Applying to schools means more than just filling out forms. You need to understand each school's requirements, gather information, meet deadlines, and pay any necessary fees for each submitted application.

In this section, you'll get a look at

the school application process. It may seem a little overwhelming, but once you have a clear picture of everything that's involved, you can determine what needs to be done. Getting organized will help eliminate a lot of stress. If you have not already done so, go into MyFSA now and set up your own personal student account, so you can plan for college, apply online, track your favorite schools, and much more. 

Timeline for Seniors

In your junior year, you should have begun the process of identifying schools you want to attend. By the time you get to your senior year, you need to have a clear idea of what schools you are interested in attending, and you will begin the process of applying to your school or schools of choice generally in November of that year. You might be applying as early as September, however, if you are applying for early decision or early action.

Throughout your senior year, you will need to keep track of a series of steps, including:

• registering for the appropriate tests: Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), American College Test (ACT);
• submitting your applications for admission;
• comparing acceptance offers from schools;
• and finally, after you've accepted a school's final offer, having your high school send your final transcripts to that school.

Don't forget that the process of applying for financial assistance to help you pay the costs of attending your school of choice is separate. This process begins with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You should complete your FAFSA as soon as you can after January 1 so you can get the results to the schools you are interested in attending in time to meet their state aid deadlines.

Below is a generic timeline to use as a guide as you progress through your senior year. Mark the key dates on your calendar so you can keep track of what you need to accomplish and when each task needs to be started and completed. Many schools have their own "timeline" or "important dates" information keyed more closely to the academic programs and financial assistance opportunities they offer. You can use this timeline, in conjunction with the school's, to give yourself a more complete picture of the tasks you will need to accomplish.

September

• Meet with your guidance counselor as soon as you can to discuss your plans. Make sure you are on track to graduate and check your transcripts to make sure you have all the credits you need to get into the school(s) of your choice.
• Make sure that schools you've identified still meet your requirements. Change your list, if necessary.
• Contact those schools that have made your final cut to request information and applications for admission. Ask about admission requirements, application deadlines and any required fees, and financial aid. Ask if these schools will need official copies of your transcripts at the time you send in your application.
• Register for the October/November SAT, ACT, and SAT Subject Tests.
• If you are planning to apply for Early Action or Early Decision, you need to prepare and submit those applications now. Make sure you allow enough time to prepare any essays you will need to include in your application or to meet any audition or portfolio requirements.
• As you prepare these early applications, be sure to give any recommendation forms to appropriate teachers and counselors with stamped, college-addressed envelopes to be included with your application. Make sure your portions of the forms are filled out completely and accurately. Also, don't forget to request that your high school send your official transcripts to the school(s) to which you are applying. Also, schedule any required school interviews.

October

• Take your SAT and/or ACT tests, and have the testing agency send the official scores to the schools on your final list. If necessary, register for the December or January SAT tests.

November

• You should begin preparing your applications for regular admission. These applications are usually due by the end of December or early January. As with the early admissions applications, be sure to give any appropriate recommendation forms to appropriate teachers and counselors with stamped, school-addressed envelopes to be included with your application. Make sure your portions of the forms are filled out completely and accurately. Request that your high school send your official transcripts to the school(s) to which you are applying. Also, schedule any required school interviews.
• Make sure you allow enough time to prepare any essays you will need to include in your application or to meet any audition or portfolio requirements.
• If you submitted early decision applications, contact the admissions offices at those schools to make sure they have everything they need from you.

December

• If you haven't already done so, make sure your official SAT and ACT test scores are being sent to the schools to which you are applying.
• Schedule any remaining required interviews.
• If you have applied to any schools for an early decision, you will begin hearing from those schools during this month. When you decide which school you want to attend, you need to notify that school by letter of your commitment, submitting any required deposit check. Many schools require this notification letter to be postmarked as early as mid-January for early decision.

January

• Try to have your parent(s) complete their income tax forms so you can begin the process of applying for financial assistance. If your parent(s) have not completed the tax forms, you can provide estimated information, but remember that any inaccuracies will need to be corrected later.
• Between January 1 and February 15, complete and submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), along with any other financial aid applications your school(s) of choice may require. You can complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov or on paper, but completing the application online is faster and easier. Don't wait for acceptance offers from your schools before you apply.
• Contact the admissions office at any schools to which you submitted regular-decision applications to make sure these schools have everything they need from you.

February

• If you completed the FAFSA, you should receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) within four weeks. Make any necessary corrections and return it to the FAFSA processor, for example, you completed the FAFSA using estimated parents, tax information but now they have filed their IRS forms and the FAFSA must be updated.
• You should receive the results of your completed FAFSA. The schools you listed on your application will also receive those results. Review your results and make sure you make any necessary corrections.
• Complete your scholarship applications.

March

• Contact the financial aid office at the schools to which you have applied to make sure they have received the appropriate application material from you.

April

• You should hear from the schools to which you submitted regular decision applications.
• From those schools that accept you, compare your acceptance letters and your financial aid and scholarship offers.
• Make your acceptance choice. Find out what deposits you will be required to make to ensure your place in the freshman class.
• When you decide which school you want to attend, you need to notify that school by letter of your commitment, submitting any required deposit check. Many schools require this notification letter to be postmarked by May 1.

May

• Take the Advanced Placement exams for any AP subjects you've taken in high school.
• If you were placed on a waiting list for a particular school, and you decided to wait for an opening, contact that school and let them know you are still interested.

June

• Contact the school you will be attending to determine when fees for tuition, room, and board are due and how much they are.
• Have your high school send your final transcripts to the school you will be attending.

July/August

• During the summer before your freshman year, you should participate in any summer orientation program for incoming freshmen and make any necessary arrangements for any medical exams or health insurance coverage if you have not previously done so.

Applying Early

When you apply early to a school, you are moving up the entire application process. Instead of submitting your application in November of your senior year, as recommended in the previous Timeline for Seniors link, you need to begin the application process in September and plan accordingly from that start date. While procedures at individual colleges may vary, the two most common procedures are Early Decision and Early Action. In addition, some schools have both procedures. If you have a strong interest in a particular school, you should contact that school well ahead of September to inquire about its early application procedures, the advantages and disadvantages, and to see if applying early is the right decision for you.

Early Decision

If you have a particular school in mind that is clearly your first choice, an early decision might work well for you. If you apply early to the school and you are accepted, you are committed to attending that school unless its financial aid package is not sufficient to meet your cost of attendance. If the financial aid package is not sufficient, make sure you have time to submit applications to other schools.

Early Action

This is similar to Early Decision in that students are allowed to apply ahead of time, but students are not committed to attend the school upon acceptance. Schools have different rules as to whether students can apply to more than one early action school; if you apply under this option, make sure you know the rules for each school you are interested in. Since there is no commitment by the student, there is little incentive for an early action college to accept the applicant.

Make the Right Decision for Your Needs

Early application programs are designed for students who are confident in their academic qualifications and who are confident in choosing a particular school. You can make the early application process work best for you by doing these basic things:

• Sit down with your high school guidance counselor, who can explain to you the implications of applying early to certain schools.
• Ask yourself: Am I ready to make up my mind where I want to attend by October of my senior year? Will I be able to complete my applications, along with the essays I will need to write and the recommendations I will need to include by November?
• Make sure you have sound reasons for wanting to attend the schools you include on your list (this school has an excellent journalism department, this school has an excellent mix of cultural and academic offerings).

Early Admission

A third option, Early Admission, is for high school juniors who have most of the credits needed for graduation. If you are at this level, you might want to apply to take college level courses at a community college, for example during your senior year. The plan then would be to transfer the credits for those courses to the four-year school of your choice later on. You should work with your guidance counselor to see if this would be a good option for you.

Make a To-Do List

A "To Do" list can help you keep track of the things you need to accomplish as you go through the process of applying. Decide a start and end date for each task you need to get done, and check off each task as you complete it. Here are some suggestions for your list:

• Meet with your counselor early in the fall of your senior year to discuss your plans.
• Make a list of the schools you are interested in.
• Write to those schools to request information and applications for admission. Ask about admissions requirements, financial aid, and deadlines.
• If you haven't already done so, visit the schools you are most interested in and talk with students, professors, and counselors at those schools.
• Register for and take the SAT I, ACT, and SAT II Subject Tests and any other tests required for admission to the colleges to which you are applying. If you have difficulty paying the registration fee, see your guidance counselor about getting a fee waiver.
• When you complete your college admissions applications, make sure you follow all instructions carefully and pay particular attention to application deadlines. At least two weeks before the application deadline, ask your counselor and teachers to submit any necessary documents to the college (such as grade transcripts or letters of recommendation).
• Make sure the admissions offices at each school to which you have applied have received your application material and that they have received everything they need from you.
• As soon as possible after January 1 of your senior year in high school, complete any necessary applications for financial assistance (such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid [FAFSA] and the appropriate state aid/scholarship applications).
• Your applications need to be correct and submitted on time so they'll be processed quickly. Contact the financial aid offices at the schools to which you have applied to make sure those schools have everything they need from you.
• You will begin to hear from the schools to which you applied in the early spring. Compare the offers that come from the schools that accept you. Compare acceptance letters and financial aid/scholarship offers.
• Decide which offer you will accept by May 1 and notify that school by mailing your commitment deposit check.
• Keep copies of each document you submit so you will have records for your files.