Yearly Action Plans
Planning for college is a big task, but we want to help simplify it. Each year in high school there are specific things you can do to help you stack on track. The list may look long, but don't worry; it's only meant to be used as a reference tool in order for you to plan accordingly.
Freshman Year Action Plan
- Meet with your counselor to discuss your college aspirations. Review your schedule with him or her to make sure you're enrolled in challenging classes.
- Visit college Web sites. Research the admissions requirements (courses and tests) of colleges that you might be interested in attending so you can take appropriate classes.
- Get involved in extracurricular activities that interest you.
- Attend college fairs in your area.
- Visit college campuses. Visit Illinois.
- Talk to your counselor and search online for summer programs for high school students hosted by universities.
Sophomore Year Action Plan
- Meet with your counselor to review your college aspirations. Discuss your schedule with him or her to make sure you're enrolled in challenging classes.
- Continue visiting college Web sites. Research the admissions requirements (courses and tests) of colleges that you might be interested in attending so you can take appropriate classes.
- Sign up for the PSAT/NMSQT (reference their website for date) and/or PLAN (reference their website for date). Ask your counselor which date is offered at your school. Get free online PSAT/NMSQT practice.
- Become more involved with your extracurricular activities. Seek leadership or officer positions within the activities that interest you.
- Attend college fairs in your area. Illinois Near You.
- Visit college open houses (Illinois open houses) to learn more about specific programs and colleges for what type of university you like.
- Visit college campuses to get a feel for the type of college atmosphere you like. Visit Illinois.
- Check with your counselor and search online for summer school programs (Illinois summer programs) for high school students hosted by universities.
- Look for other great summer opportunities such as an internship, a job, volunteer work, etc.
- Start a list of characteristics you want in your college - size, location, academic programs, reputation, value, etc.
- Talk to your parents and family members about different colleges, reasonable costs, and discuss future options.
Junior Year Action Plan
- Meet with your counselor to evaluate your college aspirations. Review your schedule with him or her to make sure you're enrolled in challenging classes. Discuss your senior year course plan and, if your school offers them, enroll in honors or AP/IB classes. Verify that you are meeting colleges’ admission requirements.
- Begin brainstorming about possible colleges and majors.To do so, start a list of your personal abilities, strengths, talents, preferences, qualities, and interests.
- Research majors and careers that interest you. Review admission requirements for specific majors at a variety of colleges.
- Stay involved in your extracurricular activites. Continue to seek leadership or officer positions that require a greater time and responsibility committment within the activites that interest you.
- Continue searching college Web sites to find schools with the characteristics that are right for you - size, location, academic programs, reputation, value, etc.
- Develop a list of 15-20 colleges that interest you.
- Register for ACT/SAT tests.
- Practice for ACT/SAT tests. ACT/SAT preparatory classes and materials can be expensive. Practicing on your own with official practice problems found online on the ACT or SAT Web site can be just as helpful.
- Search for local, state, and national scholarships. Start writing essays and compile a list of people, such as teachers and extracurricular activity advisors, who would write a recommendation letter.
- Visit colleges throughout the school year and the summer. Visit Illinois.
- Sign up for a summer program at a college. Check out Illinois summer programs.
- Start reviewing college applications online. Obtain applications from colleges to which you're considering applying. Read sample admissions essays and start writing rough drafts. Take note of application deadlines.
- Create a calendar with important dates and deadlines such as ACT exam dates, college admissions application deadlines, scholarship application deadlines, etc.
- Continue talking to your parents and family members about your college search progress.
- Build on the list of characteristics you want in your college and rank the characteristics in the order of importance to you.
Senior Year Action Plan
- Narrow your list of colleges to between five and ten. Get an application and financial aid information from each. Visit as many of those colleges as possible before applying.
- Build on your calendar by adding more important dates, including test dates, college application deadlines, financial aid deadlines, etc.
- Finish college admissions applications and ask your parents, counselor, and/or English teacher to proofread and edit your essays.
- Apply to colleges early. Aim to apply to Illinois by the Priority Filing Deadline in November.
- Meet with your counselor to verify which colleges you intend to apply in order to send out your high school transcript and test scores. It's your responsibility to make sure your transcripts and test scores reach each of the colleges to which you apply. Follow up with your counselor to make sure he or she sends this information.
- Contact each college to verify receipt of all your application materials. Check the status of your application to Illinois.
- Apply for financial aid by submitting the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). by March 15.
- Continue searching and applying for scholarships.
- Rank in order of your preference the colleges to which you've been admitted and evaluate your options.
- Visit your first-choice college before accepting an offer of admission from any college.
- Notify each college of your decision by May 1.
- After graduation, ask your high school to send a final transcript to your college.
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