College Planning Timeline

Freshman Year

  • Take courses appropriate to your abilities and get the best grades possible
  • Get involved in activities that interest you
  • Develop good personal and spiritual habits
  • Create a resume in Scoir, keep track of community service hours, extra-curricular activities

Sophomore Year

  • Continue to take courses appropriate to your abilities and get the best grades possible
  • Stay involved in activities that interest you
  • Continue to develop good personal and spiritual habits
  • Take the PSAT in October and review results
  • Update your Scoir resume

Junior Year

  • Continue to take courses appropriate to your abilities and get the best grades possible
  • Stay involved in activities that interest you, consider getting a part-time job
  • Continue to develop good personal and spiritual habits
  • Take PSAT in October and review results
  • Update your Scoir resume
  • Attend the “Financial Planning Workshop” in October to get a head start thinking about paying for college
  • Meet with college reps when they visit Eastern Christian
  • Visit college campuses
  • Attend college fairs
  • Attend “Junior Parent Night” in Jan/Feb for an overview of the college admissions process
  • List 10 Colleges in Scoir under your “Following” list
  • Meet with Mr. Struck or Mrs. Lim during the spring semester to discuss postsecondary plans
  • Take SAT or ACT at least once by the end of junior year.

Senior Year

Summer

  • Visit college campuses
  • Update your “Colleges I’m thinking about” list as needed
  • Get a head start and begin writing your college essays
  • Consider getting a part-time job, attending a summer program, and preparing for or taking the SAT or ACT

Fall

  • Continue to take courses appropriate to your abilities and get the best grades possible
  • Complete the “Counselor Recommendation Questionnaire”
  • Request letters of recommendation as needed
  • Retake the SAT or ACT if it will help with admission and scholarships
  • Attend the “Financial Planning Workshop” in Sept/Oct 
  • Attend “College Application Night” in Sept/Oct for a close look at the application process from the admissions side of the desk
  • Meet with Mr. Struck or Mrs. Lim during the fall semester to continue discussing postsecondary plans
  • Update your Scoir resume
  • Finalize your college list in Scoir under “Applying”
  • Decide if you will apply early to any schools, make a calendar of deadlines and be sure to inform Mr. Struck or Mrs. Lim
  • Meet with college reps when they visit Eastern Christian
  • Visit college campuses
  • Attend college fairs
  • Complete the FAFSA and CSS Profile
  • Apply for scholarships
  • Complete all applications and essays
  • Request transcripts to be sent at least two weeks before the application deadline
  • Send SAT or ACT scores to colleges

Spring

  • Apply for scholarships
  • After decisions come back, rank your top choices
  • Make a plan to visit your top choices (stay overnight if possible)
  • Discuss with your parents and pray about your decision
  • Make your decision and send your deposit by May 1
  • Communicate with all schools that accepted you
  • Update Scoir with all admissions decisions on the “Applying” list and indicate the college/university you are attending
  • Write thank you notes to teachers, coaches, or counselors who wrote recommendation letters for you
  • Celebrate, you did it!