College Planning Timeline 

• Get to know your high school counselor!  Your counselor will be helpful during a lot of situations during high school, including college planning and goal setting.

• Take challenging classes your freshman year and explore classes that may help you identify a potential career path.

• Participate in meaningful extracurricular activities.  Colleges value quality and depth of involvement in school and non-school related activities.  Keep track of these activities (plus awards you win or leadership positions you earn) throughout high school.  Career Cruising has a place for you to record them all!  

• Create a four-year plan to map out your courses for sophomore, junior, and senior year.  Learn about what high school classes colleges require, and plan accordingly. 

• Start thinking about life after high school.  What are your interests?  What are your skills?  What kind of jobs use those skills and interests?  Log onto Xello to help you with the answers to these questions.  

• Learn about upcoming standardized tests you will need to take.

• Stop in the Career Center to get acclimated with all that it offers!

• Do your best on the Pre-ACT in the spring!

• Work hard in your classes and get good grades.  Your freshman year provides a foundation for all subsequent years of high school and will have a major impact on your GPA and class rank!

• Start thinking about what type of college you would like to attend.  Two year or Four year?  Private or Public?  In State or Out of State?  Use Xello to help you narrow down the options.    

• Explore potential careers.  Use Xello to do some research, talk with people who are employed in a field you are interested in and set up a Job Shadow.  

• Begin to get familiar with the college admissions process and general admissions requirements.  What GPA do you need to get in?  Does the school require the ACT of the SAT?  

• Continue participating in extracurricular activities.  Take on leadership roles in the activities you are really invested in.  Do some volunteer work as well.  Log these activities in your Xello Portfolio. 

• Go to www.actstudent.org and sign up to receive the ACT Question of the Day! 

• Do your best on the Pre-ACT in the Spring!

• Attend your Sophomore Planning Conference with your counselor, which will be held in December and are an important piece of future planning!    

• Register for challenging, meaningful classes for your junior year.  Think about taking IB courses, which are impressive to colleges and universities.  

• Stay focused on doing your best academically.  An impressive academic record is the most important admissions factor for most colleges and universities.    

• Use your summer wisely!  The summer between sophomore and junior years is the perfect time to prep for entrance exams and enhance your resume.  There are many options to consider including:  specialized academic programs and enrichment, study abroad, camps and athletic programs, volunteer opportunities, internships, or a summer job.  

• Always keep in mind:  Junior year is your last full year of school before you apply to college, it’s the most pivotal year in the college planning process. Your junior year grades are the last full year of grades colleges will see before they make admissions decisions.

• Get good grades (see above!) 

• Make sure you are taking the right classes--colleges will evaluate you based on the courses you select.  Your ultimate goal is to take a challenging courseload that you can do well in. Additionally, colleges expect you to have take specific college preparatory classes during high school.  Although it is your responsibility to research EXACTLY what your colleges of interest expect of you, most four year colleges and universities expect that students have taken a minimum of:

  • • • • 4 years of English

        • 3 years of Math (MUST include Algebra II)

        • 3 years of Science (Must be Lab sciences)

        • 3 years of Social Science

        • Additional coursework in the above areas OR Foreign Language, Fine Arts, Tech Ed, Business, Family and Consumer Science, Agriscience, etc.  

• • Begin prepping for the ACT early.  You have access to Method Test Prep via Xello, but can also look for outside preparation activities.  

  • In October, take the PSAT to further prepare for upcoming standardized tests.

  • Stay involved in extracurricular activities.  

  • Begin extensive college research and develop a list of schools that interest you.  The college's website, Career Cruising, the Career Center, and your school counselor, are great resources for you.

  • Attend the Wisconsin Education Fair at the UWSP-Wausau Campus.  

  • Schedule a visit with a college representative!  College reps from schools all over Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois meet with students in the Career Center during the fall and spring.  This is a great time for you to ask questions and get information directly from someone affiliated with the campus.  You will be notified about Campus Rep visits through email, announcements, our social media accounts, and our website.  

  • Take necessary standardized tests--visit our Standardized Testing page to determine which test is right for you.  Remember, you can take standardized tests more than once to achieve your optimal score!  

  • Choose your senior year courses wisely.  Senior year is all about making sure you are prepared for the rigors of college academics.  Do NOT take it easy! 

  • Visit schools over spring break and summer vacation.  Getting on campus is the BEST way to get a feel for the school!

  • Attend the counseling department's Junior Parent Night in the spring.  Families will be notified about Junior Parent Night through email, our social media accounts, and our website.  

  • Meet with your counselor in the spring to go over your senior year schedule and plan for your senior year.  

  • Start working on your application essays over the summer, if you have access to the essay prompts.  

  • By the end of the summer, narrow your college list and familiarize yourself with the application for each school.  Does it use the Common App?  Does it require an essay?  When are the deadlines?  You will start applying for schools right away at the beginning of senior year, so the more organized you are, the better! 

FALL

• Schedule your Senior Meeting with your counselor.  This is a SUPER important meeting!  You'll discuss the college application process, requesting your transcript, financial aid, letters of recommendation, and more.

• Regularly check your Wausau School email account for updates from the Career Center and the counseling office.    

• Make sure you understand the College Application Process. 

• Continue to visit schools, if necessary. 

• Attend the Wisconsin Education Fair at the Wausau campus of UW-MC and/or make an appointment with a college admissions rep who is visiting the Career Center.  

• Finalize your college list.  We recommend applying to at least three schools, UNLESS you are super confident you will be accepted into your first choice school.

• Begin your college applications.  Be aware of what you are required to submit and when deadlines occur.  Consider keeping a spreadsheet to track your applications.

• Ask one or two of your teachers to read over your application essays/personal statements if they are required.  

• Ask teachers for letters of recommendation, if necessary. Letters are not typically required, but can be helpful in the college admissions process.   Remember to provide them with a letter of recommendation form. 

•  Retake standardized tests, if necessary.

•  Be aware of whether the college or university requires standardized test scores, whether official or unofficial test scores.   

• Request your official high school transcript from Xello.

• Regularly stop in the Career Center to check for scholarships and get other information from Mrs. Lo.

• Attend the Financial Aid Night presentation in the Fall with your family.

• Fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1st.   

• Finish up your college applications by Halloween/Thanksgiving....or Winter Break at the latest.

WINTER

• Pay attention to any communication (email or snail mail) from the colleges and universities you've applied to.  Along with sending you an admission decision, they will inform you of any and all necessary next steps.  They will also notify you if some component is missing from your application.  This is very important, as specific instructions will vary from campus to campus.  

• Focus on searching for scholarships.

• Keep your grades up!  Even if you've been admitted to college, you will be asked to submit a final transcript at the end of the school year, and colleges may rescind your admission IF your senior year grades are not adequate. 

• If you are waitlisted to a school, contact the admissions office and ask how to strengthen or enhance your application.  You can also submit a mid-year transcript if you are satisfied with your grades from senior year. 

• Compare financial aid packages from the schools you have been admitted to.  Make sure you are choosing a school that makes sense economically as well as personally and socially.   

SPRING

• Make your final college decision by May 1st.  Complete any required paperwork for the school (tuition deposit, housing preferences, placement testing, course registration, orientation sessions, etc.)  Let any other schools you were accepted to know that you will not be attending.   

• Continue to apply for scholarships.

• Congratulations on graduation and enjoy your summer!!!!