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Planner Timeline
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Talk to your guidance
counselor (or teachers, if you don't have access to a guidance counselor)
about the following:
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Attending a four-year
college or university
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Establishing your
college preparatory classes; your schedule should consist of at least 4
college preparatory classes per year, including:
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4 years of English
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3 years of math
(through Algebra II or trigonometry)
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2 years of foreign
language
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2 years of natural
science
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2 years of
history/social studies
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1 year of art
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1 year of
electives from the above list
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Using the Student Planner to keep track of your courses and grades
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Enrolling in algebra
or geometry classes and a foreign language for both semesters (most
colleges have math and foreign language requirements)
Remember, you will
have more options if you start planning now for college and keep your grades up.
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Create a file of the
following documents and notes:
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Copies of report cards
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List of awards and
honors
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List of school and
community activities in which you are involved, including both paid and
volunteer work, and descriptions of what you do
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Start thinking about the colleges you want
to attend. Once you have narrowed down the list of colleges and universities
in which you are interested, start touring the campuses.
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Talk to your guidance
counselor (or teachers, if you don't have access to a guidance counselor)
about the following:
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Reviewing the high
school curriculum needed to satisfy the requirements of the colleges you
are interested in attending
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Finding out about AP
courses:
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What courses are
available
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Whether or not you
are eligible for the classes that you want to take
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How to enroll in
them for your junior year
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Update your file, or start
one if you haven't already.
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Continue extracurricular
activities, as admissions officers look at students' extracurricular
activities when considering them for admission.
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Continue participation in
academic enrichment programs, summer workshops, and camps with specialty
focuses such as music, arts, science, etc.
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Take the P
SAT in October. The
scores will not count for National Merit Scholar consideration in your
sophomore year, but it is valuable practice for when you take the P
SAT again in your
junior year (when the scores will count), as well as for the SAT I exam
which you should also be taking in your junior year. You will receive your P
SAT results in
December.
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Register, in April, for
the SAT II for any subjects you will be completing before June.
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Take the SAT II in June.
Fall Semester
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Maintaining your grades
during your junior year is especially important. You should be doing at
least 2 hours of homework each night and participating in study groups.
Using a computer can be a great tool for organizing your activities and
achieving the grades you want.
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Talk to your guidance
counselor (or teachers, if you don't have access to a guidance counselor)
about the following:
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Availability of and
enrollment in AP classes
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Schedules for the P
SAT, SAT I and
II, ACT, and AP exams
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Discuss why you should
take these exams and how they could benefit you.
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Determine which exams
you will take. (You can always change your mind.)
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Sign up and prepare
for the exams you've decided to take.
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Ask for a preview of
your academic record and profile, determine what gaps or weaknesses
there are, and get suggestions on how to strengthen your candidacy for
the schools in which you are interested.
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Determine what it
takes to gain admission to the college(s) of your choice, in addition to
GPA and test score requirements.
August:
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Obtain schedules and
forms for the SAT I, SAT II, ACT, and AP exams.
September:
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Register for the P
SAT exam
offered in October. Remember that when you take the P
SAT in your junior year, the scores will count
towards the National Achievement Program (and it is good practice for
the SAT I).
October:
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Take the P
SAT. Narrow
your list of colleges to include a few colleges with requirements at
your current GPA, a few with requirements above your current GPA, and at
least one with requirements below your GPA Your list should contain
approximately 8-12 schools you are seriously considering. Start
researching your
financial aid options as well.
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Begin scheduling
interviews with admissions counselors. If possible, schedule tours of
the school grounds on the same days. You and your parent(s) may want to
visit the colleges and universities during spring break and summer
vacation, so that you do not have to miss school. Some high schools
consider a campus visit an excused absence, however, so if need be, you
may be able to schedule interviews and visits during the school year,
without incurring any penalties.
November:
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Review your P
SAT results
with your counselor, in order to identify your strengths and to
determine the areas that you may need to improve upon.
December:
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You will receive your
scores from the October P
SAT. Depending on the results, you may want to consider signing up for
an SAT preparatory course. Many high schools offer short-term
preparatory classes or seminars on the various exams, which tell the
students what to expect and can actually help to boost their scores.
Spring Semester
January:
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Take
Campus Tours online or in person to further narrow your list of
colleges to match your personality, GPA, and test scores.
February:
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Register for the March
SAT and/or the April ACT tests. Find out from each college the deadlines
for applying for admission and which tests to take. Make sure your test
dates give colleges ample time to receive test scores. It is a good idea
to take the SAT and/or ACT in the spring to allow you time to review
your results and retake the exams in the fall of your senior year, if
necessary.
March:
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Take the March SAT I
exam.
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If you are interested
in taking any AP exam(s), you should sign up for the exam(s) at this
time. If your school does not offer the AP exams, check with your
guidance counselor to determine schools in the area that do administer
the exam(s), as well as the dates and times that the exam(s) you are
taking will be offered. Scoring well on the AP exam can sometimes earn
you college credit.
April:
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Take the April ACT
test.
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Talk to teachers about
writing letters of recommendation for you. Think about what you would
like included in these letters (how you would like to be presented) and
politely ask your teachers if they can accommodate you.
May:
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Take AP, SAT I, and
SAT II exams.
June:
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Add any new report
cards, test scores, honors, or awards to your file. Visit colleges. Call
ahead for appointments with the financial aid, admissions, and academic
advisors at the college(s) in which you are most interested. During your
visits, talk to professors, sit in on classes, spend a night in the
dorms, and speak to students about the college(s). Doing these things
will allow you to gather the most information about the college and the
atmosphere in which you would be living, should you choose to attend.
Some colleges have preview programs that allow you to do all of these;
find out which of the schools that you will be visiting offer these
programs and take advantage of them.
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Take the SAT I, SAT II
and the ACT tests.
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If you go on
interviews or visits, don't forget to send thank you notes.
Summer Between Junior and Senior Years
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Practice writing online applications, filling
out rough drafts of each application, without submitting them. Focus on the
essay portions of these applications, deciding how you would like to present
yourself. Don't forget to mention your activities outside of school.
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Review your applications, especially the essays.
Ask family, friends, and teachers to review your essays for grammar,
punctuation, readability, and content.
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Decide if you are going to apply under a
particular college's early decision or early action programs. This requires
you to submit your applications early, typically between October and
December of your senior year, but offers the benefit of receiving the
college's decision concerning your admission early, usually before January
1. If you choose to apply early, you should do so for the college/university
that is your first choice in schools to attend. Many early decision programs
are legally binding, requiring you to attend the college you are applying
to, should they accept you.
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Read your college mail and send reply cards to
your schools of interest.
Fall Semester
September:
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Check your transcripts
to make sure you have all the credits you need to get into your
college(s) of choice. Find out from the colleges to which you are
applying whether or not they need official copies of your transcripts
(transcripts sent directly from your high school) sent at the time of
application.
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Register for
October/November SAT I, SAT II, and ACT tests.
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Take another look at
your list of colleges, and make sure that they still satisfy your
requirements. Add and/or remove colleges as necessary.
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Make sure you meet the
requirements (including any transcript requirements) for all the
colleges to which you want to apply. Double-check the deadlines, and
Apply.
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Give any
recommendation forms to the appropriate teachers or counselors with
stamped, college-addressed, envelopes making certain that your portion
of the forms are filled out completely and accurately.
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Most early decision
and early action applications are due between October 1 and November 1.
Keep this in mind if you intend to take advantage of these options and
remember to request that your high school send your official transcripts
to the college to which you are applying.
October:
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Make a final list of
schools that interest you and keep a file of deadlines and required
admission items for each school.
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Take SAT and/or ACT
tests. Have the official scores sent by the testing agency to the
colleges/universities that have made your final list of schools.
Register for December or January SAT I and/or SAT II tests, if
necessary.
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Continue thinking
about and beginning writing (if you have not already started) any essays
to be included with your applications.
November:
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Submit your college
admission applications.
December:
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Early decision replies
usually arrive between December 1st and December 31st.
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If you haven't already
done so, make sure your official test scores are being sent to the
colleges to which you are applying.
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Schedule any remaining
required interviews.
Spring Semester
January:
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Complete and submit
your college financial aid application and the Free Application for
Student Financial Aid (FAFSA) between January 1 and February 15, and
check for other financial aid options. In order to be considered for
financial aid, you will need to submit these forms even if you have not
yet been notified of your acceptance to the college(s) to which you
applied.
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Go to
the FAFSA on the Web form now.
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Request that your high
school send your official transcripts to the colleges to which you are
applying.
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Make sure your parents
have completed their income tax forms in anticipation of the financial
aid applications. If they have not completed their taxes, providing
estimated figures is acceptable.
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Contact the admissions
office of the college(s) to which you have applied to make sure that
your information has been received, and that they have everything they
need from you.
February:
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If you completed the
FAFSA, you should receive your Student Aid Report (S.A.R.) within four
weeks. Make the necessary corrections and return it to the FAFSA
processor.
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Complete your
scholarship applications.
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Contact the financial
aid office of the college(s) to which you have applied to make sure that
your information has been received, and that they have everything they
need from you.
March/April:
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You will probably hear
from the colleges as to whether or not you are accepted by April 15.
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Compare your
acceptance letters, financial aid and scholarship offers.
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When you choose a
college that has accepted you, you may be required to pay a
nonrefundable deposit for freshman tuition (this should ensure your
place in the entering freshman class).
May:
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Take AP exams for any
AP subjects you studied in high school.
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You should make a
decision by May 1st as to which college you will be attending and notify
the school by mailing your commitment deposit check. Many schools
require that your notification letter be postmarked by this date.
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If you were placed on
a waiting list for a particular college, and have decided to wait for an
opening, contact that college and let them know you are still very
interested.
June:
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Have your school send
your final transcripts to the college which you will be attending.
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Contact your college
to determine when fees for tuition, room and board are due and how much
they will be.
Summer After Senior Year
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Participate in any summer orientation programs
for incoming freshmen.
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Now that you know you will be attending college
in the fall, it is a good idea to evaluate whether to get student health
insurance in case of any unforseen emergencies or whether your family's
insurance coverage is sufficient
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