Hillside’s College Testing Planning Sequence

1. Fall of sophomore year:

   Take the PLAN (the pre-ACT college entrance test) at Hillside.
   The PLAN has an interest inventory section that correlates students’ interests with jobs in those areas.

2. Fall of junior year:

   Take the PSAT (the pre-SAT college entrance exam) at Hillside.
   The PSAT is the entrance point for the National Merit Scholarship Competition which awards finalists $2,500 towards college tuition.

3. Winter/Spring of junior year:

   1. Decide upon colleges that you are interested in applying to; get information about those institutions’ entrance testing requirements. Those who do require testing accept either the ACT or the SAT I; the student may choose which s/he would like to submit. The SAT I and the ACT exams test for English, basic math and problem solving competencies. In addition to requiring the ACT or the SAT I, a school may require 2 to 3 of the SAT subject tests. The SAT II exams test a student’s abilities in other areas such as foreign language and science.
   2. Sign up for May/June SAT and/or ACT exams (online at www.collegeboard.com/sat and www.act.org.)
   3. Take practice ACT or SAT tests using self-guided practice books 30 min/day.
   4. Visit prospective colleges.

4. Spring of junior year:

   1. Take the SAT I/ SAT II or ACT exams at the end of the school year.
   2. Visit prospective colleges and arrange interviews.

5. Fall of senior year:

   1. Visit prospective colleges and arrange interviews.
   2. Write college essays; submit college applications.
   3.Get teacher recommendations.
   4.Retake SAT or ACT tests for better scores if desired.

6. January of senior year:

   Complete CSS and FAFSA financial aid forms (if needed). Estimate taxes based on previous year’s tax returns.

7. February – March of senior year:

   Turn in most recent completed tax and W2 forms to colleges for financial aid.

8. Spring of senior year:

   Receive responses from colleges; notify colleges of your choice.