Parent Guide for College Admission: Month-by-Month Timeline

Helping your child through the college application process is difficult. You must balance being too hands-off and hovering like a helicopter parent. As a parent, it’s your role to offer support, act as a sounding board, and know a little (or a lot) about the process. At this point, you are well-versed in providing encouragement and a listening ear, but even if you’ve been through the college process, you’ll find yourself in foreign territory these days. College admissions have changed quite a bit – even in the last two years. Fortunately, you can reacquaint yourself with the process, beginning with your child’s junior year in high school.

Junior Year

August Checklist – Ask your child if they’ve started researching colleges and whether they’re considering taking the SAT or ACT. Many colleges are test-optional now. September Checklist – Have “the talk” with your child. Discuss who is paying for college and how. At this point, your child should have a list of top-choice colleges so that you can compare college costs and affordability. October Checklist – Encourage your child to start their scholarship search if they haven’t already. Pro tip: Create a Parent profile on Fastweb. You can see scholarship matches for your child and forward them so they can apply. November Checklist – Have your child meet with their guidance counselor to discuss their transcript, college list, and standardized testing plan. December Checklist – Volunteer throughout the holidays as a family. Your college-bound student can put it on their Brag Sheet. January Checklist – Tell your child to update their Fastweb profile with GPA or club/organization changes from last semester. It’s also time to schedule spring SAT or ACT dates. February Checklist – Talk with your teen about their senior year schedule. Now is the time to consider which classes will challenge them and look good on their college applications. March Checklist – Give your child the goal of finding teachers, coaches, and mentors to write letters of recommendation before the month’s end. It’s also time to schedule spring and summer college visits! April Checklist – Nail down summer plans. Here are a few options: a part-time job, summer camp, or volunteering. Summer experiences will look great on their college applications and give them some real-world experience to reference in essays or admissions interviews. May Checklist – Start finalizing the college list. A helpful strategy is to narrow down schools into three categories: reach, target, and safety schools. June & July Checklists – Continue applying to colleges, check out virtual campus tours, and start organizing the college search by drafting college essays and asking for letters of recommendation. The latter is essential if your child plans to apply for Early Decision or Early Admission deadlines.

Senior Year

August Checklist – It’s time to get to work. If your child has not asked for letters of recommendation, they must do so now. They must also determine if they will apply for Early Decision/Action deadlines. Finally, schedule the SAT or ACT for the fall semester. September Checklist – Schedule and complete college visits and admissions interviews. It’s also a great time to assess which colleges you can afford, and if you haven’t talked about who is paying for college, do so now. October Checklist – File the FAFSA! The Free Application for Federal Student Aid becomes available on October 1, and it is best to fill out this form as soon as possible to maximize aid eligibility. Also, apply for any upcoming Early Admission deadlines. November Checklist – Apply to colleges, review your FAFSA Submission Summary, and research financial aid options. December Checklist – Encourage your child to continue the scholarship search, even as they work to meet college deadlines. January Checklist – Prepare any college applications that are being sent by Regular Admissions deadlines. February Checklist – Be on the lookout for admissions and financial aid packages. Use college cost calculators to compare offers from each college. Don’t be afraid to ask for more financial aid, especially if your circumstances warrant a professional judgment. March Checklist – If waitlisted, help your child cope with this news by being proactive. They can email their admissions officer at the college to let them know they’re still interested and would like to keep their place on the waitlist. April Checklist – If your child is still undecided on where to attend, sneak in one last college visit to help them make their final choice. Give them the nudge to make summer plans if they haven’t already. Some options include a part-time job, a summer abroad, or volunteering. May Checklist – May 1 is National College Decision Day! Your child needs to submit their decision by this date and their non-refundable deposit. If they change their mind over the summer or make it off the waitlist, they will lose this deposit – but it’s worth it if your child has made a choice that will make them happier. June & July Checklists – Send in final transcripts, submit housing forms, and research private student loans if necessary. Finally, start back-to-school dorm room shopping. August Checklist – Drop off day! Your family the college search process. Enjoy the culmination of all your family’s hard work, and try not to cry too much as you drive away.