College Prep: Senior Year Success Timeline
It’s finally here! Your senior year of high school. Let the countdown to graduation begin. Senior year is a fun, exciting time, but it’s important to remember that it’s also a pretty critical time when students need to set themselves up for success in college and beyond. There is a lot going on during senior year, so we’re here to help you stay on top of the important factors that seniors need to make sure to do to put them on track for college and career readiness.
Well, it’s about that time…August is in full swing, and summer is winding down. Stores are full of back-to-school items, and students are counting down to the upcoming first day of school. For high school seniors, this is an exciting time. The end is in sight: one more year and they’ll be graduating and onto bright futures.
But not so fast…there’s a lot that has to happen during senior year to make sure that that future is as bright as possible. As with most things, the more proactive and prepared you can be, the easier the task will become. Here are some key milestones that students should be ready to tackle during their senior year:
Conquer the ACT/SAT
Narrow down list of schools to apply to
Craft strong college application packages (including college application essays & personal statements)
Continue to focus on excelling academically
Get accepted to college!
Apply for FAFSA
Conquer the ACT/SAT
So, what’s the big deal about an ACT score anyway? Why is it something that students (and their parents) get so worked up about? Can’t I just skip the intense studying, take the test once, and go off to my dream college? If only that were the case…
There are actually some REAL reasons to get fired up about working toward your ACT goal. Your efforts can pay off big time down the road — literally! There are TWO KEY REASONS that you should make ACT prep a priority to make sure you hit that goal ACT score you’re striving for: Competitive Edge & Scholarships/Tuition Cost Savings. Your ACT score should fall within the average range for a specific school’s student body ACT score in order for you to have a high chance of acceptance to that school. Use this information to help you determine what your goal ACT score will be. Additionally, do your homework and make yourself aware of any potential merit-based scholarships that you could qualify for if you score a certain level on your ACT. Some schools offer significant scholarships that could save students thousands of dollars over the course of their college career. Not sure what your goal should be? Check out our post here: How to Calculate What Your ACT Score Goal Should Be.
Some students will be done fighting with the ACT by the time they start their senior year of high school. If that’s you, then great job! If not, there’s still some time to get your ACT score where you want it before college apps are due. The fall of senior year offers your last attempts to crush the ACT before you start submitting your college applications. There is always a September ACT exam and an October ACT exam. For both of these test dates, you should receive your test scores back in time to include the scores with your college application packages. (If you plan to apply early-decision to any schools, check the deadlines for those applications - the October ACT test date may be cutting it close.) The point is, you can still increase your ACT score before you apply to colleges. For students who don’t obtain their ACT goal by the start of senior year, all hope is not lost! There are two more attempts at the test before regular college application deadlines. In fact, you can continue to take the ACT even AFTER you’ve submitted your college apps as well. You can’t change the ACT score on your application after it’s been sent, but you could update your ACT score after you’ve been accepted to a school. After you’ve been admitted to a school, you can continue to try to raise your ACT score to help you qualify for more student aid and merit-based scholarships, if applicable.
The takeaway: If your ACT score still needs some work, focus on the September and October ACT tests during your senior year. Remember that significant score improvements take significant ACT test prep, and put in the time and effort to increase your score.
Narrow Down Colleges List
Most students will have at least a handful of schools in mind that they plan to apply to. Some students may have a really long list of schools they plan to apply to. That’s great: apply to as many schools as you want. However, keep in mind that there is generally an application fee, and most college apps will be slightly different than each other (except for schools that use the common app), so the more applications you plan to send, the more time and work that you’ll have to put forth to get everything submitted. If you’re someone that has a long list of schools on your applications list, try to narrow that list down. Maybe that means making a pros/cons chart and really assessing what matters to you in a college. Maybe that means going for college visits, even if you’ve already visited, and determining if you could see yourself as a student at a particular school.
Pros/Cons Chart of Colleges: Once you have an idea of your list of colleges, it’s always a great idea to write out the pros and cons of each school. You’re probably going to love most of the college campuses you visit, and you might even wish you could sign up and move there right now today, but make sure not to jump the gun! Consider important aspects of each school and really weigh out and compare the details. You should take your list and create a Pros/Cons chart, which will allow you to compare and contrast all of the school options you’re considering. This may help you to narrow down your list, getting rid of some schools that you were on the fence about and pushing others up more toward the top of the list. This is an important step, because it’s so easy to get an overwhelming sense of excitement when you visit colleges and you can get so engulfed in the fun of it that you may not really consider some very real negative details. Include things like cost, location, and course offerings on this chart. Ask yourself what is REALLY important to you in a college – are you looking for a specific major or minor offering? Do you want to make sure to stay close to home? Everyone is unique, so make sure you think about your Pros and Cons from YOUR perspective. (Side note: It can be easy to let Mom and Dad’s opinions influence your own, but this is YOUR future, so make sure you’re thinking about what you want as well.)
More College Visits: Perhaps by this time you’ll have already narrowed down your list of schools you want to apply to. Maybe you’ve even visited some of them already. That’s great! Use this time to visit schools AGAIN. You could schedule an overnight visit and let a current student host you. This would give you better insight to what life at the school is really like. And if you haven’t found that one school that steals your heart yet, keep visiting schools and keep an open mind. You’re bound to find one (or more!) that you’re excited at the idea of going to.
The takeaway: Try to narrow down your college search to a list of a handful of schools that meet the specific criteria you want from a college. Use a pros/cons chart and schedule additional visits to schools to help you narrow down your candidates.
Craft Strong College Apps
A big project during the fall of your senior year will be to compile your college applications. What all goes into a college application? There are many different pieces, and the requirements for each school may vary slightly, so it’s important to know the details for each school - what’s required, when the deadlines are, etc. Some key parts of almost all college applications include reporting your GPA and test scores (ACT/SAT), sending an official transcript, including a resume of your involvement in activities inside and outside of school, letters of recommendation written by your teachers or mentors, and writing some kind of personal statements or essays.
Compile College Applications: Once you have your list of schools ready and application instructions have been posted, it’s time to start preparing your application packages. Now, there’s a lot that goes into a college application, so it can be an intimidating process to start. Each college will give detailed instructions for what you need to include, so start by writing down a timeline for making sure you get all of the requirements done. Give yourself more time to complete pieces like personal statements, application essays, and letters of recommendation. Things like requesting high school transcripts and compiling your parents’ information will take less time. Just make sure you’re getting a little done at a time – there’s nothing worse than waiting until the very last minute to do an entire college application. For college application essays, write several drafts and let others review your writing and offer suggestions for how to improve it. Your college application essay or personal statement is a place where you can tell the college more about you than the test scores and statistics that are included elsewhere in your application. Use this space to make an impression, and make sure to use your best writing. Drafts and revision are key.
Submit College Applications: Sometime in December or January (or earlier if you to decide to apply early decision to any schools) your carefully crafted college application packages that you’ve been working so diligently on will be due, and you’ll send them off (probably mostly electronically) to your schools of choice. Then, you’ll wait. And wait. And wait. The waiting part might make you anxious, but just remember how much time and effort you put into your application, knowing that you’ve submitted the best application possible.
The takeaway: Compiling college applications is a long, detailed process. Make sure to make this a priority during the fall of your senior year, and chip away at it a little at a time. Prioritize your college application essays - spend time and care creating these, as this is where you can leave an impression on college admissions counselors.
Get Accepted to College!
Hear Back About College Admissions: The letters from college admissions will start to roll in sometime in the spring (or the winter if you have elected to apply early admissions). Of the colleges you’ve been accepted to, you’ll have to decide which one is going to become your new home, and let them know! If you’re still stuck at this point and can’t decide which school will be the right choice for you, go back to your Pros/Cons chart and start from there. Remember, there are SO many things to consider when it comes to choosing a college. You need to consider academic difficulty, particular course offerings, tuition and overall cost, location and distance from home, opportunities for things like internships and study abroad, student body and class sizes, and so much more. If you still can’t decide, you could go for another visit or do an “unofficial visit” and just go explore the campus on your own again. One way or the other, you’re bound to come to a great decision.
Accept Admissions Offer: Chances are you will be applying to several different schools — in fact, we don’t recommend that anyone apply to only one school! It’s possible that you’ll be accepted to more than one school, so then you’ll have to determine which ONE you want to attend, and you’ll have to let them know by contacting them to accept their admissions offer. Make sure not to miss this step - the college should include specific instructions for how to do this with your admissions letter.
The takeaway: Once you find out if you’ve been admitted to the colleges you’ve applied to, it’s time to make a decision. Use your pros/cons chart if you’re still unsure of where you want to go, and once you’ve decided, contact the college to accept their offer.
Excel Academically
It’s important to remember that you should continue to work hard and get good grades even after colleges have already accepted you to their schools. This will generally happen sometime in the spring — you’ll hear back about college acceptance, and then you’ll have a few months left of high school, and it may feel like you should just stop caring because what’s the point anymore if you’re already accepted to your dream school?? This is a dangerous mindset. Why? COLLEGES CAN CHANGE THEIR MINDS. What does that mean? It means that the college has accepted you to their school on the condition that you remain in good academic standing until you begin enrollment at their college. Colleges can rescind your acceptance up until the moment that you begin taking classes there. This isn’t meant to scare you — only to educate you. As long as you continue to work hard and get the good grades that got you into the college in first place, you will have no problem.
On a similar note, make an effort to be an involved member of your school community, and take on leadership roles if possible. This always looks good to schools, and it’s important to become a member of your college as well.
The takeaway: Don’t slack just because it’s senior year and just because you’ve already sent your applications and gotten accepted to a school. Schools can change their minds up until you start classes at their college if your grades (or behavior, etc.) become a concern.
Apply for FAFSA
Last but not least, consider the cost of your new college home. After all, college is EXPENSIVE. If you plan to go on to obtain a secondary education after high school and know you will need to borrow money to pay for college, make sure you know what types of financial support and student loans are available and how they work. Before you line up student loans to help you pay for college, there are some other steps you’ll need to take first. The first step in this process is to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). You’ll fill out the FAFSA every year before starting another year of college, and the government will use this application to tell you how much government aid you qualify for. Government tuition aid is delivered to students in the form of grants, loans, and federal work study opportunities. FAFSA can be filled out for the following year as early as October 1st of the previous year, so you actually don’t even need to wait until you hear about your acceptance or even until you apply to complete this step. This is a step that you will need your parents’ help with, so ask them to help you with this application and find a time to go through it together.
The takeaway: If you know you will need to borrow money for your education, fill out the FAFSA with the help of your parents. You can do this as early as October 1st of the year preceding the academic year you’re applying for aid for.
Take a Deep Breath:
You did it! You’ve conquered the ACT monster, written killer college application essays and personal statements, completed high school, and been accepted to a college or university that’s about to become your new home away from home. Way to go!
Good luck, and happy prepping!
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