Your guidance counselor can help you get transcripts sent to your selected schools. There may be a minimal charge for sending them. If you're applying to colleges during your senior year, your transcript will contain all the grades you've received up to that point.

Remember, you are one of many seniors who need transcripts, so keep in mind time constraints and deadlines.

What if you don't have official transcripts?

If you have been home schooled, you may not have a traditional transcript. Schools may accept other items as a partial substitute.

Verify your school's policy before sending them extra reading material. A detailed log of your learning activities and a portfolio of your best work could illustrate learning experiences you have mastered.

Consider taking a college-level course at a local community college before formal admission. Your grades in that class would indicate your readiness for higher education.

Keep working hard during your last semester in high school

Your final grades are sent to your chosen school, so the second half of your senior year is no reason to slack off. Some schools may even rescind their offer of admission if they see your grades decline precipitously.

Use the senior study habits you've picked up to set the stage for your college freshman year.