Postsecondary Planning: Senior Year Timeline
Read Top Six for Seniors, your must-do list for fall.
SEPTEMBER
Schedule an appointment with your school counselor. Find out your school's procedures and deadlines for transcript and recommendation requests. Ask about available scholarships and fee waivers for test and application fees. Make sure you have completed all of your high school graduation requirements.
Make a master calendar and file of all test dates, fees and deadlines, application due dates, required financial aid applications and their deadlines, recommendations requested and received, transcripts and other necessary materials.
Register for the October SAT/ACT.
Narrow your list of colleges or career schools to approximately five to eight. Get an application and financial aid information from each. Find out if these schools require the CSS/Financial Aid Profile.
Visit as many of the colleges or career schools on your list as possible.
If you plan to apply through an early decision or early action program or want to be considered for merit scholarships, get started on your applications right away. Deadlines can be as early as November 1.
OCTOBER
Prepare and file your FAFSA as soon as possible. Be sure to meet your college or career school's FAFSA deadline (it may be earlier than the state deadline).
Attend the Fall College Fair at Hagerstown Community College as well as other fairs or conferences.
Ask your counselor, teachers, coaches, or employers for letters of recommendation. Give them plenty of time to meet your deadlines and be sure to provide them with stamped and addressed envelopes.
College-bound students should take the SAT/ACT. Have your scores sent to the colleges on your list. If you didn’t register in time for this test date, register now for the November SAT or December ACT.
Work on your college applications, including your essays. Ask an English teacher to review your essays.
Schedule college interviews. Although most colleges no longer require an interview as part of the admissions process, highly selective colleges strongly encourage them. Many interviews are conducted locally by alumni.
NOVEMBER
Submit applications for early deadlines and/or preferred application deadlines for state universities, honors programs, rolling admission schools, and scholarship programs. Many of these deadlines are November 1.
Follow up to ensure that letters of recommendation are sent on time to meet your deadlines. Send thank you notes to the people who wrote recommendations.
Talk to your counselor, read your school’s newsletter and bulletin board, search the internet, and read the local newspaper to learn about scholarship opportunities. Submit completed forms on time.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available this month but you cannot submit it until January. Review the document to make sure you understand what is required and ask your school counselor if you need help. Begin gathering the necessary information and apply for a PIN (personal identification number).
DECEMBER
Make it your goal to have all applications submitted before the winter break if you did not submit earlier.
Talk with graduates who are home from college.
JANUARY
Have your counselor send your first-semester grades to colleges that require a mid-year grade report.
Continue searching for scholarship and grant opportunities. Investigate awards from community service organizations, unions, and local businesses.
FEBRUARY
Contact your college/career school and confirm that all necessary application and financial aid materials were received.
Submit the FAFSA no later than March 1 if you haven’t already done so.
Procrastinators: It's not too late. You can still apply to colleges that have rolling admissions, such as Frostburg State University, West Virginia University, Lynchburg College, and Wheeling Jesuit University (to name a few). Talk to your school counselor for ideas.
MARCH
If you’ve been accepted to schools that you’ve never visited, arrange a visit before sending your confirmation and deposit.
APRIL
When you get your financial aid packages, review them with your parents, college financial aid officers, and your school counselor until you completely understand them. Read carefully and compare the award letters; some may require action on your part.
If you haven't done so yet, make your enrollment decision, accept the financial aid offered, and send in housing and tuition deposits by May 1.
If you are waitlisted by a college you want to attend, contact the admissions office. Ask how you can strengthen your application.
Notify the schools you have decided not to attend.
MAY
Ask your counselor to send your final transcript to the college you will be attending.
Send thank you notes to your counselor, teachers, employers, and anyone else who helped with your applications.
Take any Advanced Placement exams and have the scores sent to the college you will be attending.
Inform your school counselor of any other scholarships you receive.
Check arrangements for student loans and complete required forms .
JUNE-AUGUST
Congratulations! All of your preparation has paid off. Get ready for your first year of postsecondary education!
SEPTEMBER
Schedule an appointment with your school counselor. Find out your school's procedures and deadlines for transcript and recommendation requests. Ask about available scholarships and fee waivers for test and application fees. Make sure you have completed all of your high school graduation requirements.
Make a master calendar and file of all test dates, fees and deadlines, application due dates, required financial aid applications and their deadlines, recommendations requested and received, transcripts and other necessary materials.
Register for the October SAT/ACT.
Narrow your list of colleges or career schools to approximately five to eight. Get an application and financial aid information from each. Find out if these schools require the CSS/Financial Aid Profile.
Visit as many of the colleges or career schools on your list as possible.
If you plan to apply through an early decision or early action program or want to be considered for merit scholarships, get started on your applications right away. Deadlines can be as early as November 1.
OCTOBER
Prepare and file your FAFSA as soon as possible. Be sure to meet your college or career school's FAFSA deadline (it may be earlier than the state deadline).
Attend the Fall College Fair at Hagerstown Community College as well as other fairs or conferences.
Ask your counselor, teachers, coaches, or employers for letters of recommendation. Give them plenty of time to meet your deadlines and be sure to provide them with stamped and addressed envelopes.
College-bound students should take the SAT/ACT. Have your scores sent to the colleges on your list. If you didn’t register in time for this test date, register now for the November SAT or December ACT.
Work on your college applications, including your essays. Ask an English teacher to review your essays.
Schedule college interviews. Although most colleges no longer require an interview as part of the admissions process, highly selective colleges strongly encourage them. Many interviews are conducted locally by alumni.
NOVEMBER
Submit applications for early deadlines and/or preferred application deadlines for state universities, honors programs, rolling admission schools, and scholarship programs. Many of these deadlines are November 1.
Follow up to ensure that letters of recommendation are sent on time to meet your deadlines. Send thank you notes to the people who wrote recommendations.
Talk to your counselor, read your school’s newsletter and bulletin board, search the internet, and read the local newspaper to learn about scholarship opportunities. Submit completed forms on time.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available this month but you cannot submit it until January. Review the document to make sure you understand what is required and ask your school counselor if you need help. Begin gathering the necessary information and apply for a PIN (personal identification number).
DECEMBER
Make it your goal to have all applications submitted before the winter break if you did not submit earlier.
Talk with graduates who are home from college.
JANUARY
Have your counselor send your first-semester grades to colleges that require a mid-year grade report.
Continue searching for scholarship and grant opportunities. Investigate awards from community service organizations, unions, and local businesses.
FEBRUARY
Contact your college/career school and confirm that all necessary application and financial aid materials were received.
Submit the FAFSA no later than March 1 if you haven’t already done so.
Procrastinators: It's not too late. You can still apply to colleges that have rolling admissions, such as Frostburg State University, West Virginia University, Lynchburg College, and Wheeling Jesuit University (to name a few). Talk to your school counselor for ideas.
MARCH
If you’ve been accepted to schools that you’ve never visited, arrange a visit before sending your confirmation and deposit.
APRIL
When you get your financial aid packages, review them with your parents, college financial aid officers, and your school counselor until you completely understand them. Read carefully and compare the award letters; some may require action on your part.
If you haven't done so yet, make your enrollment decision, accept the financial aid offered, and send in housing and tuition deposits by May 1.
If you are waitlisted by a college you want to attend, contact the admissions office. Ask how you can strengthen your application.
Notify the schools you have decided not to attend.
MAY
Ask your counselor to send your final transcript to the college you will be attending.
Send thank you notes to your counselor, teachers, employers, and anyone else who helped with your applications.
Take any Advanced Placement exams and have the scores sent to the college you will be attending.
Inform your school counselor of any other scholarships you receive.
Check arrangements for student loans and complete required forms .
JUNE-AUGUST
Congratulations! All of your preparation has paid off. Get ready for your first year of postsecondary education!