Junior Year
Summer
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Read the EduDreamer Consulting College Planning Calendar for sophomore year to see if there are activities you can still do if you have missed them.
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Continue to discuss college and education with your family.
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Regularly schedule time in the summer to continue to read online or paper newspapers, magazines and especially novels with subjects you enjoy.
September
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See a counselor and seek support from EduDreamer Consulting for continued support toward your college preparation.
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Register for the Preliminary SAT Test (PSAT/NMSQT) held in October. It's a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT. It also gives you a chance to enter National Merit Scholarship (NMSC) programs in your junior year and gain access to college and career planning tools. By the years 2024 and 2025, the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT will be digital - testing on a device. See the CollegeBoard.org for details.
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Find out about and attend any scheduled college fairs held in your school or in the community.
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Sign up for high school extracurricular activities -student government, band, athletic teams, student clubs, etc.
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Continue career exploration throughout junior year. Use free websites including Education Planner - www.educationplanner.org or Career OneStop Interest Assessments Careeronestop.org to take a career assessment or an interest inventory or assessment to help you learn more about your interests, talents and skills. Go to the Occupational Outlook Handbook to research specific careers -www.bls.gov/ooh. Talk with a college access advisor, your teachers, and your guidance counselor for more help with career exploration.
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Research then attend a National College Fair and/or the Performing Arts/ STEM Fair. For more information on National College Fairs https://www.nacacattend.org/fairs. [NACAC will continue sponsor both in-person and virtual college fairs throughout academic year.
October
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Continue to have a family discussion about college plans. Family: discuss College with your family. Discuss your interests, current school course work and how to begin planning. Ask your parent or guardian to schedule some time to talk with your counselor. Look for support and information for parents and from EduDreamer Consulting.
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Take the PSAT/NMSQT. Test fees can be waived in some situations. Ask your school counselor's office about Fee Waivers. Prepare for the fact that the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT will be digital and tests will be taken on a devise. See Resources page in this site for more information.
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Start exploring information about colleges you might attend. Talk with your high school counselor and teachers for details and support from your school. See Resources Page on this site. Google the name of the college and start researching from the school’s website.
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Collect information from college fairs, apps, and web sites, attend college presentations at your high school, and read college guides.
November/December
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Find out the following about colleges: application procedures, admission requirements (standardized test scores, grade point averages and class rank), size, location, fees, tuition, room and board costs, student activities, courses or major offerings and financial aid procedures. See the Best College Match checklist on the EduDreamer Consulting website
January/February
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Review senior year course selection, graduation requirements and college plans with your school counselor.
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Sign up for an SAT/ ACT preparation course. Look online for courses, free assistance, or helpful preparation App tools like “Question of the Day” that you can find on test preparation websites. Create your College Board account CollegeBoard.org- and then connect and register for KhanAcademy.com which will automatically set up a study schedule for you. See Resources page on the EduDreamer Consulting website.
March/April
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Register for the Spring SAT/ ACT tests – which will be your first official SAT/ACT after taking the PSAT.
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Begin narrowing down your list of colleges and begin to consider the colleges to which you will apply.
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Check with colleges, your high school, or other programs in your community for scheduled trips to college campuses.
May/June/Summer
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If you are interested in visual or performing arts as a career, ask your school counselor or art teacher about developing your portfolio or audition.
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Gather applications, forms, catalogs, websites, and information about financial aid for chosen colleges from your school counselor's office. Email, call or write or reach out via social media platforms to college admission offices to obtain information.
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Investigate the process of applying on-line using college web sites and the CommonApp (CommonApp usually opens August 1st or the Common Black College App). Also check with your school to get internet addresses and other internet information.
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Research all sources of scholarships and other forms of financial aid including colleges, businesses, private foundations, labor unions, government agencies, ethnic, veteran, religious, fraternal, high school, and civic organizations. Colleges give the highest amount of scholarships. Request scholarship applications from these sources. Use scholarship websites to start your research. Use ScholarFiles® to keep scholarship information organized to maximize your awards. Contact EduDreamer Consulting for assistance with scholarships.
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Start developing essays for college and scholarship applications. Research online for free resources to help with essay writing.
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Ask teachers for recommendations required for many colleges and some scholarship applications. Why ask for letter now?: Your college applications will be sent in the fall of your senior year. Your junior year teachers will likely know you better at this point than your senior year teachers before you send your applications.
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Check with your counselor or academic advisor to verify graduation credits and requirements. Learn how to read your high school transcript.
As of September 2023