Don't wait until your senior year to

• Take tough classes
• Become concerned about your grade point average
• Get to know your high school counselor.
• Take the ACT or the SAT test
• decide to go to college.

Academics

• Begin to take challenging courses such as Advanced Placement.
• Keep up your grades! Colleges look at your junior grades. This is no time to slack off after so much hard work.
• Take advantage of after-school tutoring in the student center for academic and career help.
• Review your current studies and plan for appropriate senior classes.
• Focus on becoming a leader in a few extracurricular activities-run for an office, lead a team, or start your own community service project.
• Get to know your favorite teachers well. Start thinking about who you might ask to write a letter of recommendation for you.
• Review your courses with your high school counselor.
• Junior-year grades are critical to prospective colleges. Consider taking advanced placement tests as soon as possible, if you're taking any advanced courses.
• Run for leadership positions in the organizations you are involved in.
• Try some new extracurricular activities or expand the ones you are currently involved in.

Choosing a College

• Talk to your guidance counselor about entrance requirements.
• Plan a family college discussion.
• Ask your high school counselor for suggestions as to colleges you should consider but might not have thought of on your own (based on major, scholarships, location, etc.)
• Begin thinking about what majors and careers interest you.
• Identify characteristics you want in a college
• Decide on a list of schools that meet your personal criteria.
• Collect college catalogs.
• Write to colleges on your list to inquire about admissions requirements and financial aid procedures.
• Plan appointments to visit your top two or three college campuses.
• Attend college fairs and financial aid nights.
• Prepare a list of questions to ask college reps.
• Request detailed information and applications for each school you are considering.
• Create a filing system with a file folder for each college you plan to apply to (use a different color file folder for each college to easily tell them apart)  in this file keep:
  
  • College information for each school.
  • Make copies of applications and file before submitting.
  • Keep copies of all correspondence in college file.
  • Include checklists for each school's application requirements.
• During Winter break, talk with college friends home on break.
• Are you an athlete? Meet with your coach and ask for help in meeting college coaches if you plan to play a sport in college. Register for Initial-Eligibility with the National College Athletic Association
• By the end of the school year try to narrow the list of colleges you are considering to a reasonable number -- between five and eight should be enough.
• Have at least one "safety" college where you know you will be accepted.

Financial Aid

• Examine your funding sources and start researching financial aid.
• Talk to your counselor about your plans for college and attend college night and financial aid night at your school.
• Learn the basics about federal and private loans.
• Start searching for scholarships and financial aid.
• Start working out a realistic college budget.
• Investigate scholarship opportunities from federal and private sources and from the schools you want to go to.
• Discuss ways to pay for college.
• Learn the specifics about financial aid such as scholarships, grants, loans, college work study. These are the different parts of the financial aid package which is awarded to college students.
• Attend financial aid night for initial understanding of the process.

Testing

• Set up a calendar to track important test dates and application deadlines.
• Sign up and prepare for the PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test). The PSAT is only offered in October.
• Take the PSAT in October (this one is to qualify for National Merit Scholarship Competition). It can be very important
• Review your PSAT test results with your counselor. NOTE: PSAT scores are not sent to colleges
• Attend an ACT/SAT preparation workshop or buy practice books, software, etc. which will help you prepare for the test. You may be able to find practice tests online through your local library.
• Do well on AP Exams and receive credit or placement at most colleges.
• Study for the SAT and/or ACT.
• Pick your first date to take the SAT / ACT during the spring semester. (April, May, or June).  That way you'll have at least one score going into your senior year.
• You can take either the SAT Reasoning Test -or- up to three SAT Subject Tests on one test day.
• Are you planning to apply for early admissions? If the school you are interested in requires the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), you'll need to take it in the beginning of the year. Register now and take a few practice tests. The school you're interested in may also accept, or prefer, the ACT.

Summer

• Try to find a summer job that is related to your career interest, or do volunteer work.
• Check out summer programs in sports, the arts or academic areas for high school students.
• Talk to people in careers you find interesting.
• Talk with college friends who are home for the summer.
• Decide who you'll ask to write your college recommendations.
• Save for college expenses.
• Continue searching for scholarships and ways to pay for college.
• Start working on your college application essays.
• Improve your reading and vocabulary.
• Try to narrow your list of colleges to four or five.
• Combine vacation plans with campus visits.
• Plan for your senior year. Sign up for the most challenging classes available, including Advanced Placement courses.
• Request applications from colleges to which you might apply.