Junior Year Planning Timeline

SEPTEMBER

• Meet with your guidance counselor to confirm that your courses for your junior and senior years have the right balance of rigor and challenge to get you into a competitive college.
• If you have not already done so, be sure to be registered for the October PSAT.
• Step up your involvement in one or two organizations. It's not the number of organizations you belong to; having leadership experience matters most.
• Begin keeping track of your community service activities and hours.
• Continue to save money for college.

OCTOBER

• Take the PSAT.
• Talk with teachers, family members, and other adults you respect about the colleges they attended.
• Begin the career exploration process.

NOVEMBER

• Keep your focus on your grades. You'll want your grades for this entire junior year to be as strong as possible.
• Continue your research in potential colleges and careers.

DECEMBER

• Once you receive your PSAT scores, make plans to maximize the good and to improve the rest.  Check our SAT and ACT study guides in the guidance office.
• Look ahead to the spring and summer and begin mapping out the dates for your other standardized tests: AP Placement Exams, ACT, or SAT.
• Stay focused on grades.
• Attend Financial Aid Night.

JANUARY

• Continue your research on potential colleges and careers.
• Consider asking to job shadow one or more people you know to learn more about those careers firsthand.
• Stay focused on grades.

FEBRUARY

• Schedule a meeting with your guidance counselor to discuss possible college choices.
• Begin to focus on the key 10 to 15 colleges that are a good fit (based on your academics, career choice, size, and location).
• Stay focused on grades.

MARCH

• Develop (if you haven't already) a file for each of the schools on your list.
• Start learning about scholarships and grants.
• Brainstorm and research rewarding summer jobs, internships, or scholarship opportunities.
• Stay focused on grades.

APRIL

• Work with your guidance counselor to assure a challenging senior year of courses.
• Register for the May and/or June SAT tests.
• Consider visiting some of the colleges on your list.
• Begin identifying teachers who may be willing to write recommendation letters for you.
• Begin reviewing for SAT.

MAY

• Take AP Placement Exams if you have taken AP courses.
• Firm up your summer plans, including visits to other colleges on your list.
• Push yourself hard to end the year with solid grades.
• Turn in your community service hours to the guidance office.  You should have sixty hours completed so far.

JUNE

• Take the SAT.
• Continue contemplating various careers and colleges
• Visit colleges.
• Get a summer job to save money for college.