Graduate High School or Obtain a GED

• U.S. colleges and universities require incoming freshmen to have a high school diploma or General Educational Development credential. Your grade point average will highly influence which colleges you will be admitted to, making it important that you try to get your GPA as high as possible. High school also provides students with opportunities to develop leadership skills, participate in extracurricular activities and fine-tune talents. Colleges often look at activities and skills you gained experience from when evaluating your application, so students should make good use of their time.
  
  

Prepare for College

• Explore your interests and decide what you would like to major in. Research colleges and universities that offer programs that appeal to you, and familiarize yourself with their admissions process. Tour campuses if they are nearby and express your interest in schools you might want to attend early. Many schools offer events aimed at high school students to help them learn about the school, programs and admissions requirements. The more you know about the school you will be applying to, the better prepared you will be for gaining admittance to the school.
  
  

Take Entrance Exams

• High school students should take either the Scholastic Aptitude Test or American College Testing exams. Study for these exams by either enrolling in a prep class, attending a preparation workshop or using self-study guides. Decide which test you want to take and take the test early. If you are not satisfied with your score or know you scored low for a correctable reason, retake the exam. The SAT tests students on reading, math and writing. The ACT tests students in the areas of English, math, reading and science.
  
  

Obtain References and Draft Personal Statement

• Many colleges and universities require letters of recommendation and a personal statement with the application. It is important that your letters of reference come from people who know you well enough to speak about your aptitude and abilities. Consider making an effort to get to know your teachers, guidance counselor, principal and extracurricular advisers better, so they can write your letter with confidence and provide a strong recommendation. Your personal statement is something you will write yourself. Many schools will specify certain items or questions that need to be addressed in the statement. Start your statement early so you can gain feedback from others on it, edit it and improve it before submitting the final version.
  
  

Apply

• Apply to the colleges and universities you want to attend. Consider applying to five to seven schools. It is a good idea to apply to a couple of schools that are easy bets, a couple that are mid-range competitive and a couple with tough competition. Complete the entire application process and include the application fees. Schools will rarely consider an applicant if the application materials are incomplete. Make sure all materials are turned in before deadlines.
  
  

Pay for College

• Fill out a Federal Application for Federal Student Aid. This should be done as soon as possible. Most schools have a priority filing deadline of Feb. 15, before the fall start date. You can submit your FAFSA information to all schools you are interested in, you will be promoted when filing the form to list schools you are interested in. List all schools you are considering, even if you are not certain you will attend, as there is no fee for the FAFSA.