Senior Year Timeline

Fall Semester

• Make sure you are meeting high school graduation requirements and college admission requirements.
• Keep a calendar of all important deadlines for applications, test registration, and scholarships to stay organized.
• Register to take the ACT or SAT again (October or December) to improve your scores
• Meet with your counselor to review your academic record and discuss your options.
• Plan visits to additional college campuses.
• Attend all local college fairs to find out about additional colleges. Talk to college representatives and learn as much as you can about your top choice schools.
• Keep your grades up! First semester senior grades may be considered on your college applications.
• Narrow down your list of colleges. Be sure your list includes “safe” schools as well as more competitive “reach” schools.
• Obtain current applications to your final college choices and complete by the required deadline.
• Make sure you meet all application deadlines for admission and scholarships.
• Give recommendation forms to teachers, counselors, employers and coaches at least 2-4 weeks before they are due.
• Do a scholarship search on the Internet or using scholarship directories at ESF or the library. Contact scholarship organizations to obtain applications.
• Submit scholarship applications to colleges, private organizations and local agencies.
• Continue your extracurricular involvement. If you haven’t done so, try to hold an elected office or chair a committee or project in the organization or group.
• Update your high school resume to include activities or work experience you have had over the summer or since school began.
• Investigate career interests by conducting an informational interview with someone who works in that profession or arrange to job shadow someone for a day.
• Keep your college information organized – consider using a separate folder for each college that you have information on, as well as a calendar to keep track of deadlines.

Spring Semester

• Complete the FAFSA, the federal financial aid application, as soon as possible after January 1. If required by the school, complete the CSS Profile financial aid form as well. You and your parents will need to have your tax returns completed early in order to submit these applications.
• Turn in any remaining college admission applications and request that your counselor send your transcripts to all the schools you applied to as soon as your fall semester grades are finalized.
• Complete applications for state financial aid programs, such as MTAG, MESG and HELP.
• Don’t let your grades drop off during the second semester. If you develop a bad case of “senioritis” and your academic record declines dramatically, your offer of admission could be revoked.
• Meet all the deadlines for high school graduation.
• By May 1, you must decide which school to attend.  Notify the school of your choice and send in your deposit to reserve your place in the freshman class. Notify other schools to which you applied to let them know you will not be enrolling.
• If you will be receiving a student or parent loan as part of your financial aid package, complete all necessary paperwork and loan applications.
• Watch for important deadlines for pre-registration, housing applications and orientation.
• Take Advanced Placement tests and final exams in May.
• After school ends, have your final academic transcript sent to the college you will attend.

If you have any questions about planning and financing a college education or selecting a career, please call 800.986.4322 (toll-free) or email us at collegeplanning@esfweb.com. If you wish to visit a College Planning Center, please call for an appointment to ensure that a counselor is available.