A College Planning Timeline from Freshman Year to Graduation

Many top schools, including Bucknell, have specific undergraduate admission requirements. So plan ahead by mapping out your four years of high school before your freshman year even starts. You don't want to learn at the end of your freshman year that a college on your list requires four years of a specific subject. If you need guidance as you register for freshman classes, ask your counselor.

One of your best resources throughout your college search works inside your school. Stop by your counselor's office — or the teacher or administrator who helps students prepare for college — to get advice on class selection, extracurriculars and college prep. Many students will wait until their junior or senior year to meet with their counselor, so you'll be ahead of the game and impress your counselor with your preparedness.

Colleges want to see more than someone who can get good grades. Look for clubs, sports and other after-school groups that seem interesting to you. It's OK to try a lot of different activities at this stage, but as a general rule, colleges want quality over quantity when it comes to extracurriculars.

You know that saying "do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life"? It exists because there are plenty of people doing work that doesn't bring them happiness. To prevent that for yourself, start thinking about what careers you'd be good at and enjoy. Then work with your counselor or research online to design a plan to get there.

The PSAT 8/9 is a test for 8th and 9th graders. Schools can choose whether — and when — to offer it, with available dates ranging from September through April of each school year. The PSAT 8/9 is offered during the school day and is a great way to see how prepared you are for college and a career. Oh, and don't worry: Your results aren't shared with colleges.

In pro football, coaches like to say that a win in September counts just as much as a win in December. Similarly, the grades you earn during your freshman year will impact your GPA just as much as the grades you get in your junior year (right before apply season). Yes, schools like Bucknell will look at the journey of your transcript — considering, for example, whether your grades improved each year. But everything counts.

Take a moment to talk with your family about the cost of college and what your family's budget and financial aid options might be. Doing this early will help you frame your search.

The highlights of your high school journey will fill your camera roll for four years. But don't forget to capture those achievements in another way. Start a document where you can record all of your academic, athletic and extracurricular achievements. This will make compiling your application (or even a resume) much easier. You might even write down some possible anecdotes for your application essay.

Begin putting together a list of schools that might interest you. You probably already have a few on your radar screen, so start with those and add others that might match your needs and academic interests. This isn't the time to be picky. If a school catches your eye, add it to the list along with a few words about what initially piqued your interest. You can narrow this down to a "short list" later.

Odds are you have at least one college within a few hours of where you live. Even if that's a school you'd never see yourself attending, it won't hurt to walk around the campus to get a feel for college life. Check out the dining areas, library and student union to build a baseline of what a college can feel like.

Active summers can impress college admissions officers. That could mean working a job to help support your family, completing an internship, doing volunteer work or taking college-level classes.

The PSAT can help you qualify for scholarships and get noticed by colleges through their search lists.

While most students take the PSAT/NMSQT in their junior year, sophomores can take it as well. Some schools also offer the PSAT 10 in the spring. You don’t register through the College Board (like you would the SAT)—your school or district decides if and when to offer the test, so check with your counselor for details.

Your sophomore fall is a great time to check in on your academic and extracurricular progress — especially as you learn of your GPA and PSAT scores. Are you happy with your grades? Are there subject areas that need improvement? Do your extracurricular activities fulfill you personally or are you stretching yourself too thin?

Keep adding to your list of schools that have caught your eye. Many colleges and universities offer visit programs designed specifically for sophomores, so you'll want to consider registering for those.

If you didn’t take the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall, you can take the PSAT 10 in the spring of your sophomore year. Schools decide whether and when to offer it, with test dates available from March to April. Check with your counselor for details.

No matter the major you pick and no matter the college you choose, reading and writing skills are essential. Read books, online newspapers and articles to broaden your mind. Write in a journal — physical or digital — to practice capturing your thoughts in the written word. If you need writing guidance, ask a teacher or adult whose writing style you like.

As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, spring is an ideal time to attend college fairs and visit college campuses. While summer may be more convenient for your family to schedule visits, remember that fall and spring will give you the chance to see the most accurate picture of a school because all of its students will be there.

Now's a good time to talk about demonstrated interest. That's what some schools call the tool they used to predict how likely it is that a student they admit will enroll at their college. By requesting to join a school's mailing list, contacting admissions counselors and making visits, you're showing that school that you're truly interested. Even if that college doesn't make your final cut, it's important to establish these touchpoints with any school that might make your application list.

The summer is a great time to connect with older friends who have already graduated high school and started college. What's college really like? How prepared did they feel? And what do they wish they had known during their college search and application process?

When planning your summer, think how your activities would sound when boiled down to a 15-second "elevator pitch." Whether you worked a job to support your family, attended camps or enjoyed an internship, you'll want something that shows prospective colleges and employers that you're serious about whatever your passion might be.

With no school assignments to get in the way, summer can be an ideal time to refine your "long list" of colleges. If you're the spreadsheet-building type, start adding columns based on what attributes your ideal school would have. Then browse college websites and start filling in those columns and rows.

You're officially past the halfway point of your high school career. How's it going? Meet with your counselor and go over your class rank, GPA and transcript. Are you fulfilling your goals? Are you completing the prerequisites for the colleges on your list?

It's time to take that "long list" of colleges you've been creating and rank or group them. If a full ranking (1 to 20, for example) seems unproductive, try grouping the schools into three tiers: definitely going to apply, might apply, might not apply. Think about the type of school, its size and location, cost and scholarship availability, majors, extracurriculars and whatever else matters to you.

Tour the schools at the top of your list, if at all possible. If you're unable to travel to every school, that's fine. Many schools (Bucknell included) offer virtual tours to help you get a sense of the place. And don't forget to ask your counselor whether any schools on your list are planning to visit your high school.

Even if you don’t plan to take the SAT, taking the PSAT can still be beneficial. The PSAT/NMSQT doesn’t impact college admissions but can qualify you for certain scholarships, including the National Merit Scholarship Program (if taken in 11th grade). Another advantage is that it helps colleges discover you—unless you opt out, taking the PSAT enrolls you in the College Board’s Student Search Service, allowing schools to send you brochures, event invitations, and other important information.

Mark your calendar for the SAT and/or ACT if you plan to take them. To secure your spot, you'll need to register and pay the fee before the deadline, which is typically about a month before the test date. Both exams are offered multiple times throughout the fall and spring, so check the official test dates in advance. It’s also a good idea to create a study plan early to help you achieve your best possible score.

With the application window opening in just a few months, this is a good time to start narrowing down your list of schools to a set of "finalists." The number will vary by student — some will eventually apply to just a handful of schools, while others might apply to dozens. Review your spreadsheet of schools and refine your rankings.

The one thing your spreadsheet can't tell you is "a feeling." You'll need to experience the school in person to get a total sense of whether you'll like it there. (That said, it's totally possible to choose a college without visiting.)

Many students take the SAT or ACT in the spring of their junior year, allowing time to prepare and the opportunity to retake the test in the fall of their senior year if needed. Taking the test during this timeframe ensures you have scores ready for college applications.

You'll apply for the need- and merit-based scholarships offered by a college when you apply for admission. But deadlines for scholarships that aren't affiliated with a school will vary widely. Start identifying these scholarships now so you'll be ready to apply during your senior year. The best mentality: Every dollar counts. A $500 scholarship here and a $1,000 scholarship there will add up fast.

Which teachers, coaches or mentors know you best? Begin lining up the people who will write your letters of recommendation. These people will be busy during the application season, so by asking now, you'll give them extra time to prepare before the deluge arrives.

The summer between junior and senior year is the final summer before you apply to college. Make it count.

This is it. The moment you've been preparing for. Continue trimming your list down to those schools to which you're likely to apply. You'll see recommendations online to make a "final five," but the best number is the one that feels right. Just like there's no sense adding a fifth school if there are just four that truly interest you, there's no point in eliminating a sixth, seventh or 12th school just because an article says to.

Visit the top schools on your list in person. To try to eliminate recency bias (favoring the last school you visit because it's freshest in your mind), take good notes that will help you remember the feeling you got while there.

The application window opens Aug. 1, before most high schools begin their fall semester. This allows you to start working on your application over the summer when you may have more free time. Starting early is especially important for Early Decision or other early deadlines, as they approach quickly. Be sure to check Bucknell’s deadlines to stay on track with your application timeline.

Enhance your transcript, earn college credit and prove to colleges that you're a high-caliber student by taking summer classes through a local community college.

Find some type of meaningful activity to fill your final summer as a high school student. If you can't find a job or internship, look for job-shadowing opportunities by contacting a local business doing work that aligns with your career goals.

Colleges will ask for your final transcript even after they've admitted you. So don't stop now! Stay focused on making good grades and staying active in your extracurriculars.

If there's any chance you'll want federal loans, federal grants or federal work-study opportunities, you'll need to fill out the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Click here for the most up to date deadlines.

Some colleges and universities use the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile to calculate financial aid that is awarded from the institution itself, known as non-federal financial aid. If the schools you're applying to require the CSS Profile for non-federal financial aid consideration, you'll want to fill it out via the College Board website. The CSS Profile goes live on Oct. 1 for the next school year. The deadline to submit your profile is the same as the application deadlines for the schools you're applying to.

Bucknell requires the CSS Profile for US and Canadian citizens, as well as permanent residents, who are interested in institutional need-based aid. 

Fall is an ideal time to check out the schools on your list. The leaves are changing, classes are in session and excitement is bubbling on every corner of campus as students rekindle old friendships and make new ones.

If you've been a master of multitasking in high school, you've probably figured out the best calendar solution to keep track of everything. Now's a good time to add college application dates to that calendar. Look for visit opportunities, webinars, application deadlines, test dates, scholarship deadlines and more.

Take (or retake) the SAT or ACT if the schools you’re applying to require or consider test scores as part of the admissions process. Be sure to check each school's specific requirements and deadlines.

Show colleges the real you through your application essay. It's a great chance to stand out from the crowd. Find one or two people you trust to review the essay before you hit "submit."

Complete the Common App or Coalition App by the school's deadline, which could be as late as the spring of your senior year or as early as Oct. 1 for Early Decision or Early Action.

​Many colleges and universities use the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile to assess eligibility for institutional (non-federal) financial aid. If the schools you're applying to require the CSS Profile, you can complete it via the College Board website. The CSS Profile becomes available on Oct. 1 each year, and submission deadlines typically align with the application deadlines of the respective institutions. ​

Bucknell University requires the CSS Profile for U.S. and Canadian citizens, as well as permanent residents, seeking institutional need-based aid. 

If you applied Regular Decision, you should expect to hear back in March or April. Most schools (including Bucknell) will post a decision in an online application portal in addition to sending you a decision by mail. If you're admitted, your financial aid award letter will either be included with your decision or be sent shortly after. As your decisions come in, keep track of financial aid offers for the schools to which you were admitted so that you can accurately compare them.

Many schools (including Bucknell) will offer special visit opportunities exclusively for admitted students. Seeing the school in person after you know you've been admitted will help you make an educated final decision.

The power is in your hands! Make your final decision (and deposit) by May 1, and be proud in the knowledge that you made the right choice. You'll also want to send a letter or email informing schools that accepted you that you won't be attending. This is an act of kindness, letting the school know it can open up that spot for someone else.

Bucknell (like other schools) awards credit to high school students who score highly in Advanced Placement exams. These exams are typically offered during the first two weeks in May.

Once you've committed to a school, watch your email for a series of action items from the school. You'll register for classes, sign up for housing and a meal plan, learn about orientation, and complete a number of important forms. Each of these steps will have a strict deadline, so don't miss out.

You didn't take this four-year journey alone. Send a written thank you to anyone who helped you along the way — family members, friends, teachers, counselors, employers, etc. Not only is this a nice gesture, it also will keep them "on your side" in the future if you ever need to ask for another letter of recommendation or even a job.

By now you probably have that coveted ".edu" email from your school. Check it often, because that's how the school will let you know about action items that must be completed before you arrive in the fall.

Not only have you made it through four years of high school — you also made it through a multiyear college search journey! Don't forget to celebrate what you've accomplished and spend time with the people you care about. You did it!