There are tons of timelines out there. This is a good one from Allen Grove at about.com. He runs a terrific college admissions website.

About.com

College Admissions

Month-by-Month Senior Year College Application Timeline

Keep Track of Important Dates and Deadlines in 12th Grade

By Allen Grove, About.com

College Prep: Middle School1 | 9th Grade2 | 10th Grade3 | 11th Grade4 | 12th Grade

Senior year is a busy and extremely important time in the college admissions process. This is your last chance to get the ACT5 and SAT scores you need6, and senior year is when you have to narrow down your college options to the handful of schools to which you’ll apply. You’ll need to get your college essay up to snuff, line up your letters of recommendation, and apply for financial aid. During the application process, you’ll need to keep active in extracurricular activities and maintain high grades.

August before Senior Year

* Register for the September ACT if appropriate (check ACT dates7).

* Come up with a preliminary list of colleges that includes reach8, match9 and safety10 schools.

* Explore the websites of the colleges that interest you to learn about admissions requirements.

* Check your senior year class schedule to make sure you’re taking the English, Math11, Social Science, Science, and Foreign Language12 classes you’ll need for your top-choice colleges.

* Look over the Common Application13 and begin thinking about potential topics for your personal essay14.

* Visit campuses15 and interview16 with college representatives if appropriate.

September

* Register for October or November SAT I and SAT II exams (check SAT dates17).

* Meet with your guidance counselor to discuss the colleges to which you’re thinking of applying.

* Request letters of recommendation18, especially if you are applying early.

* Continue to visit campuses and interview with college admissions representatives.

* Request applications from all the schools to which you might apply.

* Create a chart of deadlines. Pay particular attention to early decision, early action, and preferred application deadlines.

* If appropriate, register for the October ACT exam.

* Work on your college essays19.

* Try to assume a leadership position in an extracurricular activity.

* Keep your grades up.

October

* Take the SAT I, SAT II and/or ACT as appropriate.

* Continue to research schools to narrow your list20 to roughly 6 – 8 schools.

* Take advantage of college fairs and virtual tours.

* Complete your applications if you are applying early decision.

* Research financial aid and scholarships. Do your parents’ places of employment offer college scholarships for employee children?

* Get your college essay in shape. Get feedback on your writing from a guidance counselor and a teacher.

* Request your high school transcript and check it for accuracy.

* Keep track of all application components and deadlines: applications, test scores, letters of recommendation, and financial aid materials. An incomplete application will ruin your chances for admission.

November

* Register for the December SAT or ACT if appropriate.

* Take the November SAT if appropriate.

* Don’t let your grades slide. It’s easy to be distracted from school work when working on applications. Senior slump can be disastrous for your admissions chances.

* Make sure you’ve submitted all components of your applications if you are applying to colleges with November deadlines for early decision or preferred application.

* Put the final touches on your application essays, and get feedback on your essays from counselors and/or teachers.

* Continue to research scholarships.

December – January

* Complete your applications for regular admissions.

* Make sure you’ve had your test scores sent to all colleges that require them.

* Confirm that your letters of recommendation have been sent.

* Submit the FAFSA21 (Free Application for Financial Aid).

* If you are accepted to a school through early decision, be sure to follow directions carefully. Submit required forms, and notify the other schools to which you applied of your decision.

* Continue to focus on your grades and extracurricular involvement.

* Have midyear grades sent to colleges.

* Continue to keep track of all deadlines and application components.

* Continue to research scholarships. Apply for scholarships well in advance of deadlines.

February – March

* If you submitted the FAFSA, you should receive the Student Aid Report22 (SAR). Carefully look it over for accuracy. Errors can cost you thousands of dollars.

* Contact colleges that didn’t send you a confirmation receipt for your application.

* Don’t put off applying to schools with rolling admissions or late deadlines — the available spaces can fill up.

* Talk to your school about registering for AP exams.

* Keep your grades high. Colleges can revoke offers of admission if your grades take a nosedive senior year.

* Some acceptance letters may arrive. Compare financial aid offers and visit campus before making a decision.

* Don’t panic; many, many decisions are not mailed out until April.

* Continue applying for appropriate scholarships.

April

* Keep track of all acceptances, rejections, and waitlists.

* If waitlisted, learn more about waitlists23 and move ahead with other plans. You can always change your plans if you get off a waitlist.

* Keep your grades up.

* If you have ruled out any colleges that accepted you, notify them. This is a courtesy to other applicants, and it will help the colleges manage their waitlists and extend the correct number of acceptance letters.

* Go to accepted student open houses if offered.

* A couple circumstances may warrant an appeal of a college rejection24

May – June

* Avoid senioritis! An acceptance letter doesn’t mean you can stop working.

* Most schools have a deposit deadline of May 1st. Don’t be late! If needed, you may be able to request an extension.

* Prepare for and take any appropriate AP exams. Most colleges offer course credit for high AP scores; this gives you more academic options when you get to college.

* Have your final transcripts sent to colleges.

* Send thank you letters to everyone who helped you in the application process. Let your mentors and recommenders know the results of your college search.

* Keep on top of procuring student loans. Notify your college if you receive any scholarships.

* Graduate. Congratulations!

July – August after Senior Year

* Read all mailings from your college carefully. Often important registration and housing25 material is sent in the summer.

* Register for your classes as soon as possible. Classes often fill, and registration is usually on a first-come, first-served basis.

* If you get your housing assignment, take advantage of the summer to get to know your roommate (email, facebook, the phone, etc). Figure out who will bring what. You don’t need two TVs and two microwaves in your tiny room.

* Off to college! Visit Kelci Lynn, About.com’s expert on College Life26

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Links in this article:

1. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/admissionstimeline/tp/college-prep-junior-high.htm

2. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/admissionstimeline/tp/ninth-grade-college-prep.htm

3. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/admissionstimeline/tp/10th-Grade-College-Preparation.htm

4. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/admissionstimeline/tp/11th-grade-college-preparation.htm

5. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/theact/f/goodactscore.htm

6. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/sat/f/goodsatscore.htm

7. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/theact/a/ACT_Dates.htm

8. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/glossaryofkeyterms/g/reach_school.htm

9. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/glossaryofkeyterms/g/match_school.htm

10. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/glossaryofkeyterms/g/safety_school.htm

11. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/theartofgettingaccepted/a/HighSchoolMath.htm

12. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/theartofgettingaccepted/a/ForeignLanguage.htm

13. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/glossaryofkeyterms/g/CommonApp.htm

14. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/essays/a/EssayPrompts.htm

15. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/choosingacollege/tp/8-Tips-for-a-Campus-Visit.htm

16. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/theartofgettingaccepted/tp/college-interview-questions.htm

17. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/standardizedtests/a/SAT_Dates.htm

18. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/theartofgettingaccepted/tp/Letters-of-Recommendation.htm

19. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/essays/a/essay_tips.htm

20. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/choosingacollege/f/HowManySchools.htm

21. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/payingforcollege/f/fafsa_info.htm

22. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/glossaryofkeyterms/g/SAR.htm

23. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/theartofgettingaccepted/f/waitlist_faq.htm

24. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/theartofgettingaccepted/f/appeal_reject.htm

25. http://collegeapps.about.com/od/collegehousingfaq/College_Housing_FAQ.htm

26. http://collegelife.about.com/

Seniors, If you haven’t already, log on to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov or www.pin.ed.gov and apply for a pin number. There’s an explanation of the pin number below from the www.fafsa.ed.gov site .

Write it down, fold it up and put it someplace safe. You’ll need it to submit your application for financial aid. The majority of financial aid comes through this process. So, get it together now!

Your parents and/or guardians will need to the same.

____

from www.fafsa.ed.gov

PIN Information

A PIN is a 4-digit number that is used in combination with your Social Security Number, name, and date of birth to identify you as someone who has the right to access your own personal information on Federal Student Aid Web sites, such as FAFSA on the Web.

The security of your PIN is important because it can be used to:

• Electronically sign Federal Student Aid documents
• Access your personal records, and
• Make binding legal obligations.

You and your parents (if you are a dependent student) will need to sign your FAFSA. We cannot process your FAFSA until we receive your signature(s). Using a PIN to sign your FAFSA electronically is by far the fastest and most reliable way. However, you can print, sign and mail in a signature page, or provide signature(s) on your paper Student Aid Report (SAR).

Tip: You may use your PIN for the duration of your school experience and beyond. The PIN stays the same.

If you or your parents do not already have a PIN, we encourage you to apply for one. You can apply for a PIN while completing a FAFSA on the Web application, or you can go to the Federal Student Aid PIN Web site at www.pin.ed.gov to apply.

Important Note A PIN that is selected or viewed instantly online or is sent to you in an e-mail is considered to be conditional until your information is verified with the Social Security Administration (1-3 days from the date you first apply). You may sign your FAFSA with it, but nothing else. Once we complete this verification, you will be able to use your PIN for other purposes (such as correcting your SAR or accessing other Federal Student Aid Web sites).

Flickr Video

Pomona College is located in the desert of the Inland Valley of Southern California. The school is modeled on the New England Ivies, but the architecture is all California (an hour away from the Mojave Desert, LA, Pacific Ocean and the San Gabriel Mountains!). It is in a college town that might remind someone of Nothampton, MA (minus the winter!). This a small (1,500 students) private, liberal arts college which is considered a part of the Claremont College system (including Claremont-McKenna, Pitzer, Harvey Mudd, and Scripps). The school prides itself in personal touch with a student:faculty ratio of 8:1 and the average class size is 14. Our tour guide said it is the norm to get an email from a professor when you miss class. Additionally, all freshmen are assigned a Sponsor Group – a sophomore who essentially “looks out” for a group of new students this helps students settle in quickly and gain needed support right away. Students also can sign up to live in living and learning communities where dorm mates have common interests.

In addition to Sponsor Groups, Pomona takes pride in its extremely low freshman attrition rates – very students who enroll leave the school (95-100%). There are also offices focused on the retention of African-American, Latino/Chicano and 1^st Generation College students. This must contribute to Pomona having such a low graduation rate gap between White and African-American students. The class entering in 2008 is reported 8.7% African-American, 11.5% as Latino. The school is 50/50 male to female ratio.

Pomona is purely an undergraduate institution and professors teach all the classes, this includes freshman seminars. Freshmen must sign up for 1 of 24 “Critical Inquiry” seminars with 15 classmates. The school has General Education requirements and students are expected to be able to high level and original research upon graduation – Senior Thesis is a culminating piece of work. Students have take a “Breadth of Study Course” in each of 5 areas and demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language – beyond meeting requirements in their major. The school prides itself in students doing community service learning and field work. High percentages of Pomona students go on to graduate study and over 90% are admitted to graduate school on their first attempt.

Pomona is a highly selective college median SAT scores for admitted students are: CR 680-770, Math 680-760 and Writing 690-770. 53% of applicants receive scholarships and 19% are 1^st generation college students (23% of enrolled students are from the Northeast portion of the U.S.). Applications are evaluated based on 10^th, 11^th and 12^th grade courses. Students need to take the SAT I or ACT with writing, and two SAT IIs. Basically, admissions officers at Pomona are looking to see that a student has taken full advantage of the academic program available to him or her at their school (AP, Honors, Dual Enrollment, etc.). Minimally, 4 years of English and Math (to calculus), 3 years of language, 2 years each in laboratory and social science are expected. recommended. Additionally, a student’s character and community involvement are discerned through teacher/counselor recommendations and personal statements. Regular admissions has a deadline of the first week in January (www.pomona.edu/admissions). Students submit Common Application and Pomona supplement.

Pomona was ranked 5^th Best College Value by Kiplinger Magazine, 5^th by Hispanic Magazine and 7^th by The Blacks in Higher Education Journal. It is also ranked 1^st as per capita college endowment (which is great for overall financial resources and aid).

Tuition is over $46,000. Nearly $33,000 per student is the average financial aid award and the school just adopted a “no loan” program (www.pomona.edu/financialaid).

Princeton University is one of the Ivy League schools and they claim to have coined the term “Ivy” when graduates began planting ivy cuttings at the foundation of Nassau Hall during the early days of our country. Located in Princeton, NJ, the school has been around since colonial days and is on the site of the Battle of Princeton (said to have been won by the Revolutionaries when they sent a canon ball through Nassau to scatter the Brits holed up in there…). The campus is pristine and has the feel of a British university like Oxford with stone buildings, archways and stained glass everywhere, and the lawns are green and even. It is hard not to become mesmerized by it all – if you saw the movie “Beautiful Mind” that is Princeton’s campus (with a little Hollywood magic). Today Nassau Hall is the location of the admissions information sessions. Some 100 people filed into three rows of wooden benches that faced each other for the admissions presentation.

Students are required to take 10 classes in several areas to graduate, 2 semesters of a language, and complete an Independent Works or senior thesis, in addition to completing the requirements for their major. Freshmen are also required to choose from 75 or seminar classes (15 students around a seminar table) and take an expository writing class their first semester. There is a 5:1 student:faculty ratio, the average class size is 30 with lectures having 300 or so students in an auditorium. Full-professors actually teach classes. Princeton has its share of Nobel Prize winners – Toni Morrison is one of them.

Freshmen live in one of six Residential Colleges – where you sleep and eat for two years – each college has an identity and a “Master” (a faculty member who lives at the college) to help students negotiate life at Princeton. After sophomore year students can apply to Eating Clubs, non-university affiliated dining halls that encompass social networking (served by private chefs…) that they pay annual dues to. 90% percent of students go this route and others are “independent” or join fraternities or sororities (also off campus).

The Princeton “Tigers” are Division IAA sports and they have garnered a few championships here and there. Sports are point of pride, but certainly not the main focus at Princeton. Interestingly, Princeton has far fewer graduate programs than the other “Ivies” and cites that as a demonstration on its focus on the solid education of undergraduates. Students go on to medical, law, business and other graduate education at much the same rate of other similar programs.

Princeton is a highly selective (one of THE MOST selective), liberal arts college. 1100 students enrolled in last year’s freshman class. The admissions officer said that students are looked at in the context of the curriculum offered at a student’s school and the course that students chooses to take. So, if honors and AP are offered, it would be expected that a students would enroll in many of those classes and dual enrollment as is available. Conversely, Princeton is looking for a “wise” course choice. SAT I and two SAT IIs or the Act with writing are required for applicants (the middle 50% scored 700-800 CR and 700-790 Math). The essay is designed to get to know students and what “they are passionate about”, three adjectives that friends would use for you, and list a favorite quote from a movie and why. Interviews are optional and with alums. Each application has two or more readers.

Financial Aid is “the best in the country” no students have loans when they graduate from Princeton! Students submit Princeton’s own financial aid application.

Marymount Manhattan College is located in the posh Upper East Side of Manhattan. It is a small (2,000), liberal arts college. The student:faculty ratio is 12/1 and classes generally have 16 students in them. The college is housed in two buildings on East 71^st Street. Security was tight and I had to provide my license to gain entry. I received a nametag with my photo on it – serious stuff! I was greeted by the admissions office’s administrative assistant, Nicole who was incredibly helpful and knew everyone that entered the office by name. She made sure that I was able to meet with admissions office from our region, David Thomas (see video), after the tour and information session.

The information session highlighted the curriculum, which has a core requirement. Students need 120 credits to graduate. The cool thing is that Manhattan is very much the school’s campus and many students have access to an incredible list of possible internships (only school with an internship at the United Nations), something the college considers a particular strength. Marymount Manhattan has your typical Majors (Accounting, English, Psychology, etc.) and has dual programs that allow students to gain Masters degrees in several areas. Marymount also has pre-professional programs in Dentistry, Law, Medicine and Veterinary Sciences.

The college was in the midst of a 25 million renovation that made the tour a little bit difficult, but our tour guide, Freddie’s enthusiasm made the tour enjoyable. Freddie was a drama major (musical theater) and he said theater, and dance was a strength of Maymount. At one point on the tour we were able to hear a student belt out a show tune and it was pretty impressive!

Housing guaranteed at Marymount and students live in traditional dorm, apartments and suites (one is the tallest dorm in the country). It is truly city living. By the same token, there are no official school sports (although the club soccer team won the trophy this year). Students seem to know each other and Freddie said that professors know their students well. There is a Writing Center to support students, all courses are taught by professors who have office hours, and free tutoring is available as well. Additionally there is a substantial ACCESS program for students with learning disabilities. Another program called Jump Start gets Freshmen on campus during the summer so that they can take a class, and learn “how to do Marymount”.

Admissions is rolling. Tuition is around $35,000. Financial Aid is provided to 85% of students. There are merit (3.0+ GPA and 1150 combined SAT gets students $6,000) and leadership scholarships. Tuition is around $35,000.

David Thomas will be in town for the National Hispanic College Fair at HCC on November 3^rd and he’ll visit Renaissance at 2:30pm on that date. Check MMC out.

I’m psyched about Education Secretary, Arne Duncan’s announcement that the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is being simplified. I cannot believe how excited I got listening to NPR and reading the New York Times(which is a tremendous resource – check out my links) article today, “The Obama administration is moving to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or Fafsa, a notoriously complicated form that asks students seeking financial aid for college as many as 153 questions.”

As a student myself, the FAFSA struck fear in my heart and I have always struggled not to intimidate families regarding the financial aid process when I explain. Money is one of the top reason couples get divorced and since you cannot divorce your children all you tend to get is tons of anxiety around the college financial aid process.

We are going to spend a lot of time with students and families with the financial aid process next year and I’m hopeful these changes will help the College Process team bring the information to families in a kinder and gentler fashion.

All families can start to become familiar with the FAFSA with the FAFSA4caster, a preliminary estimate program on the web.  Also, MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority) is a resource rich source of financial aid information for MA residents.