Meet with your high school counselor to discuss your college curriculum, college entrance exams and college selection. You should:

• Continue to review the high school curriculum needed to satisfy the requirements of the colleges you are interested in attending. Remember to keep track of your completed courses through the High School Planner.



• Review with your high school counselor your transcripts, academic awards, extra curricular activities, volunteer hours and any leadership roles. Work together to make sure that the information within your file is complete and correct.



• Enroll in AP and other honors-level courses for extra credit.



• Sign up for ACT and/or SAT prep courses if you think you need extra help in getting the best test scores possible. Some high schools offer this service or can recommend test preparation centers.



• Take one or more assessment test: PSAE, ACT and/or SAT. If you are an Illinois public high school student, you will be required to take the PSAE (Prairie State Achievement Examination). One of the components of the PSAE is the ACT Assessment, so in most cases, taking the PSAE eliminates the need to take a separate ACT.



• Start researching grants, scholarships and other financial aid options.



• Explore college majors.



• Start going to college fairs. Focus on finding a college with the curriculum and learning environment that suits you best.



• Work with your high school counselor to narrow down your list of preferred colleges. Determine which are most difficult to get accepted into, which are easiest and which are in the middle. We recommend you select 3-6 colleges, with 1 or 2 of the most difficult, 1 or 2 of the easiest and 1 and 2 of the middle choices. This will be a good list of colleges to which you should apply.



• Start visiting college campuses. Our Campus Tours section can also give you valuable information about colleges.



• Read the mail that colleges send to you. You can find useful information such as application deadlines or scholarship offers. Share the information with your parents and your high school counselor.



• Maintain good grades and study habits.



• Research different careers at the Career Center.



• Begin to prepare a resume, audition tapes, art portfolios and essays if required by the colleges of your choice.



• Get a Social Security number if you don't already have one; you will need it to apply for any financial aid.



• Get a summer job or internship and save money earned for your education.



• 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.