Here’s what to do month-by-month, year-by-year, to get your high school student prepped for and successfully through the college application process.
The road to college can be complicated and confusing for students and parents alike. We’ve gathered unbiased and comprehensive input from multiple expert sources and compiled it into four inclusive timelines to help all aspiring college students — and their families — organize their college prep efforts.
Getting into college involves so much more than filling out an application. Our college prep timelines begin in 9th grade and continue, month by month, through the end of 12th grade.
For high school sophomores, our interactive 10th grade college prep timeline helps parents and students understand concepts like the important distinction between classes that count toward high school graduation but not for college admission, the importance of taking on academic and extracurricular challenges, the best strategies for communicating with teachers and college counselors, and the nuts and bolts of writing strong papers, making effective presentations, and practicing effective study habits.
For juniors and seniors, our timeline goes deeper into the details of helping students and parents navigate the college applications process as well as helping students consider their personal learning and career goals and the different routes they might take to achieve postsecondary success.
There are a lot of important decision points for high school sophomores, many of which students, parents, and even counselors can miss. Our interactive timeline offers 10th grade college prep information, tips, and insights to help parents help their high school students navigate the road to college without missing a single step.
Want more? Check out our articles about college prep, being the first in the family to go to college, and saving for college.