High School Planner
Freshman to Senior Year
Your High School Planner
Parents and students ask what should we be doing to prepare for the future. Here is a quick checklist to give an idea of what to do during each year of high school. A great resource to refer to often is the EducationQuest website at http://www.educationquest.org/
Freshman/Sophomore
__ Meet with your guidance counselor to discuss classes and available activities.
__ Plan which classes to take for the next four years.
__ Join clubs and activities in your area of interest. Take leadership positions when possible.
__ Start to build relationships with some of your favorite teachers, counselors and activity advisors who can write recommendations and serve as mentors later.
__ Talk about saving for college with your parents/family.
__ Search for scholarships on the online. Talk to your school counselor about which sites are legal.
__ Attend a college fair and speak with school representatives.
__ Volunteer -- it's a great experience!
__ Sophomores: Take the PLAN. If you can, take a peek at the ACT to get familiar with it.
__ Begin to think about a future college choice.
__ Ask your counselor about contacting former students for picking a school.
__ Research summer programs in your area of interest. Ask your counselor or teachers whether they know of any opportunities.
JUNIOR
__ Explore financial aid options and college planning with your parents/family.
__ Take the most challenging courses you can. Admissions officers look for challenging coursework.
__ Start researching prospective colleges. Visit their web sites.
__ Attend college fairs and speak to campus representatives.
__ Take the PSAT. This is a pre-SAT test.
__ Sign up for the SAT/ACT.
__ Search for scholarships on the online. Talk to your school counselor about which sites are legal.
__ Take leadership roles in clubs, activities and other volunteer and service organizations.
__ From which teachers, advisors or counselors might you want a recommendation? Provide a list of activities and accomplishments as a reminder of your work.
SENIOR
__ Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid as soon as you can after January 1st. You can find the FAFSA online at: www.fafsa.ed.gov. You'll need a PIN www.pin.ed.gov to sign the FAFSA online.
__ Request applications and brochures from your target colleges.
__ Take the SAT and/or ACT in the fall, if you haven't already.
__ Take honors or advanced classes. More challenging courses show that you are prepared for college coursework.
__ Schedule interviews with prospective colleges. Practice your interview skills before heading in for the actual interview.
__ Set up a budget for college and application costs.
__ Get your applications in order by creating files for target schools. Make a list of application requirements (essays, transcripts, recommendations, etc) and deadlines for each. Consider creating your own personal timeline or calendar for this process.
__ Request letters of recommendations from teachers, advisors and employers at least three weeks before you need them. Provide a list of accomplishments for their reference.
__ Work on college application essays.
__ Seek out jobs, internships and/or volunteer work in your community or through your school. In addition to being a rewarding experience, shows an admissions office your commitment to improve your community.
