- Maintaining
your grades during your junior year is especially important. You should
be doing at least 2 hours of homework each night and participating in
study groups. Using a computer can be a great tool for organizing your
activities and achieving the grades you want.
- Talk to your guidance counselor (or teachers, if you don't have access to a guidance councilor) about the following:
- Availability of and enrollment in AP classes
- Schedules for the PSAT, SAT I and II, ACT and AP exams.
- Discuss why you should take these exams and how they could benefit you.
- Determine which exams you will take. (You could always change your mind.)
- Sign up and prepare for the exams you've decided to take.
- Ask
for a preview of your academic record and profile, determine what gaps
or weaknesses there are, and get suggestions on how to strengthen your
candidacy for the schools in which you are interested.
- Determine what it takes to gain admission to the college(s) of your choice, in addition to GPA and test score requirements.
August:
- Obtain Schedules and forms for the SAT I and II, ACT and AP Exams.
September:
- Register
for the PSAT exam offered in October. Remember that when you take the
PSAT in your junior year, the scores will count towards the National
Achievement Program (and it is good practice for the SAT I).
October:
- Take
the PSAT. Narrow your list of colleges to include a few colleges with
requirements at your current GPA , a few with requirements above your
current GPA, and at least one with requirements below your GPA. Your
list should contain approximately 8-12 schools you are seriously
considering. ( Use the Choices Post-secondary Schools database for more
information on the schools in which you're interested) Start researching
your financial aid options as well.
- Begin
scheduling interviews with admissions counselors. If possible, schedule
tours of the school grounds on the same days. You and your parent(s)
may want to visit the colleges and universities during the spring break
and summer vacation, so that you do not have to miss school. Some high
schools consider a campus visit an excused absence, however, so if need
be, you may be able to schedule interviews and visits during the school
year without any incurring any penalties.
November:
- Review
your PSAT results with your counselor in order to identify your
strengths and to determine the areas that you may need to improve upon
December:
- You
will receive your scores from the October PSAT. Depending on the
results, you may want to consider signing up for an SAT preparatory
course. Many high schools offer short-term preparatory classes or
seminars on the various exams, which tell the students what to expect
and can actually help boost their scores.
January:
- Tour campuses to further narrow your list of colleges to match your personality, GPA, and test scores.
February:
- Register
for the March SAT and/or the April ACT tests. Find out from each
college the deadlines for applying for admission and which tests to
take. Make sure you give your test dates to colleges.
March:
- Take the March SAT I.
- If
you are interested in taking any AP exams(s), you should sign up for
the exam(s) at this time. If your school does not offer the AP exams,
check with your guidance counselor to determine schools in the area that
do administer the exam(s), as well as the dates and times that the
exam(s) you are taking will be offered. Scoring well on the AP exam(s)
can sometimes earn you a college credit.
April:
May:
June:
- Add
any new report cards, test scores, honors, or awards to your file.
Visit colleges. Call ahead for appointments with the financial aid,
admissions and academic advisors at the college(s) in which you are most
interested. During your visits, talk to professors, sit in on classes,
spend a night in the dorms, and speak to students about the college(s).
Doing these things will allow you to gather the most important
information about the college and atmosphere in which you would be
living, should you chose to attend. Some colleges have preview programs
that allow you to do all of these; find out which of the schools you
will be visiting offer these programs and take advantage of them.
- Take the SAT I, SAT II and the ACT tests.
- If you go on interviews or visits, don't forget to send thank you notes.
Summer Between Junior and Senior Years:
- Practice
writing online applications, filling out rough drafts of each
application, without submitting them. Focus on the essay portions of
these applications, deciding how you would like to present yourself.
Don't forget to mention your activities out of school.
- Review
your applications, especially the essays. Ask family, friends, and
teachers to review your essays for grammar, punctuation, readability,
and content.
- Decide
if you are going to apply under a particular college's early decision
or early action programs. This requires you to submit your applications
early, typically between October and December of your senior year, but
offers the benefit of receiving the college's decision concerning your
admission early, usually before January 1. If you choose to apply early,
you should do so for the college/university that is your first choice
in schools to attend. Many early decision programs are legally binding,
requiring you to attend the college you are applying to, should they
accept you.
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