Check off your "every year" tasks.
Are you taking challenging classes in core academic subjects and focusing on your grades? Second semester grades can affect your eligibility for some scholarships! Have you met with your school counselor to go over your schedule? Check your class rank and your GPA. Make sure you're on track to graduate and fulfill admissions requirements. Are you getting involved in school and communities activities? Have you stayed involved? Have you taken on leadership roles?
Complete and file your FAFSA.
Submit your FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1. Some schools have February financial aid deadlines. You may need your parents' tax returns. If you do, encourage your parents to complete their income tax forms early.
Keep track of deadlines.
Keep close track of all deadlines for applications and submitting application documents. Plan a schedule for preparing your application documents, including letters of recommendation, transcripts, and essays.
Make a final list of the colleges you'll apply to.
Make sure you include tuition and other costs so you have that information ready when it comes time to decide where to go.
Take the ACT/SAT and/or SAT subject tests if you haven't yet (or again if you want).
The fall is your last opportunity to take admissions tests (usually be October) in order to include scores on applications.
Request documents that you need EARLY.
Reach out to teachers, counselors, and other people to get copies of transcripts, letters of recommendation, and any other necessary documents. Make sure you reach out to these people in advance to give them plenty of time.
Complete your college essay(s).
Use this site and other resources to help you develop essays and have others read them and provide feedback.
Apply to schools.
Complete applications, carefully following instructions. Submit applications and pay attention to deadlines and application requirements.
Visit schools.
Visit any schools you are applying to and seriously considering.
Follow up on scholarship opportunities.
Complete and submit any remaining scholarship applications. Check with the schools to which you're applying to see if they have any special scholarships you can apply for.
Review your Student Aid Report (SAR).
After you've filed your FAFSA, look for your Student Aid Report, or SAR. You'll need to verify all information is correct and submit any additional documents that are required. Send these as soon as possible.
Follow up on early decision and early action responses.
If you have been accepted early decision, you will need to withdraw your applications from all other schools. If you've been accepted early action, you can either choose to accept now or wait to receive responses from other schools.
Confirm that schools received your application.
Make sure that all the schools you applied to received all of your application materials, including test scores, transcripts, application forms, and recommendations.
Submit mid-year grade reports.
Submit mid-year grade reports if the schools you applied to require them.
Apply for any scholarships that are still available.
If there are scholarships still available, apply for them now.
Review your Student Aid Report (SAR) if you haven't already.
If you haven't already, review your FAFSA Student Aid Report, or SAR. You'll need to verify all information is correct and submit any additional documents that are required. Send these as soon as possible.
Review your college acceptances carefully.
Read each decision document carefully and provide any information/documents requested by the school. Compare the different financial aid packages offered by each school. Contact the schools' financial aid officer with any questions.
Make a campus visit if you haven't already.
Visit any schools you have been accepted to but haven't visited.
Select the school you will attend.
Make your decision on where to attend. You typically must do this before May 1. Send in any forms needed to formally accept the school's offer. Send in the required deposit.
Notify the schools you won't be attending.
Contact the schools that accepted you and let them know you won't be attending.
Take AP exams (if applicable).
Take any AP exams and submit scores to the school you'll be attending.
Complete enrollment paperwork.
You'll receive a package from your new school with information on orientation, housing, and classes. Submit any information and forms that are required.
Send your final high school transcript.
Send your final transcript to your new school. If your counselor is sending this, follow up with him/her to make sure it's sent.
Say thank you.
Send thank you notes to anyone who helped you through the application process. This includes your counselor, recommendation writers, teachers, college interviewers, and anyone else.
