April is the big month for high school juniors to kick into college search action.  It is the prime season for SAT/ACT prep and tests and spring break provides a great chance to start or continue looking at schools.

We know you probably have more to-do lists then you care to have about the whole college search process.  But here is another. Hey it’s from the New York Times so it might be worth a read. The checklist was put together by Erin K Johnston a director of guidance at National Cathedral School in Washington, DC.

Continue your college research.

Take note of school presentations in your area — some colleges even travel together, so you could learn about a few colleges in one evening. Even better, try to attend a college fair as a way to gather information about dozens of colleges at once.

Some colleges offer spring open houses for juniors, or special summer opportunities for prospective applicants. Spring is a busy time for many juniors, with year-end school and extracurricular commitments, exams and final papers, and standardized tests. It’s not great timing that this is when colleges are available to visit your hometown or invite you to theirs, so be sure to prioritize. Protect your G.P.A. and transcript — don’t spend more time researching colleges than doing your schoolwork.

Keep financial considerations in mind.

As was noted on the March checklist, any student whose family cannot comfortably foot the cost of a college education should investigate options for need- and merit-based aid. Net-price calculators are user-friendly with completed tax returns in hand.