Senior Year College Planning Timeline

Senior Year College Planning Calendar

There is MUCH that a high school SENIOR will need to do as he/she works towards finalizing college plans. The senior year is filled with admission applications, scholarship essays, financial aid applications, and the need to meet several deadlines throughout your senior year. Students should continue to build their resume by achieving academic success, as well as participating in extracurricular activities. Colleges are very interested in well-rounded students.

The college preparation process that takes place during your senior year is filled with a lot of details and related paperwork. Stay organized and keep track of deadlines! This article is devoted to providing an outline of what students should be thinking about each month during the year!

September/October

•Review your career plans and decide which type of postsecondary school is best for you. 

•Work on developing a list of colleges and finalize your college application list.   

•Request admissions information via the web, social media, college fairs, or school catalogs. 

•Collect letters of recommendation from your teachers to include with your college applications.

•Start brainstorming about ideas for your college essays and begin writing drafts of your essays.

•Continue to take challenging courses during your senior year.

•Stay focused on maintaining or increasing your GPA.

•Register for the SAT and/or ACT assessments and mark your calendar with TEST dates. 

•Create separate folders for each of the schools that interest you and keep the materials organized.

•Start completing Early Action admission college applications as most are due by November 1st.

•Attend College Fairs.   

•Visit your top college choices, if possible. Make appointments with faculty, staff, and students. 

•FINALIZE College Application List. Use College Planning Sheet in this guide to help you stay organized. Be sure to note all admission application requirements as well as the forms necessary to apply for financial aid. Be sure to note all deadlines!   

•Finalize portfolios, audition tapes, writing samples, or other evidence of talent if required for admission.

•Complete the CSS Profile Form for any private colleges that require this financial aid form. Review this information in this guide that pertains to the CSS Profile Form.  

•FINALIZE and Submit any Early Action Admissions Applications.

November 

•Complete applications for every scholarship for which you may be eligible.  See information on scholarship searches in this guide.     

•Continue to work on regular admission applications. Follow up to ensure your teachers/coaches/supervisors, etc. sends letters of recommendation. Ask your Guidance Counselor to send your official transcript to any colleges you are applying to.  

December

•Sign up for a PIN, so that you can complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online.  (Also let your parents know that they will need a PIN.)  Even though you can NOT complete the FAFSA until after January 1st, sign up for a PIN and begin collecting the information that you will need to complete the FAFSA. Urge your parents to file their taxes as soon as possible after January 1. This will make the financial aid process more streamlined.

•Finalize any outstanding admission applications and schedule admissions interviews, as applicable. 

•Attend the Financial Aid Night hosted by your high school to learn about the financial aid application process, the aid sources available to you, and how to prepare to pay for college.

January

•Complete your FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1 but by February 15th. The FAFSA can be completed online (or you can go to www.studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa to download a PDF version of the FAFSA). Keep copies of all documents, including your PIN, in a safe place. You will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) via email which is a confirmation of the information you submitted on your FAFSA.  

•Contact the U.S. Department of Education at 800-4-FEDAID for assistance completing the FAFSA and/or plan to attend a FAFSA Day Massachusetts event (free FAFSA advice) near you on Sunday, January 26, 2014 at 1 pm. Information on FAFSA Day locations and hours can be found at fafsaday.org.

February

•Watch for the e-mail notice indicating your Student Aid Report (SAR) is ready for viewing. Review your SAR for errors and make any corrections as indicated.

•Be sure to respond to any missing information requests from the financial aid office at the colleges you have applied to. It is VERY important to make sure that you have submitted the information that colleges need to process your financial aid application. Check in with the financial aid offices to ensure your paperwork is complete. Submit tax forms if you have been selected for Verification.

•See www.financialaidsense.com for more information about financial aid and college financing.

March/April 

•Continue to visit colleges that you have applied to.  

•Be on the lookout for college acceptance letters.

•Compare financial aid award letters and verify financial aid offers. 

•Start looking for summer jobs.

•Make your final college decision based on college admission and financial aid information.

•Mail in a deposit to your top choice school Notify the schools you have chosen NOT to attend.

May

• Plan for registration and housing, at your new college and mark your calendar with important dates. Be aware of any summer orientation sessions that you must attend at the school in which you will enroll, and make plans accordingly.

•Finalize your summer job plans, and make a plan for saving a portion of your summer earnings.

•Prepare a realistic student budget.

•Follow up with your high school to ensure the guidance office forwards your final school transcripts to the college.

•Notify your high school guidance office of your college selection and any scholarships received.

June/July

•High School Graduation – Congratulations!

•Save money from your summer job.

•Send “thank you notes” to everyone who helped you plan and prepare for college.

•Make copies of important documents such as health form, insurance, financial aid award letter, and anything else important and keep in a safe place.

•Be sure to accept the financial aid awarded to you so that the college can process all aid sources. Touch base with the college financial aid office if you have questions or concerns.

•Develop a budget and arrange to pay the college bill. Research and apply for alternative education loans, if necessary. Work with the college’s financial aid office to finalize college financing options.  

•Prepare for the new adventures that await you on campus! Congratulations will be starting college!