2025 Hawai‘i College Guide: Timeline to Success

Here’s how to manage the road to college admission over the four years of high school.

October 1, 2024

HONOLULU Magazine Team,

Read more of the 2025 Hawai‘i College Guide

Illustration: Hailey Akau

Finding and getting accepted to the right college or university is actually a four-year process. That may sound daunting, but take each step one at a time and stay organized, and you’ll be fine. Here’s how to manage the road to college admission.

9th Grade

Enroll in challenging classes.
Keep grades up.
Get involved in extracurricular activities.
Explore potential career paths.
Set up a college savings plan.
Develop good time-management skills.

10th Grade

Try some AP classes.
Take a practice Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Juniors qualify to compete for the National Merit Scholarship Program, but younger students can take it for practice.
Consider volunteering during the summer.
Visit campuses while traveling just to get a sense of what type of college appeals to you. Small? Big? Public? Private?
In October, take the PSAT/NMSQT (this year, testing may occur on any school day Oct. 1–31, as well as Oct. 14).

11th Grade

Sign up to take the ACT or SAT. Colleges usually accept either one, but check with where you’re interested. Many students will take the test once as a junior and again as a senior. Is it worth taking it twice? According to ACT, 57% of 2015 graduates increased their Composite score on the retest. Test scores can also impact academic scholarships, so consider taking them even if your schools don’t require them.
Visit campuses if possible.
Attend college fairs and network with the college representatives.
Draft your essay during the summer before 12th grade so there is enough time for at least two people to read it and comment.

12th Grade

Once the Common Application opens around August, create an account and start filling out your personal information.
In the fall, repeat the ACT/SAT tests. Send in scores.
Gather teacher and other personal recommendations. Send thank yous afterward!
Narrow down the list, but have at least four to eight schools to apply to.
Check all due dates at the colleges you want to attend; they vary by institution, and you don’t want to miss anything.

Standardized Tests

The nationally administered SAT tests reading, writing and math and is used to test how ready a student is for college. SAT Subject Tests and the optional SAT Essay are no longer offered by College Board. For more, go to sat.collegeboard.org/home.

If you have been tested for dyslexia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or believe you may qualify for accommodations such as extra time, visit accommodations.collegeboard.org to learn more.

The ACT is a national college admissions exam that includes English, math, reading and science questions. The ACT Writing Test includes a 40-minute essay, which is required by some colleges and not others. In Hawai‘i, the state picks up the cost of taking the ACT for all public school juniors. To register, visit act.org.

For all standardized tests, bring a current photo ID issued by a city/state/federal government agency or your high school, as well as printed test ticket and approved calculator. Don’t bring a cell phone, smart watch or even a fitness tracker to an SAT test; they are prohibited, and you will be asked to turn in these devices after check-in. ACT test sites allow phones if they are turned off and placed out of reach.

SAT Test Dates

Since spring 2024, all students participate in SAT School Day digitally. Be sure to contact your counselor or principal to confirm when your school offers SAT School Day. Students must bring their fully charged laptop (Windows or MacOS), iPad or Windows tablet, or school-issued Chromebook device with the Bluebook app installed and exam setup complete before test day if testing on a personal device. If approved to borrow a device from College Board, you will need to arrive 30 minutes early for sign-in and setup. See bluebook.collegeboard.org/students/approved-devices for more details.

Nov. 2
Register by Oct. 18; late registration until Oct. 22

Dec. 7
Register by Nov. 22

March 8
Register by Feb. 21

May 3
Register by April 18

June 7
Register by May 22

Use a site like myscholly.com to sniff out scholarship opportunities. Scholly requires a subscription, ranging from $4.99/month to $34.99/year.