Many students think that planning for college only begins during the final year of high school. But in fact, students should begin thinking about college from the first day of freshman year. Here is a good guide to help you prepare for college:

9^thgrade-focus on your classwork! If you do well in your classes as a freshman, you can start building a track record of academic success to carry with you for all four years of high school. Also, explore the different clubs and extracurricular activities that the school has to offer. Try acting in a play or musical. Go out for a sport you have never tried before. Finally, use your summer well. Get a job or an internship-you can learn important skills and earn a little extra spending money!

10^thgrade-keep doing well in your classes. Colleges like to see an "upward trend" in grades, so if your grades were not where they should have been during 9th grade, bring them up this year. If you found a couple of extracurricular activities you were passionate about, pursue them more thoroughly-try out for the lead in the school play, or run for a leadership position in your favorite club. During sophomore year you will also take the PSAT for the first time. While you should not stress about this test, it is important to take it seriously and do your best. Additionally, if you have scored an 85 or higher in Living Environment, you should take the Biology SAT Subject Test (also known as the "SAT II") in June. Over the summer, try to visit a college campus, just to get a feel for what college life is like. This will give you a sense of what type of school you are looking for-big, small, urban, rural, etc.

11^thgrade-this is probably the most critical year in the college process. This is the last full set of grades colleges will see, so it is essential to do the best you can in your classes. You should challenge yourself and try to take AP classes if possible-colleges would rather see slightly lower grades in AP classes than high grades in less demanding ones. This is also the year to start seriously researching schools. Visit more colleges if you can, and use collegeboard.com or other resources in the College Office to help you. You should also attend college information sessions in the College Office.

11^thgrade is a big year for standardized testing. You will take the PSAT again in October, and while it is still "practice," a high score now could result in a National Merit scholarship. If possible, you should study for the PSAT this time. As for the actual SATs, you should take them in April, May or June. Many students think that it is not possible to study for the SATs; this is not true. You can-and should-study for them. If you cannot take a class or get tutoring, go to Barnes and Noble or Borders and get an SAT study guide. Finally, if you are averaging over an 85 in Math or English, you should take the Math I and Literature SAT II tests. Students who have over a 90 in Chemistry, Physics, or Global History may want to take those tests as well.

During 11^th grade, you will begin to meet with your College Counselor. Together, you will come up with a preliminary college list. Make sure the schools on your college list are ones that you are interested in-the right size, the right location, and the right philosophy. Finally, begin working on a personal statement, a 250-500 word essay that says something important about you. You will wind up using your personal statement as a basis for many college essays.

12^thgrade-you are now in the home stretch. If you were not satisfied with your SAT score the first time you took them, you should re-take the test in October or November. You will finalize your list and fill out your applications, including writing all the essays. You will probably have to write several drafts of your essays, and you should anticipate spending a lot of time on them.

In addition to applying to college, you will also need to apply for financial aid. You can get a head-start on the process by going to www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov. This will get your financial aid application into the system and assign you a Personal Identification Number (PIN). After January 1, you should fill out the FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Depending on the schools you are applying to, you might need to fill out additional financial aid forms such as the CSS profile.

Finally, in April, you will find out which schools you have been accepted to. You will compare financial aid packages and go to visit your top two or three choices. Then you will make a final decision. You will send back your letter of intent and get ready to graduate!