College Planning Calendar

COLLEGE PLANNING CALENDAR JUNIOR YEAR FALL (September-December) _  Continue to challenge yourself with a rigorous academic curriculum.  Juniors will meet with their counselors to complete a graduation status report.  Identify sources of college and career information.  Talk to friends, parents, and faculty members about colleges and careers.  Begin to build a preliminary list of potential colleges. Plan to apply to at least 3-5 schools in your senior year.  Explore college websites on the internet for admissions information, deadlines, and virtual tours.  Organize any and all information you received on post-high school opportunities.  Take the PSAT on October 12, 2011. Junior year scores are used to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program.  Start preparing for the SAT I and/or ACT by taking prep courses. Please watch the WFHS website for prep courses offered through our school.  Research scholarship for juniors and familiarize yourself with future scholarship opportunities.  During December, you should receive the results of your PSAT. Read your score report. Counselors will assist in interpretation of scores.  Begin to create a college/scholarship resume. Keep a list of extracurricular activities that your have participated in, i.e. sports, clubs, special classes, camps religious activities, and community/volunteer services. This will make it easier to fill out college and scholarship applications.  Create a GACOLLEGE411 account at the www.GAcollege411website. Access information on college and career planning Spring (January-May)  Schedule college visits during spring break. Some colleges have Junior Preview days or weekends on campus. A campus visit is the best way to evaluate whether a school is right for you!  Get to know your counselor and teachers. These are the people who will be writing your letters of recommendation. Begin to identify which teachers will be able to write a letter of recommendation.  Review college information/brochures that your are receiving. Make files for each college you might want to attend.  Sign up to meet with college representative visiting WFHS. Passes will be available in the counseling office.  Begin to narrow down your college list. Look carefully at admission requirements. Are your choices realistic? Consider applying to 1 or 2 reach schools, 1 or 2 good fit schools, and 1 or 2 safe schools.  Register to take the SAT I and/or the ACT at least once or twice, especially if you are applying Early Decision. Check out www.collegeboard.com or www.act.org  Take the SAT II Subject Test if required by a college for admissions.  Meet with counselors to register for classes. Select challenging courses to take your senior year. Colleges will be requesting this information.  Look into summer jobs, or apply for special academic or enrichment programs. SUMMER (June-August)  Visit colleges, take tours, talk to students at the colleges, and ask questions.  Continue to refine college list and review application information and criteria. Remember, you can find most applications on line. (YOU HAVE ARRIVED TO YOUR SENIOR YEAR!)