College Board is a great resource when planning for college through high school. Below you will find a guide to help you through college planning in high school.
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Freshman Year
- Familiarize yourself with the college process
- Investigate colleges
Sophomore Year
- Continue to look at colleges
- Explore career options and majors in college
- Take PSAT
Junior Year
- Search for colleges that best fit your criteria
- Take PSAT
- Plan for the college entrance exams – SAT and/or ACT
- Visit colleges
Senior Year
- Apply for college
- Search for scholarships
- Complete the FAFSA – opens January 1st
- Complete and submit the GPA verification form for CalGrants
- Confirm your acceptance to the school that you are choosing
On a side note, finances are not determined before you apply for acceptance to a university. You will have to apply and then complete the financial aid paperwork (namely the FAFSA) before you will be notified of your financial assistance. You will not know the amount of financial aid available to you until you have applied and been accepted to the schools that you are considering.