College Admissions Timeline

Freshman Year

Good news! No need to take any standardized tests this year! Use this time to develop your vocabulary by reading as much as possible.

The one exception is SAT Subject Tests. For instance, if you are one of those rare freshmen who take biology in 9th grade, you should take the SAT: Subject Test in Biology in June of your 9th grade year. And if you are taking honors or AP courses in which you are strong, you should take the corresponding SAT Subject Tests after you complete the class. It�??s a good idea to take these tests because you never know whether the schools you�??ll apply to will require Subject Tests. Taking the SAT or ACT during your freshman year, however, is not necessary.

To Do:

• Investigate different activities (clubs, sports, etc.) that you might be interested in.
• Stay on top of your school assignments, activities and other responsibilities.
• Investigate SAT Subject Tests as appropriate.

Sophomore Year

This year you will begin to venture into the testing arena.

September: Register for the PSAT if you need to. Consult your school counselor for details.

October: Take the PSAT or the PLAN (a pre-ACT practice test). Colleges won�??t see your scores so it cannot affect your record. National merit scholarships are not linked to this test until your junior year, but taking the PSAT as a 10th grader is excellent practice.

Consider taking a PSAT test prep course for sophomores. It will give you a head start on becoming a skilled tester, help reduce test-taking anxiety, and get you on the road to success early. It�??s a great, brief introduction to PSAT content and strategies.

October: Think about your summer plans, including jobs, internships, etc.

April: Keep an eye out for College Night at your school�??while it will likely be geared toward juniors, attend if you can.

May: If you are in an AP class, then you should take the corresponding AP exam in May because you�??ll build up a stronger application and you might get college credit. College admissions people tend to frown upon students from AP classes who duck out on taking the AP exam.

June: Take an appropriate SAT Subject Test. If you are taking honors or AP courses in which you are strong and which have corresponding SAT Subject Tests, you should take them. You never know where you might decide to apply (some schools require Subject Tests) and it might come in handy to have already taken them.

To Do:

• Practice Test: At the very least, take a FREE Princeton Review practice test to alleviate anxiety before you sit for the actual exams.
• Start researching colleges with The Princeton Review�??s Counselor-O-Matic  to find a potential fit.

See 10th Grade College Admissions Guide for more details.
 

SUMMER Between Sophomore and Junior Years

If you have the time, the inclination, and the resources, then summer is the best time to prepare. You have learned the vast majority of the material that will appear on the SAT or the ACT (and if you�??ve completed algebra II, then you�??ve learned all of it), and summer is a considerably less stressful time to be doing this work.

Use your union discount to take the Princeton Review SAT course to prepare for both the PSAT and the SAT.

To Do:

• Continue researching colleges with The Princeton Review�??s Counselor-O-Matic.
• Stay busy doing things you enjoy.

Junior Year

This is the �??biggie�?� for testing. While many different scheduling strategies can satisfy individual students�?? needs, the majority of students fall roughly into two categories. Answer the following questions to see where you stand:

1. Are you applying to highly competitive colleges?
2. Do you have a lot of commitments (aka, are you very busy) during the school year?
3. Is your summer-activity load light?
4. Are you trying to achieve National Merit?
5. Are your current scores far from your goal scores?
6. Do you plan to take both the SAT and the ACT?

If you answered mostly NO to these questions, click here for your suggested timeline.

If you answered mostly YES, then follow this timeline:

August: Review your academic schedule: Make sure you're taking some challenging courses. Your grades are more important than ever.

August: Use your union discount to take the Princeton Review SAT course to prepare for both the PSAT and the SAT.

September: Register for the SAT and/or PSAT. Then review your transcript. It's always nice to know where you are.

October: Take the SAT followed by the PSAT. Take the SAT for the first time. Why so early?

• As you know, grades from the junior year are extremely important. You do not want to be stressed about taking the SAT for the first time in the spring.
• By taking the SAT in October, you give yourself far greater flexibility and control over the testing process.
• In addition, by junior year, you have sufficiently covered the material tested on the SAT.
• National Merit scholarships are linked to the PSAT, but the true intent of this is still to provide you with more SAT practice.

October/December: Take the ACT.

November: Take the Language Listening subject tests for native speakers.

November/December: Take the SAT if you missed October testing sessions.

Winter/Spring:

• Keep your eye out for college fairs in your area.
• Think about what to do this summer.
• Stay focused on your academic performance.
• Talk with your parents about take a college road trip over Spring Break.

March: Take a second crack at the SAT and start visiting colleges.

April: Take a second crack at the ACT.

April: Start researching scholarships.

May: Ask a few of your teachers if they'd be willing to write you a letter of recommendation next year (they'll appreciate the advance notice).

May/June: SAT Subject Tests, and AP exams in May.

October (Sr. year): A final crack at the SAT or ACT, if needed.
 

If you answered mostly NO, then this is a good timeline:

August: Use your union discount to take the Princeton Review SAT course to prepare for both the PSAT and the SAT.

October: Take the PSAT.

January/March: Take the SAT.

February/April: Take the ACT.

May/June: Possibly take the SAT Subject Tests, or AP exams in May. Take a second crack at the SAT or ACT.

When to Prep:

Take a FREE Princeton Review practice test to determine your preparation needs and alleviate anxiety.The summer before you begin junior year is an ideal time.

• Start preparing 5�??12 weeks prior to the SAT, ACT, or PSAT (tutoring and Small Group Tutoring students should start earlier);
• 3�??6 weeks prior to the SAT Subject Tests.
• The earliest a student should take an SAT or ACT class is in the summer following their sophomore year. If a student takes the class in their freshman year, they will forget most of what they�??ve learned by their junior and senior year. Most students take the class in the summer after their sophomore year, or in the spring of their junior year immediately before their SAT test date.

To Do:

• Continue researching colleges with The Princeton Review�??s Counselor-O-Matic.
• Finalize your list of teachers to write your letters of recommendation by June.
• Start brainstorming potential application essay topics.
• Take a free practice test from the Princeton Review.

See 11th Grade College Admissions Guide for more details.

Senior Year

Senior year can be complicated, so double-check with your school counselor on your specific needs.

NOTE: If you are applying early action/early decision, you'll need to speed up this process.

July: Union Plus Scholarship Application available online (deadline to apply: January 31st).

August: Register for fall exams. PLUS:

• Determine your college direction.
• Decide if you are applying early decision/early admissions.
• Prepare for the SAT/ACT if you plan to retake them.

September: Register for fall exams. PLUS:

• Finalize your short list of colleges.
• Research scholarships.
• Mark application deadlines on your calendar.

October: A final crack at the SAT or ACT, if needed. Ideally this should be your last chance at the exam. PLUS:

• Meet with your guidance counselor if you haven't yet.
• Stay on top of all school assignments. Grades still matter.
• Review your official transcript and make sure it's correct!
• Prioritize the schools on your list (by deadline and by your interest).
• Work on your college essays.
• Continue researching scholarships.
• Deliver recommendation forms to your teachers.
• Discuss financial aid application requirements with your parents.

November & December: Use the November and December testing dates to �??clean up�?� whatever parts of your testing history that remain a problem. PLUS:

• Keep working on your college applications. Send your transcripts.
• Follow up with your teachers about your recommendations.
• Edit your essays.
• Complete scholarship applications.
• Discuss financial aid application requirements with your parents.
• Interview, if desired, at your chosen schools.

December: Complete the Union Plus Scholarship Application (Deadline: January 31st).

January:

• Complete the FAFSA (Deadline: February 28th).
• Finish any outstanding apps with January deadlines.
• Make sure all your recommendations have been sent.
• Send in updated transcript with first semester grades.
• Determine if you need to/want to apply to any additional schools.

March: There are four types of decisions from the Admissions Office: (1) acceptance, (2) rejection, (3) wait list, (4) provisional. Acceptance and rejection are self-explanatory. Wait lists and provisional acceptances deserve some attention.

• (Re-)Visit schools at which you've been accepted.
• If you've been waitlisted, consider appealing the school's decision.

April: Along with your admission/rejection decision, colleges will send you a decision from the financial aid office regarding your financial aid package.

• Compare financial aid packages. Check out your Union Plus union member discounts on Princeton Review financial aid and college admissions courses.
• Pay attention to your heart and review your criteria for choosing colleges. Then make final decision on where to attend and be happy. Whatever decision you make, once you've made it, don't regret it.
• If waitlisted, start working on improving your chances.
• Start investigating student loans.

May: Get paperwork in to the school you've decided to attend.

June: Stay on top of all official school mail.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Students may take standardized tests up to, and including, the December test date of their senior year without any negative ramifications to their college applications!

See 12th Grade College Admissions Guide for more details.

Glossary of Terms

ACT

• The ACT is one of two admissions tests required by many colleges (the other is the SAT). The ACT is curriculum-based and has 4 tests plus an optional writing test (essay). It is an increasingly popular alternative to the SAT.
• This test tends to reward students who are better in reading and grammar than they are in math.
• The ACT is the dominant college entrance exam in the Midwest and the South but is now accepted by all schools across the country.
• The ACT is scored on a 1�??36 basis (the average score is about 20 or 21).
• You can decide which scores will be sent to your schools.
• The practice ACT is called the PLAN. To sign up for the actual ACT, go to ACT.org.
• Check our your union discounts on ACT test prep here.

AP (Advanced Placement)

• AP exams are end-of-year, college level exams that are used for admissions purposes at competitive schools to give students college credit at many colleges and universities.
• The scoring grid goes from 1�??5 (higher is better), with 3 representing a passing score.
• These tests are administered at high schools during the second and third weeks of May.
• Some popular subjects include English Language and Composition, U.S. History, and English Literature and Composition.

PSAT

An excellent practice test for the SAT that has absolutely nothing to do with college admissions. Rather it serves the following functions:

• It is a strong window into your testing soul - if you do well on the PSAT, you are likely to do equally well on the SAT.
• Very good testers can achieve National Merit stardom, a scholarship contest that is predominantly linked to PSAT scores from the junior year of PSAT testing.
• Finally, when you sign up for the PSAT, you will be given the chance to join the Student Search Service where your name will be released to colleges and you will receive ridiculous amounts of junk mail from colleges that both interest and horrify you. The PSAT is offered at your school during the second week or the third Saturday of October and you must sign up for this test through your high school.
• There is no essay or Algebra II on the PSAT and it's about half the length of the SAT.

SAT

• The SAT is popular in the West and the East, and is scored from 600-2400. The average score is about a 1560, a good score is anything over 1800, and 2200+ is the number for the most ridiculously competitive schools.
• The SAT has Math, Reading and Writing sections, includes some Algebra II and an essay, and can be taken 2-3 times since colleges only count students' highest scores.
• To sign up to take the actual SAT, you go to www.collegeboard.com
• Check our your union discounts on SAT test prep here. 

Subject Tests

SAT Subject Tests are one-hour, multiple-choice exams that focus on individual subjects. Until recently, these used to be called the SAT II exams. SAT Subject Tests are offered in:

• Biology (Ecology or Molecular Biology)
• Chemistry
• English Literature
• Foreign languages*
• Math Level 1 (not accepted by the UC school system, but accepted by private colleges)
• Math Level 2
• Physics
• U.S. History World History

*If you are fluent in a foreign language, then take the language with Listening Subject Test. This test is offered in Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. You will need to bring a portable CD player and headphones with you to the testing center.

You may take up to three SAT Subject Tests in one day (although we wouldn�??t recommend it�??it�??s pretty tiring), and each Subject Test is scored on a 200�??800 scale. A good score is 600+, and a great score is anything over 700.  To sign up for the actual Subject Tests, go to www.collegeboard.com.