College-Bound Checklist

High School Freshman

• Talk with your parents about any college savings programs they may have set up for you, including any prepaid tuition and/or college savings accounts. Make sure your college savings plan is keeping up with the increase in college tuition.
• Meet with your high school counselor to discuss your college curriculum. Make sure you’re taking the right classes to prepare you for college.
• Research the many different ways you can save for college and start saving early.
• Speak with your high school counselor about planning for college.
• Consider getting a summer job or internship to save money for college.

High School Sophomore

• Talk with your parents about any college savings programs they may have set up for you, including any prepaid tuition and/or college savings accounts. Make sure your college savings plan is keeping up with the increase in college tuition.
• Begin researching available grants and scholarships with your high school guidance counselor.
• Develop a high school curriculum plan that includes college prep courses and any potential Advanced Placement-credit opportunities.
• Research different career options.
• Take the PSAT as practice for your college testing.
• Consider getting a summer job or internship and save the money earned for college.

High School Junior

• Talk with your parents about your college savings program. Make sure your college savings plan is keeping up with the increase in college tuition.
• Research different career options and determine within which geographic areas you’d like to focus when looking at colleges.
• Attend college fairs to gather information.
• Begin researching colleges and collecting admission information.
• Take the ACT and/or the SAT I assessment test(s).
• Consider getting a summer job or internship and save the money earned for college.

High School Senior

• Talk with your parents and review your college savings program. Make sure you’re keeping up with the increase in college tuition and saving as much as you possibly can.
• Attend a financial aid workshop.
• Tour campuses and investigate admissions and costs.
• Obtain letters of recommendation.
• Research available scholarships, grants,  work-study programs and loans. Obtain information and send in applications.
• After January 1, and when your and your parents’ taxes are prepared, file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Choose three to five potential colleges you’d like to attend and send applications to them.
• Meet with the financial aid office at each college to research financial aid options.
• Review your financial aid options, based on award letters received,  for grants, scholarships, work-study programs and loans. Determine your college budget and decide what financial aid to accept. 
• If applicable, retrieve your college money from  529 college savings programs.
• Develop a long-range budget to pay for college.
• Consider getting a summer job or internship and save the money earned for college.

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