• Update your 5 Year Education Plan
• Attend college fairs and visit with admissions counselors who come to your high school
• Visit college campuses and attend events at the colleges you are interested in.
• Talk to people whose opinions you respect about the schools you are considering
• Go stay with friends who are in college. Find out what they like and dislike about their college.
• Consider taking courses at a local university or community college

Early Fall

• Gather applications to the schools you are considering (note deadlines for admission, scholarships, housing, etc.)
• Ask for personal references from teachers, school counselors, or employers early in the year or at least two weeks before application deadlines. Follow your school’s procedure for requesting recommendations.
• Begin your college essay(s)
• Take the ACT/SAT (repeat as necessary or desired).
  Apply for admission (if seeking early admission)

Mid-Fall

• Talk to your high school counselor about local scholarships and get the applications. Keep checking back for information on the latest scholarships,
• Take AP/CLEP/IB/SAT II tests if applicable.
• Apply for admission list (if not seeking early admission).

Early Spring

• Keep working hard all year; second semester grades can affect scholarship eligibility
• Attend a financial aid workshop  and start the financial aid application process (as soon after Jan. 1 as possible)
• Watch the mail for your Student Aid Report (SAR)—it should arrive four weeks after the FAFSA is filed
• As Soon as You Choose a School
  • Get familiar with your college and what you will need when you get there.
  • Housing options (on-campus, off-campus, greek, etc.)
  • Course selection/scheduling
  • Do you need a car?
  • Do you need a bike?
  • Should you buy your own computer? Desktop or laptop?