If your student headed into senior year this month, it’s exactly the right moment to check in on where things stand. Granted, there is no immediate deadline looming and your student doesn’t need to have all their application materials finished, but August is typically the calm before the busiest stretch of the entire college application process.
Ideally, your student should have a solid working draft of their personal statement, their finalized college list, and a clear picture of each school’s application requirements—deadlines, supplemental essays, recommendations, and any additional materials—by the end of August.
So, has your student set up their Common App account and looked at the essay prompts? Have they created a college list with a mix of reach, match, and safety schools? Have they started a personal statement even if it’s just a messy first draft? Have they reviewed the supplemental essay prompts for their top-choice schools?
If your student can check off most of these, that’s great—they’re in a strong position heading into the fall. If they can only check off one, two, or none at all, that’s completely fine, too, but it’s time to build momentum and make concrete progress toward submitting their applications.
The Senior-Year College Application Timeline
September
September is when the process typically starts to feel real to students. They should be polishing their personal statements, working on supplemental essays, finalizing their list of activities and honors, confirming testing information, and requesting recommendation letters from teachers and counselors.
If your student is applying Early Decision or Early Action to any schools, this is the time to prioritize those applications. Early Decision and Early Action deadlines typically fall between October 15 and November 1. And if you’re applying for financial aid, start reviewing FAFSA requirements and each school’s priority deadlines.
October
October is the beginning of major application deadlines.
For Early Decision and Early Action applicants, most deadlines fall between October 15 and November 1. By this point, those applications should be reviewed, revised, and ready to be submitted.
Before submitting any application, however, your student must double-check that their personal statement, supplemental essays, activities, recommendations, and testing information are all correct. After submitting, check the applicant portal to confirm the application and required materials were received.
November
For many students, Early Decision and Early Action applications are finally off their plates in November, so it’s time to focus on all Regular Decision applications.
Most Regular Decision deadlines fall around January 1, but every school is different. Have your student put each school’s exact deadline on their calendar rather than relying on memory. While they’re at it, make sure they add deadlines for any institutional scholarships, honors programs, and outside scholarship opportunities also.
And make sure your student is keeping their grades up. Colleges can request mid-year transcripts or rescind offer letters if a student’s grades drop off significantly. Senior year still matters even after applications have been submitted.
December
For Early Decision applicants, December is when decisions begin to arrive.
For Regular Decision, it’s time to finalize any remaining materials. Your student should be reviewing every supplemental essay, confirming recommendations, and completing every application.
Once they’re done, it’s time for them and you to take a breath. The bulk of the work is almost done.
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January
January 1 is the most common Regular Decision deadline, but remember some schools have deadlines on January 15 or other dates. Ideally, your student will already have these submitted before the final day.
And remind your student to continue keeping an eye on any scholarship or financial aid deadlines.
February & March
The focus now shifts from submitting applications to managing decisions. Regular Decision notifications begin arriving with many schools releasing decisions in March.
As they arrive, remember that financial aid packages included in acceptance letters can look very different, so make sure you and your student are taking the time to understand what each offer actually means.
April & May
With most decisions released, it’s time to compare offers, visit campuses if possible, and decide where your student will enroll.
May 1 is traditionally National College Decision Day although individual schools can have different deadlines, so be sure your student confirms the exact date.
Once your student makes a decision, submit the enrollment deposit and have your student notify the other schools of their decision. If your student is waitlisted somewhere they’re still interested in, follow that school’s instructions for remaining on the waitlist and submitting a letter of continued interest.
How to Use This Timeline
Think of the college application process like a project. Someone needs to track progress, check deadlines, and notice when something hasn’t been completed. This timeline helps everyone stay on track, but it is only helpful if everyone remembers to check it.
To make it as visible as possible for your student, consider printing it out and putting it on the refrigerator, a bulletin board, or your student’s bedroom door.
It also helps to assign ownership for each admissions task. Which materials can students gather on their own? Which will require your support? To help everyone stay on the same page and keep track of their responsibilities, you might also consider putting every deadline into a shared family calendar and setting reminders for two weeks in advance.
Don’t Panic If Your Student Hasn’t Started Yet
Maybe your student hasn’t opened the Common App, started writing their personal statement, or finalized their college list. That’s okay.
A student who begins seriously at the end of August is still in good shape, so there’s no reason for them to feel guilty about what’s left to do. Instead, use the next few days to get organized and create a plan.
The goal throughout the admissions process isn’t to have done everything perfectly; the goal is to keep moving forward consistently, starting now.
The Things That Derail Even Well-Prepared Students
Often, the biggest problems students face during the college admissions process are things they simply overlooked while completing all their application materials.
That could be forgetting a supplemental essay, assuming recommendation letters were submitted, and submitting the wrong “Why This School?” essay. Starting early often prevents these mistakes from occurring because students aren’t submitting applications right under the deadline.
Whether your student is on track or feels like they need to play catch-up, The Enrichery is ready to help with our college admissions coaching. Contact us today to meet with an admissions coach about getting your student the support they need to submit the best possible application.
