11th Grade/Junior Year
August:
- Start your year off right: Talk with your guidance counselor about your options and your plans. Be sure to ask about test dates for the PSAT, ACT, and SAT. You'll need to register up to six weeks ahead of time.
- Sign up for courses with your eyes on the prize: college and money to pay for it! A tougher course load may pay off with scholarships and may get you a better chance to get admitted to the school of your choice.
- Start investigating private and public sources for financial aid. Take note of scholarship deadlines and plan accordingly.
- Sign up for activities to boost your college applications.
September:
- Find out about schools you are interested in attending. Treat your school selection process like a research paper: Make a file and gather information about schools, financial aid, and campus life to put in it. Go to college fairs and open houses and learn as much as you can from the Internet about schools.
- Begin planning college visits. Fall, winter, and spring break are good times because you can observe a campus when classes are going on.
October:
- Take the PSAT. You'll get the results by Christmas.
- Sign up for ACT or SAT prep courses.
- Do your top college picks require essays or recommendations? Now is the time to begin planning your essays and choosing whom you'd like to ask for a recommendation.
November:
- Sign up for the ACT and SAT, if you haven't already.
December:
- Begin the application process for service academies (West Point, Annapolis, etc.)
- Decide if you should take AP exams in May. Investigate the CLEP program.
January:
- Meet with your guidance counselor again to develop your senior schedule.
February:
- Think about lining up a summer job, internship, or co-op.
- Plan campus visits for spring break.
- Memorize your Social Security number if you haven't already. It will be your identity on campus.
March/April:
- Get ready for AP exams next month.
- Write a resume.
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Planner Timeline
