To help you attain health career education goals, the following are recommended tasks which need to be followed during the high school years. This timetable was designed to assist high school students and guidance counselors to plan for post-secondary education in a health career program.

FRESHMAN YEAR
Enroll in the classes that are designed to prepare you for college. Set up at least two appointments with your high school counselor, preferably in the early fall and spring, to schedule your classes. Talk about careers, professions or studies that interest you.

SOPHOMORE YEAR
Enroll in the classes that are designed to prepare you for college. Make appointments in October and January with your counselor to discuss career plans. Read about college opportunities and talk to college representatives when they visit your region. Ask counselors to post College Day/College Night schedules.

JUNIOR YEAR
Study the admission requirements for the colleges and universities that interest you. Confirm that you are taking appropriate courses to meet college entrance requirements. Meet with your counselor. Attend College Day programs. Attend meetings concerning financial aid or college admissions held in your region. Register for and take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) and the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT), usually given in October. Set up a calendar for taking tests and completing college applications. Discuss your family's financial resources and review plans for financial aid. Think about people who might write you a recommendation; start with teachers, counselors and employers. In the spring, register for and take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), Achievement Test, or the American College Test (ACT). See your counselor about available Summer Enrichment Programs.

SENIOR YEAR
July and August Write the colleges you are considering to request application forms, catalogs, and financial aid information. Visit SELECTED college campuses; talk to graduates and students at the institutions.

September
Maintain or improve academic grades. College officials look unfavorably upon failing grades and reduced or less rigorous academic loads during the senior year. Check with your counselor and use the Career Center to determine which tests are required and the deadlines for applying. Set up a calendar for taking tests and completing college applications. Make sure to fulfill application requirements. Check early-decision deadlines. See your counselor when you have questions and need help. Talk with college representatives when they visit your school.

October and November
Attend College Day/Night programs. Apply to colleges with different admission requirements (least selective to more selective). Ask your counselor to look over your application form and discuss the next steps in applying to college. See your counselor about completing the Financial Aid Form (FAF). Colleges require that students requesting financial aid provide the FAF, including the part that explains any unusual financial circumstances. Check your school's newspaper for testing deadlines and scholarship information. Mail completed forms to colleges. Check Military Academy and ROTC application and scholarship deadlines if appropriate.

December
Send all applications and copies of high school grades to the colleges before Christmas, unless a college indicates otherwise. Give your guidance counselor all required forms at least two weeks before they are due since November and December are very busy months for counselors. Take the Achievement Test required by some colleges.

January
Mail the Financial Aid Form (FAF). Some colleges accept outstanding candidates during this month. Take the College Board Achievement Tests if required by the colleges and if you have not taken them previously.

February
Ask your counselor to send your first semester's grades to the colleges, along with any other information not already forwarded. Some colleges provide forms for this purpose and some do not.

March
Recheck college catalogs and see your counselor to make sure that you have taken all of the necessary tests. If you haven't, make sure you register to take the tests in May.

April, May and June
Keep a record of acceptances, rejections, and financial aid awards. Reply promptly to colleges to notify them of your decision. Reply promptly when you are notified that you have been awarded a financial aid package. Tell the college whether you are accepting or refusing the award. Meet the reply deadline or you may lose the admission acceptance or financial aid you have earned. Before you leave school in June, see your counselor to request that a final transcript be sent to the college or university of your choice.

Things to Save
Copies of guidance office newsletters Cancelled checks or money order receipts Admission tickets to tests and correction forms All test score reports Transcripts of high school grades Work copy of the FAF and all other financial aid forms College Scholarship Services acknowledgment form Copies of all correspondence sent to or received from schools, including applications and acceptances.