Timeline for Juniors

We know it seems as though you have a whole year to apply to college, but it's really only about nine months away as you want to apply by November to maximum merit aid. Here's a timeline and checklist of what you should be doing and when you should be doing it (and you can download it here for your use):

Spring, Junior year - Research and Preparation

• Research colleges and sign up for tours

• List extracurricular activities and start building a resume

• Brainstorm personal statement

• Catalogue supplemental materials

• Sit for at least one, if not two, SAT/ACT tests

• Sign up for college emails and read them!

• Plan summer activities

• Brainstorm the Common Application prompts

• Visual artists: Develop one work every two/three weeks for a total of 20-25 pieces by October senior year

• Film students: Collaborate with others, learn different filmmaking roles, write short screenplays, make short movies

• Acting students: Get comfortable performing on Zoom, read plays, start thinking about monologues

• Music students: Get comfortable performing on Zoom, video all performances, research programs and professors, start signing up for lessons with them

• Clean up your personal social media and develop your creative social media accounts

• Select teachers for recommendations and talk to them BEFORE SCHOOL IS OUT FOR THE SUMMER

Summer, Junior year - College visits and fine tuning

• Visit colleges

• Take final SAT/ACT

• Start the Common Application and complete demographic, academics, extracurricular activities sections

• Finalize college list

• Brainstorm and write supplemental essays

• Prepare supplemental creative materials

• Continue to open and read emails from schools to which you are applying, follow their social media accounts and comment on their posts

• Organize ALL your application requirements (essay prompts, required number of recommendations, creative material requirements) and calendar their due dates

Fall, Senior year - Put all the pieces together

• Focus on academics

• Finalize college list and decide schools for Early Action and Early Decision applications

• Confirm letters of recommendation

• Request transcripts

• Finalize personal essay

• Finalize supplemental essays

• Complete/submit supplemental creative materials

• Complete the FAFSA and CSS (if needed by school)

• Submit Early Decision and Early Action applications

Winter/Spring, Senior year: Congratulations, you're in the home stretch

• Send letters of continuing interest (for deferred decisions)

• Rescind applications if accepted Early Decision

• Analyze acceptances and compare schools

• Attend Accepted Students Days

• Submit deposit by May 1
  

Learn how we can help your student stay organized and focused for all steps of their college application process. Set a meeting today, here's our calendar.