Step up extra-curricular involvement and take on leadership roles
Participate in community service activities
Begin working on resume
Begin looking at colleges; check them out online
Work on improving grades and GPA
October
Take PSAT
Attend local college fairs
November
Continue to focus on maintaining good grades
Continue to research colleges and careers
December
Review PSAT results with counselor and pick up test booklet
Note SAT and/or ACT dates and deadlines and look into test preparation
January
Evaluate grades and second semester schedule. Look for areas that need improvement.
Consider job shadowing and volunteer work to learn more about potential careers
February
Select senior year courses, ensuring they are sufficiently, but not overly challenging
Continue SAT/ACT test preparation through practice tests and/or software programs
March
Schedule junior planning conference with your counselor
Register for ACT/SAT, consider test prep classes
Attend college fairs
Research colleges, visit colleges attend open houses
April, May, June
Take ACT/SAT
Check on admissions requirements for each college. Create test plan/strategy and develop a broad, realistic and appropriate list of colleges to investigate further. With the help of a counselor, separate list into the categories of Realistic Challenge, 50/50, Likely and Most Likely schools, based on your academic profile.
For those applying to highly selective colleges that require SAT Subject Tests, take them in May or June. You may take up to three tests. (This may be a good time to take test in areas that you have studied at the AP level).
Summer
Keep researching colleges, visit colleges, narrow down your college list