I know it’s summertime and the last thing you’re thinking about is what you’re going to do in the fall let alone what you’re going to do with regard to college! Summer is summer right!? Love it, live it. Experience life.

I don’t blame you.

I’m trying to avoid work as much as I can, but its tough to do that when they expect me to actually work 8 hours a day. It’s nice when I love what I do so much. Makes it fun.

Anyway I digress…

Now, you don’t have to do much work here. Have a great summer and enjoy it. Now chances are, 100% of you have claimed boredom at some point in the summer so far. Right?

Well in your boredom, print out this list and work through it. Are you becoming a JUNIOR this fall? Will you start school as a JUNIOR, 3rd year high school?

It’s an easy list of what YOU as a JUNIOR in HIGH SCHOOL need to consider and do with regard to PREPARING for college.This is for JUNIORS only right now. SENIORS, I will send out my list for you in the next couple days.

SENIORS: you could look through this list to make sure YOU did everything here. If not, get on the ball and complete what you need to get done now. Then when you read through my SENIOR list you will be on task. 🙂

I was reading an old publication that Wells Fargo sponsored by along with CollegeReady. I posted some past information and resource sites for getting ready and preparing for college.

Proper preparation makes a productive person…

The more your ready and prepared, seriously the better off you will be and the cheaper college gets. So take this list and do with it what you want. Work on what you can and if you have questions about it, let me know and we can go more into detail.

Again I’m always wanting to provide you guys with all the good and quality resources I can. I make a lot of recommendations if I believe in it and always support what I post on here. If you find anything else please let me know. Of all the posts we have on The Hope Chest, many of them are from YOU! You all have given me such awesome ideas and further reflection on future posts. Thank you all so much for that, and for your support. Remember that Your Success is

My Success.

JUNIORS, pay attention to this easy but busy list. It’s broken down by month throughout your school year and there really isn’t very many things you have to do. Some of them just take a little more preparation and readiness.

THE ONLY LIST YOU NEED RIGHT NOW…

August- Review your high school classes and activities that you are involved in. Extracurricular is very important. Colleges look for challenging work, strong grades and extra involvement.

September- 1.Browse college catalogs and guidebooks, and surf the web for information about different colleges.  2.List 10 colleges you would like to attend.  3.Talk to mom and dad and high school guidance counselor about that list to get assistance in narrowing it down.  4.Register and study for the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT). For your PSAT online tests, and to check into this some more, I would visit www.collegeboard.com or www.petersons.com. These are the best sites and I trust them the most.  5.Plan to attend area college fairs and parents’ nights.

October- 1.Take the PSAT  2.Research Advanced Placement (AP) or college-bound courses you might take in high school.

November- 1.Learn about eligibility requirements for federal and private students loans. Don’t apply, just get the information for now.  2.Talk with your family honestly about how much you can afford for education. Be candid here.

December- Your off 🙂

January- 1.Plan for the next round of tests: SAT and the ACT. Visit www.collegeboard.com or www.petersons.com for practice tests and specific information about these tests and how they’re taken. Pay attention to announcements and letters from your high school about these tests.  2.Attend financial aid nights in your area. One night is enough. They will help you figure out your financial aid application.

February- Investigate private scholarships and other aid programs. Check with your parents’ employers, local membership organizations or programs related to your intended course of study.

March- 1.Make the most of spring break with week-long college visits. Check out my posts about these: MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR CAMPUS VISITS and SPRING BREAK + NO SCHOOL= AWESOME COLLEGE VISITS.  2.Register for the SAT and ACT. Take an exam prep course to help you pass.

April- 1.Visit the 3-6 schools on your final list. Schedule an admissions interview and an overnight stay (if you plan to attend school away from home). Take time at each school’s financial aid office to collect information.  2.Beginning preparing essays for admissions and scholarship applications.

May- 1.Take the SAT and/or ACT  2.Mark your calendar with the dates for your future tests.

June- Continue researching organizations that award scholarships to graduating seniors. You may need to apply for them the summer after your JUNIOR year.

So keep this list and let me know if you have further questions regarding this. If you take these steps as a JUNIOR you will definitely reap the benefits when your actually ready to apply, and your barely paying a dime for school. 🙂

Your Success is My Success,

Keith Lipke