Remember to keep working hard to get good grades.After submitting your college applications, use the individual college portals to make sure the schools have received all of the materials you’ve submitted, including application forms, test scores, high school transcripts and letters of recommendation.Ĭollege To Do List for Winter of Senior Year.

Make sure you complete the application forms for the colleges that interest you, preferably before winter break to leave enough time before the deadlines to gather materials and double-check each application.Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid ( FAFSA) form and the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile, preferably by the beginning of October (your parents will need to do this).Search for appropriate scholarship opportunities.Start writing the final draft of your Common App Activities section and have a traditional resume, which many colleges also request.Create a calendar that tracks the application deadlines for college admission, scholarship applications, and financial aid.Strongly consider taking the SAT or ACT again to try to improve your scores.Make sure to maintain good grades and stay actively involved in extracurricular activities.In particular, applying Early Decision can significantly improve your chances of admission. Evaluate whether it makes sense to apply Early Decision or Early Action to your top choice school. Narrow down and finalize your college list by using all of the information you’ve gathered from your research, college visits, and interviews.

Make sure that you have already taken the SAT or ACT or that your schools are test-optional and you’ve decided to apply as a test-optional applicant.īelow is a list of things you need to do in different seasons of your senior year in high school: College Checklist for Fall of Senior Year.

Many schools also appreciate additional letters submitted through the Common App from coaches, academic advisors, mentors, and/or employers.

Request two letters of recommendation from your junior year teachers.

Start writing your college application essays and showing them to your teachers for feedback.

Schedule tours and information sessions with your preferred colleges and arrange to visit these schools.

Find out about college scholarships and how to apply for them.

Make sure to keep your resume current throughout your senior year.

Get information about those colleges by doing online research, attending college fairs and college nights (virtual or in-person), and speaking with representatives from colleges who come to your school.

Start creating a tentative list of colleges that you want to attend.

Determine a desired major, as nearly all colleges will ask you why you have selected a particular major in the school’s supplemental essays.

Here are some items to check off your list before you start senior year:

Senior college checklist