12th -graders April

• Continue applying for scholarships. Check in with your counselor or post-secondary counselor to see whether there are any local scholarships you might have missed.

• Appealing financial aid: Read up on what to do if your financial aid offer doesn’t line up with your budget. And make sure to listen to this podcast before writing an appeal letter.

• Making your final college choice: It’s decision time. You need to enroll and submit a deposit by May 1st (or a few days after, depending on the school). 

12th-graders March

• How to understand your financial-aid award letters: Make a spreadsheet to compare financial aid packages from multiple schools.

• Appealing financial aid: If you’ve been accepted to college but the financial aid package isn’t what you’d hoped, read through this guide and listen to this podcast as you plan your appeal.

12th graders - February

• Senioritis: This is not the time to slack off. Colleges will see your final transcript this summer, and they do have the right to rescind (i.e., take back) their offer of admission if your spring grades drop significantly (gulp).

• Admitted student events: If possible, attend in-person and virtual events for admitted students to get your questions answered and help inform your decision-making process.

• Scholarships: Search for possible fits based on your academic interests, gender, religion, and more.

12th graders-January

• Check your applicant portals and emails: If you miss a request for more information or an additional document, it could jeopardize your admission chances, so check regularly.

• What to do if you’re deferred or waitlisted: Review your application and determine whether you want to write a letter of continued interest. And if you’re confused about the purpose of a waitlist, read this blog post by an admission director.

• Keep searching for scholarships.

12th graders-December

• Complete and send out all Regular Decision applications.  If you applied Early Decision/Early Action, you might want to hold on submitting additional applications and sending off the CSS Profile to the rest of your list until the early news is in. Just make sure not to miss any deadlines.

• Write thank you notes: Share gratitude with your teachers for writing letters of recommendation for you.

• Check your applicant portals and emails: You must check your emails and portals daily throughout the winter months. If you miss a request for more information or an additional document, it could jeopardize your admission chances, so check regularly.