Spring and Summer before Senior Year
* Develop a long list (15-20) of colleges.
* Take the ACT or SAT.
* Read everything you can about each college and call the admissions offices to request information and ask questions.
Fall of Senior Year
* Using the information you have collected, narrow down to a visit list (6-8.)
* Call at least one week ahead of your planned visit and make any special requests you may have (meeting with a professor, watching a rehearsal, attending a practice, etc.)
* Visit each school either individually or on a group visit day.
* Complete financial aid estimators for each of your college choices that offer that particular service.
* After visiting, decide at which colleges you will make application.
* Develop a chart for each college including application deadlines, scholarship deadlines, procedures, special application items needed (essays, portfolios, resumes, special recommendations, etc.)
* Ask teachers and counselors for recommendations at least one month before they are due and provide addressed and stamped envelopes.
* Apply to each college.
Spring of Senior Year
* Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) after January 1, if you wish to apply for need-based aid.
* Re-visit your top three colleges.
* Make your college choice by May 1.
Summer after Graduation
* Plan, prepare, pack, and play a little, too!
http://www.thehighschoolgraduate.com/editorial/DE/collegesearch.htm
