Now that it’s October, most university application systems are open and accepting submissions!
Here’s a college admissions roadmap of the essential things to keep track of over the next two months or so as you dive into one of the most chaotic parts of high school.
- Reach out to your teachers for letters of recommendation NOW (if you haven’t already)
Teachers are truly the unsung heroes of the college application process – they offer their support and write tons of letters of recommendation on their own time amidst the mountains of grading and planning they already do. Be kind to your teachers, and to yourself, and get that process started as early as possible.
- Putting together a thoughtful and cohesive application takes time (as long as twelve hours of work!), so start assembling the pieces early before putting them all together.
You can take time to brainstorm a generic activities list of every single thing you’ve done in high school, and then you can start tailoring it to the different schools you’re applying to. Start outlining what you want to say in your essays that aligns with your activities and completes the picture of who you are.
- Early decision and early action is typically a month earlier than the regular application deadlines, but some schools might set the deadlines as early as October 15th.
The majority of application deadlines are the end of November or December.
- It’s not too early to start thinking about financial aid!
The CSS profile is open, which a lot of private schools use and which is connected to your College Board account, and the FAFSA is doing a slow rollout with the majority of students getting access to it in December. Your merit aid package will be determined in conjunction with your application, so make sure the school has all of your financial aid and income information by the end of the year!
- Any specialized programs, such as performing arts programs that require auditions or combined undergrad-graduate programs, will likely have additional steps to the traditional application process, so start preparing now!
Auditions often take place in January and February, while additional interviews might take place before the application deadline. Be sure to get the latest information from the program website itself ASAP.
- Do you need one last test score for merit aid before the application deadline?
Get into the last tests of the year and enter the schools you would like your score to be sent to before you even sit down to test. You get four for free, but only if you request them in advance!
Check out our SAT Sprint or ACT Sprint courses for some last minute test prep as well.
- Be unique, be authentic
Most schools are not looking for a student who has done exactly one hour of every single activity on earth to be “well-rounded.” Instead, they are looking for a student whose high school career has followed a consistent through-line – whether that be a sense of curiosity that led them to an odd collection of hobbies you have genuinely enjoyed, or a strong drive to get to a particular career path with lots of official and unofficial experience that has led you there. You don’t need to have cured cancer, but you should be yourself.
Don’t show the admissions officers why you fit the roll of “generic ideal college student,” but why you would bring something unique to the school overall.
- Take care of your physical and mental health, and best of luck!
Hear about all of these helpful guidelines and more from our admissions experts on The College Checklist Podcast!
