College Preparation

Timelines by Grade

9th Grade:

  • School counselors meet with students, both individually and in groups to assist students in their transition to high school. These meetings also help them establish a strong academic foundation that will lead to many options for life after graduation.
  • Students are strongly encouraged to get involved in extracurricular activities in and out of school.
  • Students and families can request access to Scoir, an online tool used extensively for career and college exploration.
  • Testing: MCAS Biology in June.

10th Grade:

  • School counselors begin to introduce college and career exploration to sophomore students. Sophomores are invited to take the PSAT in October at Littleton High School.
  • Students are strongly encouraged to get involved in extracurricular activities in and out of school.
  • Students and families are encouraged to explore Scoir. Scoir offers the PrinciplesYou Assessment and Career Interest Inventory, which can be helpful in helping students identify areas of interest and mapping courses for their 11th and 12th grade years.
  • Testing: PSAT in October, MCAS ELA in March, and MCAS Math in May.

11th Grade:

  • Junior year is when the college process officially begins. Students are strongly encouraged to take the PSAT in October. Students who took the PSAT in their sophomore year are welcome to take the PSAT again. Students should take either the SAT or ACT at least once before the end of junior year. Please visit our admission testing page for more information.
  • Junior parents are invited for Financial Aid Night and College Planning Night with school counselors in the Fall and Spring, respectively. 
  • School counselors meet with students in the spring for Junior Seminar, where students will get a formal invitation and introduction to Scoir, learn about the college admissions process, and put together a preliminary list of interested schools. 
  • Students and families should take advantage of school breaks to tour college campuses. LHS will host our annual Spring College Fair around March. This is a great opportunity for families to meet admissions representatives, learn more about academic programs offered, and ask questions.
  • Students are strongly encouraged to get involved in extracurricular activities in and out of school.
  • Athletes need to register on the NCAA Clearinghouse, particularly if they are looking at Division I or Division II athletic programs. 
  • Testing: PSAT in October, SAT/ACT in the spring, and AP Exams in May.

12th Grade:

  • Students are strongly encouraged to get involved in extracurricular activities in and out of school.
  • During the fall of senior year, school counselors will hold Senior College Planning Drop-ins for students to finalize their list of colleges and complete their college application during flex block. We believe it is critical that each student carefully researches schools in order to know their reasons for applying to each school on their final list. It is important to have a well-balanced college list with a mix of Likely, Match and Reach schools. 
    • Likely Schools: Schools where the student's chances for admission are strong (more than 50%).
    • Match Schools: Schools where the student's chances for admission are about 50/50.
    • Reach Schools: Schools where the student's chance for admission is signficantly less than 50% and/or where competition is so keen that it is difficult to predict the chances of admission for even the strongest student. 
    • In addition, our guidance office strongly encourages including at least one financial safety school on the list. Financial safety schools are schools that you will be able to attend in the event that the financial aid that you receive from a more expensive college is insufficient. Financial safety schools are likely to include Massachusetts state schools and community colleges.
  • Admission Counselors come to Littleton High School to meet with seniors in the fall. Students register to meet with college admission representatives in Scoir. 
  • Senior parents are invited for Financial Aid Night in the fall. 
  • The Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) and the College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS Profile) become available in October.
  • The guidance office emails local scholarships to students beginning in January. 
  • Testing: SAT/ACT in the fall, and AP Exams in May.