Senior Year College Application Process Timeline

If you’re a high school senior now, you are in the thick of the college process.While it’s a stressful time, it’s important to be on top of deadlines as this will help when you arrive on campus. Here is a timeline of how to plan and organize your time and what to expect as you complete your final year of high school and prepare for college.

Fall

• Finalize your college list. At this point you should have visited colleges and have a list of the schools you are applying to. This should include at least a mix of safeties and targets and a few reaches if you want. If you haven’t toured many schools at this point it may make sense to wait and see where you’re accepted and tour then.
• Write your Common App essay. Ideally, you should have this completed in October if you are planning on applying Early Action or Early Decision as the deadline for many colleges is November 1. Otherwise, regular decision deadlines are in January, but as senior year starts to ramp up, it’s a good idea to get this checked off your list early.
• Write supplemental essays. You can see which schools have these essays and the prompts when you add them in the Common App. Some schools don’t have any supplementals and some have anywhere between one to five extra essays to write. Also note that if a school says they are optional, they really aren’t optional. Schools want to see initiative and drive.
• Ask teachers for recommendations. You ideally should’ve asked in the spring of Junior year, but now is when you can officially request it through the you school’s system such as Naviance. You won’t see the recommendations as they are sent separately. 
• Complete the Common App. This includes the activities section, answering specific questions required by college and personal and family information. Don’t underestimate the time it takes to do this. For help, see Tips and Tricks for Completing the Common App for help.
• Finalize testing. You should have already taken the ACT or SAT, but if you want one more shot at increasing your score, you should make sure to pick a date that gives enough time for the results to be released before you need to include it on your application before your deadlines. Typically it takes two weeks to get your scores back.
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The financial aid application opens Oct. 1st. The FAFSA website was revamped nearly two years ago and the process is much simpler as it pulls in your IRS data. Even if you don’t expect student aid, it’s still a good idea to complete it as some schools may require it to be eligible for scholarships.
• Complete the CSS Profile. This is used by some colleges (mostly private schools) in addition to the FAFSA to determine eligibility for aid.
• Communicate with your guidance counselor. Make sure you keep them in the loop, so they can ensure transcripts and other school information is submitted on time and on your behalf.

Winter

• Finalize submissions. If you are applying regular decision, make sure your applications are submitted on time. The best approach is to finish everything in the fall and not drag it out over the holidays. Plus, some schools are rolling admission and admit most of their class with ED and EA submissions. 
• Coordinate submission of midterm grades. Counselors will submit your first two semesters of grades to schools even after you’ve applied. Schools want to make sure you are keeping up with your schoolwork. There have been instances of colleges rescinding offers with failing senior grades, so keep up the momentum and finish the year strong. 
• Apply to local scholarships. Many communities offer local scholarships and these are much more attainable than those national scholarships with thousands of submissions.

Spring

• Attend accepted student days. These are super important in helping you make a final decision on what school to attend. You can get a good feeling of the student population by being around others who have been accepted. You may even make a friend or even find your next roommate. 
• Submit the deposit. Decision day for all schools is May 1 and some schools push to get you to commit sooner as it could affect your housing placement. So, if you’re sure of the college you want to attend, then there is no need to wait until May.. 
• Finish strong. Study hard for AP exams. A good score can help save money by earning college credit or even put you in a higher level class when you start in the fall. 
• Inform colleges you don’t choose. While it is not required, it is a nice gesture. Schools already assume in their data a certain number of kids who will not accept enrollment.
• Waitlisted? You still need to put a deposit down on a school by May 1 and can always switch if you get accepted to another school later. Just note that the deposit would be non-refundable, but don’t assume you’ll get accepted later. Waitlists don’t move that quickly and it could be tough and stressful to make a change after you’ve already attended orientation at another institution or found a roommate. You’ll have to weigh your options if that happens.

Need help with the process? Contact us today.