Around this time every year, I publish an updated “What Should I Be Doing Now?” page for every grade level. Because there are so many circumstances, so many different paths, I try to keep it fairly broad and generalized. However, I’ve recently got several requests for a more detailed and specific timeline for seniors. So here is a month-by-month breakdown of the process. Remember, this doesn’t fit every single case. I don’t include anything, for example, related to art portfolios or athletic recruitment. And I assume you’re applying to more than one or two colleges. But this covers most of the situations my own clients face, and (I think) most of the situations my readers face. As I say all the time when I’m giving feedback or advice: feel free to use it, modify it, or ignore it as appropriate.
August
Research colleges. By now you may have a pretty good idea of schools where you will apply. Spend time getting to know the colleges, and be open to learning about other colleges and possibly making changes to your list. Where should you research colleges? Their websites are a great place. Look at their admission page, and also the pages for any majors you’re considering. I also love the Fiske Guide. It’s not available online, only as a book, but it’s worth the trouble. For online resources I usually stick to BigFuture, which is run by the College Board, and Niche. You can also look into the schools’ Common Data Sets.
Interact with colleges. As soon as you think you’re going to apply to a school, begin interacting with the school as much as possible. Make sure you sign up for their mailing list or click on the “send me information” button on their admission web page. If you can go on a physical campus tour, that’s great, but it’s not necessary. Many colleges also have good virtual tours. Either way, get a feel for the campus. Follow the school’s social media accounts on your preferred apps. Find out if and when they’ll be at a college fair near you or visiting your school and do your best to go meet them. Do this even if the school doesn’t consider demonstrated interest. This is the stage where you’re beginning to build a relationship with schools.
Narrow your college list down to 20 maximum. While it’s great to keep exploring and adding schools to your list, it’s also necessary to start cutting schools from your list. Make sure you have at least two you are very confident will accept you. It sometimes helps to eliminate schools by thinking about their groups. You’ve got six medium-sized colleges in the northeast who offer a major you’re interested in? Reduce that to the top two. Drop the ones with the highest average net cost, or the ones farthest from a city, or any other criteria that makes sense for you. Have you got 30 schools on your list, and 25 of them have acceptance rates under 25%? Focus on the five that are most important to you. Don’t spend too much time and energy on schools that are not likely to accept you because they have too many strong applicants. Also, don’t spend too much time trying to figure out what schools are “safety, target, and reach” for you. Don’t get into the “what are my chances?” mentality. Many students do fine thinking about the same three categories: schools with acceptance rates over 50%, schools with acceptance rates under 20%, and those in between. Find a balance with these three categories on your list, and get it down to 20 maximum.
(Many of you won’t have this problem at all. Some never begin with a list over 20. That’s great, as long as you make sure you’re including at least two you’re very confident will accept you.)
Find deadlines for schools on list. For each school on your list, look up the different application plans they have and the deadline for each. Make a chart or timeline to keep up with these. When is their regular decision deadline? Do they have Early Action, Early Decision, or Priority deadlines? Is there an earlier deadline if you would like to be considered for scholarships? Is there a different deadline based on your major than for the school at large? Also, what are their deadlines for submitting test scores if you choose to submit? Do they have deadlines for submitting financial aid paperwork? Does your major require a portfolio or extra writing supplement with a different deadline than the regular application? Once you start tracking multiple deadlines for each school, you understand why narrowing your list down to 20 maximum is so important.
Finish at least one main essay. If you’re applying to a college that requires an essay—and you probably are—then get it finished. Or at least started. The best time to finish a solid draft of your essay is before school starts. If you do nothing else this month, do this.
September
Continue to research and interact with colleges. Make adjustments to your college list, taking care not to go over 20.
If you haven’t already, line up your recommendation letters. If you’ve narrowed down your college list and checked on the requirements for each, then you’ll know who you need letters from. Each school is different. They’ll require none, one, or two letters. They will—or will not, depending on the school—specify who they would like letters from. Some will let you submit extras if you want, some won’t.
Begin writing your supplemental prompt responses. If you’ve already got your main essay ready, you have time to begin working on the shorter supplemental questions that many colleges ask. These can be tough, because you typically have a much smaller space—50 to 350 words—to explain yourself.
Don’t get overwhelmed looking at all the supplemental questions for all your potential applications. Focus on your 4 or 5 top schools. Your top schools are the ones where you’re likely to apply early. This includes schools for which you may apply Early Decision or Early Action, and it includes the schools you’re really confident will accept you. If you’re applying to a school as a “safety,” apply as early as you can. Get the confidence boost and stability of knowing you’ve got a place to go as quickly as possible.
While it’s normal to think of the application process as one that runs from August to January, with a swift build-up in December as regular decision applications become due, I prefer to think of it as a two-wave process. Most of the work happens before early November, and then there’s a follow-up wave for any remaining applications in January. Plan on October being your busiest month.
October
Continue to research and interact with colleges. Make adjustments to your college list, taking care not to go over 20.
If you need to, complete the CSS Profile. You’ll know if you need to by checking the financial aid page of each of the schools on your list. You can also search here.
Decide if you’ll apply to any college Early Decision. Decide if you’ll apply to any colleges Early Action. Finalize your list of top schools—I recommend four or five—for that first wave of applications.
Finish writing your supplemental prompt responses for November applications. Again, don’t get overwhelmed thinking about all the supplemental, just focus on the ones you’re writing for a November deadline.
Submit applications with November 1 deadline on October 26. It doesn’t have to be exactly on the 26th, obviously, but I think submitting around five days before the deadline is ideal. Submit too soon, and you miss the opportunity to make your application even better. But waiting until the last minute is too risky. Websites crash, internet gets spotty, distractions appear. So three to five days before the deadline makes sense, for November 1 deadlines and all deadlines.
November
Continue to research and interact with colleges. If you send out any early applications in November, make best- and worst-case scenario plans. If you get accepted early, will you apply to more colleges? Which ones, and why? If you don’t get accepted early, does that change which and how many schools to apply to for January deadlines? Don’t spend too much time thinking about something so out of your control, but do a little planning.
Write supplemental prompt responses for the rest of your applications. Once your November applications are out, begin the ones that are left for your second wave of applications, which will mostly be due in early January.
DecembeR
Fill out the FAFSA. It doesn’t open up until December 1 this year, and there are changes from the past. I’d advise waiting at least a few days before getting started, in case there are any glitches or crashes when it first opens up.
Submit applications with January 1 deadline by December 28.
January
Send financial aid paperwork for anywhere that hasn’t got it yet
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