JUNIOR YEAR CALENDAR & CHECKLIST
FALL
- Take the PSAT test October 10th at CHEC
- Attend presentations by college representatives when they visit the CHEC in the fall; college visitation schedules are posted on the counseling website and they will be posted on the 1st and 4th floor bulletins and counselors office.
- Junior/Senior Convocation ceremony in November
WINTER / SPRING
- Think about yourself, your goals, what factors are important to you in the college you plan to attend
- Discuss colleges with your parents, friends, teachers, etc
- Read college guides, catalogs, and brochures.
- Spend time in the College/Career center browsing through all the college material
- Visit colleges, especially during your spring vacation to get a feel for college life. Take note of what you like and don't like in colleges you visit.
- Register for ACT, SAT, or SAT Subject tests
FEBRUARY
- Take ACT to see if you want to see how you score compared to SAT
- Take SAT subject tests if needed
- Figure out what standardized tests you are going to take and how you are going to prepare for them
- Continue to explore and research colleges and see what test they require depending on major and College
- Based on your research, plan to visit colleges over spring break
- Start making summer plans
APRIL
- Continue to explore and research colleges
- If you haven't done so already, schedule a meeting with your counselor to discuss your spring break college trip, summer plans, and senior course schedule
- If you plan to participate in college athletics, register with the NCAA Eligibility Center
JANUARY
- Begin to explore and research colleges using Naviances and college guidebooks and websites
- Have a family discussion about factors that may affect your college search, e.g., finances, proximity to home. (Parents, if you are setting any specific parameters, now is the time to share them with your son/daughter!)
- Make an appointment with your counselor
MARCH
- March 6th - In School SAT Day
- Continue to explore and research colleges
- Apply for summer programs/jobs/internships
- Put yourself on mailing lists of any colleges of interest—most schools have that function online, or you can call, email, or send a letter
- Decide what Subject Tests to take in May or June and register for them
- Meet with your counselor
MAY
- May 4: SAT Test Date
- AP exams
- Attend college informational meetings in the DC area (If you're on colleges' mailing lists, they'll invite you.)
- Continue to explore and research colleges
- Finalize summer plans
- As you begin to wrap up your junior year, keep all of the papers that you wrote over the year. Some colleges ask for a graded paper as part of the college application, so don't throw any of your work out!
JUNE / SUMMER
- June 1: SAT Test Date
- June 11: ACT Test Date
- End the school year with a tentative college list of 15–2 0 colleges/universities.
- Relax and recharge
- Brainstorm ideas for your college essay; "topic of choice" is the most popular essay prompt
- Visit colleges, begin comparing colleges, and identify what you like and don't like
- Write or subscribe to colleges/universities for information
- By the end of the summer, narrow down your choices to a list of about 10–15