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Take Responsibility for Yourself College Prep Timeline - Getting ready for college begins early - here’s a summary of things to be
One of the biggest challenges college freshman face is the change from a relatively controlled living and doing each year. Check with your counselor for specific timelines as you get closer to graduation.
learning environment to one with great freedom. Are you prepared for the change? Here are some things you ✦ At School and Home ✦ Investigating Careers, Majors, and Colleges ✦ Getting Ready for College
can do now in high school to be ready to make the adjustment.
Freshman Year Sophomore Year
Take Responsibility For Your Own Education Work To Be More Independent
✦ Meet with a counselor to review your ✦ Prepare for standardized testing by taking the
ƒ Set goals for yourself and plan ways to achieve ƒ Learn to do your own laundry schedule PSAT (you can take this in your Junior year too)
them- academic, personal, spiritual, social ƒ Learn to make your own meals ✦ Maintain good grades ✦ Take honor-level classes
ƒ Remember good grades are only part of the goal. ƒ Plan for plenty of sleep and make it happen ✦ Develop good study habits ✦ Visit college fairs and get information
Learn the material - build your knowledge and ✦ Consider taking AP and honors classes on colleges that interest you
experience. ƒ Manage your own money ✦ Research careers and jobs ✦ Make sure you know the entrance requirements

ƒ Plan time for completing homework and projects ƒ Balance family commitments with your school ✦ Start thinking about possible colleges (math, foreign languages) for colleges
ƒ Track your own grades, ask for help if you need it and personal time ✦ Get involved in extra-curricular activities ✦ Continue extracurricular activities and communi-
ƒ Make schoolwork a priority over friends, relaxation ƒ Get a part-time job and you’ll learn about and volunteer ty service
commitment and time management
time, and part-time jobs. If you can’t do it now, you ✦ Start creating a career portfolio high- ✦ Meet with your school counselor to make sure you
won’t do it in college. ƒ Sign up for an internship or co-op where you lighting your special skills and talents are on track for taking the right classes
can learn job skills ✦ Begin saving projects and work samples ✦ Maintain good grades and good study habits
Get Involved! for your career portfolio ✦ Add to your career portfolio highlighting your
Remember, You’re Part of a Team
ƒ Join clubs, sports, music and the arts - find out skills and talents
what you enjoy doing ƒ Respect family, teachers, coaches, counselors, Junior Year Senior Year

ƒ Volunteer! You can gain skills and experience while mentors, and friends Retake the ACT or SAT tests if you’re
giving back. ƒ There are many people out there who want to ✦ Start preparing for and taking the ✦
see you succeed, ask for help. standardized tests - PSAT, SAT, ACT not happy with your score
✦ Continue taking challenging courses ✦ Review your schedule with your counselor, make
Paying for College - It’s Expensive, But It’s An Investment in Your Future ✦ Grades matter - the transcript (list of grades) sure you are on track to graduate and meet college
Most students receive some form of financial aid to attend college, and getting financial aid is you submit to colleges include all your classes admission requirements
competitive. There is a formula for awarding financial aid based on your grades, involvement in taken in the 9-11th grades ✦ Keep maintaining good grades
activities, academic readiness, and your ability to pay. ✦ Take a leadership roles in your activities ✦ Stay active in extracurricular activities and volun-
teer - take a leadership role
Financial aid comes in all shapes and sizes. You can apply for scholarships and awards ✦ Get serious about deciding which colleges inter- ✦ Ask for personal references
(money you don’t have to pay back), work study programs, low-interest student loans est you - do research, find out costs, degrees, ✦ Begin your college essays and apply for admission
campus life, etc.
you pay back after you graduate, or personal loans. Most students apply for low-cost federal to the colleges you’ve selected
loans, but you can also receive financial aid from the college, state, or private sources. ✦ Visit colleges you’d like to attend
✦ Write practice applications and essays ✦ Complete the FAFSA form in January and find out if
You will need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to determine ✦ Do you need recommendations for college en- you qualify for financial aid
if you qualify. You fill this form out in January of your senior year. Funds are often awarded on trance? Start thinking about which teachers or ✦ Use your career portfolio to highlight your
a first-come basis, so it’s a good idea to fill it out as soon as possible. This form helps lenders counselors to ask, pre-draft letters qualifications to college admissions boards
determine your family’s financial situation and how much they can pay towards college, and ✦ Think about getting a summer job, internship or ✦ Send transcripts to the schools where you applied
how much aid you can receive. Check with your guidance counselor or look online for more co-op to gain experience ✦ Visit colleges that have invited you to enroll and
information on FAFSA. ✦ Keep adding to your career portfolio make your final decision