College Preparation Timeline
With this helpful timeline, you’ll be ready to take the small steps that lead to your next giant leap!
How to Prepare for College
Everything you need to know to guide your college journey.
- Begin learning about college and whether it’s the right fit for you.
- Explore your career interests and passions: Take this two-minute quiz.
- Discuss with your school counselor the best courses to take in high school to pursue your college plans.
- Develop good time management and study skills. High school is right around the corner.
- Plan a fun trip to a college campus for a sporting event, lunch or just to walk around. Visit Purdue.
Parent and Guardian Tips
- Talk with a financial advisor about the cost of college and your options.
- Encourage your student to explore their interests.
- Introduce yourself to your school counselor. This relationship will be vital as you navigate high school and prepare for college.
- Share your goals, hobbies and challenges with your counselor early in your high school career.
- Get involved in activities that excite you.
- Shadow a professional for a day to learn about different careers.
- Prioritize getting good grades. It’s much easier to start strong than to try to recover later.
- Volunteer in your community. This will help others and strengthen your college application.
- Develop your support system. Talk to your family and trusted adults in your community about college.
- Join the mailing list of five colleges that interest you. Sign up to receive information from Purdue.
- Explore summer programs hosted by colleges. Check out Purdue’s Summer College for High School Students.
- Big Goal: Study at least five hours a week, every week, outside the classroom.
Parent and Guardian Tips
- Planning a road trip? Casually visit college campuses near your destination so you and your student can get a feel for several types of colleges and locations. Visit Purdue.
- Get to know your student’s school counselor.
- Take time to understand your student’s academic, extracurricular, home, family and community expectations to properly support them.
- Explore careers by taking an interest assessment: Try ours!
- Consider gaining experience that may lead to your passion. Find a job. Shadow someone in a field you’re curious about. Volunteer in your community.
- Discuss your interests with your school counselor. They can help you align your schedule with courses and subjects that will best prepare you for college.
- Talk to your parents about college costs and family resources.
- Continue participating in activities, clubs and sports. Consider getting a part-time job.
- Create a list of colleges that interest you. Start with 10-15 schools. Think about what’s important to you in a college: location, size, cost, programs, etc.
- Maintain strong grades and begin practicing for the ACT or SAT. Plan to take an ACT or SAT early in your junior year.
- Big Goal: Take one official college visit with a campus tour and admissions presentation.
Parent and Guardian Tips
- Help your student create a separate email address for colleges. This email should only be used for college engagement, campus visits, and sign-ups for college activities and events.
- Talk with your student about finances so you and your student understand how college expenses will be paid and how much you are willing to spend on education. Use financial aid estimator tools for more research: Try Purdue’s Net Price Calculator.
- Explore national scholarships and awards with your student. Some require significant effort beyond grades to be competitive. Starting early is key.
- Be available to join your student on an official college visit.
Do you live in Indiana? Explore Fast Start, a more affordable path to assured admission at Purdue.
- Talk to your counselor about taking an appropriate number of AP, IB and dual credit courses, if available.
- Visit college campuses you may want to attend. Plan three to five official visits.
- Attend college fairs in your area. Your high school counselor can help you learn about these.
- Watch for information about college admission counselors visiting your high school. They are typically posted in the library, counseling office or cafeteria.
- Begin looking for scholarships.
- Unsubscribe from college emails that come from places you’re no longer interested in.
- Ask teachers, counselors, coaches and others if they would be interested in writing a letter of recommendation for you.
- Explore jobs and other opportunities that align with your academic interests.
- Learn about the admissions process at colleges you’re interested in.
- Practice writing college essays.
- Prepare for the ACT/SAT with practice exams and eventually take the actual test.
- Note: The science section of the ACT is now optional.
- Big Goal: Make this your best academic year.
Parent and Guardian Tips
- Allow your student to prioritize their interests and passions. This may mean leaving jobs or activities they no longer find interesting to make more room for their true goals.
- Support your student by helping them identify places to study and outline how much time they need to reach their goals. Offer to help or find tutors to assist.
- Help your student find a professional who works in a career field they are interested in.
- Be supportive if your student is still exploring. With few exceptions, students have plenty of time to find a passion and decide on a college major.
- Be available for college visits, college fairs, interviews and camps.
- Create dedicated time to talk about college, so that everyone is on the same page.
- Apply to college! Some schools have application and scholarship deadlines as early as November. Understand the dates, deadlines and application requirements of all your top schools so you can apply with confidence.
- Plan your senior year courses in preparation for your college major first-year courses. As an example, if your first year of college requires college calculus take precalculus or AP calculus as a senior.
- Retake the ACT/SAT, if necessary.
- Visit campuses and attend college fairs. Take the time to resolve final questions.
- Submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Need more information? Visit Purdue’s FAFSA page.
- Search and apply for scholarships.
- Take your time before committing to a school. Consider the cost, location, campus and institution’s plan to help you reach your goals.
- Attend admitted student days at your top colleges. These visits are a bit different from prospective visits and typically offer more access to academic advisors, faculty, students and campus life.
- Finish the year with strong grades.
- Big Goal: Apply to your top colleges by their priority deadline.
Parent and Guardian Tips
- Have conversations with your student about financial fit before they begin applying to college.
- Discuss dates and deadlines for college applications with your student. Avoid planning events around application deadlines.
- Be prepared for tough days. A denial letter can be difficult. Be there for your student; they need you. This might be the first opportunity they’ve had to learn how to overcome obstacles. Learning this now will serve them well when they get to college and encounter challenges.
- Set aside funds for admitted student visits and the enrollment deposit to the college your student selects, as well as for a few pieces of spirit wear for you and your student. They’ll want to show off their college choice in the final months of high school!
Do you live in Indiana? Explore eligibility requirements for the Boiler Gold Grant, which covers tuition, fees and books for up to four years.
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