
College Planning Checklist for Grades 9 - 12
The
intent of this checklist is to provide students and their parents/guardians with
a list of tasks and ideas that will help organize the college planning process.
The grade levels listed in each section are guidelines. Some students may choose
to start earlier. This list is intended as a starting point, but should be customized
based on the specific requirements of your college search.
- Beginning the Process - Grade 9 (re-visit and adjust in Grades
10 through 12):
- Review your transcript every summer to verify the accuracy of grades,
GPA, and activities.
- Ensure that your four-year high school academic plan will meet college
entrance requirements (number of years suggested for each academic area)
for the type of college you are considering. Take the most challenging
classes that you can handle.
- College Admissions Testing - (SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests (SAT II))
- Decide when you will take all your college admissions tests. Consider
whether you will take both the SAT and the ACT. The SAT tests students'
critical thinking skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. The
ACT® assesses students' general educational knowledge in English,
mathematics, reading, and science and includes an optional writing
test. Most colleges accept either test. Verify the requirements with
the schools on your list. Most students take the SAT and/or ACT two
or three times (in total), usually twice in the junior year and once
at the beginning of the senior year.
- SAT Subject Tests - Some very selective schools require SAT Subject
tests (usually two or three tests). Generally schools prefer that
only one test be taken in a subject area. Some schools require one
specific test (such as math) and let the students select the other
tests. Check with the schools of interest. Most students take the
SAT Subject Tests in May or June as they are completing the class
so that the material is fresh in their minds. Students taking AP
or Honors courses in their freshman or sophomore year (particularly
in science) should consider taking the SAT Subject Test. Speak to
your teacher for more information.
- Make a plan to study for exams. There are a variety of study options
offered by the CollegeBoard, Princeton Review, Kaplan, Barron's and
other companies which you can select from based on how you learn,
the amount of time you are willing to commit to studying and your
budget. The most common options are private tutoring, small group
tutoring, classroom courses, online courses, or self-study using
test preparation books which include testing tips and practice exams.
- Sign up online for daily:
- Keep a list of books and authors you read, including required school
reading and those you read on your own since some colleges request this
information on their applications or essays
- Naviance - Grades 9 through 12:
- Counselors will send grade-level emails to students as needed
- Take the "My Personality Type" self discovery assessment questionnaire
- Answer "Career Interest Profiler" questionnaire
- Add information to "My Resume"
- Extracurricular Activities:
- Continue to participate in extra-curricular activities that you
enjoy both in school and out (clubs, music, arts, sports, community
service, jobs)
- Most colleges prefer to see a long-term commitment to a few activities
instead of a long list of activities
- Consider participating in community service or volunteer activities
and keep track of the number of hours you participated
- Beginning in your freshman year, use "My Resume" on Naviance to
keep track of all of your accomplishments including extracurricular
activities, community service, employment, awards, honors, achievements
or prizes earned
- Organization - Grades 9 through 12
- Use a folder to store all general college-related information collected
from SBHS Guidance presentations, college fairs, newspaper articles,
books or websites so that when you need to refer to them at a later date
the information is readily available
- Use a separate folder for each college being considered:
- Staple business cards for Admissions Representatives to the folder
so they don't get lost
- Include all college materials and letters sent by either you or
the college o Use a calendar or agenda to keep track of important
dates such as information sessions, college visits, and college fairs
- Use a calendar or agenda to keep track of important dates such as information sessions, college visits, and college fairs
- Researching Colleges - Grades 10 and 11
- Naviance:
- Complete the "My Game Plan" questionnaire
- Use the "Advanced College Search" feature
- Use the "College Lookup" feature by name, state or country
- Review the "College Matches"
- Review "College Compare for GPA and Test Score" averages for selected
colleges
- Questions to consider:
- What are your goals and priorities for your college education?
What do you want to accomplish during those years?
- What is your learning style? Do you prefer lecture classes or
small group discussions?
- Do you prefer a two-year or four-year college?
- What majors, subjects, or careers are you interested in?
- Do you prefer a Liberal Arts, Pre-Professional or Technical College?
- What tests (SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests) do your schools of interest
require?
- Are you interested in an Honors Program or College?
- What factors are most important in a college for you such as campus
size, private/public, urban/suburban/rural location, distance from
home, climate, residential/commuter, costs, academic rigor, liberal
arts/pre-professional/technical curriculum, majors offered, research/internship/study
abroad/cooperative work-study, ROTC, clubs/athletics/music/arts/activities,
fraternities/sororities, persity, single-sex/co-ed, or religious
affiliation?
- College Fairs, local Information Sessions, visits to SBHS by College
Admissions Representative - Grades 10 through 12:
- Attend College Fairs and local College Information Sessions held
in the area. Ask questions.
- Sign up for college mailing lists (online or on paper). Pre-print
mailing labels which include your name, address, e-mail address,
high school and graduation year, so that you don't have to spend
the time at College Fairs writing the information for each college.
Just peel off the label and add to the address card. This way you
will have more time to speak to the college representatives.
- Pick up business cards for each college representative you speak
to so that you can contact them at a later date with follow-up questions
- College Admissions Representatives from many colleges visit SBHS
in the fall. Students from all grades can stop by the tables outside
the Red & Blue cafeterias for brochures or information
- Some Admissions Offices keep track of your interest in the school
noting the number of times you visit or contact them by phone or
e-mail
- Often the same Admissions Representative that visits SBHS or local
College Fairs will also read your application. Introduce yourself
and ask questions to demonstrate that you are interested in the college
they represent.
- Attend SBHS college evening Information Sessions sponsored by
the Guidance Department
- Review Books and Websites - Grades
9 through 12:
- Review college and career books and websites for additional research
- Review the ABC's of College Planning book provided by Guidance
to juniors
- Review inpidual college websites
- Prepare a list of schools of interest - Grades 10 and 11:
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- College Visits - Grades 10 and 11
- Students (not parents) should initiate all contact with colleges via
phone or e-mail
- Begin visiting colleges in the sophomore or junior year depending on
the student's interest
- Try to visit schools on scheduled open house days. There is usually
more going on and the opportunity to get a lot more information. If possible,
visit during the week when school is in session and college students
are on campus. Otherwise, arrange to attend any information session and
campus tour.
- Spring Break and Teacher Convention weekend are good times to visit
schools
- Prepare a list of questions to ask Admissions Representatives and
students on campus
- If available, consider scheduling any of the following:
- Overnight
visit at a dorm
- Sit in on a class in your field of interest
- Meet
with a student, academic advisor, or professor in the department
of interest
- Request a tour of the department of interest
- After visiting several schools it is difficult to remember specific
details about each one. In order to review the information at a later
date:
- Take photos of the campus including the buildings, grounds, dorm
rooms, eateries, nearby town/stores/restaurants
- Take notes at the information
session
- Write up notes immediately after the campus tour in order to
remember important details about the college
- Read the school newspaper (online or print) to get an idea of what
is happening on campus
- Talk informally to students in the dining hall about their experiences
on campus
- Talk to friends or family members who attended the school
- View online virtual campus tours
- Send a "thank you" e-mail or note to Admissions Representatives or
Professors you met with
- Narrow down list of colleges to approximately six to eight - Grades
11 and 12
- Target schools (about 4) with a high probability of accepting you
- Safety schools (1 or 2) which you are almost guaranteed to be accepted
at
- Reach schools (1 or 2) with a reduced probability of accepting you
- The school that seems like your favorite at the beginning of the admissions
process may not be your favorite at the end. Be open-minded
- Essays
- Look at the current year versions of college applications for essay
and short answer questions. While they may change, it gives you an opportunity
to think about some possible essay topics you might like to write about
in your applications
- Teacher Recommendations - Grade 11
- It is strongly recommended that students decide who they want
recommendation letters from in May or June of junior year and speak with
those teachers before school ends
- Ask teachers who know you best, usually
those from your junior or sophomore year
- Many schools require two teacher
recommendations
- Guidance Counselors will automatically write recommendations
as needed
- Apply to Colleges - Grade 12
- Seniors should use this checklist which provides a list of tasks and ideas
that will help organize the process of applying to college including obtaining
and completing applications, requesting teacher recommendations, sending
test scores, staying organized, requesting transcripts, applying for financial
aid, and completing the process as the acceptance letters arrive.
