Return to the College Advisor Home Page Return to the College Advisor Home Page It’s your final year of high school and you are now a big bad senior among a pool of lowly underclassmen. The bulk of the hard work is behind you and you can now look forward to making your senior year as memorable (re: fun!) as possible. Certainly, you want to enjoy the last year of your life as a high school student, but more than ever, your senior year marks a crucial point in your academic life. It’s definitely not the time to be slacking off. You have college to worry about.
Applying and planning for college requires as much hard work as preparing for final exams. Besides maintaining that stellar GPA and meeting all the graduation requirements, you need to think about the SATs, choice of colleges, application deadlines, financial aid, and writing those exciting college essays. To help you get organized, you should map out a senior year time table. The application process can be quite overwhelming, but with careful planning and preparation you can alleviate senior year stress and still enjoy all the perks.
Your Friendly Guidance Counselor
Once you’ve settled into your first weeks of school and finalized your course schedule, you should reacquaint yourself with your guidance counselor to review your transcript and discuss college options. Obtain the testing schedule for SAT I, SAT II, and ACT, and be sure to write down the registration deadlines and test dates. You may also ask for a policy on fee waivers and copies of sample tests.
If you are applying early decision, keep in mind that early decision applications are usually due by November.
Prepping for Future Tests
As you continue gathering data on colleges, their admission policies and course offerings, you want to take as many sample SAT tests as possible, preferably one test every week. This will familiarize you with the test format.
It’s also never too late to enrich your vocabulary. Buy a pocket dictionary and get in the habit of looking up words you may not understand; be sure you can use the word in a sentence.
Registration
If you like to get things done as soon as possible, you probably want to look into taking the SATs as soon as they’re administered and not worry about them during the second semester. The next SAT test dates fall during the first week of November and December; you need to register a month beforehand.
College Fairs
College fairs and college information nights come into picture once October rolls around. Ditch your plans for the soccer match and attend one of these. Representatives from various colleges flock to high school gyms and cafeterias just to answer your questions, and of course to lure you to their respective schools.
Stop and speak to a rep about his or her school, its student population, course offerings, social atmosphere, and admissions policy. Most often, the reps have college applications, brochures and viewbooks for the taking. Peruse them and pick up any that interest you. Also, leave your name and address so that they can send you additional information regarding application requirements and future deadlines.
Making Contacts
By the end of October you want to have a good list of potential colleges. You and your guidance counselor should have thoroughly discussed your options and narrowed your college choice to three or four. After settling on your top choices, contact the school for information and application materials, and take any additional required tests.
By November, you should have most of your college applications in hand. Study the materials carefully and note any additional information the college requires from you, the applicant.
Contact the teachers and counselors who will write "college recommendations" for you. Ask for recommendations from those who truly know your academic ability and personality. Just because you got an "A" on one class essay does not mean he or she will automatically sing your praises to Ivy U. Remember to approach your potential recommender way ahead of the deadline. You want to give your teacher or counselor ample time to write your letter of recommendation. You can’t expect them to churn something overnight just to avoid missing the deadline. Not only is it rude and inconsiderate, but it also (badly) reflects on you as a student.
Money for School
It’s December and that means… no, not the holidays, but financial aid. You’ve sent off most of your college applications and now it’s time to gather financial aid information and applications such as the FAFSA and PROFILE from your guidance office. At this time you should assemble the data you will need to fill out the applications. You may need a special state student aid form; if so, obtain it from the guidance office. Uncle Sam offers a free booklet, "The Student Guide: Financial Aid from the US Department of Education." Call 800/4-FED-AID and request a copy.
Be on the lookout for any financial aid workshops held by some schools and community organizations. Attend them with your parents and gain a good insight into how financial aid works.
In the meantime, conduct your own research into any outside scholarships your high school, community, and prospective college, may sponsor.
The Halfway Mark
It’s a new year and you’re still trudging along meeting deadlines and filling in countless applications. Relax, you’ve made it to the halfway mark. Mail off additional college applications sitting on your desk (or stashed at the bottom of your backpack) to make the January deadline. Complete financial aid forms and mail them, along with any required state aid application.
Amidst the chaos you may have abandoned your studies. Remember to continue to study hard and keep up your grades. The last thing a college wants to see is a student who gets lazy. Keep taking challenging courses, but also remember to maintain, or improve your GPA. Remind your counselor to mail off mid-year high school transcripts to the appropriate colleges.
If you have yet to register for the SATs, do so now. And if you are taking any Advanced Placement classes you need to register for their exams in the spring.
The Home Stretch
Can you smell spring in the air? Well, it’s not quite here yet. There’s still some work to be done, so stop daydreaming. During March and April you will be receiving college acceptances and rejections. Start weighing your options carefully and thoroughly. Although the choice is yours, don’t be afraid to seek advice from your parents, friends, teachers, and classmates. Alumni and current students of the college can also offer tips and information.
By April and May you will have received financial aid award letters along with college acceptances. Compare them carefully and discuss any concerns with your parents and your counselor. Finalize your decision and respond to your school of choice before the May deadline.
You must also notify schools which you are declining so they can offer your spot to a student still on their waiting list.
Before you start envisioning yourself stretched out on the campus lawn surrounded by your future fellow college students, remember that you’re still a high school student with classes to complete (in flying colors). Make sure your final high school transcript is sent to your college.
If you were awarded a Stafford Loan, you will need to identify a lender, obtain a loan application, fill it out, and send it to the college for certification.
Congratulations!
It’s June! Seemed like an eternity, right? It’s time to start thinking about what to bring to school in the fall and Relax, it’s the summer. Don’t worry about how you’re going to fit all your clothes and mementos into the family van. Concentrate on the present and savor each minute as a high school graduate because before long you’ll be graduating from college and asking yourself where the time went.
Senior Year Time Table
September
October
November
December
January
February
March/April
May
June