Application Process
Important Dates to Remember
The following is a general timeline of events leading to your successful acceptance into the college or university of your choice.
Junior Year
- October – Take PSAT. If you think you need a tutor, call us to advise you on what type of tutor is most appropriate for you.
- Winter – Begin the preliminary assessment/thinking process: talk with your guidance counselor, one of our educational consultants and your family about your preliminary ideas. Review your academic standing and check where you are with course credits – what you have earned and what you must complete. Plan ahead for SAT and other testing. Consider summer plans: apply for programs, internships or volunteer opportunities.
- Spring – Register for the SAT I or SAT II at www.collegeboard.org or for the ACT at www.act.org. Begin to research schools: examine their websites, gather catalogues and information. Develop a system to organize the mass of materials you will collect. Make some college visits; attend a college fair.
- June – Complete a full academic assessment with your guidance counselor: calculate GPA; review academic requirements and curriculum choices for senior year. Make standardized testing plans for the fall and plan a strategy for study. Find out about your school’s college application process (every school is slightly different in terms of gathering and sending out application materials). Provide your educational consultant with all the latest transcripts and test score reports.
- Summer – Visit schools and begin to interview after completing an interview preparation session. Begin to work on your Personal Statement essay, the major essay that you will use for as many applications as possible. Draft your resume and the Common Application. Begin to gather materials for a supplemental portfolio (art or writing portfolio, for example), if that applies to you. Prepare for standardized tests. Involve yourself in meaningful activities: academic programs, jobs, internships or volunteer opportunities.
- End of Summer – Through further research and visiting, begin to narrow down the list of schools you are interested in applying to. Consider the three categories of colleges to apply to and make a few from each category are on your list: “reach” schools (under 20% chance of acceptance), “eye level” (or 50/50) schools, and “likely” schools (80% chance of acceptance). Gather Common Application Supplements.
Senior Year
- Register for the SAT I or SAT II at www.collegeboard.org or for the ACT at www.act.org
- September – Revisit your academic standing with your guidance counselor and carefully plan your fall timeline. Review your school’s college application process. Solicit recommendations from your teachers/coaches. Continue working on all application pieces, especially looking at Supplements. Make a chart of all application due dates and the requirements for each college. Stay glued to it. Beware of very early due dates for “pre-applications” to some colleges. Plan out Early Decision (I or II)/Early Action deadlines if you think you may choose that route. Also look carefully at which colleges have Rolling Admissions (see below).
- October – Complete your last college visits, work on polishing essays and applications, and testing. Work on/finish common application supplements. Check in frequently with your counselors. Touch base with your recommenders and make sure they understand what they should do with the letter once it is complete. Polish your supplemental submissions (art or writing portfolio), if that applies to you. Above all, stay focused on your schoolwork so that your grades this semester will be as strong as they can possibly be.
If you are trying to meet Rolling Admission deadlines or an Early Decision/Early Action deadline (often 11/1, 11/15, 12/1, 12/15), then you must complete the final steps of the process: have your SAT scores released to the selected college; gather your recommendation letters; have your parents write a check (unless you are submitting the application online). Inform/remind your school guidance counselor or registrar of your deadline so that they are sure to send out the school’s materials and your transcript on time. As you near the end, allow extra time for the final stages of the process and last minute glitches.
- November – ED/EA due dates: 11/1, 11/15; If you are trying to meet other rolling deadlines or January 1 (or later) deadlines, you should be in a place of nearing the end of the process. Refer to your chart of all application due dates and the requirements for each college. Stay glued to it. Gather completed recommendation letters. Have your standardized test score reports sent out to your colleges. Inform/remind your school guidance counselor or registrar of your deadlines so that they are sure to send out the school’s materials and your transcript on time. As you near the end, allow extra time for the final stages of the process and last minute glitches.
- December/January – ED/EA due dates: 12/1, 12/15; Regular decision and ED II due dates might begin by 12/15 or 12/31; Regular admission due dates will begin at the end of December and continue through January and February. Standard due dates are 1/1, 1/15, 2/1.
- March/April/May – Later due dates will fall on 3/1 or 4/1. Keep your grades up and stay interested in school (acceptances are always conditional and colleges will look to see that your second semester performance is in line with prior work). By April 15 at the latest, colleges will have mailed their decisions. Discuss your decision with your counselor. Make second visits to schools if necessary. Consider whether or not to remain on waitlists. By May 1, make your decision and mail in money to reserve your spot.