Tools

FRESHMAN YEAR

  • Keep your grades up. They qualify you for scholarships as well as admission into college.
  • Schedule an appointment with your guidance counselor.
  • Discuss the many post-graduation options, which you can learn all about on Pages 22-37.
  • Create an education plan that suits your goals. Map out your classes for all four years of high school, including all the Smart Core classes (Page 51).
  • Ask about Advanced Placement (AP) and concurrent credit courses (Page 30), which can earn you college credit.
  • Get involved with extracurricular and volunteer activities you’re passionate about. (See how volunteering can really beef up your résumé on Page 102.)
  • Keep a list of all of your activities; you’ll need this when you create a résumé later (Page 99).
  • Begin thinking about careers that interest you; get ideas on Page 57.
  • Talk to your parents about the cost of college. Create a plan of action and start saving.
  • Request or download a real application from a university so you can get a feel for admission requirements.

SOPHOMORE YEAR

  • Sign up and take the PSAT (pre-SAT) or the PLAN (pre-ACT). Your test scores on the PSAT can qualify you for a National Merit Scholarship, and both tests highlight areas where you can improve.
  • Start researching potential careers. (Pages 95, 110 and 112-115 can help with that!) Talking to people who work in these fields can be especially helpful too.
  • Compile a list of schools that interest you. Consider things like area of study, strength of department, distance from your hometown, and campus size. (Review all Arkansas colleges in our College Catalog on Page 118.)
  • Keep up with:  
    • Your grades. 
      • Your guidance counselor.
      •  Your extracurricular activities.

JUNIOR YEAR

  • Plan to take both the ACT and SAT—most students do better on one than the other. Check with your prospective colleges to see which test they prefer. Find dates and practice questions on Page 46.
  • Keep your grades up. Consider getting involved in an academic club.
  • Narrow down your school choices.
    • Start in-depth school research. Consider financial aid and scholarship availability (Pages 82, 84 & 87), tuition costs, admission requirements, housing types (Page 66), different majors/degrees (Page 138), and study abroad opportunities (Page 76).
    • Begin campus visits. Talk to admissions representatives as well as real students. Learn how to make your visits count on Page 60.
  • Find a volunteer position, apprenticeship, internship, part-time job or job-shadowing opportunity in your field of interest.
  • Look for scholarships. Look online, check your school database and keep our list of Arkansas scholarships on Page 84 handy.
  • Write your scholarship essays. Get them critiqued and proofread by a teacher.
  • Compile a résumé. We’ll show you how on Page 99. And learn how to ace those scholarship, internship and, later,  job interviews with the help of Page 106.
  • Begin making a list of deadlines for things such as financial aid, admissions and scholarships.

SENIOR YEAR (FIRST SEMESTER)

  • Take the ACT or SAT again if you’re unhappy with your scores (Page 46).  
    • Get letters of recommendation.
    • Request them in the first few weeks of school.
    • Choose teachers, advisers or employers who know you and your work well. No family. No friends.
    • Assemble a packet for each recommender with a copy of your résumé, examples of your work such as graded papers, a list of schools you need letters for and stamped envelopes.
  • Apply to your top three to five schools.
    • Make sure your applications contain all the requested material.
    • Proofread everything. Twice.
    • Send in a neat, clean application.
    • Make copies of everything you send in the mail. Keep your receipt or make a note of your check number just in case.
  • Your grades and involvement still matter.
  • Continue looking for scholarships.
  • Keep up with your checklists of places you’ve applied to and application deadlines.

SENIOR YEAR (SECOND SEMESTER)

  • Pick a school.
    • Choose a school that fits your needs best. Remember to consider the university as a whole. (Still not sure? Explore our College Catalog on Page 118.)
    • Notify your chosen school of your decision to attend.
    • Inform all your other choices that, although you appreciate the consideration, you will not be attending in the fall.
  • Send transcripts of the first semester of your senior year if your college has requested it.
  • Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as close to Jan. 1 as you can in order to qualify for government grants and loans. Learn more about this on Page 84.
  • Make sure all of the paperwork required by the university and its departments has been filled out and sent by the dates specified.
  • Check to make sure all fees have been paid.
  • Check on housing. Many schools begin housing assignments in May.
  • Picked out your dorm? It’s time to start thinking about moving.
    • Pages 66-69 will help prepare you for college move-in day!