As the leaves start to fall and the temperature outside gets colder, these are clear signs it is admissions season. This also means that the amount of classwork has increased, extracurricular activities are in high gear, parents are informing teenagers that they need to make family time a priority, and SAT/ACT test dates along with college application due dates are just around the corner. With kayos everywhere, staying on track and following the October checklist needs to be a top priority.

Freshmen

• School should be your top priority. This means you should be studying hard and getting good grades. If you need extra help, seek out your teacher and rely on his/her experience to assist with your academic difficulties.
• Explore extracurricular activities in and out of school. Seek out activities that excite you!
• Read as much as you can. Reading increases your vocabulary, expands your knowledge of topics, and prepares you to take standardized tests where you must use critical thinking to understand passages.

Sophomores

• School should be your top priority. Continue to improve your grades and continue to seek help from your teachers.
• Start the research for possible colleges. Visit local colleges campuses.
• Make sure you are involved in your extracurricular activities and work your way into leadership positions.
• Make sure you are implementing study skills into your life.

Juniors

• Put together your resume and continue updating it throughout the year.
• Grades, grades, grades: make sure your grades are the best they can be; college admissions officers will be looking at them. Also, make sure you do not fall behind and miss due dates for assignments.
• Get a college guide such as Fiske Guide to College and spend some time researching colleges online. Also, sit down and have a conversation with your parents about your college list and make sure you are all on the same page.
• Visit as many college days and attend college events in your area. Get to know the college admission representatives and ask a lot of questions.
• Athletes that want to be recruited should talk to coaches and explore eligibility requirements.
• Make plans to take the SAT and ACT to find out which test you score best on. Start studying and preparing for this test. The key to standardized test prepping is finding out what score you need, creating a plan to achieve that score, and keeping on track with your preparation to achieve it.

Seniors

• You should be filling out college applications now. If you plan on applying to schools early, your essays should be completed. Key here – Never rely on spell-check alone! Have someone else read through your essay, checking for grammar and spelling errors.
• Release your best SAT or ACT score to a college on your list.
• If the school has interviews, start preparing.
• Check due dates. If you’re applying to a school’s early action or early decision option, be sure that you get all the materials to them by the due date.
• Make sure you have a “things to do” list and get them done.
• Don’t fall behind on your schooling and grades. Senioritis or laziness should not be an option. Colleges can rescind their acceptances if your grades plummet drastically.
• Obtain letters of recommendation. By now, you should have asked your teachers, coaches, and other important people within your life for a recommendation letter.
• Fill Out the Common Application.
• Double-check your transcript
• Keep applying for scholarships.
• Time management skills are essential. Now is the time to practice balance in your life which you will need to utilize throughout your entire college career and life.