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START YOUR COLLEGE SEARCH

Start with you: Make lists of your abilities, preferences, and personal qualities. List things you may want to study and do in college. You must know yourself in order to select the right college/university where you will do best! You should also have some idea of the area(s) of interest for your college major. Mrs. Gray in the Career Office can help you with a career inventory test. If interested, stop by her office and sign up. But, do not panic if you do not know what you “want to do for the rest of your life!” After all, of the entering college freshmen who “know what they will major in” in college, only 17% of those students actually graduate with a degree in that area!! (You are not alone!)

Jumpstart your college planning by reading about majors and careers.

Use College Search to find colleges with the right characteristics.

Start Thinking about Financial Aid

PLAN YOUR SPRING TESTING SCHEDULE

Plan Your Spring Testing Schedule

You can take either the SAT Reasoning Test™ or up to three SAT Subject Tests™ on one test day. Plan your testing schedule carefully if you want to take both types of SAT®. See the SAT schedule of test dates and register online for the SAT.

Use the access code on your PSAT/NMSQT score report to sign in to My College QuickStart™. With this personalized planning kit, you can prepare for the SAT using a study plan based on your PSAT/NMSQT results and explore lists of suggested colleges, majors, and careers.

If you are well-into or have completed Algebra II, you should take the ACT Exam. See the schedule of test dates and register online for the ACT.

Research (2007) indicates that Research (2007) indicates that students who take the ACT at least once students who take the ACT at least once during their junior year of high school score, average three points during their junior year of high school score, average three points higher than students who wait until their senior year to take the higher than students who wait until their senior year to take the ACTACT..

GET READY FOR THE SAT AND/OR ACT

The ACT and the SAT are very different tests. Which test – ACT or SAT - is best for you is a question only you can answer. Compare the two and decide. You may find that you perform significantly better on one exam than the other!

Visit the SAT Preparation Center™ to take a free full-length official practice test and get a score and skills report. Be sure to sign up for The Official SAT Question of the Day™ for daily practice.

Visit the ACT Preparation Center to answer some free practice questions. The College Office website also has several links to free practice tests and a free, full-length ACT review.

EXPLORE COLLEGES

Start visiting local colleges: large, small, public, and private. Get a feel for what works for you. Make a list of 15-20 colleges that interest you. Search for colleges and use My College List.

Remember that Mrs. Stafford, in the College Office, will be taking qualified juniors and seniors on several campus tours in October and November.

PREPARE FOR AP EXAMS

Do well on AP Exams and receive credit or placement at most colleges. Get AP Exam preparation and BE SURE you attend the AP review sessions your AP teachers will have. They know what types of questions are on the AP exams, so do not overlook this irreplaceable opportunity!

PLAN AHEAD FOR THE SUMMER & SENIOR YEARReview your senior year class schedule with your counselor.

Challenge yourself with honors and AP classes and stick with sequences you've begun, in the languages, for example. Read about how to select your courses. Are you aware that AP World Language students can earn up to 19 hours of college credit!!! That is more than ½ a year of college credits and has a dollar value of $4,500.00 at the University of Oklahoma!

Plan summer activities early. Enrich yourself by volunteering, getting an interesting job or internship, or signing up for special summer learning programs.

KEEP YOUR MOMENTUM UP THIS SUMMERVisit colleges. You should have visited at least 5-7 colleges of

interest by the end of the summer after your junior year in high school. Take campus tours and, only at colleges you're serious about, schedule interviews with admissions counselors and financial aid representatives. Be sure to bring your campus visit checklist.

Request applications from colleges to which you'll apply. Some may have only online application.

Check important application dates; some universities have early dates or rolling admissions. Consult the College Application Calendar and the Financial Aid Calendar for a basic idea of the applications timeline.