A Helpful Timeline for the College Search

If your son or daughter has just finished his/her junior year of high school and is now a senior-to-be, then you are in the beginning stages of the College Selection Process. Here are some things that you should be doing over the next several months:

July-August: Visit the campus(es) that your child is considering…attend a formal open house-type event, or schedule an individual visit. Some hints: Call ahead for an appointment. Try to make a mini-vacation out of the trip by scheduling a few visits together. Prepare a list of questions for each visit. While on campus, get a contact person’s name/email/phone number for follow-up questions (because there will be lots!).

September-November: Submit applications for admission...take your senior SAT I or ACT…visit your top two or three choices again (even if you did so in the summer, because a campus full of students feels a LOT different from one that is close to vacant, like most are in the summer)...when visiting for the second time, attend a class, meet with a professor, stay overnight in a residence hall, talk to a coach, i.e., learn about the things that are important to YOU.

January-March: On or before March 1, apply for need-based financial aid by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or whatever form your college(s) require(s).