HIGH-SCHOOL SENIOR YEAR CHECKLIST

September

Register for the SATs/ACTs

Register for a final retake of the SAT and/or ACT or if you didn’t take a college entrance exam as a junior. Tip: Your school counselor can help with fee waivers. Be sure to have your SAT scores sent to the college you’re applying to. *Please note, scores are not required by all schools.

A-G Checklist

Check with your school counselor to make sure you are on track to graduate and fulfill college admission requirements.

Scholarship Search

Using your college-ready email address, create accounts to scholarship search engines. And, start early. On some sites, you can win a $500 scholarship through a monthly drawing simply by creating an account!

October

FAFSA and DREAM ACT Open October 1st

File as soon after October 1 as possible. In addition to determining your eligibility for federal funds, many colleges and states use the form when distributing grants, so don’t delay.

CSU and UC Applications Open October 1st

Create an account. Open the applications. Begin entering information.

Connect with Recommenders

Request personal recommendations from teachers, school counselors, or employers. Give each recommender an outline of your academic record and your extracurricular activities.

Campus Visits

To see if a college is the right fit for you, try to get a closer look by doing a virtual tour on the college's website, doing a campus tour, or signing up for an info session with an admissions representative in your area.

November

College Application Deadlines

Application deadline for all UC and CSU campuses is November 30 at 11:59pm PST. Some private universities might have deadlines this month, but most will have them in January.

Send SATs & Transcript

Confirm that schools have received your SAT/ACT scores and your transcript if required (varies by college). If needed, some schools still accept up to the December exams, so register if you want a retake.

December

Research Financial Aid

Application deadline for all UC and CSU campuses is November 30 at Many national and local scholarships have deadlines beginning around the holidays while some might run through May of next year.

January

Submit Private College/University Applications

FMany private colleges will have application deadlines as early as January 1. Others have deadlines later in January and February. Follow up with schools to make sure they have received ALL forms, scores & recommendations necessary to complete your application.

March

Financial Aid Deadline

March 2 is the FAFSA/Dream Act California Deadline for all UC and CSU campuses. Please note: other schools may have earlier deadlines.

April-May

Evaluate and Decide

Most colleges will send acceptances in April. Be sure to ask for help when comparing financial aid award letters. May 1 is the date when the college you plan to attend requires a commitment and deposit. You must also accept financial aid, if offered.