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College Planning

college planning Guide

If you're starting to examine your choices for life after high school, there's no time like the present to begin preparing! Planning for college throughout high school (and even middle school) can help you begin college life with a solid foundation for success.

No matter where you are in your academic career, there are things you can do
proactively to ensure you’re as prepared as possible for the next big step in your
life. 

Want to learn more about what to expect in each year? Scroll to your grade level below and see how to start preparing, or download our college planning guide here:

It may seem odd to start planning for college in middle school, but this is the
perfect time to start establishing successful habits that can help you throughout the
rest of your academic career. Nail these down during your junior high years and
you’ll have the foundation needed to start high school off strong.

• Find your academic passions: What's your favorite class right now? Do you love science, or does history speak to you? If there's an academic area that you love or that comes more easily to you, this is a great time to dive deeper into it and learn more.
• Start a strong foundation: Often, middle school students start taking courses for high school credit, like a foreign language or advanced math. Establish great study habits now and start your GPA off with a good base.
• Look for activities you love: Do you like playing hockey? Or helping at your local animal shelter? Now is a perfect time to look for extracurricular activities that could help guide you toward a career path. Maybe playing hockey will lead you to a sports management degree!

Your road to college starts in your freshman year of high school. The following are several things you should do in 9th grade to get started on your college path:

• Create your schedule: Arrange your four-year class schedule to make sure you're taking the required classes. Note: To be considered for admission to »Ê¼Ò»ªÈË, you'll need to compelte a minimum of 18 approved units of high school work. 
• Consider ways to boost your GPA: The average »Ê¼Ò»ªÈË freshman admit has a GPA over 4.0. To increase your GPA, think about adding in some courses.
• Develop good study habits: Determine what study methods work best for you and put them into practice.
• Join school organizations: Get involved as soon as you can with sports or school clubs. Staying involved on campus and even taking on leadership roles can help prepare you for life after high school and help develop skills you'll need.
• Start saving: It's never too early to start putting money aside for college. If you're a »Ê¼Ò»ªÈË resident, now is the time to start preparing for your Bright Futures scholarship application.
• Take advantage of summer vacation: Start using your summers to participate in meaningful activities, such as volunteering, to help you discover what you’re passionate about and add experience to your resume.

For more detailed information on what you can do in your freshman year to start preparing for college, view our checklist.

Download the Freshman Year Checklist

In your sophomore year, you can start to challenge yourself more academically, get more involved in extracurriculars, and begin preparing for standardized tests. You should also start to begin looking at colleges and considering what’s important to you.

• Continue taking the right classes: Create or review your four-year academic plan to
  ensure you’re on track to take required classes, such as your foreign language.
• Take the PSAT/NMSQT or Pre-ACT tests: Prepare and register for the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) and the PreACT®. Note: You'll need to take the PSAT again during your junior year to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program, but taking it in 10th grade is a great way to get in some practice.
• Challenge yourself academically: Start taking honors and advanced placement (AP) classes if you haven’t already.
• Start the college search: Now is the time to start attending college fairs, making a tentative list of colleges, and planning college visits.
• Meet with your high school counselor: Start to discuss college requirements and what colleges you may be interested in.

Get a detailed look at what you should be doing in your sophomore year to prepare for college in our checklist.

Download the Sophomore Year Checklist

College prep starts to really heat up in your . From studying for the SAT/ACT to considering which colleges you want to apply to, you should accomplish the following in your junior year. 

• Talk with your college counselor: If you haven’t already, now is the time to meet with your counselor on how to prepare for college successfully. !
• Make a first draft of your college list: Start working on which schools you want to apply to and determine how they fall into . Use our to help!
  
• Visit colleges, in-person or virtually: Visit as many campuses as possible, and use virtual tours if you can’t visit in-person. Learn about .
  
• Register for the SAT, ACT or CLT: Registering for these tests in your junior year will give you the time to develop a study schedule and take the test more than once if needed.
  
• Get involved in an activity or volunteer: Now is the time to step up your involvement in a school club or community organization. Volunteering for different organizations helps you gain valuable experience!
• Discuss college affordability with your family: Start having the conversation with your family on how you can choose a college that’s the .
• Learn about the financial aid process: Read about the FAFSA and explore the different types of aid. Along with that, you should know before you start applying for student loans.

Get a detailed view of everything you need to do in your junior year with our checklist.

Your of high school is the culmination of your high school journey. Stay focused on your academic goals and finish the college application process strong to ensure a smooth transition to college.

• Finalize your list of colleges: It’s time to start narrowing down which colleges you are going to apply to and . 
  
• Consider your career path: Think about what you’re passionate about and how that can inform your . 
  
• Research and apply for scholarships: Use scholarship search sites, talk to your college counselor, and identify other corporate and community opportunities. There are a lot of ways to . 
  
• Research potential university pathway programs. Once you've narrowed your search down to your top choices, research if they have any freshman or transfer pathway programs you can take advantage of for benefits like guaranteed admission, scholarships or other exclusive opportunities.
• Lay the groundwork for letters of recommendation: If you need letters of recommendation for college applications, start reaching out to potential writers ahead of time. Keep in mind that »Ê¼Ò»ªÈË does not require letters of recommendation and will not review them during the application process.
• Prepare for the SAT/ACT/CLT: Whether you’re taking the SAT, ACT or CLT for the first time or re-taking it in hopes of getting a better score, make sure you leave plenty of time to take the test and send your scores to your top colleges. Remember, »Ê¼Ò»ªÈË superscores so if you're not pleased with your first result, take it again! We'll combine the top scores from your results.
  

Your senior year is packed with college to-dos and activities. Stay on track of it all with our checklist.