The Admissions Timeline
“More than a year before…”
Ideally, your serious work on the application process should begin more than a year before you plan to move onto campus and start classes. In other words, if you plan to begin college in August of 2023, the timeline below would be for 2022.
MAY
Visit your schools as possible
You may be able to visit all, some, or none of your schools. If you can, it’s a valuable experience. If you can’t, virtual visits, student-created YouTube videos, and webinars are better than nothing.
Give your potential recommenders a heads up for September
Even though your teachers and counselors won’t submit recommendations until autumn, it is courteous to ask well ahead of time and to give them an abbreviated résumé so they’ll have talking points for the recommendation.
Solidify a long list of colleges (@15-25), including reaches, targets, and safeties
It’s best to gather your list early so that when you are stuck into the process of writing essays you don’t have to make hurried decisions about which supplementals to write as you don’t know whether you’ll be applying to some schools.
JUNE
Begin brainstorming Common App, Coalition, Apply Texas, and/or UCalifornia essays
A good topic is 75% of a good essay, and a poor topic choice is hard to overcome. Put in lots of effort here, and perhaps even begin drafts on more than one topic to see which is most promising.
Put together a college résumé as a feeder for your honors and activities lists
This is a more extensive version of what you prepared last month for your recommenders.
Get “main” essay(s) to second draft stage
Topic selection? That was for the beginning of the month! By the time you hit July you should be well into your second draft!
JULY
Finalize college list (12-20 schools)
How many schools are too many to have on your list? Nobody can say, but the Common App only allows for twenty. Of course if you add in UC schools, Texas schools, and other universities that have proprietary applications, you could easily get close to thirty schools on your list. DON’T DO IT! Psychologically it’s just too much to wrap your head around, and logistically it makes for too many essays to write in a short period of time. A list that numbers in the teens is quite enough.
Finish initial Common App (and/or UC) essays
You want to be thoroughly finished with your showpiece essay(s) by the end of July, as supplementals are released by August 1.
AUGUST
At least two drafts of all supplemental essays
Honestly, August may present the most work for the application process. Colleges release their supplemental essay prompts by August 1, and if you’re applying to a dozen schools, you may have twenty short essays to write (or more!). Many of these will have similar themes (“why do you want to attend our school?”), but each must be tailored to the college asking.
Draft activities and honors lists
The Common App, especially, is stingy here You may only describe ten activities and five honors, in very limited space (only 150 CHARACTERS each to describe activities!). You will need time and care to construct complete and impactful entries.
SEPTEMBER
Finish all essays: main, supplemental, additional info, and scholarship
Get these essays polished to a high lustre! You’ll have quite a collection when you’re done.
Strategize Early Decision, Early Action, Restrictive Early Action, and Regular Decision submissions
Each of these has advantages and disadvantages that you should weigh painstakingly.
Get recommendations
Now it’s time to reap what you sowed in May and remind your recommenders that they’ll be getting contacted for their recommendations for you.
OCTOBER
You’re done! Some of your ED and EA applications will go out this month, but if you’ve managed your time well, you can have your applications ready to go and enjoy your last year of high school!
You’ll be hearing back from schools any time from December for ED and EA schools through April. Generally speaking, you will need to commit to a school by May 1. Be sure and work through any financial aid negotiations before then.
If you’re hitting yourself in the head with a rolling pin because you’re planning to apply for Fall of 2022 and you haven’t gotten this far yet, it’s not too late! Call or Email me, and we can discuss how to supercharge your application!