SUMMER:

• Meet your guidance counselor
• Get involved in extracurricular activities
• Consider a college savings plan and add to an existing one if you have already have one started
• Getting involved: Continue to build your credentials- Keep track of your extracurricular awards, community service achievements, and anything else you participate in
• Create your resume
• Begin getting ready for the ACT
• Stay on track with your courses: Talk with your guidance counselor to make sure you’re enrolled in the classes you need to prepare you for college or a career
• Explore your career options in more detail: “Job shadow” someone who does what you think you’d like to do
• Volunteer in your community
• Start your college search

FALL:

• Decide if you want to take the SAT or ACT
• Take the PSAT (study for a month before. Getting a great PSAT score can lead to scholarships)
• Stay on track with your classes and grades
• Make a list of potential colleges you would like to attend
• Make sure your resume is up-to-date and continue updating it throughout the year
• Create a document of any awards and involvements to use in the future
• Evaluate education options: vocational-technical school, career college, or two-year or four-year college, military college
• Discuss careers and which majors can lead there
• Gather college information: Attend college fairs, college nights and speak to representatives from colleges that attend your high school
• Begin planning campus visits
• Mark the dates on a calendar for upcoming tests: SAT, ACT, and AP exams
• Continue involvement in extracurricular and volunteer activities and seek leadership roles
• Continue building relationships with your teachers as 11th grade teachers are the ones that you will most likely ask for letters of recommendation
• Read as much as possible: Expand your outside reading list

WINTER:

• Stay involved with extracurricular activities
• Study for the ACT/SAT
• Getting involved: Holidays and winter break are great times to volunteer
• Organize your college information
• Start narrowing down your college choices: if you haven’t already start planning some college visits
• Note merit scholarship requirements for these colleges
• Continue discussing careers and corresponding majors
• Shadow career fields
• Prepare for standardized tests: research the test requirements of the colleges you wish to attend (SAT, ACT, or SAT Subject Tests) and register for the tests
• Learn more about financial aid
• Apply for scholarships: find scholarships with little competition but can fund a free ride
• Start planning for a productive summer: Check on internship deadlines

SPRING:

• Getting involved: Some schools allow new members to join after winter break
• Prepare your class schedule for senior year: stick with a schedule that challenges you versus all easy classes/meet with your school counselor to discuss your options
• Consider ways to earn college credit via Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, CLEP, or Dual Enrollment courses
• Continue your scholarship search and apply: find scholarships with little competition BUT will fund a free ride
• Contact your letter of recommendation writers: employer, coach, activity leader, or adult who knows you well outside of school
• Check for local scholarships in the guidance office before school year ends
• Apply for a summer internship or job
• Set up appointments at your top college choices including a personal interview, tour of the campus and meet with a professor/coach

SUMMER:

• Visit Colleges: Visit the top 5 campuses on your list
• Work a summer job to gain experience, build a resume, and save money for college
• Maximize summer to build competitiveness
• Talk to others about their experience in college especially if the student is attending a college on your list
• Organize your financial aid information
• Start working on your college application essays: Have a teacher read and discuss the essays with you
• Continue to pursue scholarship opportunities and apply! Doing so over the summer means you can have materials ready to reuse for senior year!
• Letters of Recommendation: Request these letters with at least a 2-week notice
• Develop a strong personal statement for scholarships
• Retake the SAT/ACT to improve score
• Finalize personal statement based on junior year
• Write down all deadlines for FAFSA, admissions applications and scholarships (including state-based and merit-based scholarships)