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In The Choice, Jody Sanford Sweeney, the associate director of college counseling at William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, suggests college admissions checklist as follows:

1) Take the Lead: take initiative in college search while communicating also with your parents.

2) Ask for Help: visit the guidance department, the college counseling office, the library, and community-based organizations. A simple question like "Where can I find a college guide?" can lead you to helpful resources.

3) Research: consider the university's geographic location, size and the majors it offers, and also note whether it is a public or private institution, a research university or liberal arts college. Other important aspects to you could include college athletic division or its offerings in visual and performing arts.

You can refer to the following resources:

*The Fiske Guide to Colleges

*"Colleges That Change Lives" by Loren Pope

* The College Board

* The Common Application

*Unigo (an online guide to college admissions)

4) Connect with Admissions Offices: request to be added to the mailing lists of your prospective schools. Explore admissions Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, blogs and virtual tours. Get to know your regional recruiter. To make a positive impression, attend high school visits or off-campus receptions with questions.

5) Establish a Standardized Testing Strategy.

Sit for one of these exams before the end of your junior:

SAT - January or March

ACT -February or April

Subject test - May or Jun

To read more: http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/05/counselors-calendar-september-juniors/#more-46013