12 Dec Road Map for December: Seniors

As the holidays approach that means another round of application deadlines, and in the meantime Early Decision and Early Action offers are starting to trickle in. I know many of you are waiting on pins and needles and I wish you the best of luck for good news! As the decisions come in, keep your recommenders posted and if you haven’t already done so, be sure to write them thank you notes.  And in the event of a disappointing decision, here’s one of my favorite articles that I hope gives you some helpful perspective.

For colleges with application deadlines during winter break, I recommend you submit everything a couple days before your vacation starts.  That way if there’s any problem you still have a day of school where you could go see your counselor.  If you have deadlines later in January you can use the break to finish up, but of course if you’re ready sooner, you can just enjoy your vacation.

If you haven’t already done so, be sure to submit all of your financial aid forms so your schools can make you an aid offer around the time of your admission offer. This will give you the time you need to make your financial decisions and plans.  For those of you in DC with public universities on your list, save the date for the opening of the DC TAG application on February 1, and remember that you need to file the FAFSA to be eligible.  And finally, as you’re wrapping up applications for admission, many of you will be shifting your attention to scholarship applications. Check out the great advice here, here and here on applying for scholarships.