Senior High School Timeline and Action Plan

Planning for college: Stay on track throughout the college admissions process with a guide to senior year.

Your senior year of high school is the key time in the college planning process. You’ll need to decide which colleges and universities to apply to, send in your applications, explore financial aid and scholarship options and make some other pretty big decisions.

Aside from all the serious stuff, it’s also a time to celebrate your accomplishments. Your year will be filled with senior dances, final sports games, graduation parties and plenty of excitement over college acceptance letters. Despite the fun senior year atmosphere, it’s not a time to catch senioritis and slack off. You need to stay focused if you want to graduate in the best standing possible.

Fall (August-October)

• Attend a college fair, get in touch with current or former students and use Campus Explorer’s school comparison tool to find and narrow colleges.
• Finalize your college list (five to six) with your counselor and write down all application deadlines and test dates. Choose two or three “reach” schools and two or three “safety” schools.
• Register for and/or take the October/November/December SAT and/or October/December ACT if you haven’t taken them yet or aren’t happy with your scores. Don’t forget the SAT Subject Tests if required. Overall, only about one-third of all four year colleges require the SAT Subject Tests.
• Select and ask teachers to write recommendations. Make sure you provide all required forms and a stamped, addressed envelope. Don’t forget a follow-up thank-you note!
• Visit any colleges you are interested in.
• Begin online applications and essays. Revise and ask a teacher or counselor to look over them.
• If applying for early decision (ED) or early action (EA), have test scores, transcripts, and complete application sent on time (most are due by November 1 or 15).
• Register for a pin online for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and, if required, register for and complete the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile. Check to see if the colleges/universities to which you are applying require any other financial aid forms.

Winter (November-February)

• Review your college list and deadlines.
• Take December SAT and/or ACT if necessary.
• Complete online applications and make sure your high school sent in your transcripts. Most applications will be due between November 1 and March 1.
• Request that your high school send your first-semester grades to all colleges and universities that require them.
• Submit online FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1. The sooner you submit, the better chance you’ll have of receiving an attractive package.
• Confirm that your colleges received all application materials.
• Complete college and local scholarship applications.

Spring (March-May)

• You will receive admission decisions through early May. Review acceptances and compare financial aid awards with parents and counselor.
• If you are waitlisted at your first choice, talk to the admissions director and find out what you can do to increase your chances of acceptance.
• Once you choose a college, notify the other schools that you will not be attending.
• Send your tuition deposit to the school you will be attending by May 1.
• Take Advanced Placement (AP) exams and IB exams and have the scores sent to your future school.
• Graduate!

Summer (June, July)

• Request that your final transcript be sent to the college or university you will be attending.
• Your college may host a summer orientation. It will also send information on housing, roommates, course selection and so on. This is also a good time to work out a budget for the coming year since this is probably the first time you’ve ever lived on your own.

Senior Year Tips and Tactics

• Keep a calendar with all deadlines, test dates and things you need to do. Check it often to ensure you are on track.
• See if the schools you are applying to accept the Common Application. You fill it out just once (usually online) and can send it to all participating colleges in place of their individual applications. Though some schools require essays or supplements in addition to the Common Application, it can save you time and busywork.
• Don’t let senioritis get the best of you. Continue to take challenging courses (all applications require you to list the classes you are taking senior year), keep your grades up, and opt for AP and IB classes that will put you ahead of the game.

Related Getting Started with Your College Planning Articles

10 Most Common Senior Year Mistakes
College Planning in Senior Year: Is It Too Late?
Senior Year College Prep Schedule
College Planning: When Should I Start?
Get a Jump Start: Prepare for College Before High School

See All College Planning in High School Articles