Choosing and gaining admission to the right college for you is an important process. YOU are the person going to college, so most of the responsibility for choosing and applying is yours. But you have lots of help at hand: your parents, the College Office, and your teachers. 

Getting organized early will help you feel far more in control of this process. Use files, folders, boxes - whatever works for you - to deal with all the correspondence and record-keeping involved: SAT and ACT records, applications, essays, financial information. The earlier you begin, the more comfortable you will become with the process.

• The SEARCH: Find out what's out there and which programs, academic and extra-curricular opportunities, campus environments you want. First, take a serious assessment of yourself, your interests, abilities, even your stage of personal and academic growth. Second, determine which colleges and programs are right for you at this stage in your life. This involves everything from searching the internet and college guides to visiting campuses. 
   
• Preparing your CREDENTIALS. You have already done some of this and it's registered on your transcript. 1/4 of the transcript is still unwritten. There’s your testing: ACT, SAT - students who want to do better have prepped and practiced these tests until they get the scores expected by the schools they wish to attend. It's your decision how to handle the testing, and whether or not to focus on it in any particular way. Portfolios, auditions, writing samples, contact with coaches and others who work within your field of interest are all completely in your hands (although Putney teachers, coaches, and others will help: ask them) and great ways to enhance your credentials. 
   
• APPLICATION. An art form or a halfhearted mess — it’s up to you. Admissions readers will notice the difference. You will need to write essays; the College Counselor and your English teachers will serve as your readers, will advise and support. You will need recommendations, and should choose your recommenders thoughtfully. You will need to send test scores and transcripts and so forth: plan ahead; the College Office will help. You will need to prepare any other supporting materials, like portfolios and "graded" (i.e. covered with teacher comments) papers, that the college requests. But you shape and plan everything you send. 
   
• THE DECISION. The admission committees make this decision, and you have to wait it out. But if you've done your best on all the previous steps, you can wait with the confidence that you've given it your best shot 
   
• THE NEXT DECISION. After the colleges give you their decision, they have to wait for you to decide whether or not you'll deposit (if you were accepted). The ball is back in your court 
   
• Deferring the start of college for a semester or a year. Different colleges have different policies about deferral. Most private colleges are okay with it if you have a good plan for the time away from schooling; most publics don't allow it. Is it something you're considering? 

  REMINDER: Choosing and gaining admission to the right college for you are important jobs. YOU are the person going to college, so most of the responsibility for choosing and applying is yours. But you have lots of help at hand: your parents, the College Office, your teachers. 

  ANOTHER REMINDER: Getting organized early will help you feel far more in control of this process. Use files, folders, boxes - whatever works for you - to deal with all the correspondence and record-keeping involved: SAT and ACT records, applications, essays, financial information. The earlier you begin, the more comfortable you will become with the process.