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College Timeline . . .
Planning before you go to college
Reality takes on a whole new level as any parent that has a teenager knows there are many decisions to be made when planning for their college. As with many situations, there is a wealth of information available. For me all this information became overwhelming. Luckily, my daughter’s school counselor kept us abreast of the all the necessary steps like tests, applications, workshops and so on. At the same time, we were receiving brochures, catalogs, postcards, etc. from every school imaginable. How one ends up on those mailing lists is a mystery to me.
I found one piece of information that was very straight forward, clear and helpful. I don’t remember the school that it came from, but I had e-mailed the time-line to a friend previously so I still had it. I thought it might be very helpful to pass it on to other parents and teenagers.
Junior Year of High School
September:
Help your child stay focused on schoolwork. Junior year grades are extremely important in the college admission process.
Attend college fairs and gather information.
Start researching scholarships opportunities at the public library,
www.finaid.com or www.fastaid.com.
Find out the date for SAT and ACT Tests and sign up. Here are some excellent links:
Collegeboard.com
College Search
SAT Registration
The Official SAT Question of the Day
Free Official SAT Practice Test
October:
Encourage your child to take the PSAT to qualify for a National Merit Scholarship.
March:
Take the SAT Test.
Identify the characteristics of a college that matter the most to your child. Work up a list of schools.
Decide on colleges for Spring Break visits.
Meet college financial aid representatives.
April:
Take the ACT Test.
Look into summer jobs or academic programs that will interest you and support your college applications.
May
Take the SAT Reasoning Test or SAT Subject Tests.
Figure summer plans - work, volunteer, class...
June
Take ACT/SAT Reasoning Test or SAT Subject Tests
Begin preparing essays and scholarship applications
July:
Send for initial college applications.
Continue to search for scholarship opportunities.
Senior Year of High School
September:
Review your final list of colleges with a counselor and parents. Send for additional applications if desired.
Send Early Action/Decision applications to colleges.
October:
Request financial aid applications from colleges. Get an early estimate of financial aid.
Send high school transcripts and test scores to colleges.
Start writing college essay.
ACT Test
November:
Mail applications to final college choices.
MEET DEADLINES.
December:
ACT Test
Receive answer to Early Action/Decision.
Use FAFSA worksheet to prepare for online FAFSA.
January:
Work with your child to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form (FAFSA). Apply at www.fafsa.gov, or get forms from your high school or by calling (800) 433-3243. (keep copies)
Ask the high school to send mid-year grade reports to your colleges.
February:
Check with each college to make sure that they have the documentation they need.
Keep grades up, it matters.
April:
Evaluate your options, including financial aid offers. You'll need to make a decision and notify the college of your choice by May 1 in writing and send deposit.
If wait-listed, contact admissions office if still interested.
June:
Make sure the high school has sent your final transcript to the school you will be attending.
Know when tuition and room and board payments are due.
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