College Application Schedule

You can help your children plan for the future by talking with them about their interests and abilities. Planning for advanced education should be a process that begins long before your son or daughter graduates from high school. The following suggestions are a basic guide to use in this process, categorized by grade.

In 9th and 10th grades

Help your son or daughter to investigate career possibilities and compare interests and abilities with specific career requirements. You'll need to determine the education or training needed. Encourage your child to ask the school counselor for reference materials that explain different occupations.

If your child is not sure about career goals, the school counselor can help evaluate interests and aptitudes for various occupations. It is not necessary to settle on a specific career, but it is helpful to identify a general area of interest.

Work with your child to make a list of schools that he or she would like to attend, and find out about entrance requirements. Which schools have the best programs for the desired field of study? What tests, extracurricular activities, courses, and grades do the schools look for when they accept students? Compare expenses and the campus settings at each school.

Plan a sequence of high-school courses that will best prepare your child for the college or other post-secondary institution of choice.

Request information about scholarship and financial-aid opportunities from the schools that are of interest.

In 11th grade

Contact school admissions offices for application packets and information on scholarships, opportunities, and other financial-aid programs. Talk to the school counselor about Advanced Placement courses for college credit. Ask whether the colleges and universities under consideration accept Advanced Placement credits.

Find out which tests each school requires for admission or placement after admission.

Help your son or daughter register to take the preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), American College Test (ACT) or Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) about five weeks before the tests are scheduled.

Find out if your son or daughter is eligible to receive any scholarships. Students who score high enough on the ACT or SAT, for example, may qualify for various scholarships.

In 12th grade

Make sure your son or daughter registers to take the ACT or SAT in September. If improvement in scores is desired, students may take the tests again during the senior year.

Contact your high-school counselor in October for materials to help you and your child estimate your eligibility for financial aid. Attend special meetings at school to get more college and financial aid information.

If there are plans to participate in a school's early-decision program, be sure your son or daughter obtains the necessary applications in October. Early-decision programs guarantee acceptance of qualified students prior to the spring of their junior years.

Encourage your senior to pick up financial-aid forms from the high-school counselor in December.

By December, be sure your son or daughter obtains application packets and other specific information from the schools being considered.

Brought to you by the American School Counselor Association