Plan for College
By Allen Grove, About.com Guide
Timelines and Checklists
These articles provide year-by-year information to help you stay on track during the college admissions process.
Academic Record
Your high school academic record is the most important part of your entire college application. Make sure you take the right courses and get the grades you'll need to get into your top-choice colleges.
- What is a Good Academic Record?
- What is a Weighted GPA?
- Required High School Courses
- Is an "A" or a Tough Course Better?
- Should You Explain a Bad Grade?
- Math Requirements
- Science Requirements
- Foreign Language Requirements
- Social Studies Requirements
- English Requirements
Extracurricular Activities
It takes more than high grades to get into selective colleges. Admissions counselors want to see students who demonstrate interesting passions and leadership potential.
- What Counts as an Extracurricular Activity?
- What Are the Best Extracurricular Activities?
- The Best Summer Plans for High School Students
- How Rubik's Cube Can Get You Into College
- Unusual Extracurriculars - The "Freebie Club"
AP - Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement courses can save you money and make your four years of college more enjoyable and productive.
- AP Classes - Why They Matter
- Is My AP Score Good Enough?
- AP Biology Exam Info
- AP Calculus AB Exam Info
- AP Chemistry Exam Info
- AP English Language Exam Info
- AP English Literature Exam Info
- AP Psychology Exam Info
- AP US History Exam Info
- AP World History Exam Info
PSAT, SAT and ACT
Like it or not, standardized tests matter. These articles will help you make sense of and prepare for the PSAT, SAT and ACT.
- Does the PSAT Matter?
- Should You Take the SAT or ACT?
- When Should You Take the SAT?
- When Should You Take the ACT?
- What's a Good SAT Score?
- What's a Good ACT Score?
- Does the SAT Writing Section Matter?
- Bad SAT Score? What Now?
- Low ACT Score? What Now?
- Are SAT Prep Courses Worth the Cost?
- Overview of Kaplan SAT Prep Options
- Overview of Kaplan ACT Prep Options
- What Schools Require SAT Subject Tests?
- What Colleges Require the ACT Writing Test?
- SAT Test Dates
- ACT Test Dates
- ACT or SAT? Book Review
- Exam Prep - Sentence Completion Quiz
- Learn Vocabulary with Meyer's Twilight Novel
SAT Subject Tests
Many of the country's most selective colleges require SAT Subject Tests (formally called the SAT II). Learn about the exams here.
- What Schools Require SAT Subject Tests?
- Biology SAT Subject Test Scores
- Chemistry SAT Subject Test Scores
Summer Activities
Successful college applicants don't spend their summers focusing on their tans or television reruns. These articles can help you make the most out of summer.