It's the home stretch of the high school year. Junior students are preoccupied with final projects and exams. It is easy to overlook some important to do's regarding the upcoming college application season:

1. Teacher Recommendations. Before school concludes students should approach 2 teachers in core academic subjects about writing college recommendations. Many teachers set limits on the number of student recommendations they will write. For this reason, obtaining teacher commitments before the fall of senior year can make a difference. Students do not need to have a list of schools yet -- that information can be provided in the fall or as soon as it is available. However, it is helpful to provide your recommenders with an activities resume and statement of career goals or areas of future study. This allows teachers to write in greater depth and specificity about the student.

Be strategic about which teachers are asked to write the recommendations. Most schools prefer teachers from the core subjects. It is also helpful to ask teachers who are familiar with the student's writing ability because recommenders are often required to evaluate that skill on the recommendation form. Finally, it is useful for admission committees to have recommendations from teachers who will speak to different strengths of the applicant.

2. Testing. It is also a good time to think about registering for ACT and SAT exams. Exam dates are available in June, with late registration still available. Additionally, students contemplating applying to the highly competitive schools should consider registering for SAT Subject Matter Tests. Several of the highly selective schools require these exams for admission. It is advisable to check the college website for specific requirements. If a student has to prepare for a high school final in a subject covered by the SAT Subject Matter Test, oftentimes it is not much more work to prep for the hour long Subject Matter Test.