Grade by grade
What to take, ask and do from 8th grade to graduation, including when to take the PSAT, SAT, ACT, Keystones and ASVAB, and how to plan for paying for what comes next. Your school sets the exact dates, so check with the counselor.
Jump to: 8th grade9th grade10th grade11th grade12th grade
See it with your student's plan. A free plan adds your student's own to-dos, like missing requirements and next year's courses, and marks where you are now.
8th grade
- fall
Find your high school's Program of Studies
It lists every course, what each one counts toward, and what you need before taking it. Ask the school counselor if you can't find it online.
- winter
Ask which 8th-grade courses earn high school credit
Some schools count 8th-grade Algebra I or a world language toward high school requirements, and some count them only as electives.
- spring
Choose 9th-grade courses with your student
The math sequence, honors placement and world language chosen now decide which courses are open in 11th and 12th grade.
- summer
Explore interests over the summer
Camps, library programs, volunteering and part-time work all help a student see what they might want next.
9th grade
- fall
Meet the school counselor
Bring the four-year plan and your questions. Counselors help each student, but they have many students, so a plan and a list make the meeting count.
- fall
Tests Take the PSAT 8/9 if your school offers it
It's practice. No prep needed, and colleges never see the score. The score report shows which skills to work on.
- winter
Stay on track in every class
Passing every course in 9th grade is one of the strongest signs a student will graduate. If a grade slips, ask about help early.
- spring
Choose 10th-grade courses
Check the prerequisites for advanced courses you might want later, so a 10th-grade choice doesn't close a door.
- spring
Tests Keystone exams come at the end of Algebra I, Literature and Biology
Students take each one in the year they finish the course, sometimes in 8th grade. Pennsylvania uses them toward graduation, so ask the counselor how they count for your student.
10th grade
- fall
Explore every path after high school
Four-year college, two-year college, career and technical education, apprenticeships and the military all start from the courses in the plan. Ask when your area career and technical center takes applications.
- winter
Ask about advanced and college-level courses
Find out which AP, honors and dual-enrollment courses your school offers, and what each one needs first.
- winter
Tests Ask whether your school gives the ASVAB
Many schools offer it free in 10th to 12th grade as a career interest test. Taking it doesn't sign a student up for the military. Ask whether the school shares results with recruiters: release Option 8 keeps them private.
- spring
Choose 11th-grade courses
Leave room in 11th and 12th grade for any requirement that's still open on the graduation check.
- spring
Tests Take the PSAT 10 for practice
Another free look at the SAT format. Colleges don't see it. Keep taking math every year: most SAT math is Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II.
- spring
Paying Talk as a family about paying for what comes next
College, community college, a training program and the military each cost very different amounts, and most families pay far less than a college's published price. Talking early keeps every path open.
11th grade
- fall
Start a list of colleges and programs
Include places close to home and farther away, two-year and four-year options, and programs that match the student's interests.
- fall
Tests Take the PSAT/NMSQT in October
Only the 11th-grade PSAT counts for National Merit scholarships. A few practice sections beforehand help. Use the score report to plan SAT prep.
- fall
Paying Run each college's net price calculator
Every college that takes federal aid has one on its website. It estimates what your family would pay after grants and scholarships, which is often much less than the sticker price. Have last year's tax return handy.
- winter
Visit campuses and programs
Many colleges offer free visit days and online tours. A visit to a nearby campus helps a student picture themselves there.
- winter
Tests Choose the SAT or ACT and start preparing
Take one full practice test of each and pick the better fit. Plan 6 to 10 weeks at 3 to 5 hours a week. Free official practice: the Bluebook app and Khan Academy for the SAT, and the free practice tests on act.org for the ACT. Keep a list of every missed question and redo them a week later. Students who get free or reduced-price lunch can usually test for free, so ask the counselor about fee waivers.
- spring
Plan senior year to finish every requirement
Use the graduation check to see what's left, and ask about any senior-year-only requirements your school has.
- spring
Tests Take the SAT or ACT for the first time
Many schools give the SAT free on a school day in spring. Otherwise, register for a March, May or June date. Taking it first in 11th grade leaves time to try again.
- spring
Paying Start a scholarship list
Ask the counselor for local scholarships: community foundations, employers, churches and clubs often give awards that few students apply for. Never pay to search for or apply to a scholarship.
- summer
Get ready to apply
Narrow the college and program list and gather what applications ask for: activities, work and anything the student is proud of.
- summer
Tests Plan a retake if the score is below what your colleges want
Look up each college's middle score range. Register for an August, September or October date, and prep on the question types missed most. Most students take the test 2 or 3 times.
- summer
Paying Make StudentAid.gov accounts for the FAFSA
Everyone the FAFSA calls a contributor needs their own StudentAid.gov account to fill out and sign their part. That's the student, and for most students at least one parent, or both if the parents are married and filed taxes separately. StudentAid.gov's "Who's My FAFSA Parent?" tool shows who. Make the accounts before senior year, since a new one can take a few days to verify.
12th grade
- fall
Apply
Keep every deadline in one place, and ask the counselor how the school sends transcripts.
- fall
Tests Finish testing by October and send scores
October is the last date that reaches most early deadlines. Check each college's test policy: some require scores again, some are optional, and a good score can still help with scholarships.
- fall
Paying File the FAFSA as soon as it opens in the fall
The FAFSA is the free federal aid application. It opens by October 1 each year, and lately in late September. Colleges and Pennsylvania use it for grants, and it uses tax information from two years before. Some private colleges also ask for the CSS Profile. A college's aid deadline can come before its application deadline, so check each one.
- winter
Check graduation requirements one last time
Make sure every requirement is done or in progress, and that the counselor's records match the plan.
- winter
Paying Finish the Pennsylvania State Grant forms, and keep applying for scholarships
Pennsylvania's State Grant uses the FAFSA. File it by May 1 for a degree program, or by August 1 for a community college or a trade, technical or nursing school. After the FAFSA, PHEAA emails a link to its GrantUs site, where first-time applicants fill out the State Grant Form and the High School Form. Many local scholarships close in winter and spring.
- spring
Decide what's next
Compare the options with your family, and let the school know where the student is going.
- spring
Paying Compare aid offers before deciding
Grants and scholarships don't get paid back; loans do. Subtract the free money from each college's full cost to see what's left. If an offer falls short, ask the aid office to take another look. Most colleges ask for a decision by May 1.