11 Jan Road Map for January: Seniors

Most of my students have submitted their final applications or just have one or two remaining. Congratulations to all of you who have made it through this process! Many of you got good news around the holidays, and I am thrilled for all of you as well.

Of course, some of you did not get the news you were hoping for. Here’s my advice for students who have been deferred in the early round, and it may also help to remember that for the most selective colleges, there simply isn’t room for everyone they’d love to have. I’ve seen many students weather the disappointment of not getting into their first choice, and then land very happily elsewhere, like Nicole and Grace in this article. So I hope winter break offered you an opportunity to bounce back and look ahead.

The FAFSA is finally available, and although many students initially had trouble during the “soft launch” at the end of December into early January, I’m hearing from families that the site is working pretty smoothly now. The Department of Education will begin transmitting FAFSA data to colleges in early February, so keep an eye on your schools’ portals to confirm that the information has been received by each of your colleges.  In addition, your school counselor will be sending your midyear report to colleges, so be sure to confirm that these are being processed as well.

Finally, if you’re considering a gap year, be sure to check out these virtual and in-person events hosted by USA Gap Year Fairs, or contact me for additional guidance.