An often-overlooked task during January and February is filing for financial aid. Talk with your parents or guardians. If you think you might need financial aid to help pay for college, then complete the financial aid process as soon as possible. File the FAFSA and PROFILE forms, as well as any additional financial aid forms required by individual colleges. The worst they can say is "no," but if you don't file for aid early in the winter, you might be excluded from potential assistance.

If there are extenuating circumstances that could affect your family's ability to pay for college, you should write a letter directly to each college's financial aid office, supported by any necessary documentation, to add to their decision process about your aid package.