Even if you've just started high school, it's never too early to start planning for college. This handy tear-out timeline will help you keep up with significant dates and deadlines.
Grade 9: Fall
• Chat with your guidance counselor about what you can do to get the most out of high school.
• Get involved with some extracurricular activities. Colleges love "well-rounded" students.
Grade 9: Spring
• Meet with your guidance counselor to sketch out your schedule for the rest of high school.
Grade 10: Fall
• Get used to standardized tests by taking the PLAN (a preliminary version of the ACT), the PSAT (preliminary SAT), or, if you think you're ready, the "real thing"—ACT or SAT.
• Check out some options at a college fair.
Grade 10: Spring
• If you haven't done it already, discuss your college plans with your guidance counselor.
• While visiting with your counselor, take another look at your long-term class schedule. Make sure you'll be meeting college entrance requirements for math, science, foreign language, etc.
• Look into Advanced Placement courses that could earn you college credit.
Grade 11: Summer
• Add to your resumé—and your bank account, with a part-time job.
Grade 11: Fall
• Take the PSAT, even if you took it last year. High scores can qualify you for a National Merit scholarship.
• Start a file for mail from colleges that interest you.
• Collect information on specific schools by consulting the Christian College Directory (page 122).
Grade 11: Winter
• Register for the spring ACT and/or SAT. Decide which schools you want to send your scores to.
Grade 11: Spring
• Take the ACT and/or SAT.
• When you receive your ACT or SAT scores, meet with your guidance counselor to see which schools and scholarships you're qualified for.
• Double-check your senior year course schedule to make sure you're not leaving anything out.
• Visit the colleges you're most interested in.
• Look into pre-college programs for the summer, where you can earn college credit and get an inside look at life on campus.
Grade 12: Summer
• Get the most current catalogs from your top 10 schools.
• Look for specific information on financial aid that will help you make your decision.
• Put together a list of courses taken, awards received, and activities both in and out of school. This list will help when you fill out applications.
• Write down answers to questions like "What are your strengths and weaknesses as a student?" and "What do you hope to get out of college?" These answers will help you fill out application questions and prepare you for admissions interviews.
Grade 12: Fall
• Narrow your list of college choices to no more than five, and start working on applications for these schools.
• Ask selected adults to fill out any recommendation forms required by your chosen schools.
• Write drafts of your application essays. Ask your parents and a teacher to edit them for you.
• Send in early admission applications. (Many are due as early as November.)
• If you weren't happy with your earlier scores, retake the ACT and/or SAT.
• Keep asking your guidance counselor about scholarships.
• If possible, schedule longer visits at your top two or three schools.
Grade 12: Winter
• Complete and send in your remaining college applications.
• Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon after January 1 as possible.
Grade 12: Spring
• When you've received your acceptance letters, decide which school you'll attend and, by May 1, notify the other schools you applied to.
• Make sure you meet your chosen school's deadlines for housing forms, fees, and course schedules.
Final step: Sport a T-shirt with your new college's name on it. Now everybody knows where you're headed!Copyright © 2000 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.
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