The end of summer marks the beginning of a new school year, football games, and pep rallies. For seniors, it also means more testing, college lists, college visitations, applications, and financial aid forms. Thoughtful planning and adherence to a good timetable will help make the college admissions journey less stressful and more enjoyable.
By the time school starts, seniors should have a good idea of the colleges in which they are interested. Ideally, each senior will have visited a variety of schools during their junior year or over the summer. If this is not the case, time is of the essence. The College Board offers an excellent search engine at www.collegeboard.com. You should also set up a meeting with your counselor right away to discuss the college process.
For students who haven’t completed their testing and are planning to take college entrance exams in the fall, both the ACT and SAT are offered in September, October, and December. SAT also offers a November test date.
By early October, students should meet with their counselors to discuss their application lists and ensure that their college choices are appropriate for their GPA and test scores. Cost and availability of scholarships should also be factored into the list.
Students should ask their teachers to write recommendations no later than October, and hopefully earlier. Your teachers will be able to write a more thoughtful recommendation if they aren’t facing a deadline and don’t have dozens to write at the same time. Students should begin working on their applications as soon as possible, but no later than the beginning of August for early applications and the beginning of November for regular applications. If you decide to apply to a college under the Early Decision plan, some of these applications are due as early as November 1. Most regular applications are due between January 1 and February 15. Schools with Rolling Admission are more flexible. Nevertheless, it is to your benefit to apply as early as possible. Remember, your high school will need some advance notice to forward your transcripts. Make sure you know what your high school’s policies and deadlines are regarding the college application process. And as a plus for completing all of your applications before the holiday break, your holidays will be much more enjoyable!
Many colleges and universities accept the Common Application where you complete one application and submit it to each college. The Common Application is completed exclusively online. This is a great time-saver and allows you to concentrate on one main essay instead of a different essay for each college. There will also be supplemental essays for some colleges. Please note: in all cases, you should carefully review and proofread all applications before hitting the “send” button. Students have been known to use the same supplemental essays for two or more colleges. There is absolutely nothing worse than writing, “For all of these reasons, X College is my top choice” when the essay is going to Z College.
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Northcoast Educational Consulting
