Junior To-Do List

August

·         Review your high school coursework and activity plans.  Keep in mind that colleges look for the following:

-          Challenging coursework

-          A strong GPA

-          Involvement in extracurricular activities such as sports, volunteer work, or church.

·         Obtain a Social Security Number if you don’t already have one.  You will need it to apply for college and financial aid.

·         Check with your high school counselor about requirements to be designated as a State Scholar.

·         Request a catalog and admissions information from schools you are interested in visiting.

·         Sign up for the ASVAB if you are interested in the military or just want to see how you rank compared to other students in core and vocational areas.

September

·         Identify sources of college and career information at your school.  Start reviewing college catalogs, guidebooks and web sites.

·         Put together a list of 10 colleges that you would like to attend.  Plan to apply to at least 3-5 schools.

·         Talk to your parents and your high school counselor about where you want to go to school.

·         Study and register for the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT).

·         Obtain dates and locations of college fairs and “parent nights” in your local area.

·         Visit with you high school counselor about scholarship opportunities.

October

·         Take the PSAT and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT).  Remember to take your calculator.

·         Inquire about Concurrent Credit Courses that may be available to you.

·         Attend college fairs and financial aid/parent nights.

November

·         Begin online scholarship searches at www.fastweb.com and www.scholarships.com

December

·         Your PSAT/NMQT score report should arrive.

·         Take the ACT exams.  Check with the colleges you are applying to and find out specific testing requirements.  Ask your high school counselor about registration deadlines.

January

·         Go through the catalogs of the 3-5 schools that interest you the most and schedule college visits.

·         During your college visits, make sure you meet with an admissions representative and a financial aid counselor to find out what types of aid are available.

·         Attend financial aid nights, if you have not already done so.

February

·         Start seriously investigating private scholarships and other student aid programs.  Ask your teachers and counselors if any local organizations offer free use of scholarship search program.

·         Go to www.fastweb.com and www.scholarships to review scholarships available to you.

·         Resister and study for the ACT and/or SAT (I and II)  exams.

March

·         Continue investigating funding sources.

·         Register and study for the ACT exams, if you have not already done so.

·         Continue to check with your high school counselor about what you need to be doing to prepare for college.

April

·         Begin scheduling visits to each of the 3-5 schools that are on your final list.  If appropriate, schedule and interview and/or and overnight visit.

·         Take the ACT exams. (Or SAT if you plan to attend a college that requires this)

·         Begin preparing essays for college admissions and scholarship applications.

May

·         Be aware of the test dates and registration deadlines for the ACT exams offered during your senior year. Many of these may conflict with volleyball, band events or even prom. It may be a good idea to register for and take the June ACT .

·         Continue compiling information to find out which organizations award scholarships to graduating seniors. (You may have to begin applying the summer after your Junior year.)

June

·         Take the ACT exams if you did not take them last month.

·         Read a variety of books and magazines and review your math skills over the summer.  This will help you prepare for the ACT, if you plan to take it in the fall.

·         Obtain a summer job that might be related to your career interests.

·         If possible, save some money from your summer job to pay for college costs.

·         If you travel this summer, consider scheduling a college visit.

·         Get involved in volunteer activities. These activities are important for college and scholarship applications.