College Guidance > College Guidance Program > Senior Year Calendar

Senior Year Calendar

August/September
  • Attend Senior Parent Night
  • Make sure you have all applications required for college admission and financial aid.  Write, phone or use the internet to request any missing information.
  • Check on application and financial aid deadlines.  These vary school to school and it is essential to meet all the deadlines.
  • Meet with your College Counselor to finalize your college list.  Review your transcript and extracurricular records for accuracy.
  • Register for the October/ November SAT Reasoning or Subject Tests or the September/ October ACT.
  • Follow up to ensure that teachers have prepared their teacher recommendations.
  • Participate in college representative visits.  This is very important to demonstrate interest.
  • Plan college visits and set up interviews. Watch the school calendar for long weekends, and spend a little more time on campus.
  • Arrange local alumni interviews.
  • Arrange to have an interview with colleges.
  • If applying to rolling admission schools, apply now!

 

October

  • Parents to attend CCIS Financial Aid Night at Laurel
  • If applying early decision or early action, send in your application now.
  • Also prepare applications for back up schools.  Check application dates for the Back up schools against the date for notification and calculate how much time you will have to complete any remaining applications.
  • Use the Columbus Day weekend for college visits and interviews.
  • Continue visiting with college representatives at Laurel and scheduling alumni interviews.
  • Have official test scores sent by Collegeboard and ACT (Websites).
  • Register for the December SAT Reasoning or Subject Tests or December ACT if you have not completed the required tests or wish to better your scores.
  • Write thank you notes to any interviewer.  Include a reference to a topic you discussed or information shared in the interview.

November                           

  • Take the SAT if appropriate.  Remember to have the test scores sent to the colleges that you applied or are applying to.
  • Continue completing applications.
  • Write a thank you note to each teacher who provided a recommendation.  Make it personal and sincere.
  • If applying for financial aid, apply for a PIN to allow electronic submission of the FAFSA www.studentaid.ed.gov
  • Register for and complete the CCS Profile www.collegeboard.com/parents/pay if required by the college and obtain the college’s own financial aid forms.
  • Keep all records, test score reports and copies of applications for admission and financial aid.

December

  • If you applied early decision or early action, you should have an answerby now.  If you are admitted early decision, follow the instructions for admitted students.  If you are deferred, make sure you timely submit applications to other colleges.  Let the College Guidance Office know of the outcome and your plans.
  • Confirm the College Board is sending your test scores to all colleges you are considering.
  • Update and Confirm that your Naviance list is correct.

January      

  • Keep working in your classes! Grades and courses continue to count.
  • If you receive notification that any part of your application is missing, notify Mrs. Favret.
  • Complete and submit your FAFSA www.studentaid.ed.gov as soon as possible after January 1.  Check to determine if the college requires any other forms and complete them promptly.

February

  • Stay on top of your applications and make sure all materials have been received and are complete.  Take the initiative and don’t procrastinate-a missed deadline can ruin your chances of admission.
  • If you completed a FAFSA you should receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) within four weeks.  Review the SAR carefully.  If necessary, correct any items and return it to the processor.  If more than four weeks have passed and you have not received a SAR, follow up online or by calling (800) 433-3243.

March

  • Don’t hold your breath.  Keep studying; keep active.
  • If you haven’t already done so, prepare a thank you letter for each teacher who wrote you a recommendation.
  • Confirm with the financial aid officers at each college that all information is complete.

April             

  • Keeping colleges abreast of your plans might enable those colleges to admit someone else.  If you know which college you will attend, send your tuition deposit and follow all other instructions for admitted students.
  • Analyze and compare the financial aid offers carefully.
  • Notify the College Guidance Office of your college decision.
  • Variations in cost of attendance, preferential packaging policies and calculation of demonstrated need, there can be significant differences.
  • Before accepting a financial aid package, ask if the student can expect comparable packages for all four years assuming family resources remain the same.
  • If a student receives different packages from colleges, contact the financial aid office from the school with the less generous package to ask why the calculation varies.  Some schools will reconsider a package.

May

  • By May 1, decide on the one college that you will attend.  By May 1, (postmark date) send in your tuition deposit to the college you will attend. Follow all directions concerning deadlines! Notify the other colleges that accepted you that you will not be attending.
  • BE PROUD--  you have completed this difficult task.
  • If your first choice college places you on their waiting list do not lose all hope.  Talk to College Guidance and contact the college to let them know you are still very interested; arrange for supplemental interviews, if possible, keep the college updated on your activities.

June   

Congratulations! Enjoy your graduation and look forward to college.

Portions of this calendar were adapted with permission from the
National Association for College Admission Counseling Prep for College Calendar.