For students who may be the first in their family to attend college, the process of what needs to be done and when is going to be a brand new experience. High school students and their parents may not realize how important it is to plan ahead in the years leading up to that first university experience. Even for parents who themselves have attended college, procedures and practices will obviously change over time. By creating a timeline for college-bound students, teens and their parents can stay ahead of important deadlines.
Junior year and the following summer
A student’s junior year of high school is the perfect time to start thinking about which university he or she would like to attend. Families will need to consider whether the school will be in-state or out-of-state. Does the student want to attend a small community college or a large state college? It’s also time to consider which particular field of study the student may be interested in. A final decision for declaring a major isn’t necessary until the sophomore year of college, but you should at least make sure your school of choice houses programs that you can see yourself taking later.
Once you have some school choices picked out, set aside different days to take a tour of the school. A lot of high schools will allow for a certain number of school days to be excused for campus visits, approximately two or three. If there is no time during the school year, then simply hold off until that following summer between a student’s junior and senior year.
For many colleges, tours are given on a regular basis and only need an appointment made ahead of time to be placed into a tour group. Campus tours will obviously show you prominent buildings and locations, but tour guides will also give you an idea of what that particular university is all about – its notable programs, its rankings among other colleges, or what college life is like there. Tour guides or other staff members you come across are the kinds of people you want to ask about how to apply and get enrolled at that school. Come prepared with questions for the day of the tour.
When to take the SATs
Junior year is the best time for future college applicants to take their SATs. Whether you want to take the test once or twice during the year, you’ll have scores in time to put them down on applications. At the latest, students can take SATs in the fall of their senior year. This still allows time to have scores ready if you choose to submit applications during the winter.
Summer before senior year and fall of senior year
After you’ve taken some campus tours and gained a better idea of where you want to attend, applying to universities is the next step (and a rather important one, of course). Whether students and parents realize it or not, applying to a college and getting accepted early can have many advantages. For example, for some universities, students are placed on a type of ranked list depending on when their acceptance date was. If you were accepted early on (say by the end of the summer before your senior year or early in the fall), you may be one of the first students in line when it comes to scheduling your classes, getting your dormitory residence choice, and other privileges that come along during your college years. The bulk of high school students planning to attend college typically apply right after Christmas vacation of their senior year. It’s a smart move to make sure you stay ahead of the pack.
Senior year
After getting accepted, it’s important for students to focus on getting scholarships and financial aid ready for the following fall. School counselors will have information on the types of scholarships out there and when the deadlines are. Filling out scholarship applications can be very time consuming. In addition to compiling financial information for the applications, many times, essays and recommendation letters are also needed.
Summer after senior year
With only a few months left before the start of a student’s first year at college, the summer after high school graduation will be a busy one. Most universities will require that the incoming freshman go through their freshman orientation program during the summer. These sessions typically start in June and run through the end of July. During orientation, students will schedule classes for the fall, take any placement tests, set-up university accounts, among other things. In addition to orientation, students and their parents should start gathering items needed for living in the dorms.
Plan ahead for move-in day. You may want to consider moving in a few days earlier than the main rush of students. Some universities offer this option for free or for a small fee. The extra time also allows incoming freshman to acclimate themselves to college life as well as find all their classes or collect text books.