College Planning Timelines

9th Grade

• Set your GPA
• Join a club or sport for 4 years
• Start volunteering
• Start drafting your resume
• Start reading/researching

10th Grade

• Maintain or raise your GPA
• Be active in a few clubs or sports
• Continue volunteering
• Continue reading/researching
• Take PSAT and PLAN (Oct)
• Take SAT Subject Tests for AP classes (May)
• Update your resume
• Do something interesting during summer
• Do your test prep in summer before 11th

11th Grade

• Schedule/take all SAT/ACT
• Identify two target teachers for rec letters
• Begin to think about leadership in HS
• Go on campus visits
• Finalize college list (10 max!)
• Attend college rep visits and College Fair
• Continue volunteering, activities, reading
• Ask target teachers for rec letters (May)
• Finalize your resume
• Do something brainy in summer
• Write all essays in summer before 12th

12th Grade

• Give rec writers your college list and resume
• Try to do some leadership
• Edit all essays
• Attend college rep visits and College Fair
• College interviews
• Send test scores and transcripts to colleges
• Apply to colleges
• Apply for financial aid and scholarships
• Fight to get off of the waitlist
• Decide where to go to college!

Detailed monthly planning timelines:

Grade 12

 

Grade 11

 

Grade 10

 

Grade 9