College Application Timeline
Everything you need to do to complete the college admissions process.
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Freshman
Plan out your 4-year schedule
At the end of your 8th grade year, or when you start choosing your freshman year classes, is the best time to make a plan for your entire high school schedule. Based on what career you want to pursue and what topics you find interesting, you should form a schedule for which grade level you will take each of your classes. This will ensure that you complete all of your required credits, but also take the prerequisites for all the classes you are interested in. Prioritize signing up for challenging courses (AP/IB, which many students will be eager to take) and classes related to your career interest, while also spreading out the challenging courses over 4 years. This will ensure that you do not get overwhelmed during a certain year and have plenty of time for extracurricular activities.
Take college-prep courses
College-prep courses, such as AP or IB show colleges that you are taking the most rigorous schedule you can handle and that you are driven and hardworking. However, make sure that you do not overload yourself with too many difficult courses, as you want to leave enough time for your extracurricular activities and leisure. Remember, getting a B in an AP class is better than getting an A in an easier class.
Take SAT Subject Tests
SAT Subject Tests focus on certain topics from classes you can take in high school, and are required by some colleges. They are a great way to demonstrate your knowledge of a particular subject to colleges. Near the end of your first and second semester is a good time to take subject tests for classes ending in the fall and spring respectively, when the material is still fresh in your mind. As a freshman, you may not have taken enough classes of a certain topic to have adequate knowledge for an SAT Subject Test, so do not worry if you need to wait until your sophomore year.
Take AP/IB exams
AP/IB Exams are yet another way to demonstrate your mastery of a certain class or subject, and you should definitely take them. Even if you do not do well, you still conveyed your drive and determination to challenge yourself to the college admissions committee. Unlike SAT Subject Tests, AP/IB tests require a lot more preparation and studying, since there is an essay portion and the multiple-choice questions require a much deeper college-level understanding of the material.
Focus on your grades
As as a freshman, you may feel overwhelmed by high school at first. Colleges look at your grades throughout your high school career, so you want to keep them as high as you can at each grading period. Therefore, try your best to balance your school organizations, extracurricular activities, and classes. Make getting an A in your classes your goal. If you do not reach your goal, do not worry. Colleges love to see improvement over time, so if your sophomore or junior grades are much better than your freshman ones, colleges will appreciate your growth.
Meet your school counselor
Get to know your counselor early in the year! Whether you are struggling with choosing classes, finding organizations to join, creating a college list, or even your personal life, your counselor is a wonderful resource for you. Asking them to help you plan your freshman year is a great idea, in order to make sure you feel comfortable transitioning to high school and accomplish your goals during your 4 years.
Explore student organizations
As a freshman, the many school organizations and extracurricular activities available can be overwhelming, but this is the time to explore! Ask your friends, upperclassmen, teachers, and counselors about organizations to join and find what interests you most. Do not hesitate to go to group meetings to learn more about organizations, and try out for different teams or positions that you would like to be a part of. And most importantly, make friends! Meet people who are like-minded in their interests and the classes they are taking, so that you can learn and grow together.
Start building your resume
It is much better to write down your experiences and accomplishments throughout high school as they occur, rather than try to remember and compile them into a resume during your senior year. Therefore, we recommend that you keep a running list of your activities starting from freshman year, with short descriptions about what you did, who was involved, what you learned, and the impact of this activity on others. For some tips on writing your resume, read our College Tip of the Week #6: How you describe your activities.
Start saving for college
It may seem like paying for college is far away, but time goes by quickly when you many other responsibilities to keep up with. It is never too late to open a bank account or even a piggy bank at home to put your paychecks, allowance, or any other sources of income to save for your college tuition.
Apply for scholarships
Until midway through your junior year, you likely will not be able to apply for traditional scholarships (for seniors). Therefore, start searching online at Scholarships.com or other safe sites for non-traditional scholarships that you are eligible for, and continue this throughout your junior and senior years. For tips on getting started, look at our College Tip of the Week #17: Scholarship Applications.