college 101 senior year timeline
SENIOR YEAR :ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
Does the future seem more daunting now than ever before? There are
so many questions of what this next stage in life will bring and even
more questions about what college will look like during this time of
national crisis. Students can use all the help they can get. Follow this
advice along the road to success!
AUGUST: EASE INTO SCHOOL
Get adjusted to your new classes and schedule. As far as
college goes, you will need to narrow down your list of
colleges (you can visit colleges through virtual campus
tours!), and register for the SAT/ACT (there are now
remote testing options).
SEPTEMBER: APPLY, APPLY, APPLY
Welcome to admissions season—it can get overwhelming.
With the holidays quickly approaching, college applications
are the last thing you want to think about, but
many merit scholarship deadlines are in December. To be
considered for those, you have to be admitted.
OCTOBER: IT’S FAFSA TIME
The FASFA is October’s main priority and it opens on
October 1 and closes in the spring. Aid is often dispensed
on a first-come, first-served basis. You might receive more
aid than you think; it’s definitely worth filling out—plus
it’s free, so you have nothing to lose!
DECEMBER: DECIDE EARLY
This is the month for merit scholarships! After you are
accepted to the school of your choice, you will be considered
for academic merit-based scholarships and submit a
separate application if your school requires you to do so
(check with your institution). Most importantly, enjoy the
holidays!
NOVEMBER: MERIT SCHOLARSHIP
If you're applying for Early Action or *Early Decision,
now’s the time to apply! Even if you aren’t applying for
early action, you can begin work on your applications for
colleges to lessen your load in December, but don’t send in
your regular decision applications just yet.
*Early decision is a binding application that can only
be used at one college. If the student is accepted, he/
she removes themselves from all candidate pools.
The risk of early decision is being accepted without
knowing the final cost.
NOVEMBER: MERIT SCHOLARSHIP
12 | Fall 2020 www.potentialmagazine.com