College Admissions Timeline

Understanding what you need to do (and when) is critical to achieving your desired college outcomes. Below you will find a complete college admissions timeline of important tasks, focus areas and activities related to college planning from freshman to senior year of high school.

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Freshman Year Getting started on the right foot in high school
Fall/Winter

  • Meet with your private or high school guidance counselor to discuss your interests and college goals
  • Get involved in school extracurricular activities 
  • Discuss your aptitudes and interests with a counselor
  • Talk to your parents about paying for college
  • Start a college savings plan
Begin to focus on your passions
Spring/Summer
  • Document your extracurricular activities and awards for later college applications
  • Start to more deeply focus on the extracurriculars that interest you 
  • Volunteer or get a job/internship
  • Use the summer to explore your interests with a summer enrichment program
Sophomore Year Begin test prep and expand your involvement
Fall/Winter

  • Develop a standardized test plan and timeline
  • Take a practice ACT/SAT
  • Take a major & career assessment and explore potential career opportunities
  • Begin to look into college requirements for admissions and what grades and test scores you need to reach your goals
  • Talk to your counselor about high school course planning and taking AP and honors courses
  • Work towards leadership positions in your extracurricular activities 
  • Get involved with your community and volunteer activities
Begin to explore colleges of interest
Spring/Summer
  • Attend college fairs
  • Visit local colleges to get a feel for what you like in a college campus
  • Take SAT subjects tests in May or June
  • Research and apply for summer programs
  • Volunteer, shadow your career interest,  get a job or attend a summer enrichment program
Junior Year Narrow down your focus on potential majors and begin thinking about a college list
Fall

  • Identify 2-3 careers and majors of interest for college
  • Take the PSAT in October to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship award
  • Talk with your family about what factors are important in your college choice
  • Establish your college budget parameters
  • Attend college informational sessions, talk to reps visiting your school and attend college fairs
  • Visit colleges of interest and begin demonstrating interest by signing up for events, following on social media etc..
  • Find out what type of financial aid you may qualify for by completing the FAFSA Forecaster 
  • Meet with your counselor to discuss ways to improve your college application portfolio
  • Define and document your important factors in choosing a college
  • Identify teachers who will write you letters of recommendation in the spring
Prep for standardized tests
Winter
  • Register for AP exams in May
  • Begin to research scholarships you may qualify and want to apply for
  • Prepare for the SAT and ACT with practice tests and test prep
  • Register for the ACT/SAT in the spring
Create a preliminary list of colleges
Spring
  • Create a preliminary list of 15-20 colleges 
  • Compare costs of each school that interests you and the student loan implications
  • Organize your college search online
  • Do research on colleges to identify admissions requirements
  • Continue ACT/SAT prep and practice exams and take the ACT and/or SAT
  • Develop a college application resume to highlight your activities, awards, volunteering and job experiences
  • Ask teachers to write you letters of recommendation
  • Start brainstorming ideas for your college essay
Improve your portfolio, explore colleges, and begin college essays over the summer
Summer
  • Participate in summer programs, shadow your career interest, get a job or volunteer 
  • Go on college visits
  • Attend virtual information sessions at colleges of interest 
  • Request admissions information and school catalogs
  • Begin writing drafts of your college essay
Senior Year Narrow your list of colleges and begin working on applications
August

  • Narrow down your list to 8-12 colleges
  • Check on letters of recommendation from your teachers 
  • Continue to challenge yourself during your senior year and stay focused on maintaining your GPA
  • Register for ACT/SAT exams 
  • Begin completing the Common Application
  • Research early decision, early action, regular decision deadlines
Get organized and develop your application strategy
September
  • Meet with your guidance counselor to develop a college admission strategy and financial aid application plan
  • Create a spreadsheet with admissions and financial aid deadlines 
  • Meet with school reps who visit your high school, participate in informational nights and college fairs
  • Attend college planning and/or financial aid information sessions
  • Ask for final letters of recommendation
  • Contact the schools' financial aid offices to determine which forms they require
  • Set up your student and parent FSA ID's and start gathering information so you can complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as early as October 1
  • Complete your common application personal statement essay
  • Begin to work on supplemental essays and college specific applications
Finalize early applications
October
  • Take the SAT and/or ACT
  • Complete your FAFSA online and determine your financial aid eligibility
  • Take official visits to your top school choices
  • Follow up to ensure your teachers and guidance counselor send letters of recommendation
  • Finalize portfolios required for admission
  • Complete and submit early action or early decision applications by their deadlines
Ensure your scholarship plans are in order
November
  • Complete applications for college specific scholarships for which you may be eligible
  • Stay focused on your school work
Submit regular decision applications
December
  • Finalize and submit regular admission applications
  • Continue researching and applying for all types of scholarships
  • Watch your email for early admissions decisions
Work on scholarship applications and compare financial award offers
January through March
  • Negotiate financial awards and write appeal letters
  • Finish strong in your last semester of high school
  • Rank your top school choices based on acceptances
  • Research local and other scholarships and apply
  • Work on scholarship applications and make notes of the deadlines
  • Continue to watch for admissions decisions from colleges
  • Compare your financial aid award offers
  • Check with the financial aid offices to ensure your paperwork is complete
  • Narrow down to your final college choices and make any last campus visits
  • Research and apply for summer jobs
Negotiate financial aid offers and awards
April
  • Continue to negotiate financial awards and appeal as necessary
  • Make your final school decision and mail deposits
  • Notify the schools you have chosen not to attend
  • Note registration, orientation, and housing dates
Make your final decision
May
  • Sign up for summer orientation sessions at your college choice
  • Finalize your summer job plans
  • Prepare a student budget
  • Follow up with your high school to ensure the counselor forwards your final school transcripts to the college
  • Request college transcripts for any dual credit courses you took in high school to receive college credit
Prepare for college
June through July
  • Notify your counselors and teachers of your college selection and any scholarships received.  
  • Send "thank-you" notes to teachers who wrote you letters of recommendation
  • Accept or decline student loans by the school's deadline
  • Double check with the financial aid office to ensure all paperwork is complete
  • Attend or register to attend college orientation
  • Discuss the college transition with your parents and new responsibilities you will take on
  • Save money from your summer job
  • Register for the fall semester
  • Pat yourself on the back - you did it! 

Free College Planning Roadmap Session.

Designed to help your family map out the key activities and focus areas for college planning.

  • During the session you will review your personal goals, and discuss key focus areas for each semester of high school to help you get into your dream school.
  • Review your custom college admissions timeline and information on how to plan your college journey.
  • Talk with an expert about how to ensure you succeed in college planning.

Review Your College Admissions Timeline with An Expert.

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