High School Calendar

JUNIOR YEAR MILESTONES
Month	Milestone	Resources
September - October	Sign up and take the PSAT. Sign up for extracurricular activities. Start researching colleges and list those that interest you. Attend a college fair.	PSAT/SAT Information and Registration
November - January	Research summer enrichment programs, internships, and jobs. Prepare for NYS Regents exams with “Regents Review 2.0” Visit college Web sites and request college catalogues. Prepare a list of colleges to visit.	Regents Review 2.0
February - May	Talk about your after high school plans with your family and school counselor or advisor. What do you want to be? Which areas of studies do you want to pursue? Register for the SAT and SAT Subject Tests or the ACT. Review the course selections for your high school senior year. Start a college application file. Prepare for NYS Regents exams with “Regents Review 2.0”. Attend college fairs. Find out about college-prep summer programs. Apply for a summer enrichment program, internship and/or job. Attend Junior Visit Days offered by some colleges. Register and study for AP exams. Study for finals and Regents exams. Get you PIN to electronically sign the FAFSA now. Familiarize yourself with FAFSA4caster.	PSAT/SAT Information and Registration ACT Information and Registration NY Career Zone College Fair Calendar pin.ed.gov FAFSA4caster Regents Review 2.0
June	Study for and take finals and NYS Regents exams. Take the SAT and SAT Subject Tests or the ACT. Begin work on your college application essays. Write a resume of your activities, awards, etc. to help you later on in the college application process. Ask several teachers, employers, and others who know you well for letters of recommendation. Find out about financial aid available through church groups, labor unions, and other organizations.
July - August	Schedule and make college visits. Get a Social Security number, if you don’t have one. Earn and save money for college. Narrow down your college list.
SENIOR YEAR MILESTONES
Month	Milestone	Resources
September	Be sure your courses meet requirements for high school graduation. Continue participating in extracurricular activities. Meet with your college advisor/high school counselor. Register for the SAT, SAT Subject Tests and/or the ACT. Get the letters of recommendation from teachers, employers, and others you have asked. If you haven’t already, visit the colleges to which you are applying. Decide if you want to apply for an “early action” or “early decision” at any college and check the application due dates. Review deadlines for specific college programs and scholarships. Check your high school counseling office for financial aid workshops, scholarship announcements, and visits by college representatives.	SAT Information and Registration ACT Information and Registration
October	Make a final check and review of your school records. Attend college nights or conferences. Register for the SAT, SAT Subject Tests and/or the ACT if you have not yet done so. Consult your college advisor/high school counselor and college Web sites about any other required tests. Work on applications. Request transcripts from your high school to be sent to the colleges to which you are applying. Apply for any applicable scholarships/awards from local organizations. Check college application deadlines. Meet early decision/early action deadlines, if desired. If you haven’t yet decided which colleges to apply to, attend the college fair in your area.	SAT Information and Registration ACT Information and Registration College Fair Calendar
November	Complete your college admissions applications. Attend financial aid workshops and seminars. Keep a folder to track college applications.
December	Are all your college applications submitted? Any deadlines approaching? Begin to get FAFSA materials together. Get a Federal Student Aid PIN for you and your parents. Look for early admissions notices from colleges, if applicable. Talk to alumni and college friends to get more information about the colleges to which you applied. Review student financial aid application forms.	Federal Student Aid PIN FAFSA4caster
January	Attend financial aid application workshops, if you haven’t yet. File the FAFSA online and, if required, the colleges’ financial aid application forms. File your TAP application online at the end of the FAFSA. Remind your family to keep copies of all tax returns. Continue to check for scholarship opportunities. Look for email messages from FAFSA and TAP. Need more information on financial aid? Check out: startheregetthere.org.	FAFSA TAP Application Startheregetthere
February	You may be asked to send colleges your mid-year grade report. Look for college acceptance notices. Are you maintaining your folder of correspondence?
March	Register for Advanced Placement (AP) examinations, if needed. Check your financial aid status at your college or university. Check your TAP status on HESC.org. Start looking for a summer job.	TAP Award Status
April	Look for college financial aid packages from colleges to which you are accepted. If you have questions, review your financial aid packages with the colleges’ financial aid offices. Complete your last college visits before making your decision. Decide what college you will attend, sign college letter of intent, accept or refuse the financial aid offered, and send in the required housing and tuition deposits by May 1.	Award Letter Comparison Tool
May	Send thank you notes to all who assisted you, including college advisors/high school counselors, teachers and others who wrote recommendation letters. Notify the colleges which you decided not to attend. If you have received aid packages from these colleges, notify the financial aid offices so the awards can be offered to other students. Notify your high school counselor office and college financial aid office of any scholarships received. Follow up with your college about financial aid and orientation.
June - August	Have your final transcript sent to your college. Use your summer job to save for your education. If you plan to borrow money from the Federal Student Loan Program, complete your application and promissory note. Get ready for your first year of college!