COLLEGE COUNSELING TIMELINE
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are, and be somebody; get action.
– Theodore Roosevelt
The above quote speaks to the college application process. At times for juniors and, especially, seniors, it is a reminder that the best way to avoid stress and anxiety is to begin tackling the tasks at hand. Much anxiety is caused by not knowing what to do or not doing what one knows ought to be done.
The same holds true for 9th- and 10th-grade students, too, but in a slightly different way: don’t worry about doing things for college applications! Just make the most of the high school experience, and you’ll be in good shape. In that spirit, the below timeline is designed to help students prepare for the journey ahead, “do things” and “get action.”
Ninth Grade
Tenth Grade
ELEVENTH Grade
TWELFth Grade
The Process
Ninth Grade
What students can be doing:
- Figure out what high school is all about.
How do you study best? How do you effectively communicate with your teachers and coaches? What resources are available to you? Which of your long-term goals depends on you doing your best in the moment? Thinking about such questions will help you develop self-awareness and a self-understanding that will serve you well for the remainder of your academic career.
- If you haven’t mastered time-management skills, this is also a good time to hone those!
Balancing classes and extra-curricular activities can be a challenge, however, finding the right mix is a great help.
- Learn where to find help if you need it and never be afraid to seek it out.
Teachers at FVS want you to do well, make significant connections, and develop your strengths.
- Work hard in your classes and read.
Read a lot. There is no better way to learn vocabulary and writing skills.
There are countless ways to spend your summer. Rest, recharge, and do something meaningful to you. There is no one path of action that colleges value more than others. Get a job; connect with a volunteer organization; play sports; work on your art or writing. In general, colleges like to see an authentic commitment to your activities. Look for ways to be engaged, dedicated, and responsible. Consistent volunteer work may seem ordinary compared to an expensive trip abroad, but colleges assign value to your genuine involvement in activities that matter to you. Colleges appreciate a steady commitment rather than superficial involvement. That said, this is still a great time to explore new things and make a change if there’s something that speaks to your authentic self.
Tenth Grade
What students can be doing:
- Work hard in the classroom to help you achieve your college goals later on.
College may seem on the distant horizon, and it’s much too early to think about a definitive college list. Still, you can build a strong academic foundation by pursuing a college preparatory curriculum and taking classes that challenge you to be your best.
- Take the PSAT in October of your sophomore year.
The PSAT is an opportunity to practice and prepare for taking standardized tests (the SAT and the ACT) at least once during your junior year.
Approach this summer as you did your last, pursuing activities and jobs that bring you joy. If there is a way to build upon a project or activity you started last summer or during the school year, summer is a great opportunity to sustain your commitment. If you’re ready for something new and exciting, that’s great too. Make time to focus on your health and wellness. Junior year can be a step up in many ways, and returning to school fully recharged in August will help you meet the challenges ahead.
When it comes to thinking about specific colleges, keep in mind that each FVS family goes through the process with timing that makes sense for their unique circumstances. Some students are thinking about the process already, while others may prefer to start in earnest midway through their junior year.
If you do decide to start exploring colleges, keep it low-key. Attend some virtual tours/information sessions or browse a guidebook. It’s a bit early for official college visits, but if family travel finds you near a college town, you could attend an event, check out a campus landmark, or maybe even register for a tour.
At this point in the process, it may be most helpful to explore the different types of colleges available around the world, from large and medium to small, urban and suburban to rural, or research universities to liberal arts colleges. Experiencing some different types of schools could offer insight into what kind of institution would be a good fit for you.
Eleventh Grade
Junior year is a transitional year; a time when the college search process kicks into gear and includes meetings with counselors, standardized testing, college visits, etc. Concurrently, it is the most important year for grades, though the first semester of one’s senior year can be equally if not more important, too.
Beyond working hard to achieve top grades, juniors are in the fun part of the college process: exploring colleges, doing research, and making their initial visits. It’s an adventure to begin thinking about all of the possibilities out there, and the different paths one can take. It’s also a time during the college admission process when there is flexibility. Students aren’t subject to deadlines; they just need to think about things and get some tasks done when they are in the right mood.
The timeline below should be seen as a general guide and not as an absolute prescription.
September - October - November
What students can be doing:
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Attend a Class meeting offering a broad overview and explaining the role of College Nights and day visits from college admission representatives.
- Consider attending one or more college visits during the regular school day or the Southern Colorado College Fair.
- Browse and investigate new schools.
- Demonstrate interest by getting on the mailing list and talking with local admission representatives.
- Consider attending virtual tours or information sessions for colleges of interest.
- Take the PACT or PSAT in October.
What parents can be doing:
- Encourage your student to attend college visits and virtual information sessions.
- Perhaps take the opportunity to add a campus visit to other family travel.
- Encourage involvement in activities and maximum academic effort.
What students can be doing:
- Complete FVS's initial survey and personal information form; information to help your College Counselor get to know you at the start of the process.
- Attend small group seminars to explore what colleges and universities are all about, what characteristics of schools you might be considering, terminology, and the basics of the admission process.
What parents can be doing:
- Make sure your student is signed up for the SAT and ACT at least once in the spring.
- Encourage use of online or in-person test preparation for both exams.
- Encourage strong academic performance through the dreary winter months.
What students can be doing:
- Schedule your first individual meeting with your College Counselor, a time:
- For the counselor to get to know you better, which will be helpful throughout the process and, especially, during recommendation-writing time.
- To discuss preferences and interests regarding colleges and construct an initial list of schools (usually one to two dozen) for you to investigate.
- This list is available in SCOIR and should contain a balance of selectivity and financial diversity.
- To talk openly about financial constraints; all colleges provide net price calculators.
- Plan to take the SAT and the ACT at least once during junior year and sign-up online
What parents can be doing:
- Again, make sure your student is signed up to take the SAT and ACT at least once in the spring.
- Encourage test preparation after the first round of testing, accounting for weaknesses and trouble spots.
- Be on the lookout for a follow-up letter from your student's College Counselor after their individual meeting.
- Encourage your student to begin researching the schools on their prospective list.
What students can be doing:
- Research and investigate colleges, including scheduling campus visits.
- Spring is a great time to visit when students are on campus.
- Summer is not a bad time to visit, as it allows for a more relaxed schedule, however students may not be on campus.
- Sometimes, scheduling a trip to visit “types” of schools can be useful.
- Visits are easy to arrange on websites or sometimes through a phone call; be sure to join a tour and information session, not a drive-through.
- Attend visits to area colleges with FVS to gain exposure to the different types of colleges available.
- Attend additional individual meetings with your College Counselor later in the spring to provide an update on progress.
What parents can be doing:
- Help plan campus visits.
- Spring break is an ideal time.
- Long weekends are good too.
- Encourage a strong finish to the year.
- Now is a great time for an honest talk about financial constraints.
- Encourage more reading and research about prospective colleges.
Some Suggestions:
1. Encourage your student to use FVS’s resources.
2. Maintain a sense of adventure and fun about the process.
3. Require your student to take the lead in the search.
4. Spread the net widely at first.
5. Keep an open and honest dialogue about financial, geographic or other factors.
THE SUMMER AFTER ELEVENTH GRADE
The summer after junior year is a time to continue pursuing interests and activities that are meaningful to you. This could mean travel, mission trips, volunteer work, academic study, or a job. Anything that shows passion, commitment, and responsibility will help you develop as a person and add value to your college applications. It’s also a great time to relax and enjoy. Even if you have a busy and productive summer, remember to rest and recharge in preparation for a busy senior year.
In that vein, getting started on college application activities can help you manage everything you’ll need to get done during your senior year. Here are some tips to help you with that:
- Research your schools. Make the decision to actively research all of your college options. This will provide you with the knowledge base and confidence to make next year’s application process efficient and effective.
- Plan some college visits. Schedule time to visit the colleges that most interest you.
- Work on your list. Through your research and visits, begin to sharpen your prospective list in SCOIR, a process that can be continued into the fall. Remember that you need a range of selectivity; options should include "within reach," "solid," and "highly likely" applications. By the time you have your next individual meeting with your College Counselor in August or September, you should be ready to talk through and finalize your list.
- Talk about paying for college. Have an honest conversation with your parents about the financial parameters of your college search. Use the cost calculators that can be found on each college’s financial aid webpage, and investigate their scholarship opportunities and deadlines. Determine whether you are going to be primarily focused on obtaining need-based or merit-based aid.
- Sign up for Fastweb to search a national database of scholarships.
- Consider summer testing opportunities. The summer SAT and ACT test dates are popular for students who are taking the test a second time and/or for students who want to test before early fall deadlines.
- Register for fall testing. Make sure you are registered to take the SAT or ACT if you plan to retake them in the early fall.
- Create your Common Application Account and prepare for applications and essays. Visit the Common Application webpage and begin to look at any essay questions and additional supplements a college may require. Colleges continue to finalize their supplements throughout the summer, and they should be posted by August. Keep checking back to see if your selected colleges’ supplements are ready. Begin to brainstorm and draft your ideas. Having a draft of your Common Application essay completed when you return to school in the fall would be a great way to start the process, but both the College Counseling Office and your English teachers will hold workshops to help you work on essays if needed.
- Do you plan to participate in college athletics? If you are interested in participating in intercollegiate athletics, contact college coaches, identify yourself as a potential varsity athlete, and request information on the specific athletic program you are interested in. If you plan on participating at the Division I or Division II level, you will need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center before you can be invited to campus for official college recruiting visits.
Twelfth Grade
Senior year is, of course, lots of fun. There is, however, lots to do: challenging classes and grades that colleges will see, leadership positions and responsibilities, athletic practices and competitions, social life...and college applications. Balancing all of these is hard but not impossible. The key to maintaining equilibrium is to start early, plan, and remember Teddy Roosevelt’s advice, “Get action. Do things. Be sane.”
Talking with one's College Counselor, a lot, can also help! They’ve been through this many times before, and can help students feel confident about what they are doing and make sure they are doing everything that needs to be done, so that students feel better when they leave the office than when they came in!
Also, seniors must remember that they are going through this process in a supportive, collaborative environment. They should encourage their friends and classmates, learn from one another, help each other and celebrate their successes; FVS seniors always do a great job of that.
Here’s what a more specific timeline of senior year will look like, but keep in mind that every student’s timeline will look slightly different. It all depends on where you are applying and when. Your Counselor and you will figure out the right schedule for you.
What students can be doing:
- Attend FVS's required senior Jumpstart and other workshops, which place emphasis on applications, procedures and deadlines.
- Schedule an individual appointment with your College Counselor to talk about where to apply and when.
- Conduct further research in pursuit of finalizing your application list, including campus visits, and meeting with admission representatives during the regular school day and at college fairs.
- Schedule and complete standardized testing (SAT/ACT).
- Work on college essays with help from your College Counselor and senior English teacher.
What parents can be doing:
- Continue discussions about the schools on your student's list (use SCOIR to keep track).
- Utilize net price calculators found on college websites.
- Assist with planning visits during fall break and at other times.
- Help your student register for standardized tests.
What students can be doing:
- Refine your final application list and check-in with your counselor to ensure selectivity/affordability diversification.
- Reach final decisions regarding the timing of applications (Early Decision/Early Action/Rolling Admissions/Scholarship deadlines) and save the date for deadlines and application submissions.
- Request transcripts and teacher/counselor recommendations through the proper channels and with the proper advance notice.
- Fill out applications, write essays and short answer responses, seek help from Counselors and teachers for suggestions and proofreading (especially the Common Application).
- Send standardized test scores to colleges through the various testing websites (collegeboard.org, actstudent.org).
- Explore merit-based scholarships and need-based financial aid requirements.
- Work hard to have the best possible semester in the classroom.
What parents can be doing:
- Track deadlines and submissions, especially sending test scores to colleges.
- Proofread essays and applications.
- Discourage procrastination and waiting until the last second.
- Continue having honest conversations about financial constraints.
- Begin the financial aid application process when the CSS/PROFILE becomes available on October 1 and the FAFSA is available in December.
What students can be doing:
- Finish up any remaining applications.
- Remain in contact with admission representatives and coaches to demonstrate continued interest.
- Continue to work hard in the classroom (colleges sometimes ask us about second semester grades).
- Use the FVS scholarship list and websites like Fastweb to apply for outside scholarships.
- Wait for decisions to start rolling in, knowing that colleges cannot force a commitment until May 1 (except for housing deposits).
What parents can be doing:
- Continue offering encouragement for your student to keep their grades up (colleges may ask for unofficial grades or require a final transcript).
- Fill out financial aid forms before the stated deadline, which can vary by college.
What students can be doing:
- Check portals, emails and mailboxes for admission decisions by April 1 at the latest, and financial aid packages soon after.
- Look at schools again and possibly plan re-visits to your top choice finalists.
- Finish up any competitive scholarship competitions with interviews and candidate weekends.
What parents can be doing:
- Examine financial aid packages, discussing them with each college's respective financial aid office.
- Help your student work through decision-making.
What students can be doing:
- Make a final decision by May 1, National Decision Day, and declare your selection by submitting a deposit to your final choice college.
- Decide whether to stay on any waitlists, if offered any.
What parents can be doing:
- Talk with your student about committing to one of their acceptances by May 1.