College Prep Check List

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Freshman Checklist

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• Establish strong study habits and time management techniques.

• Explore and participate in community service.

• Meet your counselor and start thinking about classes you might want to take at CA Connections.

• Start a list of any accomplishments or awards to use later when you prepare a resume or fill out college applications.

Sophomore Checklist

 
September

• Concentrate on academic preparation and continue to develop basic skills and extracurricular interests

• Take challenging classes, when appropriate

• Register for the PSAT -- good practice for the SAT

• Participate in community service

October

• Take the PSAT as a practice test (optional)

• Stay on top of your academics

• Be a leader in clubs, sports and other ECA’s

• Take the Mock SAT or ACT                 

November–January

• Receive results from PSAT in December

• PSAT - review strengths and weaknesses

• Develop learning strategies/plan for taking SAT and/or ACT in junior year        

February–March

• Keep your grades up

• Continue with community service

• Explore summer internships and jobs

• Take Mock ACT or SAT         

April–May

• Visit local colleges, attend College Fairs, begin contacting coaches

• Sign up to take summer classes at a nearby college

• Volunteer, work or take classes over summer

• Talk to friends and family about a variety of colleges

• Register for SAT Subject Tests, if applicable

• Add to your list of accomplishments and awards   

Junior Checklist

    
September

• Plan college visits

• Take challenging classes, when appropriate

• Continue with community service during school year

• Register with NCAA Clearinghouse

October

• Take the PSAT

• Have your counselor evaluate your records for college preparation

• Make sure you are meeting the “a–g” course requirements for UC/CSU

• Continue attending college admission representative visits                 

November

• Network with your peers, family, and friends for information on college choices

• Start keeping a list of colleges, careers, and majors that might interest you

• Research colleges

• Visit local colleges                 

December

• Research colleges

• Visit local colleges

• Explore careers

January

• Plan a strategy for getting the SAT and/or ACT scores you want

• Continue community service

• Register for the SAT Reasoning Test, SAT Subject Tests, and/or the ACT

• Add to your list of accomplishments and awards                

February–March

• Make a list of your top 10 colleges and begin investigating them

• Plan college campus visits for your spring break

• Explore careers/majors more in depth

• Visit colleges

• Research and sign up for summer internships

• Take SAT or ACT

• Keep your grades up         

April–May

• Visit colleges

• Narrow down to 5 schools to focus on investigating further

• Take SAT or ACT

• Review test results; decide whether to take preparation course, if re-testing

• Sign up for and take AP exams in May (if appropriate)

• Begin drafting resume          

May–August

• Continue to collect information on your top colleges, majors, and career choices

• Take summer classes

• Volunteer or get work experience

• Brainstorm ideas for writing college personal statement—draft statement

• Discuss college finances with parents

• Take test preparation class, if appropriate

• Review your SAT or ACT scores with counselor

• Visit more colleges during the summer

• Ask for teacher recommendations

• Add to your list of accomplishments and awards

• College coaches can contact you after July 1st of your junior year.   

 
Senior Checklist

August

• Meet with parents to discuss college finances and any other help you need

• Register for any additional testing and send scores to schools you are sure you will apply to

• Check transcripts to make sure they are complete and there are no errors

• Complete your resume (helps teachers with recommendations, and you with applications)

• Keep brainstorming essay ideas

• Look into possible scholarships                 

September

• Visit schools you are interested in and take a tour

• Create a separate email account for all college info—check it daily

• Ask for recommendations

• Make a list of colleges you will apply to and their deadlines

• Decide if you are applying Early Action or Early Decision to any schools

• Invite teachers to send recommendations online         

October

• Online application opens for Cal State Universities on Oct. 1; remember to check each individual campus for deadlines

• Write your UC personal statement

• Complete essays for early decision/early action

• Complete any rolling admission, early action, or early decision applications         

November

• Online application opens for UCs on Nov. 1

• Complete UC and CSU applications/essays

• Register for CSS profile (for financial aid at private schools)

• Send SAT or ACT test scores to all schools that need them

• UCs and CSU “impacted” campus application deadline is Nov. 30             

December

• Continue working on essays/applications for Common App schools

• Complete all applications

• Complete all testing        

• Verify that all schools have received your test scores

January

• Keep checking deadlines—most private college applications will be due sometime in January

• Turn in your FAFSA form (for your financial aid package) by March 2

• Send thank you notes to teachers and counselor for recommendations

• Check email from colleges

• If you were admitted somewhere by early decision, you must withdraw all other applications                 

February

• Most priority deadlines for CSS Profile are in Feb.

• Check for email from colleges                 

March

• FAFSA deadline is March 2 for California schools

• Cal Grants application deadline

• Complete any requests from schools that admitted you (housing, essays, etc.)        

April

• Preview programs and visit colleges for an overnight

• Send Intent to Register, and then notification to colleges you are not attending. (Deadline for Intent to Register is usually May 1). If deferring for a Gap Year, notify the college in writing

• Check for any other deadlines (e.g. housing, scholarships)—some deadlines will be in early May            

May

• Send deposit for housing

• Register for AP tests, if appropriate        

• Complete enrollment paperwork for your selected college         

June

• Ask for final transcript to be sent

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Make sure to sit with your school counselor and review your college prep plan*