December and January

Submit applications – Most colleges have regular application deadlines sometime in December. Make sure you've been keeping track of all deadlines; they can vary from school to school. Don't leave anything to the last minute. For most people, the month of December is always filled with extra holiday-related activities, not to mention the end of the fall semester.

Finalize other application components – By now you've taken your exams, written your essays and secured your letters of recommendation. Confirm that your test scores have been officially submitted to every college to which you're applying. Also verify that any letters of recommendation have been mailed.

Financial aid – Most colleges require you to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Start exploring financial aid and scholarships at the colleges you applied to. By the time you start receiving acceptance letters, you're going to want to have a grasp of how much you can save, and aid packages can differ a great deal from school to school.

For More Information about GRASP, go to the GRASP INFO page on this site.

Early acceptance – If you applied to a school through early decision or early action and are accepted, you will receive a letter sometime in December. Make sure you completely understand the timetable and all deadlines. It's also a great courtesy to notify the other schools you applied to. This will help them open up your seat to another applicants.

Grades – As soon as possible, send your fall grades to every school to which you've applied. Even if this is after the application, admissions counselors will incorporate it into their decision. If your high school grades started out poor but steadily improved, your senior year transcript is a way for you to demonstrate this upward trend.