Grade

Fall

Winter

Spring

Summer

9th

1. Meet your school counselor.

2. Get involved in extracurricular activities

3. Pick a good mix of classes and limit study halls.

1. Keep your grades up: Every year counts! 

2. Learn about your academic and activity preferences.

3. Start learning about paying for college. (bigfuture.collegeboard.org)

1. Build credentials: Apply to summer internships, jobs, and/or community service activities. 

2. Learn about college and college life. (bigfuture.collegeboard.org)

Make it count: Jobs, internships, and community service will help give you experience and build your resume.

10th

1. Take PSAT: Learn what areas need improvement.

2. Learn about all the  tests that colleges may require: SATs, ACTs, SAT subject tests, etc.

3. Work with you school counselor to make sure your courses reflect your academic and career goals.

1. READ: Recreational reading can help increase vocabulary and comprehension that is essential for the SATs. 

2. Seek out your counselor to clarify your career path and possibly take career inventories. (pacareerzone.org)

1. Keep your grades up: Every year counts!

2. Start college learning about colleges by researching their websites

4. Apply for summer jobs or internships.

Make it count: Jobs, internships, and community service will help give you experience and build your resume.

11th

1. Attend college field trips and rep visits to learn more.

2. Attend a financial aid night to learn more about paying for college.

3.Decide which tests you need to take and what times you are going to take them.

1. Take on new roles: Consider taking leadership positions in your clubs and organizations.

2. Organize college info and narrow down options: categorize them into likely schools (you are above the requirements), target schools (you fit the requirements), and reach schools (you meet most requirements, but not all).

3. Register for SATs or other tests and prepare.

4. Learn more about costs of colleges. (collegescorecard.ed.gov)

1. Schedule challenging classes for senior year: Rigorous math and science courses are correlated with success in college.

2. Contact recommendation writers.

5.  Apply for summer job or internship.

6. Set up personal college interviews.

7. Take standardized tests.

1. Participate in summer jobs, internships, or volunteer experiences.

2. Visit colleges and research schools online.

3. Make a list of 5 to 10 colleges you might be interested in applying to.

4.. Start preparing admissions essays.

12th

1. Continue to visit colleges and attend rep visits.

2. Stay on top of grades and extracurricular activities.

3. Choose 3 to 10 colleges to apply to, including a mix of public & private, selective and less selective colleges.

3. Keep track of college application and scholarship deadlines.

4. Complete the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) and the Pennsylvania State Grant Application

1. Follow-up on your applications and financial aid packages: Many schools that use online applications allow you to login and check on your application’s status.

2. Apply to local scholarships and explore additional scholarships through your colleges.

3. KEEP YOUR GRADES UP! (Some colleges check mid-year reports when making admissions decisions)

1. Compare financial aid packages from different colleges and discuss how you would pay for different schools. Contact financial aid offices to see if more aid is available.

2. Attend Accepted students events to learn more about the colleges you were accepted to.

3. Decide on a college and make a deposit. (Most deposit deadlines are May 1st. Deposits can sometimes be waived for low-income families.

4. Check your email for information about housing, meal plans, health care, new student orientation, etc.

1. Check your email for information about housing, meal plans, health care, new student orientation, scheduling classes, etc.

2. Sign Master Promissory Notes for student loans and look for information about making your first tuition payment.

3. Gather school supplies and dorm gear if living on campus.

4. DO NOT HESITATE TO REACH OUT TO THE COLLEGE COUNSELOR IF YOU RUN INTO TROUBLE WITH COLLEGE PAPERWORK OVER THE SUMMER!