College Counseling Planning Timeline by The Summit Country Day School

College Counseling Planning Calendar: Freshman Year • Take the most challenging coursework offered and do well in those classes. Remember, colleges and universities look at your freshman year grades. • Get to know the college counseling staff, they are great resources. They will help you understand your GPA, choose coursework, activities, and help you to balance your academics with outside interests. • Attend Upper School evening programs with your parents. See school calendar for dates. • Become engaged in The Summit and larger community. Find extra-curricular groups of interest. It’s completely OK to go to one meeting and decide it’s not for you. Colleges want to see quality over quantity and want to see you are passionate about what you do. • Explore your talents and take advantage of opportunities to join a club, play a sport, and participate in art, music, theater, etc. • Organize your time and adopt good study skills. • In October, take the PSAT (Preliminary SAT). Review your score report along with your test book to learn your strengths and weaknesses as you prepare to repeat this test your sophomore year. • Take the PLAN (Pre-ACT) in the spring to help determine your strengths and weaknesses as you prepare to take the ACT in the future. • Consider taking the SAT Subject Test Math Level 1 after Algebra II. Please note: Some colleges require, suggest or recommend sending SAT Subject Test scores for admission. Summer Assignment: Plan worthwhile summer activities, such as college programs, volunteer work, a specialty focused camp or a summer job. Naviance Activity: • Investigate your learning style. • Explore your career interests. “If I had offered just one piece of advice for incoming freshman, I’d say go meet the people in the college counseling office — not like a formal meeting about college search, but as a general meeting to say, like, ‘Hi, I’m Alex. I like technology.’ They’ll look at you and say this kid likes technology, and they’ll look at colleges with you in mind and make recommendations. There is a very personal connection with the college counselors here at The Summit.” — Alex Marcellus ’13, Purdue University “Start planning as soon as the common application and individual essay topics are announced. During the summer, when you are bored with nothing to do, start writing outlines for the essays. It will make your life a lot easier during the fall of your senior year.” — Warren Hill ’13, Hampton University 4

The Summit Country Day School College Counseling Handbook

College Counseling Planning Calendar: Sophomore Year • Continue to take the most difficult coursework available to you and keep up the good work and grades. Continue to explore your academic interests. • Continue involvement in volunteer and extra-curricular activities. Find ways to give back to The Summit and larger community. Accept leadership roles. • Continue building a relationship with your college counselor. Your counselor will help you become more familiar with the college process. • Attend Upper School evening programs with your parents. See school calendar for dates. • In October, take the PSAT (Preliminary SAT). Review your score report along with your test book to learn your strengths and weaknesses as you prepare to repeat this test your junior year. • Begin to build a college file by gathering materials about colleges of interest. Use school vacations to visit college campuses. Journal your impressions of colleges upon return from visiting. • Take AP exams for courses you may have taken at the AP level. • Take SAT Subject Tests that are appropriate. Please note: Some colleges require, suggest or recommend sending SAT Subject Test scores for admission. Summer Assignment: Plan worthwhile summer activities, such as college programs, internships, volunteer work, a specialty focused camp, a summer job... Find out what interests you, or better yet, what you’re not interested in! Naviance activities: • Develop your personal resume recording activities and accomplishments • Begin a prospective college list. • Complete the “Do What You Are” assessment. “I started early. I thought about what kinds of schools I wanted and did a little research on what it took to get in. I began to go to college visits in my sophomore year.” — Isabelle Saldana ’13, Emory University

“Practice interviewing. It really helps to have a good interview so the person representing the college likes you and therefore can be a good resource, i.e. recommendations, contacts, questions.” —Dale Lakes ’13, U.S. Military Academy at West Point

College Counseling Planning Calendar: Junior Year • Continue to take the most difficult coursework available to you and keep up the good work and grades. Continue to explore your academic interests. • Continue involvement in volunteer and extra-curricular activities. Find ways to give back to The Summit and larger community. Accept leadership roles. • Continue developing your relationship with your college counselor. They will help you become more familiar with the college process. Attend evening programs with your parents. • Sign up and attend college visits during the school day and local College Fairs. This is a great way to begin the college search and just take a look at schools of possible interest. Attend regional college presentations; Summit hosts a few each year! • Take the PSAT in October. This test determines National Merit recognition. This test will help determine your strengths and weaknesses as you prepare for the SAT. • Register and take the SAT (December) and ACT (January). Please refer to The Summit’s College Counseling web pages for links to updated testing dates and online registration. • If you intend to seek an athletic scholarship, start contacting the coaches at the schools that most interest you. Complete the online NCAA Eligibility Center registration. • Use school vacations to visit college campuses. Look for tours on your individual college websites and sign up for them. • Schedule an individual meeting for you and your parents with their college counselor in the winter for college planning. • Think about teachers to ask for recommendation letters. • Using information provided in Naviance, note any early action or early decision deadlines at each college of choice. • Using information in Naviance, develop a timeline for college and scholarship application deadlines. • Take AP exams for courses you may have taken at the AP level. • Take SAT Subject Tests that are appropriate. Please note: Some colleges require, suggest or recommend sending SAT Subject Test scores for admission. • In August, the Common Application (the application for about 400 colleges) becomes available. It’s a good idea to start early and look through the different schools you are applying to see what is required of you.

Summer Assignments: • Plan worthwhile summer activities, such as college programs, internships, volunteer work, a specialty focused camp or a summer job. Find out what interests you, or better yet, what you’re not interested in! • Draft your college essay, personal statement and other essays you will need to submit. Naviance Activities: • Sign up to attend college rep visits/ information sessions. • Continue adding to your personal resume recording activities and accomplishments. • Complete the “Game Plan Survey” which helps you think about what you seek in college (location, size, specific programs, competitiveness). 6

The Summit Country Day School College Counseling Handbook

College Counseling Planning Calendar: Senior Year

• Continue to take the most difficult coursework available to you and keep up the good work and grades. Continue to explore your academic interests. • Continue involvement in volunteer and extra-curricular activities. Find ways to give back to The Summit and larger community. Accept leadership roles. • Continue developing your relationship with your college counselor. They will help you with all aspects the college application process. Attend evening programs with your parents. • Sign up and attend college visits during the school day and local College Fairs. This is a great way to continue the college search and just take a look at schools of possible interest. Attend regional college presentations, Summit hosts a few each year! • Visit colleges of major interest. Plan an overnight in the dorm if possible. • Meet with your college counselor to narrow list of schools; discuss deadlines, application types and financial aid opportunities. August/September: • Submit drafts of college application essays to your college counselor to review for editing. • Make an appointment with your college counselor to review your online college application before submission. • Register for any additionally needed SAT or ACT tests. Please refer to The Summit’s College Counseling web pages for links to updated testing dates and online registration. • Register for and take SAT Subject Tests that are appropriate. Please Note: Some colleges require, suggest or recommend sending SAT Subject Test scores for admission. Make sure you send your scores directly to your college or university. • Send ACT and/or SAT scores directly to colleges. October: • Finalize your application for early action/early decision schools. Submit prior to deadline to ensure all parts are sent and received. November: • Finalize regular applications and submit before Thanksgiving. January: • Complete the FASFA (financial aid form) online. If required, complete the CSS/Financial Aid profile. Most colleges require these forms to be submitted between January 15 and February 1 to receive a financial decision with your acceptance letter. March/April: • Visit schools where you’ve been admitted, attend classes, meet admissions office staff and figure out the best school fit for you.

College Counseling Planning Timeline: Senior Year May: • May 1 is National Candidate Reply Day! Most college will require you to accept or decline their offer of admission by this date. Write to inform and thank colleges whose offers you did not accept. Write thank you notes to teachers who wrote letters of recommendation. • Complete the Future Plans survey in Naviance. • Take AP exams for courses you may have taken at the AP level. Make sure you send your scores directly to your college or university. June: • Graduate. July/August: • Relax, begin packing for college and correspond with your roommates. • Attend orientation at your college or university. Naviance Activities: • Link student Common Application account with their Naviance account. • Sign up for and attend college rep meetings/information sessions at Summit Country Day School. • Finalize “Colleges I’m Applying to” list ensuring transcripts and other supporting documents are sent. • Ask faculty members for recommendations and make requests in Naviance. • In May, complete the Future Plans survey. “Keep your mind open to any school and give them a chance. Some people may have opinions, but go ahead and judge from your own experiences. And start your essays early.” — Adam Chow ’13, Georgia Institute of Technology “I went to Rhode Island School of Design first and attended their open house and student welcome. Yale was nearby. When Yale had their Bulldog Days, I went. In the end, it came down to this: Because I went to this amazing school that rounded me and let me explore all my interests, I’m not just an art kid. I took calculus and I’m interested in physics. Yale was the place where I could do all the things that I love.” — Meg Mathile ’13, Yale University 8