College Planning Timeline
Freshman Year
- Take courses appropriate to your abilities and get the best grades possible
- Get involved in activities that interest you
- Develop good personal and spiritual habits
- Create a resume in Naviance, keep track of community service hours, extra-curricular activities
Sophomore Year
- Continue to take courses appropriate to your abilities and get the best grades possible
- Stay involved in activities that interest you
- Continue to develop good personal and spiritual habits
- Take the PSAT in October and review results
- Update your Naviance resume
Junior Year
- Continue to take courses appropriate to your abilities and get the best grades possible
- Stay involved in activities that interest you, consider getting a part-time job
- Continue to develop good personal and spiritual habits
- Take PSAT in October and review results
- Update your Naviance resume
- Attend the “Financial Planning Workshop” in October to get a head start thinking about paying for college
- Meet with college reps when they visit Eastern Christian
- Visit college campuses
- Attend college fairs
- Attend “College Admissions 101” in Jan/Feb for an overview of the college admissions process
- List 10 Colleges in Naviance under “Colleges I’m thinking about”
- Meet with Mr. Struck or Mrs. Lim during the spring semester to discuss postsecondary plans
- Take SAT or ACT at least once by the end of junior year.
Senior Year
Summer
- Visit college campuses
- Update your “Colleges I’m thinking about” list as needed
- Get a head start and begin writing your college essays
- Consider getting a part-time job, attending a summer program, and preparing for or taking the SAT or ACT
Fall
- Continue to take courses appropriate to your abilities and get the best grades possible
- Complete the Senior Questionnaire
- Request letters of recommendation as needed
- Retake the SAT or ACT if it will help with admission and scholarships
- Attend the “Financial Planning Workshop” in Sept/Oct
- Attend “College Application Night” in Sept/Oct for a close look at the application process from the admissions side of the desk
- Meet with Mr. Struck or Mrs. Lim during the fall semester to continue discussing postsecondary plans
- Update your Naviance resume
- Finalize your college list in Naviance under “Colleges I’m applying to”
- Decide if you will apply early to any schools, make a calendar of deadlines and be sure to inform Mr. Struck or Mrs. Lim
- Meet with college reps when they visit Eastern Christian
- Visit college campuses
- Attend college fairs
- Complete the FAFSA and CSS Profile
- Apply for scholarships
- Complete all applications and essays
- Request transcripts to be sent at least two weeks before the application deadline
- Send SAT or ACT scores to colleges
Spring
- Apply for scholarships
- After decisions come back, rank your top choices
- Make a plan to visit your top choices (stay overnight if possible)
- Discuss with your parents and pray about your decision
- Make your decision and send your deposit by May 1
- Communicate with all schools that accepted you
- Update Naviance with all admissions decisions on the “Colleges I’m Applying To” list and indicate the college/university you are attending.”
- Write thank you notes to teachers, coaches, or counselors who wrote recommendation letters for you
- Celebrate, you did it!