Juniors – What To Do in September

The college search process begins for juniors this month. It may seem early, but it is a good time to start thinking about types of colleges, geographic areas, and standardized testing.

For athletes, as readers of this newsletter know, September 1 is the date that Division I and II schools can contact student-athletes by email and officially begin the recruiting process. Juniors should proactively contact coaches at schools where they think they have a good academic match.

One of the first things that coaches will ask for are SAT or ACT scores. Of course many juniors have not yet taken these tests. In the early stages, a PSAT score can get the ball rolling, but athletes should consider taking the tests as early as possible.

For both athletes and non-athletes, high school math is the most important determinant for when one should take the ACT and SAT tests. Once a student has completed Algebra II/Trig, she/he is ready for both the ACT and the SAT. UniVarsity recommends that students try each test to see which one they like better. Here’s a list of the dates for both tests for the 2011-2012 school year.

ACT: Sept. 10, Oct. 22, Dec. 10, Feb. 11, Apr. 14, June 9

SAT: Oct. 1, Nov. 5, Dec. 3, Jan. 28, Mar. 10, May 5, June 2