Right now you’re in the eye of the storm–so things look nice and dandy with blue skies and beach weather–but, the whirlwind of college essays, 20-page applications, teacher recommendations, ACT and SAT scores will hit you full on come September.

To keep you on track and help ease the unrelenting storm that is the college application season that brews in the fall, we’ve put together a simple to-do list for you:

JUNE
–Finish your school year off strong
–Register for the October SAT if haven’t taken it or want to try again
–Choose which colleges you want to visit during the summer
–Use the easy Campus Visit Planner to help organize trips
–Request information and application materials from colleges
–Schedule an interview for when you plan to visit campus

JULY
–Review applications so you know what you’ll need
–Visit college campuses, take tours and interviews
–Narrow down list of colleges you will apply to
–Start rough drafts for college essays
–Register for September ACT if haven’t take it or want to try again

AUGUST
–Contact friends, or friends of friends, at the colleges you’re interested in to ask questions
–Create a organization system to keep track of the colleges you’re applying to and the materials that correspond
–Keep working on college essays
–Have in mind a couple teachers you would like to ask for recommendations

If you keep up with these things, you won’t be as stressed when you head back to high school as a senior.

Do you have any steps we should add to the list? Comment and let us know!