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INFORMATION FOR JUNIORS

Junior Year Timeline

August

• Review your high school coursework and activity plans.
• Keep in mind that colleges look for the following:
  • challenging coursework
  • a strong GPA
  • involvement in extracurricular activities such as sports, volunteer/community service work, or church work
• Obtain a Social Security Number if you don’t already have one. You will need it to apply for college and financial aid.

September

• Identify sources of college and career information at UB and at your school. Start looking through guidance publications, college catalogs, college web sights, and guidebooks.
• Put together a list of ten colleges that you would like to attend. Plan to apply to at least 3-5 schools.
• Talk to your parents, UB staff, and your high school counselor about where you want to go to school.
• Study and register for the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test [ PSAT] if you want to take it.
• Obtain dates and locations of college fairs and “parents night” in your local area and at your preferred schools.
• Visit with the UB academic advisor and your high school counselor about scholarship opportunities.

October

• Take the PSAT and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test [NMSQT] if you registered. Remember to take your calculator.
• Inquire about Advanced Placement with your school counselor.

November

• Begin online scholarship searches at www.fastweb.com and www.scholarships.com

December

• Your PSAT/NMSQT score report should arrive if you took these tests.
• Start planning to take the ACT. You may also need to take the SAT I and/or SAT II exams, if necessary. Check with the colleges you are applying to and fund out specific testing requirements. Ask UB staff or your high school counselor about registration deadlines.

January

• Go through the catalogs of the 3-5 schools that interest you the most, request information from admissions and do research about the college online.
• Before your college visits, make sure you have looked through your senior handbook and know what to expect. During your college visits, make sure you meet with an admissions representative and a financial aid officer to find out what types of aid are available.
• Attend financial aid nights, if you have not already done so.

February

• Start seriously investigating private scholarships and other student aid programs. Ask your UB academic coordinator and school counselor for assistance.
• Go to www.fastweb.com and www.scholarships.com to review scholarships available to you.
• Register and study for the ACT and/or SAT and SAT II exams.

March

• Continue investigating outside funding sources.
• Register and study for the ACT and/or the SAT exams, if you have not already done so. UB provides one fee waiver for the ACT, but the waiver MUST be included in your registration packet. Please ask for your waiver at least 7-10 days in advance. It is also recommended that you use your waiver the last time you plan to take the ACT your senior year.
• Continue to check with the UB academic advisor and your high school counselor about what you need to be doing for college.

April

• Begin scheduling visits to each of the 3-5 schools that are on your final list. If appropriate, apply for an interview and/or an overnight visit. Be sure to request/look through your UB Senior Handbook beforehand to know what to expect.
• If taking the Advanced Placement [AP] exams do so soon, while information is fresh in your mind.
• Attend an Upward Bound ACT workshop or take an ACT prep course to help prepare for the upcoming test.
• Begin preparing essays for college admissions and scholarship applications.

May

• Take the ACT and/or the SAT I and II exams.
• Take Advanced Placement (AP) exams which are given in high schools nationally in early to mid-May.
• Be aware of the test dates and registration deadlines for the remaining ACT exams and SAT I and II exams. You may take them during your senior year in high school.
• Continue compiling information to find out which organizations award scholarships to graduating seniors. (You may have to begin applying the summer after your Junior year.)

June

• Take the ACT and/or SAT I and II exams if you did not take them last month.
• Attend the six week UB summer program to boost your current academic skills, take campus tours, and experience new activities socially and culturally.

July-August

• Read a variety of books and magazines and review your math skills over the summer. This will help you to prepare for the ACT, if you plan to take it in the fall.
• Obtain an internship or job that is related to your possible career interests.
• If possible, save some money from your internship or job to pay for college costs.
• If you travel this summer with your family, consider scheduling a college visit while on vacation.