COLLEGE TIMELINE
This is a general time line for college planning. Please contact each school and/or consult individual listings for more specific information regarding admissions, housing, financial aid and deadlines.
JUNIOR YEAR
Spring
- Assess your reasons for going to college. What are your goals?
- What learning opportunities are most important to you?
- Do your college plans include career plans? What are your career interests? Discuss with counselors, teachers, parents and friends.
- Make a list of factors that are important to you in choosing a college, including two-year vs. four-year, location, cost, atmosphere and variety of programs offered.
- Consult Web sites and college guidebooks.
- Attend fairs and college-night programs in your area. Collect information on colleges that interest you.
- Take college admissions tests (ACT/ACT Plus Writing Test, SAT Reasoning Test/SAT Subject Test).
Summer
- Start visiting campuses. Note important features, such as class size, campus size, extracurricular activities, housing, deadlines, and contacts for admissions and financial aid.
- Work on drafts of admissions applications, especially the essay portion. Craft a resume.
- Prepare for fall standardized tests (if you're disappointed with your spring scores or have not taken them yet).
- Begin your scholarship search. Research Web sites, books and within your community.
- Talk with parents about scholarships that may be available through their employers.
SENIOR YEAR
Fall
- Continue visiting colleges, and revisit the ones you feel need a second look.
- Consider sitting in on a class and talking to current students.
- Organize your notes into a detailed comparison chart; weigh the pros and cons of each institution.
- Apply to your top three to five choices.
- Make sure to observe all deadlines.
- Submit your transcript and test scores, plus letters of recommendation and other required documents.
- Schedule required or recommended interviews.
- Take/retake ACT/SAT if necessary.
- IMPORTANT DEADLINE: October-December: Early-action and early-decision application deadlines
- IMPORTANT DEADLINE: Deadlines for admissions and private aid
- Confirm application plans: Make sure transcripts and recommendations have been sent by guidance counselors.
Winter
- IMPORTANT DEADLINE: Early-admission decisions delivered in December
- IMPORTANT DEADLINE: Meet deadlines for private aid; admissions deadlines begin.
- IMPORTANT DEADLINE: Apply for Federal Aid. Deadlines vary. To ensure your aid package includes as many sources as possible, apply as soon as you can after January 1. Consult financial aid offices and www.fafsa.ed.gov for necessary forms.
- If early admission has been denied, it's time to re-group and apply to other schools - the chances you'll get in through regular admission at that same college are not great. Confer with parents, counselors and friends, and be sure to meet spring general admissions deadlines.
- Keep up second-semester grades, and stay active in sports and the community - many colleges ask for mid-year grade reports and/or state that acceptance is contingent on continued successful performance. Just because you're accepted, doesn't mean you're in.
- Apply for a summer internship to get a taste of a career you're interested in.
Spring
- IMPORTANT DEADLINE: Deposit deadlines. Many deposits are due May 1 to secure your spot. Meet this deadline or risk forfeiting your spot to waitlist students.
- Reply to all decision letters with intent to attend or not attend.
- IMPORTANT DEADLINE: Study for those Advanced Placement exams in May. Success on these tests (resulting in college credit) can save you time and money once you get to college.
- Most acceptance and denial letters should arrive by April 15.
- Last chance for tours. Make sure to check out campuses at schools that have accepted you.
- Make your final decision. Consult counselors and parents one last time.
Summer
- IMPORTANT DEADLINE: Attend orientation programs.
- Get ready for the dorms. Talk to future roommates and current students, and scour garage sales for supplies.
- Work an internship to keep your mind stimulated and decide if that path is something you'd like to explore in college.
- Attend a class at a local community college to help prepare you for college-level course work.