College Preparation Timeline

Last Updated on February 15, 2022 by Jill Schwitzgebel

It’s that back-to-school time of year. For many parents of high schoolers and their teens, that means that it’s time to get serious about focusing on the college preparation timeline. Trust me, it’s much easier to start early than it is to tune in to the admissions game at the end of a student’s junior year in high school. And no, you don’t have to start while they’re in kindergarten! It wouldn’t hurt to become familiar with the process as they’re entering high school though.

There are five areas that colleges typically focus on when considering an applicant. Every college will weight each area a bit differently, but this is the general consideration order.

Academics, including GPA, as well as ACT/SAT scores
Extracurricular Activities
Essays
Recommendations
Interviews (common at smaller and more selective colleges)

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Freshman Year

Relax. Sort of. This is a year of adjustment to the rigors of high school. It often seems much too soon to think about college. But, do be aware that most every college does factor grades from this year into their admissions decision.
Due to above, schedule appropriately. Make sure that your student is taking the most rigorous courses that they can comfortably handle. Be sure to include courses that meet graduation requirements, as well as courses that may be prerequisites for later courses. Often the schedule this year doesn’t allow for a lot of choices, but if they’re able, consider an elective in an area of interest to your student. When it comes time to schedule for next year, try to schedule courses that will display progressive rigor, including AP courses if offered.
Continue any sports or extracurriculars that your student has enjoyed previously. But, there will often be many more options available to them at the high school level, so encourage your student to join any new activities that are of interest. Start a new one if they can’t find it offered!
Begin having some conversations about college.

Sophomore Year

Begin to think a bit more seriously about colleges as the year progresses.
Take the PSAT in the fall at school when it’s offered, as practice.
If your student has not found an activity yet, continue to explore extracurriculars. In extracurriculars where they are already involved, consider applying for a leadership position for the following year, if the organization offers that.
Begin the college search process by visiting nearby colleges to get a feel for what your child likes and doesn’t like in a college. Maybe purchase a college guide and look through it. Talk to friends whose older kids have similar interests and see what they suggest. Check out College Visits – the Fun Part of Applying to College!
At scheduling time, select challenging courses that will continue to show academic growth next year when colleges see the transcript. Lots of times, Junior year is when students begin to have the most choice in their schedule – use electives in areas of interest for college majors.
At the end of the year, consider signing up for a sitting of both the ACT and the SAT to get a baseline score. That will help your student to know which test to focus on studying for when they take it again their junior year.
Consider creating a student resumé that will come in handy for your student if they’re applying for jobs over this summer. Then, it can be updated as needed and will be one less thing to do if any of the colleges on your application list require a resumé.

See also: Where (and WHEN) to Begin

Junior Year

Everyone hears horror stories about this year. Take a deep breath. Stay organized. It will be easier if you took a few steps during sophomore year
Take the PSAT in the fall to try to qualify for a National Merit Finalist scholarship
Take the SAT or ACT in late fall or winter. That leaves time to re-take it in the spring if your student is not happy with their score.
Hopefully, your child has found a sport and/or extracurricular or two that they really enjoy. This is the year to show initiative and engagement. Consider whether there is opportunity for leadership experience.
This is the year of the serious college search. You want to aim for a list of schools that includes Safeties, Reaches, and Matches. It is ideal if your student has a fairly complete list of where they plan to apply at the end of this year. Attend a college fair or two to learn about more schools.
Schedule wisely for senior year. Sometimes, kids want to take on a ridiculously difficult schedule. Recognize that their motivation may decrease as the year goes on and strive for balance! Some kids are burned out by Junior year and want to take three basket weaving courses. Don’t let them do that either. Remember that colleges will still want to see progression in course rigor.
Cultivate relationships with teachers. At the end of this year, ask one or two of them if they would be willing to write a college recommendation for you. Offer them a resumé. This gives them the summer to work on it to be ready for application time in the fall.

Senior Year

Write at least the main college essay over the summer before the school year begins. Applications typically open on August 1, and it will be so much easier if some of the application stress is out of the way by the time school starts.
If for some reason you haven’t finished up all testing, make sure you sign up for tests early in the fall so that they can be ready for colleges by their application deadline.
Make a spreadsheet that includes all college application deadlines and requirements. Later in the year, make a spreadsheet that will allow you to compare costs based on financial aid packages that the college gives you.
Try not to let Senioritis take over too soon. Remember, colleges do look at final transcripts!
But, after the applications are all in, relax and prepare to celebrate in the spring!

College Preparation Timeline