Junior Year Timeline

• Start researching colleges. Begin developing lists of schools to which you may want to apply. Send for their literature or check out their Web site to learn about these schools. Next year, you will narrow this list down to the finalists.
• Start thinking about the characteristics of colleges that appeal to you to help make your selection.
• Visit college campuses this year – the best time to visit is on a day when you can attend a class, meet students and faculty, and explore your interest areas.
• Register for and take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT)/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT), which is given in October. Besides helping you practice for the ACT and SAT, high scores can qualify you for lots of scholarship money.
• Prepare diligently to take the ACT and/or SAT tests. Thorough preparation is the best way to ensure success. You should take these once or twice in the junior year (December, February or April), so that you have time to retake them in the fall of your senior year if necessary. Check with the colleges you are interested in to see if the ACT Writing Section is required.
• Do the colleges that you are considering require the SAT Subject Tests? If so, take them this year while the subjects are fresh in your mind.
• Go to several college fairs this year.  Collect information and talk to representatives from colleges and the military.
• Plan your senior year course schedule very carefully. Make sure to take any courses that are required for admission to your college choices, like a fourth year of Math and English or a foreign language. You should be taking the most challenging courses available to you – Honors, AP, IB classes, etc. Colleges want to see that you took advantage of all the opportunities that were available at your school.
• Begin to research financial aid sources and the availability of scholarships. Some scholarships have deadlines in the junior year.
• Estimate your financial aid eligibility. By using FAFSA4caster, you and your family will receive an early estimate of your eligibility for federal student aid.  Log on to www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov/ to begin.
• Earn the best grades you can. This is the last chance you will have to bring up your cumulative GPA.
• Work on study skills and time management. When the amount and difficulty of your schoolwork increases in college, these skills will allow you to succeed.
• Prepare for and take Advanced Placement exams if you completed an AP course this year.
• Begin writing your high school resume – a list of all your accomplishments, activities, athletics, awards and honors, volunteer and paid work experience from the first three years of high school. Next year, you will use this resume for your college admission and scholarship applications.
• Look into summer jobs or other summer educational experiences that will help you explore your career interests and will provide leadership skills.

If you have any questions about planning and financing a college education or selecting a career, please call 800.986.4322 (toll-free) or email us at collegeplanning@esfweb.com. If you wish to visit a College Planning Center, please call for an appointment to ensure that a counselor is available.