College Planning Timelines

At this stage in the game, you’re laying the foundation for your high school career. This is a time to establish your academic and extracurricular credentials. You...

Your child's grades appear on official transcripts starting this year, so if you haven't already started doing so, it's time to take stock. If your child has particularly...

Tenth grade is a banner year for most kids. For the most part, the classes your child takes this year will determine the courses your child will be qualified to...

This is a key year in the college planning process because you’ll be taking standardized tests, narrowing down your college list, and learning more about financial...

This year the college search process really gets going. The combined exploration of the past two years along with your child's testing should help refine the list...

Phew! Once your child reaches senior year, the college search kicks up a notch and will sometimes feel like a full-time job — with all of the toil, tedium, and triumphs...

For this year, you’ll want to stay on track with your high school classes and activities and begin to narrow down the plan for your future. Fall: Take the PSAT...

Senior year is often an extremely busy time, with schoolwork, activities, and special events. Be sure to stay on track with the college admissions process. Get organized,...

Read actual questions from students about college list planning and see answers and advice from college planning and admissions experts