, or taking a summer course or program at a local college or community college.

June/July

• Some colleges require three SAT II: Subject Tests which are given in early June. Two tests should be in a math and writing subject. You will be taking these tests again in your junior year and you'll have the option of sending your best scores to colleges. PSATS will be taken in October. Consider a summer PSAT/SAT prep course.
• Read a variety of fiction, non-fiction and drama over summer break to strengthen your vocabulary and for pure enjoyment.

Junior Year

 Going to college is almost a requirement for earning potential and career satisfaction. The opportunity to study at the college of your choice is both an honor and a privilege. To find the most appropriate schools in which to invest your time and to find the best sources of financial aid to fund your education, following a few simple steps can make negotiating the course to college more manageable and more promising. 

1. SAT & ACT Testing
2. If you haven't already done so, complete the necessary requirements to take or retake the SAT or ACT tests. Take practice tests again before going to the exams so you can be familiar with the format of the questions.
3. Evaluate College Choices.
4. You're looking for qualities ranging from academics to dorm life, and you'll want to know which schools offer what you want. Be prepared to identify what is important to you - a specific degree program, a big city or small town campus, a college that's close to home or far away, an atmosphere that's culturally diverse, or a school with special recognition. This search can be free and is always fun.

    

   Apply For Scholarships

   College can be very expensive and most likely will require financial assistance from numerous sources. The more informed you are on sources of college funding, the easier it will be to attend the college of your choice. Knowing where to start so you can find and qualify for grants, loans, and scholarships can be extremely time consuming, and often end with frustration. But it doesn't have to. Learn everything you need to know at Scholarships.com. Use Scholarships.com as a resource to discover a variety of sources of financial aid. Don't delay. Many scholarship and grant applications need to be received early in your senior year for consideration for your freshman year in college.

September/October

• Discuss and review your courses for this year and your plans for next year with your guidance counselor. Make certain you'll be meeting your college requirements with the courses you're taking and have completed.
• Register for the October PSAT. This PSAT will qualify you for the National Merit Scholarship Competition. With a high PSAT and SAT score, good grades, and a recommendation from your school, you may become a National Merit Scholarship Finalist. Finalists qualify not only for academic distinction, but also for scholarships.

   

  November/December

• Begin financial aid research by exploring grants, scholarships and work study programs with college financial aid offices and with your high school counselor.
• Do research on your own via the Internet.
• Review your PSAT test results with your guidance counselor. Consult with your guidance counselor about taking the ACT, SAT I, or the SAT. You will have to determine which tests are required for the colleges your are considering.
• Make sure you know your social security number. If necessary, visit the closest Social Security office to obtain a number.
• Read over winter break.

January/February

• Prepare a preliminary list of colleges you would like to investigate and possibly attend.
• Visit with your guidance counselor to discuss your list of colleges.
• Write to the colleges on your list and ask for catalogues, community activity information, and special financial aid options.
• Register for the March SAT I. Purchase an SAT I prep guidebook and consider a prep course.

   

  March/April

• Check the SAT I and SAT II: Subject Test and ACT test dates.
• Begin to narrow your list of colleges you're considering. Contact the colleges on your short list and request admission literature.
• Consider your summer plans: summer job, summer school, summer course or program at a local college or community college.

   

  May/June

• Enroll in summer school, a course at a local college, apply for an internship, or work as a volunteer in the field of your career choice.
• Review literature received from the colleges on your short list. Pursue other information resources about these colleges. Visit the college's website.
• Consider planning visits to colleges during the summer. Inquire about attending an interview. They book up quickly; set them up as early as possible.

   

  July/August

• Tour colleges and have interviews. Include family members on your journeys. Incorporate these visits with your family's summer vacation plans.
• Review your short list of potential colleges.
• Begin preparation for the application process: assemble your portfolios, collect writing samples, draft application essays, and if applicable contact the coaches at the college to inquire about athletic scholarships.

   

Senior Year

August/September

• Register for the October/November SAT I and /or SAT II: Subject Test, or October ACT.
• Send away for college applications and information from the schools on your short list. Check on application deadlines and any special requirements.
• Ask teachers, coaches, and employers to write you a letter of recommendation. Give these people at least two weeks to write you the best letters they can.
• Visit with your guidance counselor to review your list of colleges, making sure your choices are appropriate for your academic and personal record. Update your personal records.
• Visit Scholarships.com to discover and research private scholarships, then apply.
• Visit your library, bookstore, and the Internet to research any additional sources of scholarships and financial aid.
• Plan visits and set up interviews to those colleges you did not visit during the summer.

   

  October/November

• Register for the December/January SAT I and/or SAT II: Subject Tests, or December ACT.
• Develop a schedule of admissions and financial aid deadlines for yourself.
• Visit your Scholarships.com mailbox for new college scholarships and financial aid information. Update your personal profile to include any changes or last minute additions.
• Visit your guidance counselor to make sure your transcript and test scores have been sent to the colleges you have selected.
• Submit applications for early decision/early action programs if you are sure about which college you want to attend. Prepare applications for your back-up choices.
• Check with your high school guidance office, bank or public library to find any scheduled financial aid presentations.

   

  December/January 

• Discuss and review your final list of colleges with your school counselor. File all remaining college applications. Have your test scores sent to those colleges. Obtain all financial aid forms that may be required by your intended colleges.
• Visit Scholarships.com to find more scholarships. Update your personal profile to include any changes or last minute additions.
• Obtain a Free Application for Student Financial Aid (FAFSA) (available at high schools, colleges and libraries, or by calling 1-800-4-fed-aid. FAFSA is also available online--along with additional college information at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov)
• Complete, copy, and submit FAFSA (Don't wait for the deadline).
• Parents and students should compile income tax information and complete and file income tax returns early to complete the FAFSA application. Check to determine if any other financial aid forms are required by your state or college.

   

  February/March

• Review to make certain that you have submitted all required financial aid forms.
• Many private scholarships have March 1 application deadlines.
• Visit Scholarships.com again Update your personal profile and apply for any new scholarships.
• If required, send copies of your income tax returns to financial aid offices.
• Receive your Student Aid Report (SAR). (About 4 weeks after you submit FAFSA)
• Contact your school's financial aid office to ask if they need a copy of the SAR.
• Monitor your applications to be certain that all materials are sent and received on time and that they are complete. Be aware of all deadlines.

   

  April/May

• Sign and return financial aid forms.
• Receive admissions notifications and compare your financial aid packages.
• Send final transcript and student loan applications to your chosen college.
• Contact your financial aid office to check status.
• Contact admissions and financial aid offices of schools whose enrollment/aid offers you have decided to decline.
• Check your Scholarships.com mailbox. Now that you have chosen a specific college, you may discover other sources of aid for that school.

   

  June/July

• Complete any remaining financial aid forms.
• Check your Scholarships.com mailbox. New awards are added regularly.
• It's never too early to look for next year.