College Timeline

Calendar and Checklist for College Search

FRESHMEN AND SOPHOMORES Keep up your grades and take as challenging course as possible as freshman & sophomores.

JUNIORS The best thing you can do to prepare for college and increase your chances of acceptance is to work hard and take your academics seriously. Grades and course selection are commonly the most important factor in college admission decisions. Consider taking an IB or AP class. Take the PSAT in the fall and the SATs (and/or ACTs - with writing) at some point in the spring. This will help cater the college search to the individual student by providing another criteria to gauge schools. Standardized test scores are generally the second most important factor in admission decisions. Do a college search on the web through Naviance. Meet with your counselor or the college counselor in the spring to come up with a plan to tackle the college search. And once again, most importantly-take your grades seriously! Try your best!

Summer Before Senior Year: Sign up for Fall SAT or ACT. Visit colleges and start college essays. Applications are usually available online in late summer.

SENIORS September: Attend college sessions by visiting college reps when they come to AEHS. Listen to the announcements and look on the bulletin board. Research the colleges on your list for open house dates, visits they will make to this area, etc. Many colleges will hold an info session in a nearby hotel, etc. Sign up for emails from the colleges you are interested in so you will receive information about the prospective student days. Athletes interested in playing Division I or Division II sports in college should register with the NCAA Clearinghouse (www.eligibilitycenter.org) Start to work on college applications and essays. You must fill out a transcript request form for every school to which you apply. If you apply to eight schools, you will be turning in eight transcript requests. They need to be turned into counseling at least THREE weeks before that colleges application deadline. Find out which financial aid applications your college choices require and when the forms are due. Some private colleges and universities may require that you register for CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE at this time.

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Sign up for standardized tests (SAT, ACT, Subject Tests). You only need to take the SAT II (subject tests) if the colleges to which you are applying require them. If you take the ACT, make sure to sign up for ACT plus Writing.

October: Keep working on college applications! Take the SAT or ACT exam, if necessary. Search for outside scholarships. Visit the scholarship and financial aid page. Be aware of any deadlines that you need to meet in order to qualify for the colleges merit based scholarships. (Example: you must apply by the Priority deadline in order to be considered for scholarships and special programs at University of Maryland.)

November: Use November 1 as a target date for turning in all of your applications to the Counseling Office (unless your college's deadline is earlier). Take the SAT or ACT exam, if necessary. Continue to research sources for outside funding and/or scholarships.

December: When you file for financial aid, the student - and parent - both need a PIN. Go to www.pin.ed.gov in order to register for a PIN. Familiarize yourself with the FAFSA: www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA is available January 1 of the students senior year. PARENTS: Save your year-end payroll stub if it shows your earnings for the year. You may need it for financial aid eligibility reviews by schools.

January: Submit FAFSA and CSS Profile (if needed) as soon after January 1 as possible. This is recommended if you want to be considered to state scholarship programs as well.

February: If you need help with the FAFSA, look for the College Goal Sunday event to get free, on-site professional assistance filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Talk to financial aid professionals about financial aid resources and how to apply Get information regarding state-wide student services, admission requirements, and more! http://collegegoalsundaymd.org/

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March: If you submitted your FAFSA early, look for your Student Aid Report (SAR) in the mail. Your SAR contains federal financial aid information. If you have not received your Student Aid Report four weeks after sending in your FAFSA, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at (319) 337-5665. College acceptance and financial aid award letters will begin to arrive. Compare the financial aid awards you receive. Bring in copies of letters to counseling.

April: Make your final decision and send in a deposit by the deadline, May 1. Notify the other schools that you will not be attending. Watch for important deadlines at your chosen college (housing, financial aid, etc.).

May: Bring in copies of all of your college responses (acceptances, waitlists, etc) and scholarship offers to counseling. Notify counseling of your final choice so that your transcript can be forwarded to your college. You must do this in order to register for classes at your college. As a courtesy, notify the other schools to which you are accepted that you will not be attending.

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