Student Planner Timeline

Maintaining your grades during your junior year is especially important. You should be doing at least 2 hours of homework each night and participating in study groups.

Continue to update your High School Planner with courses taken, tests taken, extracurricular activities, etc.

Talk to your high school counselor about enrolling in AP and other honors-level classes.

Register for and take the PSAT exam offered in October. When you take the PSAT in your junior year, the scores will count towards the National Merit Scholarship Program. The PSAT is also good practice for the SAT. In December, when you receive your PSAT score report, review your results with your counselor to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Use your score report to help guide you in preparing for the SAT.

Discuss appropriate college admissions tests with your counselor. The tests you choose to take should reflect your career plans. Discuss why you should take these exams and how they could benefit you. If you are planning to attend a technical college or two-year school, you may be directed to take the Compass and/or Asset tests. Learn about these and other tests in the Test Prep component of the Student Planner.

Obtain schedules for the SAT, SAT Subject Tests, and ACT. Determine which exams you will take. Mark the test registration deadlines on your My Calendar. Once you have decided when you will take the tests, adjust your study plan to prepare yourself for your target dates.

Print out your Planner Comparison and review it with your counselor to determine what gaps or weaknesses there are, and get suggestions on how to strengthen your candidacy for the schools in which you are interested.

Determine what it takes to gain admission to the college(s) of your choice, in addition to GPA and test score requirements.

If you are an athlete, talk to your coaches about eligibility for college sports.

Mark college fair dates on your My Calendar.

Narrow your list of colleges to include a few colleges with requirements at your current GPA, a few with requirements above your current GPA, and at least one with requirements below your GPA. Your list should contain approximately 8-12 colleges you are seriously considering. Visit the GA Colleges section for more information on the colleges in which you're interested. Add your schools of interest to your My 411 account.

Continue researching your financial aid options, including scholarships.

Add new courses, test scores, honors, activities, or awards to your High School Planner.

Take Campus Tours online or in person to further narrow your list of colleges to match your GPA, test scores, and campus preferences. Some colleges have preview programs that allow you to talk to professors, sit in on classes, spend a night in the dorms, and speak to students. Go to GA Colleges or visit the colleges' websites to obtain information on campus visits.

Check admission requirements for your schools of interest on GA Colleges; if an interview is required, schedule it on the same day as your campus tour. You and your parent(s) may want to visit colleges and universities during spring break and summer vacation, so that you do not have to miss school. Find out if your high school considers a college visit an excused absence.

Send thank you notes if you do go on interviews or visits.

Start searching for summer enrichment activities such as workshops, classes, internships, or jobs in your field of interest.

Talk to your teachers/counselor about writing letters of recommendation for you. Think about what you would like included in these letters and politely ask them if they can accommodate you. Print your Planner Summary for your teachers/counselor to use as a guide in writing your recommendation.

Register and take spring SAT, SAT Subject Tests, and/or ACT tests. For each of your selected colleges, find out the deadlines for applying for admission and which tests to take. Make sure your test dates give colleges ample time to receive test scores. It is a good idea to take the SAT and/or ACT in the spring to allow you time to review your results and retake the exams in the fall of your senior year. Remember that most colleges will consider only your highest scores, so it can be a benefit to take the tests more than once. Even if you achieve the scores you need for college admissions, consider taking the tests again for scholarship eligibility.

Sign up for and take AP and other honors-level exams. If your school does not offer the exams, check with your counselor to determine schools in the area that do administer them. Scoring well on these exams can sometimes earn you college credit, saving you time and money in the long run.

Participate in summer enrichment programs that pertain to your career interests.

Practice writing online applications, filling out rough drafts of each application, without submitting them. Focus on the essay portions of these applications, deciding how you would like to present yourself. Don't forget to mention your activities outside of school. You can use the Online Applications to start reviewing the applications and filling in the required information. All of your input will be saved electronically and you can continue to update it until you are ready to submit.

Review your applications, especially the essays. Ask family, friends, and teachers to review your essays for grammar, punctuation, readability, and content.

Decide if you are going to apply under a particular college's early decision or early action program. This requires you to submit your applications early, typically between October and November of your senior year, but offers the benefit of receiving the college's decision concerning your admission early, usually before January 1. Make sure you fully understand the college's policy pertaining to early application; find pertinent information on GA Colleges or the college's website. If you choose to apply early, you should do so for the one college that you would most like to attend. Many early decision programs are legally binding, requiring you to attend the college to which you are applying, should they accept you.

Read your college mail and send reply cards to your schools of interest. Use the recruiter tool to receive additional information from your colleges of choice.