<p>Sounds slightly more likely…</p>
<p>Even if you are just messing with me, that’s okay, maybe someone else will find this helpful. </p>
<p>Starting Junior year? Here in the College Board’s (The College Board are the SAT people) “Junior Action Plan.” This is what you should be doing this academic year to prepare for college: [High</a> School Juniors - college admissions guide - campus visits and college interviews - SAT tests](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>How to Start Planning for College in 11th Grade – BigFuture)</p>
<p>Key points: Make sure you are taking the right classes. That means make an appointment with your counselor and tell him/her that you are applying to four-year colleges and you want to make sure you have the required classes. Ask these questions: [Twenty</a> Questions to Ask Your School Counselor<a href=“YOU%20may%20think%20they%20don’t%20know%20much,%20but%20at%20this%20point%20I%20am%20CERTAIN%20he/she%20will%20know%20more%20than%20you%20do!”>/url</a></p>
<p>Take the PSAT in October. Sign up in September. (You counselor knows what the PSAT is. Really.) Take the SAT and ACT Spring of your junior year - you should sign up about a month in advance. (DON’T submit ANY applications yet.). Take two SAT subject tests in your best subjects in June. (If you take Math, make sure it is “Math Level 2.”)</p>
<p>AFTER you take the SATs and ACT, start to look at colleges. Find colleges you like and would be willing to attend in three categories: Safety - those where your scores and grades put you in the top 10% of applicants, Matches - those where you fall in the “middle 50%,” and Reaches - those where you are in the bottom 25%.</p>
<p>***”Middle 50%” refers to the scores achieved by successful (accepted) applicants in the 25th to 75% percentiles. If your scores are better, then you are in that top 25% and probably have a very good shot. If your scores are in that middle 50% you are a match and, depending on how selective it is, you have a good chance. If you fall in the bottom 25%, it is still possible to be accepted, but it isn’t likely. </p>
<p>Your applications will go in starting in about October or November of your SENIOR year and due dates will continue into January. You are responsible for going on each college’s website and making sure you know the dates.</p>
<p>Getting applications in months or weeks ahead of the due date will not give you an advantage. Submit about a week before the due date. You will not be placed on any waiting list until admissions decisions are made. A waiting list is “almost” a rejection. They do not have a place for you, but in May or June they may find some space and contact you then. Notification of the waiting list would come with your rejection or deferral letter.</p>
<p>You will get your replies anywhere from a few weeks to four months after you apply. The individual college will have that information posted. They will all let you know by the first week of April (April 2010 for you) and you have until May 1st to decide.</p>
<p>Cornell info: [url=<a href=“http://admissions.cornell.edu/apply/firstyear/]Cornell”>http://admissions.cornell.edu/apply/firstyear/]Cornell</a> University Undergraduate Admissions Office - HOW TO APPLY](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>20 Questions to Ask Your School Counselor – BigFuture)
Georgetown: [Georgetown</a> University- Office of Undergraduate Admissions](<a href=“http://uadmissions.georgetown.edu/applying_started.cfm]Georgetown”>http://uadmissions.georgetown.edu/applying_started.cfm)
Columbia: [Columbia</a> University Office of Undergraduate Admissions - Undergraduate Admissions Home](<a href=“http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/admissions/]Columbia”>Home | Columbia Undergraduate Admissions)</p>
<p>There you go.</p>