September

• Register for the PSAT
• 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