A General Planning Timeline for Students and Families
9th Grade Year
Areas of Focus
Academic Success
Extracurricular Involvement (in school and/or outside)
Community Service (60 total hours required during high school)
Personal Growth
Healthy Balance
Summer after Freshman Year
Personal Growth and Community Service
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Sophomore Year
Areas of Focus
Academic Success
Extracurricular Involvement (in school and/or outside)
Community Service (60 total hours required during high school)
Personal Growth
Healthy Balance
Take a Career Interest Inventory (introduction to SCOIR) ●
Consider the PSAT in October (open to Sophomores, but mainly for Juniors) ●
Summer after Sophomore Year
Personal Growth and Community Service
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Junior Year
Areas of Focus
Academic Success
Extracurricular Involvement (in school and/or outside)
Community Service (60 total hours required during high school)
Personal Growth
Healthy Balance
First Semester
Take the PSAT and/or a practice ACT in October
Signups through the high school in late September
Exact details will be shared as soon as available
Start thinking about a plan for taking standardized tests
When/how will you prepare for a test?
Take a prep class, and/or..
Study using available free online resources, and/or …
Get private tutoring
When will you take your first test?
Potentially take first standardized test in winter (dates below) https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/dates-deadlines
https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration.html
Start to explore colleges
Use the college search tool in SCOIR; enter preferences and look at a list of matching schools
Visit colleges locally to experience different varieties of campus settings
Second Semester
Formally begin the postsecondary planning process
Attend group meeting with School Counselor(s) to get an overview of the planning process
Meet individually with your School Counselor to talk about your specific interests and plans
Take the SAT and/or ACT for the first or second time
Visit and research colleges and programs
Begin process for Military Academy Appointments or ROTC scholarships, if interested
Parent nights
Junior parent intro. to postsecondary process in February
Financial Aid night, sponsored by MEFA, in April or May
Ask one or two teachers for college recs in March
Write college essay(s) in junior English class
Summer after junior year
Begin college applications, if motivated to start early
Explore alternatives to college for those interested
Continue and/or complete Community Service
Explore enrichment activities, research opportunities
Complete Senior Self Reflection to inform the School Counselor recommendation
Parent(s) complete the Parent Questionnaire to inform the School Counselor recommendation
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Senior Year
First Semester
Continue the postsecondary planning process
Attend group meeting with School Counselors related to the application timeline and process
Parent(s) attend the Senior Postsecondary Planning Night
Continue to explore colleges and programs
Visit campuses
Meet with college reps who visit Needham High in the Fall
Meet individually with School Counselor (as many times as needed)
Talk in detail about your specific plan(s)
○ Start to apply if choosing to apply early (Mid October to Early November Deadlines) ***
○ Start the Financial Aid Process if needed
○ Explore Scholarship Opportunities (many resources, including the ones below)
FastWeb
StudentScholarships.org
Scholar Snap (connect through your Common Application)
Second Semester
Finalize applications
Firm up postsecondary plans
Submit deposit to college attending by May 1st
ED acceptances require deposits shortly after acceptance
All other acceptances allow for a May 1 deposit
Complete all graduation obligations
*** NHS adheres to the CEPP outlined by NACAC (National Association of College Admissions Counseling: Section II: B: #1:page 6 ) in facilitating the application process. We ensure that school documents, and counselor & teacher recommendations will be available for submission on October 15th. Colleges are prohibited from providing or implying an advantage for getting these materials in before the October 15th deadline.