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Check this calendar for college planning
A listing of timelines and important deadlines
The college planning process is a top priority for students considering further education. If you have a child who is considering college, you should begin talking to him or her about it while they are in middle school. At the very latest, the beginning of the freshman year in high school should be a time you should define start the dialog concerning your child's future plans.
College Planning Begins with a Family Conference
When doing college planning, stay on top of events to relieve stress and make the college application process run smoothly. Here are some ideas and timetables to keep in mind as you progress with your college planning:
College Planning - Middle School
- The best thing you can do at this stage is learn great study habits and get good grades. Learning how to study will help make your high school and college time much easier.
- If you have the desire and ability, talk with your teacher or counselor about taking challenging courses
- Begin to save for college using part of your allowance and gift money
- If you have the choice of attending various high schools, visit them and choose a high school with a strong academic college prep program
- Be active in both school and community programs
- Begin to think of your future career path. For more help in this area, check out tips for choosing a career
Freshman Year
- Consult with your guidance counselor about taking an aptitude or skills assessment test such as the ASVAB test
- If you haven't already done so, apply for a social security number
- Continue researching career options that interest you
- Sign up for challenging courses that will prepare you for college
- Parents should calculate the EFC (Expected Family Contribution). For a quick and easy way to calculate your EFC,check out this easy to use EFC financial aid calculator
- Parents may want to consider ways to maximize financial aid eligibility
- Volunteer in your community to obtain work experience for future employment opportunities
- Get involved in extracurricular activities both at school and in your community
Sophomore Year
- Take the PSAT or PLAN as a practicability exam. They are preliminary preparation tests for the SAT and ACT
- Begin to research scholarship search material
- Check with the school counselor for information and software that may be available to you through the guidance office for your research
- Once again the parents should fill out and calculate the EFC. Compare this with last years calculations to see any changes. Again consider ways to maximize the EFC.
- Begin to research various colleges. Check their websites and send for any catalogs of colleges you are particularly interested in.
- If you have an older sibling who is visiting a college, ask you parents if you can join them.
Junior Year
- Discuss taking advance placement(AP) courses with your school counselor. Many colleges look for AP courses and you could save time and money by taking them at this time.
- Again, the parents should fill out and calculate the EFC. Compare this with last years calculations to see any changes. Consider ways to maximize the EFC.
- Start to apply for grants and scholarships
- Purchase a SAT test guidebook to study over the winter break
- Consider taking a SAT prep course if your counselor thinks it's necessary to boost your scores
- Continue your college search and narrow down the list
- Begin to attend college and career fairs that are held in your area
- Talk to any college reps that may visit your high school. Even though you may not be interested in that particular school, you may gain information or insights you may not have thought of before.
- Take the PSAT to establish eligibility for many national scholarship programs
- Take the SAT or ACT. Many colleges require one or both of these tests. Check admission requirements of the colleges you are interested in attending to see what tests are required for admission.
- If colleges you are interested in attending require essays, video audition tapes, portfolios, etc., start collecting and preparing for these requirements
- Begin to prepare a resume
- Obtain a job and start to save part of your wages
- Begin to request admission material and financial aid applications from colleges of your choice
College Planning - Senior Year
Because the Senior Year has such a full schedule for purposes of college planning, it has it's own page, College Planning for the Senior Year
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VIT
(Very Important Tip)
Remember that college planning and the search for financial aid doesn't end because you have graduated from high school and have been accepted at the college of your choice. Keep the search up every year for more financial aid. You may think this is a bother and you haven't got the time or inclination to keep searching.
Just remember, to the victor go the spoils. Keep on the search track, and when you friends and fellow students are still paying off school loans at the age of 40, you will be grateful you persevered to obtain the maximum amount of financial aid available to you.
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