Now that Applications Are Done....

CHECK YOUR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PORTALS REGULARLY

• Ensure that each college received all necessary material. Resolve issues quickly.

• Keep an eye out for emails from any college.

• Check your portals To-Do and Holds list

IF YOU ARE DEFERRED:

• If you applied early and were "deferred", determine if you are required to submit your first semester transcript. If so, do that promptly. Read this important article for more on deferrals.

IF YOU ARE WAITLISTED

• As accepted students notify colleges they won’t be attending, those spots are given to students on the “waitlist”.

• Express your continued interest & confirm your waitlist status.

• Update the school if any grades or test scores have improved. (This doesn’t apply to UC’s.)

• You may not learn more about your status until July or later.

• Because your chances of being accepted are not predictable, you need to make other plans:

  • Review the colleges that accepted your application.

  • Come up with a second choice that you are happy with.

  • Make a decision on or before Decision Day, and follow necessary steps including submitting your Intent to Register.

GOING TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE?

• Visit the college center to start your application

SECOND SEMESTER GRADES:

• College acceptances can be rescinded if grades fall significantly. Try to keep your grades consistent with the grades in which you were accepted.

UPDATE NAVIANCE:

• If you submitted applications, change the status to "submitted application". Update the status for any college that you've been accepted, waitlisted, or denied.

FINANCIAL AID AND SCHOLARSHIPS

• Complete and submit the FAFSA or CADAA forms if they were not required at application time.

• If you receive any financial award letters, be sure to pay attention to all the information, especially deadlines. Some schools require you to commit by a certain deadline in order to receive the aid. Missing this deadline means losing money.

• Continue your search for scholarships. Check for scholarship opportunities.

• Watch deadlines!

IF YOU GET ACCEPTED

• Decisions: You usually have until May 1st to make most decisions, some colleges are extended due to FAFSA updates. Use the time to weigh your options. Some schools offer priority housing if you commit earlier.

• Negotiate your Financial Aid package: Sometimes you can negotiate with a school for more financial aid and it is worth asking!

PLAN A COLLEGE VISIT

• Even if you’ve already visited a college once, the city around the school, or other items of interest. Visiting can help you determine if the college is the right fit for you.

• Most colleges have virtual tours on their website or check out YouTube for tours.

  1. • Appily 

     • Princeton Review 

     • UC Tours

       • UC Davis:| Virtual Tour

       • UC Irvine: | Virtual Tour

       • UC Los Angeles: | Virtual Tours

       • UC Merced:| Virtual Tours

       • UC Riverside:| Virtual Tours

       • UC San Diego:| Virtual Tour

       • UC Santa Barbara:| Virtual Tour

       • UC Santa Cruz:| Virtual Tour

     • Cal States

       • CSU Channel Islands:| Virtual Tour

       • CSU Chico: | Virtual Tour

       • CSU Dominguez Hills: | Virtual Tour

       • CSU East Bay:| Virtual Tours

       • CSU Fullerton:| Virtual Tours

       • CSU Humboldt:| Virtual Tour

       • CSU Long Beach:| Virtual Tour

       • CSU Los Angeles:| Virtual Tour

       • CSU Northridge:| Virtual Tours

       • CSU Pomona: | Virtual Tour 

       • CSU Sacramento:| Virtual Tour

       • CSU San Bernardino:| Virtual Tour

       • CSU San Diego:| Virtual Tour

       • CSU San Francisco:| Virtual Tour

       • CSU San Jose:| Virtual Tour

       • CSU San Luis Obispo:| Virtual Tour

       • CSU San Marcos:| Virtual Tour

HOW TO CHOOSE A COLLEGE?

• It’s all about the right fit for YOU. Do you want: small/medium/large campus; sports-focused; big Greek life; out-of-state/in-state; sense of community; most affordable? List the aspects that are important to you and compare results. Know a teacher who went to that college? Ask them questions!

ONCE YOU’VE DECIDED

• Send in required forms sent by the college.

• Send AP exams scores if you told them you were taking exams

• Accept financial aid packages so the funds can be sent to your college

• Notify other colleges that you have been accepted to, that you will not be attending. They will give your spot to someone else.

• Update Naviance with your decision: under “Colleges I’m Applying To” > > “Results”

• Join your college’s social media to start meeting other accepted students and important news

• Continue to check the online portal and email for any additional correspondence. Respond quickly.