Top Ten College Prep Tips for High School Seniors
“High school seniors are like houseplants. They’re ready to be repotted and thrive in a new environment. They should also get some water every now and then.”
Much of senior year can be defined by one thing - senioritis. Regardless of how you define it, there’s a lot of emotion surrounding senior year. This is true not only for the student, but also their family. Parents know that senior year means that the months ahead will bring something entirely new. Emotions can range widely. Excitement, anxiety, dread, joy, you name it. There’s no one emotion to expect and anything you are feeling is completely natural. It can also change day-to-day.
Parents can have an extreme sense of pride as their student meets a milestone in their life, but it can also bring about anxiety and stress as they know there are probably big changes on the near horizon.
For students, graduation is an exciting day but remember that they call it “commencement” for a reason. While it is a day celebrate your accomplishments and contributions, it is also a day that kicks off the rest of your adult life. After all, commencement is defined as “a beginning or start.”
Click below, or keep reading for my Top Ten list for high school seniors.
Looking for help with your college journey? I worked with students and families anywhere in the U.S. so please reach out and let’s chat!
#10 - Keep your college list handy
Your college list is going to be the big driver at this point. Make sure you have schools that fall into the “low chance of admission”, “good chance of admission”, and “very good chance of admission”. These are the schools that you should feel confident in applying to and excited about. If a school is on your list at this point it means you are going to apply to that school. Make sure these are schools you will attend if accepted for admission.
#9 - Finish strong
Don’t let your grades or leadership involvement slip. Maintain your good behaviors and attitude so it tracks with you when you go to college.
#8 - Stay organized
If you haven’t yet, get a tool to help you stay organized. I offer all students who sign up for one of my College-Bound Success programs a Flip Check Journal. This a great way for you to journal and create action-oriented checklists so you don’t miss any tasks or deadlines. Remember, you can’t go back in time.
#7 - Are you going to apply Early Decision?
Some colleges offer Early Decision for admissions and more students are applying Early Decision (ED). Regardless of what others are doing, it may or may not be right for you. Early Decision is a college admissions program in which students apply to a college or university earlier than the regular deadline and receive a decision earlier as well. If a student is accepted through ED, they are obligated to attend that school (financial aid is only exception) and must withdraw any applications to other schools.
The ED application deadline is typically in November and it can be beneficial for students who have a clear first-choice school. By applying early decision, students may increase their chances of acceptance as colleges often admit a higher percentage of early decision applicants compared to regular decision applicants.
However, it is important to note that applying ED is a binding commitment, meaning that if a student is accepted, they must withdraw their applications to all other colleges and attend the school that accepted them. This can be a disadvantage for students who want to compare financial aid offers from different schools before making a decision.
#6 - Prep your college admissions essay
Having a top-notch essay that is authetic and personal can be a real difference maker for your college admission. So here are some tips to make sure yours is as solid as possible.
Start early and don’t procrastinate. Give yourself plenty of time to write, edit, rewrite, edit, and rewrite. Get feedback from teachers and friends who will be constructive and offer objective assistance.
Answer the question being asked by the college (or scholarship organization). You should use your own story to create the essay but make sure you answer the prompt or question being asked.
Use your own experiences. Consider what challenges you have overcome and what you are personally proud of. What experiences have shaped you as a person? These are great places to start when creating your essay.
There’s no bad topic to write about but there are better essays than others. Select something that showcases your strengths, showcase your personality, and make it your own. Remember - no one else is YOU.
Get writing. Then edit. Then rewrite. Then edit. You’ll never achieve perfection - there’s no such thing - but your first draft will not be your best. Aim for excellence and authenticity. Tell a great story. If you’re looking for inspiration I always suggest checking out the series “This I Believe” from NPR.
#5 - Prepare for the FAFSA (and CSS Profile) and maximize your aid
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens on October 1. Although you want to apply in the fall, I recommend you wait at least a couple of weeks and complete your FAFSA in mid-to-late October. This is because the FAFSA will see a huge amount of traffic when it opens and there can be significant glitches and delays. Hopefully you’ll save yourself some frustration by waiting a 2-3 weeks to complete your FAFSA. Some schools will require you to complete the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA. You can find a list of schools requiring the CSS Profile here.
#4 - Get serious about scholarships
Scholarships are free money. Free money is good. Very good. Talk to your school counselor and start local. Generally local scholarships have less competition than the big, national scholarships (think Coca-Cola scholarship). Many of those national scholarships will get thousands of applications and they are extremely competitive. Be strategic with how you apply - more is not always better because you may be wasting your time on scholarships for which you aren’t competitive. Be realistic and remember that any amount is helpful. A $500 scholarship is $500 you do not need to pay out of your own pocket or take out in student loans.
#3 - Understand key deadlines
It’s mentioning this again. There are lots of deadlines in your senior year and you want to be on top of them. Some colleges have hard deadlines for admissions and others have rolling application timelines. Be sure you know how every college on your list handles their application deadlines. They may even have separate deadlines for applying for separate scholarships. Keep track of all this information.
#2 - Take the SAT or ACT again?
Think you can do better on the SAT or ACT? Early fall is a time when you could take the test again and try to imrove your scores. This is probably not a good option if you are planning to apply Early Decision but it is something that some seniors do in order to improve their scores.
#1 - And…<drum roll please>…have fun and celebrate!
You can see the finish line and you will cross it before you know it. Soak up your final year and enjoy it. Soon you’ll have your high school diploma in hand and you’ll be on to new adventures.
Final comment for students. Note that your parents and families are going on the same adventure as you. They may not be going off to college, but they are going to be feeling significant emotion and this can play out in different ways. Emotions can be high and this is probably because everyone knows that you are growing up, gaining more independence, and getting ready to leave the house. Accept and acknowledge that your family is feeling big emotions, too. You’re all in this together. Support your family just as you want them to support you.
Be Boundless.
