Sophomore year

• Take challenging courses and make plans for honors and/or AP work in grades 11 and 12.
• Take the PSAT in October if offered for sophomores at your school. Advanced students should consider taking SAT II subject tests in May or June.

Junior year

Note: Work hard this year. Your chances for admission or a scholarship will depend largely on your academic record.

    September-November

• Begin sizing up your college needs.
• Read college guides and/or use a computer college search.
• Meet with guidance counselor.
• Take the PSAT.

• Consider an SAT prep course and register for the January, March, and/or May administration of the SAT I. Register for ACT if applicable.
• Talk to parents, teachers, older friends, and guidance counselors about colleges.
• Discuss finances and the college selection process with parents.

• Sift through college mail. Begin preliminary choosing.
• Meet with your guidance counselor to discuss a preliminary list of colleges.
• Begin visiting colleges and/or plan summer visits.
• Take the SAT I or ACT if scheduled. Register for June administration of SAT IIs.

• Settle on a working list of 8 to 12 colleges and continue scheduling visits.
• Take SAT I and AP tests if scheduled.

• Take SAT II's or ACT if scheduled.
• Relax and enjoy the end of school.

• Go on summer visits.
• Drop and add schools  from your list.
• Talk to friends about colleges they are interested in.
• Begin work on college essays, prepare for fall standardized tests.

Senior year

    September

• Continue college visits.
• Meet with your counselor.
• Consider early decision or early action.
• Receive application forms from the colleges.
• Arrange to take the SAT I or II and ACT in October, November and December.
• Continue scholarship search and continue throughout the year.

• Continue college visits, file early decision/action applications if applicable.
• Settle on final list of five to seven schools to apply to.
• Get a copy of your transcript and check it over.
• Talk with your counselor about the logistics of the application process.
• Ask teachers to write recommendations and provide them with the necessary forms and envelopes.
• Double-check deadlines for admission, housing, and financial aid.
• If applying to selective private colleges, register to receive the College Board Financial Aid Profile form. If applying for early decision/action, file as soon as possible.
• Take SAT I or II or ACT if scheduled. (Last date for first round early decision/action.)

• File applications with December deadlines.
• Continue distributing recommendation forms.
• Continue working on applications.
• Take SAT I or II if scheduled.

• File applications with January deadlines.
• Politely check with teachers and counselor to make sure that recommendations and transcript have been sent.
• Get Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) from the guidance office and ask parents to begin collecting tax information.
• Take SAT I or II or ACT (last date for January or February deadlines.)

• Continue to file applications.
• Call admissions offices to verify that your applications are complete.
• File the FAFSA and Profile forms, and be ready for follow up.
• Take final SAT I or II or ACT.

• Receive decision letters.
• Scrutinize financial aid offers and call the colleges if you have concerns.
• If wait listed, follow up with a letter and additional recommendations.
• Schedule last-minute visits to colleges where accepted or wait listed.
• Make final decision and send in deposit.

• Take AP tests.
• Give yourself a pat on the back. You did it! Now start thinking about how to decorate your dorm room...

Written by Bruce Hammond, former Managing Editor of the Fiske Guide to Colleges.