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College Prep Timeline

Preparing for college can feel overwhelming. William & Mary wants to help make finding the right fit for you an enjoyable experience. The timeline below has tasks broken down by school year, building up to the end of high school.

9th Grade
  1. Meet with your guidance counselor and tell him or her that you want to attend college.
  2. Together develop a plan that will put you on the college track. Anticipate that you will have to go beyond the minimum requirements to graduate high school.
  3. Take the most challenging course-load such as advanced or honors courses.
  4. Establish a strong GPA.
  5. Get involved in school and community organizations.
10th Grade
  1. Continue taking challenging classes.
  2. Maintain a strong GPA or improve on the one you established in 9th Grade!
  3. Continue with school involvement.
  4. Try to attend a summer college preparatory program (check with your guidance counselor for other opportunities).
11th Grade
  1. Maintain GPA or improve on the one you established in 10th Grade!
  2. Take college preparatory classes (Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Dual Enrollment etc.).
  3. Take the PSAT in the fall to qualify for National Merit Scholarships and identify strengths and weaknesses before taking the SAT. Note that submitting standardized test scores is optional at W&M.
  4. Begin studying for the SAT/ACT, do practice tests online and take an SAT/ACT prep course.
  5. Begin college search process:
    1. Think about what type of college you would want to attend.
      1. Size: small (<5,000 students), medium (5,000-15,000 students), large (15,000-30,000) and extra large (>30,000).
      2. Setting: climate, geographic region, proximity from home, etc.
      3. Type of school: liberal arts, technical, private, public, HBCU (historically black college or university)
      4. Programs of study offered: business, pre-med, government, data science, education, etc.
      5. Extracurricular activities: internships, study abroad, clubs and organizations
      6. Fit: Do you feel comfortable on the campus? Can you see yourself spending four years there? (These questions can only really be answered by visiting a college campus!)
    2. Research schools online, at the library, at your school’s college counseling office and local college fairs.
    3. Narrow your choices down to 5-10 colleges.
  6. Visit as many college campuses on your list as you can! Try to schedule a visit at a time when school is in session and students are around. Ask the same questions at each college you visit. Take notes and pictures. Visit options include:
    1. Information session and campus tour
    2. Shadow a student
    3. Interview
    4. Special seasonal or multicultural programs
    5. Visit a friend
  7. Take the SAT/ACT in the spring.
  8. Step up to leadership positions in your extracurricular activities.
  9. Try to attend a summer college preparatory program.
  10. Research and begin to apply for scholarships. Look locally first; although local scholarships may not award as much money as national scholarships, they are much less competitive. Every little bit helps. Check out the following resources:
    1. Guidance counselor
    2. Religious or civic organizations
    3. Your parents' employer
    4. Newspaper
    5. Internet 
12th Grade
  1. Maintain strong GPA. Colleges will see your mid-year and final grades.
  2. Continue taking challenging courses in math, science, foreign language, etc, at the college prep level. Your senior year should be your most challenging.
  3. Take the SAT/ACT again in the fall to improve your scores.
  4. Continue college visits.
  5. Narrow your choices to 3-5 schools.
  6. Review applications for each school; check deadlines and application costs. For William & Mary, the Common App goes live on Aug. 1. Apply for Early Decision I by Nov. 1 or Early Decision II or Regular Decision by Jan. 5.
  7. Obtain 2-3 letters of recommendation from your counselor, teacher(s), coach, etc. As a courtesy make your requests a month in advance. Note that W&M only requires one letter of recommendation from your counselor and additional letters are optional.
  8. Write your application essays with care and have them critiqued by others; they are your on-paper interview.
  9. Continue applying for scholarships.
  10. Have your parents submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  11. Relax and enjoy your senior year!