College-Bound Checklist
College prep for the high school senior
Three years down. One to go. Get the month-by-month breakdown of what a high school senior should be doing in their final year to prep for college.
Summer before your senior year
June
Make a list of the deadlines for any private scholarships you are thinking of applying to.
Start filling out applications for private scholarships.
July
Start or update your Raise.me profile.
Think about which teachers you’re going to ask to write a recommendation. You will want to ask them as early as possible during your senior year.
Fall of senior year
August
Find out when college fairs are going to be in your area or online.
Make sure to register to take the ACT/SAT in either September or October, leaving time to retake it in December if needed. Unable to take the ACT/SAT? That's OK — we are test optional.
Research information about admission, financial assistance, and scholarships for your list of colleges.
Talk to your family and high school counselor about college options.
September
Review our FAFSA tips to be prepared to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid on Oct. 1.
Start filling out applications, writing essays, and compiling a personal portfolio.
Get ready to fill out the FAFSA: Register for personal FSA IDs (parents and high school seniors do this) to sign the FAFSA once it is complete.
October
Begin work on the FAFSA. Be sure to submit it before the priority deadlines of your top colleges. Listen to our FAFSA playlist on Spotify to make the application process a little more fun.
Make sure to enter information into a RaiseMe account to earn micro-scholarships—you won't be able to add any additional accomplishments after Oct. 15.
Consider visiting colleges a second time.
November
Narrow down your list of college choices.
Watch deadlines—many colleges have deadlines in November and December
Winter of senior year
December
Make sure you have finished your applications.
January
Begin scheduling visits to your top 5 schools.
Continue to research colleges and read brochures.
Keep an eye out for any college fairs that occur in the spring.
Start looking for a summer job—some applications for summer jobs are due as early as January.
February
Assemble a resume—it should include activities, volunteer experience, academic achievements, and employment.
Your senior year schedule should help you meet class requirements for colleges (consider taking AP/IB classes).
Spring of senior year
March
If you have not visited campuses, schedule visits now and try to visit during the school year so you can sit in on a class in session.
At Cornell, we host special events just for our admitted students, often in the spring.
Visit with admission counselors to discuss your interests and concerns.
Wrap up your summer job search.
April
Talk with your family about your impressions of schools that you’ve visited and try to rank them.
May
Consider taking a summer college class.
Stay sharp in school for the last few days.
Reflect on your achievements this year. Start or update a personal portfolio that you can use with your college application.