College Planning Checklist for 12th Graders

It’s your senior year! After years of hard work, you’ve made the decision to apply to college. Needless to say, this year is full of important to-dos. Here’s a checklist to help keep you on track for success when it comes time to apply for college. 

☀️ August-December To-Do's ❄️

Finalize your college list: By the fall of your senior year, you should be whittling down your college list. After you’re done, you should be left with a balanced list of around 6-8 colleges representing a landscape of acceptance likelihoods.

Consider and Plan for Re-Testing: There’s still time to re-test if you’d like to improve the score that you submit with your applications. Plan ahead and register for an early date! Remember to ask for assistance completing a fee waiver if you require one.

Complete the FAFSA: Be ready to complete the FAFSA which opens in December 2023. Remember that the earlier you apply, the better positioned you are to receive aid.

Complete the CSS Profile: If you’ll be applying to a college or university that accepts this application for aid, you’ll want to complete it as soon as possible.

Tidy up those essays: Fall is the time to finalize your essays. Have someone close to you proofread your work. If you’re applying early, make sure not to put this work off until the last minute.

Stay on top of recommendations: Come fall of senior year, hopefully, you’ve asked for a teacher recommendation. Check in with your recommender to see that they have all the information they need to write on your behalf.

Prepare for early decision: If you’ve decided to apply early, prepare your applications as early as possible, preparing for most early due dates to fall between November 1-15.

Add your GPA and test scores: If your school's settings allow, upload your GPA and test scores to your Scoir profile. This will help give you better-informed scattergrams, which show historical admissions decisions using GPAs and SAT/ACT scores of students who graduated from your high school before you.

To learn more about scattergrams in Scoir, check out this helpful document.
(P.S. Don't worry! GPA and test scores will not be automatically sent to colleges.)

Generally, stay organized: With so many responsibilities coming your way, staying organized is the key to success. Make sure your calendar is marked with due dates for all of the items listed above.

☃️ January-March To-Do's 🍀

Winter during your senior year can be a quiet, yet intense time. With a lot of the big work behind you, here are some smaller things to keep your eye on.

Confirm your applications: Most schools will send some type of confirmation to acknowledge that they’ve received your application. Make sure you’ve received confirmations for each application!

Verify your financial aid: At this point (we hope), you’ve completed your FAFSA and should have received your Student Aid Report (SAR). Take the time to review the SAR carefully and address and discrepancies.

Research scholarship opportunities: After you’ve reviewed your SAR, and have had a conversation with your parents/guardians and mentors about financials, it’s important to know that there’s still time to research and apply for scholarships.

Meet with your counselor: At this point, it’s never a bad idea to meet with your counselor for one more check-in before graduation. They can help ensure you’re on track for graduation and send any first-semester grades to colleges as needed. Remember to keep those grades up because colleges are still watching!

Write thank-you notes: Whoever took the time to write a recommendation letter for you deserves to get a thank-you note! Take the time to hand-write and drop off letters to these people in your downtime.

Continue making memories: As you move through the winter months and into early spring, emotions can run high. Make sure you’re making the most of your time with the people who matter most to you! :)

🌼 April-July To-Do's 🌅

Keep your grades up: How you finish your senior year matters. Keep your grades up, and don’t slack (fight the senioritis)! Colleges are still paying attention.

Review financial aid offer letters: Since there is no standard financial aid award letter, it’s critical that you review your letters with a sharp eye. Doing so will ensure you’re accepting the best package for you and your financial situation.

Make final decisions: With your final options in hand, it’s time to make a choice (listen to our podcast for tips on making this choice). Moreover, once you’ve made a choice you need to reply with an acceptance or rejection.

Consider your waitlist options: Have you been waitlisted? Carefully consider what your next steps will be so that you can proceed with confidence.

Make your final deposit: Send the school you'll be attending the deposit due.

Register for orientation and make housing deposit (if living on campus): These will be important details to have settled before arriving to campus!

Ensure your final transcript is sent: Check in with your high school to make sure your final transcript is sent.

Celebrate: You did it! We're so proud of you and are cheering you on in this new, exciting chapter!