Essential Milestones in Your College Search Journey
Embarking on the college search journey involves several key milestones to navigate. Each stage is vital for making informed decisions and securing a place at your dream school. This guide outlines crucial steps, helping you stay organized and prepared as you move forward in your educational pursuits.
11th Grade: Preparing for College
Summer
Get the facts about what college costs.
You may be surprised by how affordable higher education can be.
Explore financial aid options.
These include grants and scholarships, loans, and work-study programs that can help pay for college costs.
Fall
Make sure your student meets with the school counselor.
This meeting is crucial this year as your 11th grader starts to engage in the college application process.
Help your student stay organized.
Work with your 11th grader to make weekly or monthly to-do lists to keep on top of the tasks required to get ready for applying to colleges.
Help your junior get ready for the PSAT in October.
This preliminary test helps students practice for the SAT and assess their academic skills. Juniors who score well on the test are also eligible for scholarship opportunities.
Encourage your student to set goals for the school year.
Working toward specific goals helps your high school student stay motivated and focused.
Winter
Help your student prepare for the SAT.
Many juniors take the SAT in the spring so they can get a head start on planning for college.
Discuss taking challenging courses next year.
Taking honors or college-level courses as a senior can help your student prepare for college work—and these are also the courses that college admission officers like to see.
Encourage your student to take AP Exams.
If your 11th grader takes AP or other advanced classes, have your child talk with teachers now about taking these tests in May.
Spring
Search together for colleges that meet your student’s needs.
Once you know the qualities your junior is looking for in a college, help your student create a list of colleges to consider applying to.
Help your student research scholarships.
This form of financial aid provides money for college that doesn’t need to be repaid. Discover a variety of non-institutional scholarships at College Board’s Scholarship Search.
Attend college fairs and financial aid events.
These events allow you to meet with college representatives and get answers to questions. Your student can ask the school counselor how to find events in your area.
Help your student make summer plans.
Summer is a perfect time to explore interests and learn new skills—and colleges look for students who pursue meaningful summer activities. Help your high school student look into
Summer learning programs or find a job or internship.
Visit colleges together.
Make plans to check out the campuses of colleges your student is interested in.
12th Grade: Final Steps for College Prep
Summer
Visit colleges together.
If you haven’t already, make plans to check out the campuses of colleges that interest your student.
Ask how you can help your senior finalize a college list.
You can help your 12th grader choose which colleges to apply to by weighing how well each college meets their needs.
Find out a college’s actual cost.
Once your 12th grader has a list of a few colleges of interest, use the Net Price Calculator to discover the potential for financial aid and each college’s out-of-pocket cost—or net price.
Encourage your student to get started on applications.
You can get the easy stuff out of the way by filling in as much required information on college applications as possible
Help your student decide about applying early.
If your senior is set on attending a certain college, they should consider whether applying early is a good option. Now is the time to decide because early applications are usually due in November.
Gather financial documents.
Your student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for most financial aid. You’ll need your most recent tax returns and an FSA ID to complete the FAFSA.
Fall
Encourage your student to meet with the school counselor.
This year, your 12th grader will work with the counselor to complete and submit college applications.
Create a calendar with your student.
This should include application deadlines and other important dates, like the FAFSA, early decision deadlines, and special visiting events.
Get your child ready for college admission tests.
Many seniors retake college admission tests, such as the SAT, in the fall.
Help your child find and apply for scholarships.
Your high school student can learn about scholarship opportunities from the school counselor and how to request and complete scholarship applications and submit them on time.
Offer to look over your senior’s college applications.
But remember that this is your student’s work, so remain in the role of adviser and proofreader. Respect your student’s voice.
Winter
Work together to apply for financial aid.
Have your child contact the financial aid offices at the colleges of interest to find out what forms students must submit to apply for aid. Make sure your child applies for aid by or before any stated deadlines. Funds are limited, so the earlier you apply, the better.
Learn about college loan options together.
Borrowing money for college can be a wise choice—especially if your high school student gets a low-interest federal loan.
Encourage your student to take AP Exams.
If your 12th grader takes AP or other advanced classes, have them talk with teachers now about taking these tests in May.
Spring
Help your student process college responses.
Once your 12th grader hears about admission and financial aid from colleges, you can help them decide what to do.
Review financial aid offers together.
Your 12th grader will need your help reading through financial aid award letters and determining which package works best. Be sure your student pays attention to and meets any deadlines for acceptance.
Help your student complete the paperwork to accept a college’s offer of admittance.
These steps should be taken once your senior has decided which college to attend: review the offer, accept that college’s offer, mail a tuition deposit, and submit other required paperwork.
Adapted from CollegeBoard’s Family Action Plan, 11th and 12 Grade.
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