Huntington Learning Center Offers College Preparation Calendar

ORADELL, NJ--(Marketwired - Aug 26, 2013) - If you have a high school student with his or her sights set on college, there's a lot to think about. SATs and ACTs, researching colleges, applying to schools, and so many other tasks sneak up on parents and students, causing added stress in the final years of high school. Huntington Learning Center suggests that parents put key dates on the calendar as their teens get closer to heading off to college. "We urge parents to make note of important deadlines well in advance to ensure the most important college to-dos don't fall through the cracks," says Eileen Huntington, co-founder of Huntington Learning Center.

Here's a quick guide to important college preparation tasks, month by month:

September

  • Request letters of recommendation from teachers (seniors).

  • Begin working on application essays (seniors).

  • Register for October 5, 2013 SAT or October 26, 2013 ACT (juniors/seniors).

  • Check out 2013-2014 dates for SAT Subject Tests (sophomores/juniors/seniors).

  • Register for the October 16, 2013 or October 19, 2013 PSAT/NMSQT (freshmen/sophomores).

  • Register for the ACT PLAN (freshmen/sophomores).

October

  • Take SAT: October 5, 2013 or ACT: October 26, 2013 (juniors/seniors).

  • Register for November 2, 2013 SAT. (juniors/seniors)

  • Take PSAT/NMSQT: October 16, 2013 or October 19, 2013 (freshmen/sophomores).

  • Attend college fairs (freshmen/sophomores/juniors).

November/December

  • Work on college applications for schools with January 1, 2014 deadlines (seniors).

  • Register for December 7, 2013 SAT, January 25, 2014 SAT or December 14, 2013 ACT (juniors/seniors).

  • Take SAT: November 2, 2013 or December 7, 2013 or ACT: December 14, 2013 (juniors/seniors).

  • Register for SAT or ACT exam prep course (juniors).

  • Visit colleges over holiday break (sophomores/juniors).

January/February

  • Submit Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon after January 1, 2014 as possible (seniors).

  • Take SAT: January 25, 2014 or ACT: February 8, 2014 (juniors/seniors).

  • Register for March 8, 2014 SAT or February 8, 2014 ACT (juniors/seniors).

  • Schedule a time to talk with the guidance counselor about college plans (juniors).

March/April

  • Review Student Aid Report when it arrives 4-6 weeks after FAFSA is submitted (seniors).

  • Complete all applications with spring deadlines (seniors).

  • Register for May 3, 2014 SAT or April 12, 2014 ACT (juniors).

  • Take SAT: March 8, 2014 or ACT: April 12, 2014 (juniors).

  • Talk with the Advanced Placement (AP) coordinator about upcoming AP exams (juniors).

  • Begin researching scholarships (sophomores/juniors).

May/June

  • Register for June 7, 2014 SAT or June 14, 2014 ACT (juniors).

  • Take SAT: May 3, 2014 or June 7, 2014/ACT: June 14, 2014 (juniors).