College Counseling

Class of 2010 colleges and universities College handbook (pdf) Planning calendar College visitors School profile (pdf)

Conquering the college interview Summer to-do list for rising seniors SAT dates and deadlines ACT dates and deadlines Additional resources & gap year info

Planning Calendar

Junior Year

October

• Take the PSAT/NMSQT.

January

• Take the SAT.
• Juniors receive college counselor assignment and Naviance account registration code.

February

• Read the College Handbook. After reading it, go to your Naviance account please complete the college counseling questionnaire and autobiographical essay. Deadline for submission is no later than April 2, 2010.
• Parents receive Naviance account registration codes and complete on-line parent questionnaire.
• Schedule an individual meeting with your college counselor after completing the college questionnaire and autobiography. If possible, invite your parents to attend your initial meeting.
• Once you have met with your college advisor received a list of suggested colleges, begin using Naviance and other resources to investigate colleges.
• Begin working with Naviance’s interactive on line SAT tutorial, Method Test Prep.
• Continue to research college suggestions.
• Make sure you go on line and register as an inquiry at all colleges of interest.

March

• Register for May SAT at: www.collegeboard.com or pick up a paper registration from the College Office. The deadline for registering for this test is March 25, 2010.
• If advised, register for April ACT at www.act.org or pick up a paper registration from the College Office. The registration deadline is March 5, 2010.
• International students for whom English is the second language should register to take the TOEFL at home over the summer. Sign up at www.ets.org/toefl.
• During spring vacation, begin visiting colleges (optional).
• Continue to research colleges on your list.

April

• Deadline for completing your college questionnaire and autobiography in Naviance is April 2.
• Make course selections for the senior year in consultation with you advisor and your college counselor.
• If advised, take ACT examination on April 10, 2010
• Register for June SAT (or Subject Tests in two or three different subjects) at: www.collegeboard.com or pick up a paper registration from the College Counseling Office. The deadline for registering for this test is April 29, 2010.

May

• Take SAT or Subject Tests on May 1.
• If advised, register for June ACT exam by May 7 at www.actstudent.org or pick up a paper registration from the College Office.
• If advised, take Advanced Placement examinations if appropriate.

June

• Take SAT or Subject Tesst on June 5.
• Take ACT on June 12.

Summer

• If you plan to take the SAT or Subject Tests in early October, remember that the registration deadline for that date is in early September. Go to www.collegeboard.com to register.
• If you plan to take the ACT in early September, remember that the registration deadline is early August. You should plan to register at www.act.org while at home before returning to school.
  
• Research the colleges on your list in Naviance in depth. Explore the information Naviance provides on each college as well as college web sites. Read college guide books, such as the Fiske Guide to Colleges, and talk to alumni you might know.
  
• Go to the web sites of each of the colleges you are interested in and complete the on-line inquiry form so that you are on their mailing list.
  
• Reflect on your high school career, review and update your college counseling questionnaire, and create a resume. Click on “my resume” in Naviance and you will find a tutorial and a template so that you can create your own professional-looking resume.
  
• Develop a travel plan to visit as many colleges as you can. Make it a priority to see different types of colleges (large vs. small, urban vs. rural, etc.).
  
• By now, you should be scheduling interviews at colleges of high interest to you (review Conquering the College Interview. Call admissions offices as soon as possible to schedule your interviews as schedules fill up quickly (you can do this on line at many college Web sites). As you plan your college trips, allow a morning or an afternoon on each campus.
  
• If you have an interview at a college, take along your resume and an unofficial transcript. We will send you a copy of your transcript in the last week of June or the first week of July.
  
• Maintain a journal (preferably your junior seminar journal). It is very important to record your impressions of each college visit as soon after the visit as possible. Write down the three to five most important things you will use to measure a college and evaluate each visit in terms of those measures. Also, use your journal to record essay ideas, goals, questions to ask, to-do lists, contact information of people you meet at colleges, etc.
  
• Begin working on a theme/concept for your college essay. If you can return in the fall with a draft(s) of your essay, you will feel well ahead of the game.
  
• The new version of the Common Application should be available on-line (www.commonapp.org) on July 1. We recommend that you begin to explore it in detail.
  
• As you explore the Common Application, go to "Download Forms" and click on "Requirements Grid." Highlight the deadlines, test and teacher recommendation requirements, and early application options for each of your colleges. Make a spread sheet with this and other pertinent information on it. This will help you feel organized and on top of things.
  
• As you look at the Common Application for each college on your list, check to see if supplemental essays are required. Look at the supplemental essay questions and begin thinking about how you will respond to them.
  
• In most cases, we do not believe it is necessary for you to take a SAT prep course. However, we do encourage you to practice in areas where you need to improve. You can do this by working with the on-line, interactive SAT review program in Naviance called Method Test Prep or by working with an SAT review book. One of the best ways to improve your Critical Reading and Writing SAT scores is to read as much as you can. Classical literature, current novels, newspapers, magazines—they are all good. Discipline yourself to do this daily. Evidence suggests a correlation between a steady habit of reading and verbal/writing SAT scores.
• Think about which teachers you will ask to write recommendations for you next fall. Ideally, you should choose two teachers from different academic areas (i.e. English/history and math/science) who have taught you in junior year courses. While we insist that you ask your teachers for recommendations in person, a heads-up email over the summer might be appreciated. If you have questions about teacher recommendations, contact me.
• Make sure you keep talking with your parents and your college counselor over the summer. Effective communication is essential with all parties involved in your college process is essential. You don't want to get excited about colleges in California now only to find out next November that your parents will not support your going that far away from home.
• If you are an athlete intending to be recruited by colleges and compete at the Division I or II level, register with the NCAA Eligibility Center at www.ncaa.org.
• If you are an international student for whom English is not your first language, register to take the TOEFL here in Albany as early in the fall as possible. You can do so at www.ets.org/toefl. 
• Most importantly, take time to relax and let your tired mind breathe. You've had a demanding junior year, and your senior year will be a busy one. You need to return in the fall refreshed, excited, and enthusiastic.

Senior Year

September

• Make appointment(s) with your college counselor immediately upon your return to campus. Sit down with everyone who has a stake in your college decision and solicit their input. Listen to what everyone has to say.
• Register for October 10 SAT or Subject Tests at: www.collegeboard.com or pick up a paper registration from the College Office. The deadline for registering for this test is September 9, 2010.
• If advised, register for October 24 ACT at www.act.org or pick up a paper registration from the College Office. The registration deadline is September 18 , 2010.
• Draft college essay(s) and begin work on college applicatons.
• International students for whom English is the second language register to take the TOEFL at www.ets.org/toefl.
• Visit The Common Application Web site at www.commonapp.org to see if your colleges participate in this program. If not, find college application forms on line. Make a list of all college application and financial aid deadlines and place them in your planner or organize them in a college planning spreadsheet.
• Monitor the schedule of college representative visits in the college office and sign up to attend appropriate presentations.
• Visit (or re-visit) colleges of strong interest for admission interviews (review carefully the rules governing college visit on page 18 of Fine Print).          
• Ask two (2) teachers in person if they will write teacher recommendations for you.

October

• Continue consultations with your college counselor. Explore ED/EA options with your counselor. Narrow down your list to about 10-15 colleges.
• Register for November 7 SAT or Subject Tests at: www.collegeboard.com or pick up a paper registration from the College Office. The deadline for registering for this test is October 1, 2010.
• Take the SAT or Subject Tests on October 10 and/or the ACT on October 24.
• Continue to visit (or re-visit) colleges of strong interest for admission interviews (review carefully the rules governing college visit on page 18 of Fine Print).
• Continue to monitor the schedule of college representative visits in the college office and sign up to attend appropriate presentations.
• Register for December 5 SAT or Subject Tests at: www.collegeboard.com or pick up a paper registration from the College Office. The deadline for registering for this test is October 30, 2010.
• Continue to work on college applications. Complete college essays and have them reviewed by your English teacher and/or your college counselor or a faculty member.
• International students for whom English is the second language should take or retake the TOEFL.
• Provide each of the teachers who will write your recommendations the materials noted in the section on teacher recommendations.

November

• Continue consultations with your college counselor.
• Register for December 12 ACT examination at www.act.org or pick up a paper registration from the College Office. The deadline for registering for this test is November 6, 2010.

• Go to College Board and/or ACT Web sites and send score reports to colleges.
• Finalize your list of colleges with your college counselor.
• Continue to monitor the schedule of college representative visits in the college office and sign up to attend appropriate presentations.
• Take November 7 SAT or SAT Subject Tests.
• Continue working on applications and essays.
• Confirm that your teacher recommenders have what they need to write for you.
• File November deadline ED/EA applications.
• File rolling admission applications.
• First-quarter grades sent out for EDI / EA applicants.

December

• Take December 5 SAT or SAT Subject Tests.
• Take December 12 ACT examination if advised to do so.
• Expect ED I / EA decisions and report them to your college counselor.
  
• Confirm that SAT/ACT scores have been be sent to colleges.
• Ensure that the teachers writing your recommendations have everything they need before Revels.
• File ED II and January 1 regular applications over vacation.
• Make sure that the College Office has received your finalized college list and a secondary school report form for every college to which you are applying before Revels week begins.

January

• Complete January 15 and later applications.
• Obtain and complete financial aid application forms.
• Investigate scholarship options.

February

• Schedule catch-up meeting with your college counselor to review application status and college list.
• Expect ED II and rolling admissions decisions. Notify the college counselor of all decisions as they come in.

March

• Continue to work hard academically—the spring semester can make a difference.

April

• Expect decisions from all colleges.
• Revisit colleges where you have been accepted. Attend accepted student programs.
• Discuss your final choice with your college counselor.
• Notify all colleges of your enrollment intentions prior to May 1and confirm that you have done this with the College Office.

May

• May 1: Deadline for enrollment deposit.
• Decline acceptances promptly in writing. (Remember: depositing at more than one college is forbidden.)
• Take APs if appropriate.
• Complete your senior year in as strong a position as possible so as not to jeopardize your college acceptance.

June

• Graduation!