In spite of the highly publicized expense of college, the numbers of applicants is growing at an astounding rate. The need for an education beyond high school is recognized, but the importance of preparing is often overlooked by the demands of a daily grind. Too many times, students find themselves short of an opportunity because of a lack of planning. So make a plan to plan backwards! Start with the end in mind.
Juniors, you know you need to take the SAT, ACT or even PSAT. You may even need a prep course to fine tune those skills or techniques for taking tests effectively. Target your date of an exam, work backwards and allow enough time for taking that prep course. Your plan may even include a follow up test with prep course in between the first “baseline” test. Either way, the entire plan needs to be driven by the target date of submitting college applications and having test scores available. It typically takes about 3 weeks to get scores after you sit for the SAT, ACT, or PSAT.
Seniors, you must have your timeline established. You are in final test opportunity mode with only two fall dates left to register for the SAT and three for the ACT. You’re also in college visit mode and completing applications. The Common Application went live on-line the first week of August for those 2013 applicants, so essay questions are posted. This is the time to begin planning your essay!
Although it is critcal for juniors and seniors to be carefully assessing their timeline, it is not too early for sophomores and freshman to begin their plan. By building your plan with the end in mind, you can guard against missing deadlines and create great opportunities to build your “value” as a university applicant. You also begin to establish a plan of behavior that pays big dividends as you navigate time management in college. Work backwards…it works!
Need help? Click here to contact me.