Blueprint

11th grade: test and apply

The most important academic year. Junior grades are the last full year on the transcript when applications go in, and the testing calendar runs all year.

This year's checklist

• Take the PSAT/NMSQT in the fall. It is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program.
• Take the SAT or ACT in the winter or spring, and leave room for a second sitting.
• Keep the hardest schedule the student can earn strong grades in.
• Ask two teachers for recommendation letters before summer, while the class is fresh.
• Start an essay bank: one personal story, one about a challenge, one about a goal. Most prompts are versions of these three.
• Apply for scholarships open to juniors. Build the college list and visit two or three campuses.

The money move

Many of the largest awards open in the summer and fall before senior year, with deadlines from October to January. Put those dates in your plan now so senior fall does not surprise you.

For the parent

Gather the documents the aid forms will need: tax returns, records of income and assets. Create the student's and your own StudentAid.gov accounts ahead of time, since each contributor needs one.