How To Get Started with the College Admissions Process

While the ideal time to get started with the admissions process is during your junior year or even earlier, in reality many students don't get started until senior year has begun and fellow students are discussing schools, test scores, and applications. If it's late summer or early fall and you still haven't begun thinking about college, here's what you need to do to get started with the college admissions process.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: a few weeks

Here's How:

1. Find the registration deadlines and sign up for the SAT and/or the ACT. There are at least three opportunities to take each test before the admissions deadline at most schools. Even if you've already taken the test(s) once, if you don't have the score you need you'll probably want to try again.

2. Decide on a test prep strategy. Whether you're taking a class, using a private tutor, or just studying on your own using prep guides, you should definitely prepare rather than taking the SAT or ACT cold.

3. Think generally about what you want in a college. Would you prefer a large school? Small school? Do you want to study a particular subject such as engineering, or get a broad liberal arts education?

4. To get a sense of what colleges are out there, browse a college guide such as the Fiske Guide or college rankings lists such as U.S. News or our rankings of top public schools, engineering schools, etc. Read about each school and compare their "statistics" (such as SAT averages) to your own.

5. Make a list of your activities. You'll have to do this eventually when you fill out your applications, and it will also be helpful during the essay writing process. What have you been involved with in the past few years, both in school and outside of school?

6. Brainstorm about possible college essay topics.

More How To's from your Guide To College Admissions: U.S.