The Road to College
 

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11th-Grade Timeline

You will need to reach several very important benchmarks by the end of your junior year. This section will introduce you to these benchmarks and help you plan for them over the course of the year.

11th-Grade Benchmarks

Every junior

  • earns at least two credits in each core subject area
  • earns at least 11 total credits
  • passes two additional Regents and has passed all five basic Regents by the end of junior year at 65 or above, 75 for math and ELA
  • has at least 92 percent attendance and earns at least an 80 percent in all core classes
  • writes and receives feedback on a personal statement in an ELA class
  • takes the PSAT and SAT 
  • attends a college finance and scholarship workshop and completes a practice FAFSA (financial aid) worksheet 
  • participates in a summer activity aligned with career interests
  • builds a list of colleges and career training programs to apply to and reviews it with a counselor.

 

Planning Your Junior Year

September

  • Continue your involvement with extracurricular and leadership activities.
  • Register for Advanced Placement classes.
  • Make sure that you take courses that challenge you, such as precalculus/Math B and chemistry.

October

  • Meet with your adviser to discuss your 10th-grade PSAT scores and start to consider your career path.
  • Attend fall college fairs.

November

  • Use your PSAT scores to help identify the test skills you need to develop before taking the SAT.

December

  • Study hard for high school exams.
  • Prepare for January Regents exams.
  • Find and register for an SAT prep course being held in January or February.

January

  • Take January Regents.
  • Start learning about financial aid. 
  • Talk with your adviser about scholarships. 
  • Attend a Department of Education financial aid workshop with your parents/guardians.


Meet with your adviser and parents/guardians to:

  • Review your academic progress.
  • Find out which Regents exams you have to take in June.
  • Register for the March SAT.
  • Register for College Now classes.

February

  • Prepare a list of the colleges you’d like to attend. Visit those schools online, call admissions offices or go to college fairs to request free materials.
  • Find out if there are special admissions requirements for performing and visual arts colleges.
  • Take an SAT prep course.

March

  • Register for April ACT.
  • Take the March SAT if you are registered.
  • English language learners (ELLs): Find out if the colleges on your list require the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). If so, register for the test. 
  • Research and apply for a summer program, internship or job.
  • Visit some of the colleges that interest you.
  • If you plan to take AP or College Level Examination Progress (CLEP) tests this spring, talk with your college adviser or teachers about how to prepare.
  • Register for the May SAT or subject test. Even if they took the March SAT, many students choose to retake the test to raise their scores.

April

  • Attend spring college fairs.
  • Narrow your college application list to six to eight colleges.
  • Register with the NCAA Clearinghouse if you are interested in playing sports in college. 
  • Take the April ACT if you are registered.

May

  • Take the May SAT or subject test if you are registered.
  • Begin to prepare for your June Regents exams.

June

  • Take Regents exams.


Meet with your adviser and parents/guardians to:

  • Discuss your current courses and the number of credits you have.
  • Decide on the classes you will take next year.
  • Review your college list.

Summer

  • Enjoy your summer program, internship, youth employment or volunteer work. Tell your teachers and/or supervisors that you will ask them for letters of recommendation in the fall.
  • Register for College Now classes.
  • Request catalogs, admissions applications and financial aid information from colleges you haven’t already contacted.
  • Identify at least five scholarships that match your interests or talents. 
  • Write an outline for an autobiographical essay.
  • Visit college campuses.
  • Create a résumé that includes all of your jobs and extracurricular activities.
  • Find out if a placement test, audition or portfolio is required for admission to a specialized program. Start preparing these items if you need them. 
  • Research summer deadlines for fall ACT, SAT, TOEFL and CLEP tests.
  • Begin preparing for the SAT subject tests that you plan to take in the fall.