By Carol H Cox
Not long ago, I attended my daughter’s high school College Information Night. It had been over 7 years since I’d been to one of these. At first, I was going to skip it, but then I reconsidered how things may have changed in the college admission process. I was glad I went. I learned a lot, and I thought I’d pass some information on to you all.
Below, I’ve shared some web links, resources, and thoughts regarding the college application process that might be helpful to Junior and Senior high school students and their families. The timing listed below is approximate. Depending on where you are applying to college, the dates may be quite different, and if students are applying early action or early decision to college the timing will be earlier. Hopefully, this list will get you thinking about what’s coming up on the horizon.
During Junior Year
Research colleges:
- College Navigator
- College Board
- “Choosing a School” – Federal Student Aid Office
- Fiske Guide to Colleges by Edward Fiske (book)
Experts suggest selecting potential schools that fit into 3 categories, according to the student’s profile, roughly equally distributed:
- “Reach” schools – Challenging for the student to get accepted to
- “Middle-range” schools – Likely to admit the student, but not a certainty
- “Sure” schools – Virtually certain to admit the student
Spring Junior Year/Fall Senior Year
Familiarize yourself with the admission process and create a spreadsheet for tracking colleges you’re applying to (e.g., deadlines, essays required and completed, letters of recommendation requirements and completed, SAT and ACT tests required, transcripts sent):
- Admission Matters: What Students and Parents Need to Know About Getting Into College by Sally P. Springer (book)
- “Guide to College Admission Process” – NACAC (The National Association for College Admission Counseling has an informative guide on the admission process, available as a free pdf)
- College Board – Application Checklist
Request letters of recommendation from 2 or more teachers and others if needed (e.g., coaches, employers, mentors):
- “How to Get a Great Letter of Recommendation” – College Board
- “Asking for Letters of Recommendation” – Purdue OWL
- “6 Tips for Getting Great Letters of Recommendation” – GreatCollegeAdvice.com
Sign up and take standardized tests (e.g., SAT, ACT) required by potential colleges:
Spring/Summer Junior Year
Write a couple of paragraphs about yourself (e.g., plans, career goals, interests, accomplishments etc.) and create a resume as background information for the persons writing your letters of recommendation. Some high school counseling offices have standard forms to be completed by students, which may substitute for one or both of these. See these websites for help:
Students and parents applying for financial aid should set up an online Financial Student Aid (FSA) ID to efficiently complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA):
Students can set up online accounts for common application if needed:
- The Common Application
- “Using the Common Application as Your College Application” – Peterson’s
- The Universal College Application
Summer of Junior Year
Begin college applications; write personal statements and essays:
Early Fall Senior Year
Complete FAFSA (new open date of October 1, 2016):
- “FAFSA: Applying for Aid” – Federal Student Aid Office
- “How to Complete the FAFSA” – College Board
- “Parents: Tips to Help Your Child Complete the 2016-17 FAFSA” – US Dept. of Education Blog
Give counselor and teachers who are writing letters of rec student background information, resume, and anything else needed (e.g., school-specific format requirements for letters, addressed and stamped envelopes for schools)
Summer Junior Year through Winter Senior Year
Submit college applications and arrange for required documents to be sent (e.g., letters of recommendation, test scores, transcripts) per school deadlines (college deadlines vary, and are sooner if you are applying early action or early decision):
Senior Year
Maintain GPA standing
Please share your thoughts on what else is important to remember during the college application process! Thanks!