The College Application Process

12th Grade Student College Prep Checklists

TO DO: ALL YEAR

• Work hard all the way to graduation—second-semester grades can affect scholarship eligibility.

• Stay involved in after-school activities, and seek leadership roles if possible.

TO DO: FALL

• As soon as possible after its release, complete and submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form, along with any other financial aid applications your chosen college or career/trade school may require. You should submit your FAFSA form by the earliest financial aid deadline of the schools to which you are applying, usually by early February.

• After you submit the FAFSA form, you should receive your FAFSA Submission Summary for the 2024–25 award year (July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025) or Student Aid Report (SAR) for the 2023–24 award year (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024) within one to three days. These documents list your answers to the questions on your FAFSA form and give you some basic information about your aid eligibility. Review the documents, make any necessary corrections, and submit the corrections.

• If you haven’t done so already, register for and take the standardized tests required for college admission. Check with the colleges you are interested in to see what tests they require.

• Apply to the colleges you have chosen. Prepare your applications carefully. Follow the instructions, and PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO DEADLINES!

• Well before your college application deadlines, ask your counselor and teachers to submit the required documents (e.g., transcript, letters of recommendation) to the colleges to which you’re applying.

• Complete any last scholarship applications.

• Understand the FAFSA process better by watching the videos at YouTube.com/FederalStudentAid.

• Follow or like the office of Federal Student Aid at Twitter.com/FAFSA and Facebook.com/FederalStudentAid to get regular financial aid tips.

REMEMBER: Register for all tests in advance, and be sure to give yourself time to prepare appropriately! If you have difficulty paying a registration fee, ask your school counselor about getting the fee waived.

TO DO: SPRING

• Visit colleges that have invited you to enroll.

• Review your college acceptances and compare the colleges’ financial aid offers.

• Contact a school’s financial aid office if you have questions about the aid that school has offered you. In fact, getting to know your financial aid staff early is a good idea no matter what—they can tell you about deadlines, other aid for which you might wish to apply, and important paperwork you might need to submit.

• When you decide which school you want to attend, notify that school of your commitment and submit any required financial deposit. Many schools require this notification and deposit by May 1.

• Make informed decisions about student loans. “Federal Versus Private Loans” and Federal Student Loans: Basics for Students are important resources at this point.

Parent Checklist

TO DO:

• Work with your child on filling out the FAFSA form.

• Make sure your child’s personal information is safe when they apply for financial aid.

• Use the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s financial path to graduation tool to determine each school’s net price—your child’s actual out-of-pocket cost.

• Read IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education to see how you might benefit from federal income tax credits for education expenses.

• Understand the benefits of federal student loans.

• Help your child learn about the responsibilities involved in accepting a student loan by reviewing “What should I consider when taking out federal student loans?” with them.

• With your child, look at communications from schools to which your child sent FAFSA information. If a school has offered you or your child Direct Loans, the Federal Student Loans: Basics for Students and Federal Student Loans: Direct PLUS Loan Basics for Parents booklets might be useful to you.

Resources

• Glossary of Terms: Definitions for important terms used when planning post-secondary education

• GoingMerry: is a one-stop shop for scholarships and financial aid. You can find and apply for scholarships and grants, right from the website.     

• Xello: Explore colleges, majors, and careers;  build the skills and knowledge to create actionable plans for college and career success 

• College Admissions Dashboard: Search alphabetically by institution so that you don’t miss a deadline or status update. 

• College Scorecard: The College Scorecard tool includes customized, accessible, and relevant data on potential debt and earnings based on fields of study (including for 2-year programs, 4-year degrees, certificate programs, and some graduate programs), graduation rates, and even apprenticeships on 2,100 certificate-granting institutions.

• AskADVi uses artificial intelligence to answer your questions about attending public colleges and universities in Texas.   

• College List Builder: In about two minutes, this video will help figure out the steps to take to research colleges, build your list, and categorize it (reach, match, and safety). Watch and then click through to find the tools and more tips to help you build the perfect college list. 

• Big Future: BigFuture by the College Board gives students free, comprehensive college planning resources. Students can make college plans, compare schools, access scholarships, and much more.

• Colleges That Change Lives: CTCL is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and support of a student-centered college search process. We support the goal of every student finding a college that develops a lifelong love of learning and provides the foundation for a successful and fulfilling life beyond college. 

• Common App Explore Colleges Tool:  Explore colleges using this tool created by the Common App

• GetSchooled: Help getting into college, finding first jobs, and succeeding in both. 

• College Forward: College Forward is a nationally-recognized, near-peer coaching program that pairs recent college graduates with students who are underserved to empower them to achieve their post-secondary goals. 

College Visits

• LHHS College Visit Form: Each junior and senior may receive 2 college visits per year without penalty regarding absences from LHHS only if this request form is completed in advance and all guidelines are followed. All criteria must be completed before a student will be pre-excused.

• College Visit Checklist: Use this handout to help guide you through your college visit

• Virtual Admissions Events and Deposit Dates: This crowd-sourced Google Sheet gives a comprehensive look at virtual campus visits and information on when financial commitments need to be met to ensure admission.

• Questions to Ask Career and College Representatives: Questions that will help you make tough decisions regarding which post-secondary institution you should attend