The College Board suggests that students start recording all their accomplishments as early as possible in their high school years so that they can create a detailed resume of extracurriculars to submit with the college application.
An article in the US News and World Report states that students need to assess their educational goals, interests, abilities, and perspectives before starting to look at college websites and pamphlets.
According to the State of the College Admissions report, released by NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling), students are applying to more colleges than ever before, increasing the competition of being admitted to their top college, and are also applying earlier with Early Decision and Early Action.
A recent ACT study found that only one out of three students who took a recent ACT college assessment test intended to major in a subject that was a good fit for his or her strengths and preferences.