FRESHMAN YEAR

• Meet with your guidance counselor to discuss your college interests and goals.
• Talk with your parents about the realities of paying for college and what your options are.
• Get involved in extracurricular activities that can help you channel your passions productively.
• Use the summer to explore enrichment programs or try a job or internship.
• Take challenging classes, and keep those grades up!

SOPHOMORE YEAR

• Develop a plan for standardized tests. Take a practice ACT & SAT, and consider a prep course if your budget allows.
• Start figuring out what you want from college, research schools that fit your criteria, and learn their admissions requirements.
• Pursue AP and honors courses if you can handle them to show that you accept the challenges your school has to offer.
• Tell a story of personal growth by continuing in your extracurricular activities and seeking leadership roles.
• Attend spring college fairs and start thinking about your potential college major.
• Volunteer during the summer or consider career-focused initiatives like interning for a relevant company.

JUNIOR YEAR

• Take the PSAT in October if you haven’t already; it’s good practice for the testing atmosphere.
• Narrow down your career thoughts to two or three potential college majors of interest to you.
• Continue to talk with your family about your college interests.
• Begin visiting a handful of colleges of interest, attend college fairs if you can, and explore the social media pages and websites of various schools.
• Find out about the financial aid you may qualify for by completing the FAFSA Forecaster [Link to https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa].
• Meet with your counselor to sharpen your college application and start to identify teachers or counselors to write letters of recommendation for you.
• Register for AP exams for the classes you are currently taking; they are offered in May.
• Prepare, practice, register, and take the ACT/SAT in the spring.
• Keep developing your list that highlights your activities, awards, and experiences so you can write about them when the time comes.
• Start exploring ideas for your college essay – areas of interest that you may want to explore once you know the specific writing prompts.
• Conduct in-person or virtual interviews with your favorite schools.

SENIOR YEAR

• Finalize your list of target schools, determine your Early Decision/Early Action/Regular Decision strategy, and put the deadlines of your top colleges in one centralized calendar.
• Begin the Common Application and retake the ACT/SAT to try to improve your score.
• Attend college planning and financial aid info sessions.
• Communicate deadlines to the people writing your letters of recommendation.
• Complete a FAFSA [Link to https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa] and a TAP [Link to hesc.ny.gov/pay-for-college/apply-for-financial-aid/nys-tap.html] application in early October. Some private colleges, such as Syracuse University, also require that students complete a CSS Financial Aid Profile [Link to cssprofile.collegeboard.org/]
• Create a Say Yes Syracuse account [link to sayyestoeducation.escholarshipsolutions.com] and submit a Say Yes Syracuse application [link to sayyestoeducation.escholarshipsolutions.com]
• Complete your personal essay and ensure that recommendation letters are ready.
• Keep your grades up. Finish strong!
• Make any final campus visits to target colleges.
• Submit college applications and transcripts according to the deadlines for your target schools.
• Watch your email for communications from schools, especially regarding any missing application components and early admissions decisions.
• Keep researching and applying for scholarships. Compare financial aid offers.
• Keep track of registration, orientation and housing information.