Senior Year Checklist
All Year
Adapted from the 12th Grade Checklists. (2019, July 03). Retrieved from https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/prepare-for-college/checklists/12th-grade
- Work hard all the way to graduation—second-semester grades can affect scholarship eligibility.
- Stay involved in after-school activities, and seek leadership roles if possible.
- After OCT. 1, complete and submit your FAFSA at fafsa.gov, along with any other financial aid applications your chosen school(s) may require. You should submit your FAFSA form by the earliest financial aid deadline of the schools to which you are applying, usually by early February.
- After you submit the FAFSA, you should receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) within 3 days to 3 weeks. This document lists your answers to the questions on your FAFSA form and gives you some basic information about your aid eligibility.
- If you haven’t done so already, register for and take the ACT or SAT required for college admission. Check with the colleges you are interested in to see what tests they require.
- Apply to the colleges you have chosen. Prepare your applications carefully. Follow the instructions, and PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO DEADLINES!
- Well before your college application deadlines, ask your school counselor to submit the required documents (e.g., transcript, letters of recommendation) or any recommenders to the colleges to which you’re applying.
- Complete any scholarship applications.
- Visit colleges that have invited you to enroll.
- Review your college acceptances and compare the colleges’ financial aid offers.
- Contact a school’s financial aid office if you have questions about the aid that school has offered you. In fact, getting to know your financial aid staff early is a good idea no matter what—they can tell you about deadlines, other aid for which you might wish to apply, and important paperwork you might need to submit.
- When you decide which school you want to attend, notify that school of your commitment and submit any required financial deposit. Many schools require this notification and deposit by May 1.
Adapted from the 12th Grade Checklists. (2019, July 03). Retrieved from https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/prepare-for-college/checklists/12th-grade