07 Feb Road Map for February: Seniors

As the second semester gets into full swing, most seniors are in the waiting stage of the college admissions cycle, but mid-year reports, admissions decisions, financial aid offers, and final college choices will be here before you know it. In the coming weeks you should continue to confirm receipt of all of your documents, including the mid-year report of your grades that your counselor typically sends to all of the colleges where you’ve been admitted or where your application is still under review. For colleges where you’ve been deferred, this will be an important update; check out this article for more about what a deferral means (and what it doesn’t). And remember, your final transcript will also be sent to the school you ultimately choose, as well as any waitlist schools—so keep your grades strong to avoid any red flags.

Once you’ve received some admission offers the decision is in your hands and most schools will invite admitted students to special events. These are great opportunities to visit campuses, talk to current students, and get a feel for where you might spend the next four years.

If you haven’t completed the FAFSA yet, do it as soon as possible and confirm that each college has received it. You should also explore state and local financial aid programs, such as DC TAG for Washington, DC students, which requires both the FAFSA and an additional application from OSSE, which opened this week. This is also the time to make sure everyone in the family is on the same page about affordability. Determine what your family can realistically contribute, and review financial aid offers carefully as they come in.  Keep an open mind—your top choice may not turn out to be the most financially feasible option, but if you’ve put careful thought into your list, every school you applied to is one where you can thrive.