9th Grade:

• Choose the most challenging high school courses in which you can be the most successful
• Become familiar with college entrance requirements. Take at look at the school’s Freshman Profile
• Understand Bright Futures Requirements
• Understand NCAA Clearinghouse Requirements if you are an athlete
• Join Extracurricular Activities that you see a future in continuing throughout high school
• Join an Athletic Team if you are interested
• Research College Costs both in state and out of state
• Start documenting all community service hours OR paid employment hours and turn them into the school's Registrar
• Consider taking the PSAT for the experience of understanding what the SAT test looks for
• Remember that every grade counts now...start strong...grades do count for college entrance
• Try to do something productive in the summer: a job, a camp counselor, community service

10th Grade:

• Continue to plan and take the most challenging high school courses in which you can be the most successful
• Start to take a foreign language (Must have 2 consecutive years of the same language for most four-year universities)
• Become familiar with college entrance requirements
• Understand Bright Futures Requirements
• Understand NCAA Clearinghouse Requirements if you are an athlete
• Take the PSAT test in mid-October.  Begin to think about where you might want to attend to college: region, size, and cost are all factors
• Join Extracurricular activities and sports
• Continue documenting community service hours OR paid employment hours and turn them in on a regular basis 
• Start to have the conversations with parents about costs of higher education
• Try to do something productive in the summer: a job, a camp counselor, community service
• Spend time in the summer reviewing the SAT on www.collegeboard.org and the ACT on www.act.org to become familiar with the tests and what you need to know to do your best--Plan to take these tests in your Junior Year

11th Grade:

• Continue to plan and take the most challenging high school courses in which you can be the most successful
• Become familiar with the college entrance requirements
• Understand the Bright Futures Requirements--including test scores needed
• If you are an athlete, start the registration process with NCAA Clearinghouse
• If you are interested in one of the branches of the military, start to talk to recruiters -Take the ASVAB Test
• Continue to document your community service hours OR paid employment hours and turn them into the school 
• Throughout the year start to list your choices of schools and map out all requirements such as midrange test scores and GPA. Consider if your courses you are appropriate for the colleges you are interested in attending.
• Know how many credits your school of choice will allow you to enter with from AP, IB, and Dual Enrollment courses
• Start to make comparisons of schools with location, cost, size, and academic appeal
• Take the PSAT in mid-October for possible qualification for National Merit Status. 
• Register and take either or both the SAT and ACT (You should plan to take the test at least twice during junior year)
• Attend the local college fairs in the Spring
• Start creating an academic resume
• Make an appointment with your school counselor to make sure you are on track before you leave for the summer
• Use your summer to start visiting colleges you might be interested in attending
• Use your summer to do something productive: a job, a camp counselor, community service

12th Grade:

• Continue to take the most challenging high school courses--now is not the time to take easy classes
• Stay involved in extracurricular activities and sports
• Understand Bright Futures Requirements
• After October 1, apply for Florida Financial Aid (Bright Futures)
• After October 1, apply for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
• Register and take the ACT or SAT in the Fall, if needed
• Make an appointment with your School Counselor to review your transcripts to make sure everything is in order 
• Take any SAT Subject tests that are needed but a college you might be interested in attending
• Establish a calendar with important deadline dates for applications--It is very important that you do not miss a deadline.
• Visit any other colleges on your list virtually or in person
• Attend college visits on our campus--ask those important questions
• Determine if you need letters of recommendation. Always ask the teacher or counselor if they are willing to write you a letter of recommendation. Do NOT send letters to schools who do not require them.
• Complete your academic resume
• Prepare you college essay
• Submit applications (many schools have deadlines in October and November)
• Complete the SSAR and link to the college application if needed
• Continue to turn in all your community service hours (75 or 100 hours of community service or 100 hours of paid employment are needed for Bright Futures)
• Investigate scholarship opportunities--apply for small ones and big ones
• Make sure you have all test scores sent by the testing companies to the schools you are applying to
• Follow up with schools to make sure they have received all important documents