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College Checklist by Grade

 
Freshman Year
  • Meet with your school counselor in September to make sure student’s classes and Four Year Plan are in line with college & career aspirations
  •  Discuss with your counselor the opportunity to take rigorous high school courses
  • Take practice admissions exams such as the PSAT (College Board) to help identify your strengths and weaknesses early in your high school  career
  • Encourage your student to get involved in extracurricular activities
  • Research college costs and talk to your student about various options for paying for college.  Start a savings plan together
 
Sophomore Year
  • Continue taking challenging college prep classes
  • Start gathering information about colleges through local college fairs, tours, and the internet
  • Build a list of colleges that interest your student and review them with your school counselor
  • Take the PSAT and review the results with your counselor, teacher, and parent/guardian
  • Attend Summer Enrichment Programs (e.g. science, engineering, math, leadership, etc.)
 
Junior Year
  • Begin a calendar of test dates.  It is recommended that students take the SAT/ACT during the Spring Semester of their junior year
  • Talk to your school counselor to make sure your student is registered to take the PSAT
  • Continue to visit colleges
  • Enroll in SAT/ACT prep workshops
  • Investigate scholarship opportunities
  • Help your student to narrow down a list of potential colleges
  • Make sure the courses your student is planning to take senior year meet college entrance requirements
  • Register for the Spring semester SAT/ACT
  • Check NCAA eligibility if student is planning to play sports in college 
 
Senior Year
  • Resister for the SAT/ACT.  Make sure your student takes these exams no later than OCTOBER of the calendar year.  This will ensure our families meet deadlines for the more selective schools
  • Help your student begin a checklist of college application requirements and deadlines
  •  Find out if you need to fill out a CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE
  • Meet with your counselor to go over your final list of colleges
  •  Have your student get personal recommendations from school faculty.  Please give school staff 3 weeks to complete the recommendation. Be sure to follow up with a thank-you note!
  • Help your student to complete the FAFSA forms as soon as October 1st.
  • Colleges send out acceptance and financial aid letters in April.  Read and compare all financial aid offers carefully
  •  Help your student decide which college to attend, accept any aid offers and send a deposit
  •  Check to see if you missed any final pieces to the college admissions process and send in any paperwork
 
**This is a check list of items Pointer Families should consider throughout the high school journey.  These items are not in any particular order.
-Courtesy of Clayton Ballard