College Planning Checklist

Checklist for freshmen and sophomores:

• Begin your high school career by working with your high school guidance counselor. You and your counselor need to select the curriculum which will adequately prepare you to enter your choice of post-secondary institutions.
• Take solid courses all through your high school years.
• Prepare your resume. Besides employment, resumes also include responsibilities and accomplishments.
• Request information about pre-college programs.
• Apply to summer college experience programs.
• Obtain letters of recommendation from employers and teachers
• Begin applying for scholarships.
• Sign up for the PSAT/NMSQT.

Checklist for juniors:

FALL:

• Meet with your high school counselor to make sure you're taking the proper college prep classes.
• All juniors are required to take the ACT through the CSAP testing in Colorado.
• Attend college fairs.
• Search college websites.
• While attending college fairs, complete colleges' contact cards to be on mailing lists.
• Visit colleges in the same state.

SPRING:

• Begin searching for scholarships.
• Visit colleges during your spring break.
• Look into pre-college summer programs.
• Begin to narrow your college choices.
• Keep a calendar of deadlines for admissions and scholarships.

Checklist for seniors:

AUGUST:

• Meet with your high school counselor to ensure that you are on track for graduation. After you meet with your counselor, ask yourself these questions:
  • Am I meeting the admission requirements for the colleges/universities in which I am most interested?
  • Are my college entrance exam scores adequate for admission? If not, register yourself for the ACT or SAT tests scheduled for October.
  • Have I visited at least one college campus?
  • Do I know about financial aid?

SEPTEMBER

Meet with your guidance counselor to discuss colleges you are considering and review admission requirements for them.

OCTOBER:

• Take ACT or SAT college entrance tests again.
• If you have not yet narrowed your choice of colleges, now is the time to do so.
• There is usually a fee associated with the admission application for each school and applying to more than three or four can be very expensive.
• Go to in-state and out-of-state college fairs at the local high schools in your area.

NOVEMBER:

• Apply for admission. Keep a list of all colleges to which you apply. It will help you to keep track of all of the information you will be receiving from the various institutions. Talk to your counselor about waivers for application fees.
• Make sure that the application you send to each institution is complete and includes the necessary fees as well as an official high school transcript, copies of all of your college entrance exam scores and a personal statement.
• Begin submitting applications for educational scholarships. Meet all deadlines outlined in the scholarship application and submit all materials that are requested as part of the application (i.e., personal statement/essay, ACT/SAT scores, etc.).

DECEMBER:

• READ YOUR MAIL
• Watch the mail for admission decisions or requests for additional information. Replying to requests for additional information promptly will speed up the admissions process.

JANUARY:

Apply for Financial Aid using the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can obtain an application for federal financial aid from the guidance office at your high school, local library or any college financial aid office. Be sure to check to see if the schools to which you are applying requires a specific financial aid application. Continue watching the mail for admissions decisions.

FEBRUARY - APRIL:

• Consider offers of admission. You should have offers from each of the institutions to which you applied by mid April. If you have listed your schools in order of preference, and you have a positive response from the school that is your first choice, you can now "confirm" your intent to attend that institution. If you are still undecided, you should make arrangements to visit your top choices once more.
• If you are still undecided about which college to attend, you should make arrangements to visit your top choices once more.

MAY:

• You must confirm your intent to attend a college by May 1 and submit your admission deposit as soon as possible. You may have received a financial aid award letter from each of your choice institutions by this time. With this information, and the information you already have regarding your schools, you need to make a final decision as to where you will continue your education.
• Inform your guidance counselor and college records office of your choice and request your final high school records and certification of graduation be sent to your college/university. Keep your eyes on the mail for information about housing and orientation schedules. Be careful, once again, to meet all deadlines set down by the institution for submitting required materials.