We’ve included a junior year planner to help keep you focused as you take those first steps toward college. Remember, your guidance counselor is an important resource - keep in touch from the moment you start thinking seriously about college.

If you're the first in your family to travel it, the road to college can be rough - here's a good map to follow to get you through your junior year:

September

See your guidance counselor to sign up for the PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test). This test gives you an indication of how well you will score on the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), the standardized test used by most colleges for admission. Your PSAT scores will reflect your areas of strength and where you need to improve to get your SAT scores up to the levels expected by the colleges of your choice.

September/ October

Make an appointment to speak to your guidance counselor about college choices. Your guidance office will help you select colleges that will fit your interests, your academic standing, your budget, your geographical desires, and more. Begin to research your all college choices in detail. Your library and the Internet are also good places to look for information.

Don't just look at each college's official catalog and website; get the students' point of view through their online student newspapers and other available sources. Find currently enrolled students who attended your high school and talk to them about their experiences. The more you learn at this stage, the easier the rest of the process will be.

October

Take the PSATs. Continue your research - dig deep!

December

Some schools offer an early admission or early decision program. If this option is one you are considering, you need to register to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in the fall of your senior year. Discuss the value of early admission with your guidance counselor; it may be the way to go if you have one "favorite" college, but you will usually have to commit to attend the school before you know what their financial aid offer is. If you do decide on early admission, start reviewing for the SATs.

There are a number of books available in your local bookstore that offer practice tests and test-taking strategies. If you can discipline yourself and commit the time, you can learn all you need to know at home with one of these books. Your school might also offer an SAT preparation workshop or seminar. If it does, be sure to register for it; it will help. Private SAT prep courses are also available in your community; these can be effective but are also expensive, so think about how much help you really need and decide if it's worth the cost.

February

College is expensive and financial aid is a major concern for most college students. Start to investigate financial aid options with your guidance counselor. Sit down with your parents and discuss what you and your family can afford to spend on college. There is lots of aid available, but there are also many students seeking it.

Keep in mind that there are good schools in every price range, from community colleges up to the Ivy League. But if you think you've got what it takes, go for the gold! Remember, other college financing strategies, including student loans and home equity loans, are available through your credit union. Include them as part of your financial research - they are there to help!

March

Check with your guidance counselor for dates to register for the SATs or the ACTs (American College Testing) if you plan to take them late in your junior year or early in your senior year. Spring break is a great time for you and your parents to start visiting the schools on your list; make sure that each school is in session then, so you can see things in action and talk to the students. Continue your visits through the end of the school year.

Summer

Continue to visit colleges you haven't been to and start to narrow down your choices. Some colleges have summer weekend programs for prospective students; take advantage of these to get additional insights and on-campus experience.

You want to enter your senior year with a well-defined list of colleges to apply to. Ideally, you should be happy to attend any school remaining on your list because you've done the research, visited, checked them out thoroughly and know that each will meet your needs. Good job!