11th Grade To-Do List:

Continue looking at colleges. This is the year to be narrowing down your long list of colleges to about five. Things to consider:

• Does it offer the major you're interested in?
• Is it the right size for you?
• Location - how far is it away from home? What is the weather like? How does the campus look?
• Have you visited any colleges or universities? You get 3 excused absences your junior year. Also, most colleges gear their Open Houses toward juniors in the spring, so take advantage!
• Can you afford it?

Take College Entrance Exams (aka the SAT and the ACT):

• It is a good idea to take the SAT spring semester.
• The ACT will be given at CATA in March. Don't miss it!
• Take either the SAT or ACT a second time during the Spring semester, or the summer between your junior and senior year. You should make a 2nd attempt at whichever test you scored better on the 1st time.
• Remember, if you receive free or reduced lunch, you are eligible for fee waivers. See Ms. Lawson for fee waivers.
• You can register online for the SAT at http://sat.collegeboard.org/home?navid=gh-sat and for the ACT at http://www.actstudent.org/
• Do NOT begin your senior year without 2 college entrance exams under your belt!

Bring your GPA up:

• Colleges look at your classes and the grades you made in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade.
• Colleges use your final GPA from your junior year when making admissions decisions, so this is your last chance to improve upon your GPA.

Create a Resume':

• Your resume’ should include extracurricular activities (in and outside of school,) any honors you have received, leadership positions held, and detailed information concerning community service you have participated in.
• You should include grades 9-11 right now. Make sure you add new information (community service, honors, etc.) as they occur.
• Template

CFNC.org:

• If you do not already have an account, create one. You can use CFNC to apply for college next year, so make sure you are familiar with the website.
• The 'Plan' tab has a lot of great information to help you prepare for your senior year and for applying to college - Plan for College
• You can take surveys, look at interest profilers, and assess your skills to help you decide what careers would be a good match for you on the 'Learn About Yourself' page.

Athletes: Make sure you register with the NCAA Clearinghouse! See Ms. Lawson in the Guidance Office to do so.

Looking Beyond the 'Usual Suspects' in the College Search

Set up a Planning Process for College Applications

Occupational Outlook Handbook - a guide to career information about hundreds of occupations

Planning Guides: