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High School Calendar

JUNIOR YEAR MILESTONES
Month	Milestone	Resources
September - October	Find out about the standardized college assessment tests (SAT or ACT) open to you. Find out about college prep courses for high school seniors. Prepare for the SAT by taking the PSAT/NMSQT. Ask your guidance counselor or college advisor. Visit NYMentor to help you choose the right college.	PSAT/SAT Information and Registration ACT Information and Registration
March - May	Talk about your after-high school plans with your family and with your guidance counselor or college advisor. Check your high school guidance office for announcements of college representatives visiting your school. Register for the SAT I/II or ACT. Review the academic course selection for your high school senior year. Make sure you are going to meet admission requirements for your first-choice colleges. Start a college application file. Find out about college-prep summer programs. Watch “Regents Review Live” on your local PBS or cable channel. Go to a college fair near you. Check out the College Fair Calendar.	Regents Review Live College Fair Calendar
June	Begin work on your college essays. Take SAT I/II or ACT. Write a resume. It will help you later on in the college application process. Request college catalogs and applications for admission. You can do this online at college Web sites. Prepare a list of colleges to visit during the summer and schedule appointments. Start getting letters of recommendation from your teachers. Find out about financial aid available through church groups, labor unions, and other organizations.
July - August	Go on college visits. Get a Social Security number, if you don’t have one. Earn and save money for college.
SENIOR YEAR MILESTONES
Month	Milestone	Resources
September	Register for SAT I/II or ACT; your guidance counselor will advise which one you should take. Be sure your courses meet the requirements for high school graduation. Get letters of recommendation from teachers, employers, and others who know you well. Decide whether you should apply for an “early decision admission.” Plan to visit colleges to which you are applying. You can search for colleges and take "virtual tours" on NYMentor. Review deadlines for specific college admission applications.	SAT Information and Registration ACT Information and Registration NY Mentor
October	Make a final check and review of your school records with your guidance counselor or college advisor. Attend college nights or conferences. Register for SAT I/II or ACT if you have not yet done so. Work on applications; request that transcripts be sent to the colleges to which you are applying. Schedule a planning conference with your college advisor or guidance counselor. Apply for any scholarships/awards from local groups/organizations. Attend a college fair in your area!	College Fair Calendar
November	Check on whether there are achievement tests other than SAT or ACT that are required by the college? Consult your college advisor or guidance counselor as well as college catalogs or web sites to make sure. Attend financial aid workshops and seminars. Complete and submit your admissions applications and essays, if required. Register for SAT I/II or ACT if you have not yet done so. Check bulletin boards for financial aid workshops, scholarship announcements and visits by college representatives.
December	Get Federal Student Aid Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) for you and your parents (for parent loans). Get student financial aid forms from the guidance office if not applying on-line. Check college aid application due dates. Be on the lookout for early admissions notices. They tend to arrive in December or January. Talk to alumni and college friends during the holidays. Ask them about their college experiences.	Federal Student Aid PIN
January	Attend financial aid application workshops. File the FAFSA and, if required, the college’s financial aid application form. File your TAP Application online at the end of the FAFSA. Remind your family to keep copies of all tax returns. Are all your college applications submitted? Any deadlines approaching? Keep track of all applications in your college folder. Check bulletin board for scholarships and financial aid information.	FAFSA TAP Application
February	Have your mid-year grade report sent to the colleges that ask for it. Keep all correspondence from the colleges and government aid offices in your college folder.
March	Be on the lookout for college acceptance notices. Schools without rolling admission tend to start sending them in March. If you do not apply for TAP online, make sure to file a paper TAP Application. It will be sent to you approximately three weeks after you submit the paper FAFSA. Register for Advanced Placement (AP) examinations, if needed. Check your financial aid status at your college or university. Check Your TAP Award or Loan Account Status. Start looking for a summer job.	TAP Award Status
April	If you are accepted by a college, you must make an enrollment decision, accept or refuse the financial aid offered, and send in the required housing and tuition deposits. Review the financial aid package(s) sent by the college(s) that accepted you. If you have any questions, contact the college financial aid office.
May	Send thank you notes to those who assisted you, including your college advisor or guidance counselor, secretaries, and teachers. Notify the colleges that accepted you but that you have decided not to attend. If you decline admission and have received an aid package, notify the college financial aid office too so that the award may be offered to another student. If you have to borrow money from the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFEL) or Federal Direct Student Loan Program, you will have to sign a promissory note which guarantees you will repay the loan.
June - August	Notify your high school counseling office of any scholarships received. Use your summer job to help finance your education. Get ready for your first year of college!