This Post: College Planning 11th Grade: A Checklist to Keep Your Student on Track

Written By: Marybeth Bock

While each year of high school has its own set of unique stressors for students and their parents, most parents and college-bound students agree that junior year (11th grade) is the most challenging.

Why? Because it’s when the real legwork of college planning activities kicks into high gear.

While every student and family may approach the college planning process differently, it certainly helps to have a detailed checklist to ensure your student is on track and doesn’t miss anything important.

Pass along this checklist to your high school junior to ensure they’re on track for college.

NOTE: When it comes to preparing for college, planning ahead is KEY. Many students start the planning process their sophomore year to ease the stress and ensure they’re well prepared before they begin the college application process. 

College Planning 11th Grade: A Checklist to Keep Your Student on Track

FALL

• Meet With Your Counselor: Review in detail the classes you will be taking senior year and ensure you’re on the right track and not missing any important credits or requirements for specific colleges you might be interested in applying to.
• Ask About College Night: Most high schools have a designated “College Night” for students and families where they discuss important information, dates, and timelines. Ask if college representatives will be visiting your school and if so, when. 
• Begin Developing a Resume’: Create a record of all your accomplishments, awards, sports, clubs or activities you’ve been involved in, leadership roles you’ve held, community service hours and achievements, and work experience. Keeping an ongoing, up-to-date resume will make it easier to apply to colleges and scholarships. 
• Fine Tune Your Resume: Colleges are looking for well-rounded students. Now is a good time to take a hard look at your resume and determine any weak areas you may have. Do you need to take on a leadership role? Do you need to ramp up your extracurricular activities? Do you need to add volunteer activities to your resume?
• Create a Calendar: Planning for college can get overwhelming. Invest in a calendar (or use an organization app) to keep track of all timelines, deadlines, and testing dates.
• Take the PSAT Exam If You Haven’t Already: Taking the test as a junior will qualify you for scholarship considerations and identify you to colleges as a potential applicant.
• Research Testing Dates for the SAT and ACT Exams: It’s crucial to remember that you need to register for test dates up to six weeks ahead of time. Also, the earlier you register, the better chance you have of securing a convenient testing location. 
• Study/Prepare for the SAT or ACT Exam: Plan to take at least one test in the spring of your junior year. Ask your school counselor if you qualify for a fee waiver. You can find many free SAT prep classes online or, if the budget allows, an SAT/ACT tutor can be very helpful in identifying your strengths and weaknesses as well as offering valuable tips when taking the test(s). 
• Research Colleges: Now is the time to give thought to colleges you’re interested in applying to. It’s not too early to go on college visits or attend college fairs to narrow your search and get a feel for what colleges offer. Create a college folder to keep track of all the colleges you’re interested in and colleges you’ve visited. 
• Give Thought to Career Options/Majors: A lot of college students enter college with an “undecided” major and that’s okay, but it’s helpful to begin the thought process. If you’re interested in a specific career/field, shadow someone and/or ask questions of people you know who currently work in that field to determine if it fits your vision/goal.
• Evaluate College Options: Four-year college, two-year college, vocational/technical school, military college, etc.
• Focus on Teacher, Coach, and Boss Relationships: A critical step most high schoolers miss. Many colleges will ask for letters of recommendation – build relationships with key people who know your strengths so they can vouch for you. 

WINTER

• Meet With Your Counselor: Your high school counselor is there to help you. Work with them to review and finalize your senior year academic schedule and discuss how many challenging courses you feel confident taking. (Colleges place priority on students who challenge themselves to take difficult courses. Remember, too, that most colleges will review a student’s senior year classes and grades.)
• Sign Up to Take the SAT/ACT Exam: Plan on taking the test a couple of times to secure the score you’re striving for. If you don’t secure the score you’d hoped for, keep studying! 
• Explore Which Colleges Offer Merit Scholarships: Scholarships can be highly beneficial in easing the financial strain of college. If you’re interested in a specific college(s), reach out to them to determine what scholarships they offer incoming freshmen.
• Apply for Scholarships: Don’t overlook local and state scholarships. Keep your eye out for scholarships with minimal competition to enhance your chances of winning. Scholarships: 10 Tips to Boost Your Odds of Winning
• Explore Summer Opportunities on College Campuses: Working directly on a college campus offers a valuable way for a high school student to find out what college life is all about. Check out this great list from the PrepScholar Advice Blog.
• Plan for a Productive Summer: Summer is a great time to fine-tune your college resume. Apply for internships, focus on volunteer opportunities, secure a summer job, visit colleges you’re interested in, shadow career positions, etc.

SPRING

• Fine-Tune List of Colleges That Interest You: Continue attending college fairs, visiting colleges, and attending open houses. Learn as much as possible about colleges online before you schedule tours. Be sure you fill out any online forms that show you’ve visited a school’s site to demonstrate interest. Request additional information from any colleges that interest you.
• Take the SAT/ACT: Remember, if you’re unhappy with your score you can take it again. Many seniors take the test again and perform better. (The standardized college admissions tests are offered several times throughout the academic year. For the SAT, students have the option to choose from dates in March, May, June, August, October, November, and December. ACT dates are in February, April, June, July, September, October, and December.)
• Cast a Wide Net When Reviewing Colleges: The college search is about finding the best fit for you. You may need to visit (or research) quite a few colleges to determine what fits your interests and goals. Visit small, medium, and large campuses to determine what suits you. (There’s a lot to consider!) Before you head out to those campuses, here’s a great visit checklist from The Jed Foundation.
• Make SURE Your College List Includes Safety, Target, and Dream Colleges: Some colleges have a low acceptance rate while others are much easier to get into. You want to make certain you apply to at least one or two “safety” schools (colleges you know you have a high chance of acceptance) so you have plenty of options available to you when it comes time to choose a college. 
• Glance Over College Applications: Take note of all the information you will need to complete the application, including academic records, essays, letters of recommendation, etc. Make a list of teachers, school counselors, employers, and other adults who could write letters of recommendation in the fall.

SUMMER

• Continue Visiting Colleges and Narrowing Down Your List: Finding the “right fit” college can be time-consuming. But this is where you’ll be spending the next four years – you want a college that suits your needs, wants, and future career goals. Schedule campus visits for your top 3-5 colleges, if you haven’t done so already. Oftentimes, an in-person visit will make or break your final decision.
• Reach Out to People for Letters of Recommendation: Be sure to give them plenty of time before the deadline. It’s also helpful to offer them a list of your achievements, activities, accolades, and awards so they have a full picture of who you are as a student/person.
• Retake the ACT/SAT Test: If you want to strive to improve your score.
• Update Your Calendar: Keep up with upcoming due dates so you don’t miss an important deadline.
• Work on Writing College Essay(s): Some colleges only require one essay, while others may require multiple. Review the applications for colleges you’re interested in to determine what essays you need to write. Many colleges and universities announce their supplemental essay prompts in the weeks leading up to the official opening of the Common Application on Aug. 1. The College Essay Guy website has a ton of helpful and free resources.
• Have Others Review Your Essay(s): Ask your parent(s), a teacher, or someone else you trust to review your essay and offer you feedback. READ 12 Questions You Should Ask Yourself When Writing Your College Essay
• Complete College Applications: College applications open by the beginning of August so you can start working on them earlier in the summer. Stay on top of college application deadline dates – some colleges have early deadlines while others may have a rolling admission.
• Continue to Explore Scholarship Opportunities: Here’s a list of 175 scholarships you can review.
• Start Gathering Financial Documents: You will need them to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which opens in October. Before you complete the FAFSA you’ll need to get a username and password – also known as a FSA ID.

Using this checklist will help you navigate your junior year with greater ease (and a lot less stress!) and will help you gear up for success in your senior year and beyond! Good luck!

About Marybeth Bock

Marybeth Bock, MPH, is a Mom to two young adults and one delightful hound dog. She has logged time as a military spouse, childbirth educator, college instructor, and freelance writer. She lives in Arizona and thoroughly enjoys research and writing – as long as iced coffee is involved. Her work can be found on numerous websites and in two books. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Resources: The National Association for College Admission Counseling, The Scholarship System, College Board, US News & World Report, Federal Student Aid Gov.

This timeline is endorsed by the National Association of College Admission Counseling. The NACAC is an organization of more than 27,000 professionals around the world dedicated to serving students as they make important choices in pursuing postsecondary education.

If you enjoyed reading, “College Planning 11th Grade: A Checklist to Keep Your Student On Track,” here are a few other posts you might like!

12 Things Your Teen Needs to Consider Before They Decide Which College to Attend

Should You Hire a College Admissions Consultant? 6 Things to Consider 

The ACT: Powerful Tips to Help Your Teen Raise Their English and Reading Scores

3 College Essay Mistakes Your Teen Needs to Avoid