College Planning Timeline

(This sheet is based on information provided by a former admissions counselor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Collegeboard’s College Counseling Sourcebook for Counselors)

It may seem early to start thinking about getting ready for college, but it really isn’t – important groundwork should take place in ninth and tenth grade. Here’s a list to make sure you start on the right track:

Grade 9

1 Begin your high school career off right with good academic performance (preferably A’s and B’s) in courses that challenge your own personal academic abilities.

2 Create a four-year high school plan – an overall plan that relates to your own personal goals, interests, and strengths

 Begin thinking about a broad list of colleges and universities that interest you . Utilize college search websites such as collegeboard.com and Petersons.com which develop a list of colleges based on your personal preferences and interests.

 Find out what high school courses are required by specific colleges for the best admissions consideration. . Map out possible course selections for the next three years to stay on track  Example: If a college that really interests you requires 3 credits of the same foreign language, then you know you must begin in your 10th grade year if you have not yet, or continue at least through your junior year if you are currently taking a course.  Note if any schools are specifically looking for Advanced Placement (AP) course credit. . What courses are offered at your high school that fit your interests and abilities? . Do those courses have specific prerequisites that you will need to complete in 10th or 11th grade?

3 Start thinking about careers – develop a basic career goal. It will probably change as you encounter new experiences and courses but it will give you an idea of what it is you are working so hard for!

 Identify your likes and dislikes, not just in academics but in all areas. What kinds of jobs incorporate your interests?

1 3. Start thinking about careers (cont.)

 Search career options on websites such as futurescan.com or jobprofiles.org

 Discuss your possible options with other people – counselor, teachers, recent college graduates, professionals in the community, etc.

4 Get involved in activities! Whether it’s a sport, club, music or drama group, or community volunteer activity… find something that interests you and that you can have fun with!

 Remember that colleges would rather see real involvement in one activity than loose involvement in many activities that don’t mean much to you

 If you may want to play sports in college, research the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) eligibility requirements. The NCAA requires completion of certain core courses; you can find specifics at www.eligibilitycenter.org

5 Continue to work on developing study skills. Ask questions when you have them and seek out the teacher or a tutor when you need help understanding the material. Practice organizational skills or effective time management.

Useful Websites

College Search: - www.collegeboard.com - www.collegeview.com - www.kaplan.com - www.petersons.com - www.collegenet.com

Career Search and Planning: - www.futurescan.com - www.jobprofiles.com - www.mapping-your-future.org

Test Preparation (PSATs, SATs, ACTs): - www.collegeboard.com - www.act.org