Senior Year: Top Five Keys to Success

Seniors! It’s your last year of high school! There are less than 12 months until you start the next chapter of your life!

While it may be tempting to let the senioritis take over and settle into the senior slump for the remainder of your high school career, do not let that happen. First, colleges actually look at your entire transcript, including that spring semester of senior year, and they may rescind admissions offers if they see anything less than your previous achievement. Moreover, senior year is meant to help you transition seamlessly into your college career, so make the most of your academics, learn as much as you can, and hone those study skills that are going to help you tremendously in the coming year.

And, while you have done a great job of preparing for post-secondary plans as a freshman, a sophomore, and a junior, there are still plenty of things you need to do in order to prepare for the next stage of your life:

Standardized Tests

You are likely sick and tired of standardized tests by now, but fall of your senior year is basically the last chance to take the ACT and the SAT. Check the admissions requirements regarding standardized tests for the school(s) of your choice, and also be aware of what financial aid packages are available based on standardized test scores. If you have not yet earned that desired score, take the test(s) again. Take them until you are sure you have earned the best score possible, the score that will guarantee you admission and the highest dollar amount of financial aid. Then, celebrate: you are likely done with standardized test for quite a while.

Financial Aid

As a junior, you started research scholarships and grants, and you kept a spreadsheet of ones for which you may be eligible, the due dates, the dollar amounts, etc. You should certainly continue looking for financial aid opportunities, but now is the time to start applying, too.

Additionally, it is time to complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid — your FAFSA. The Office of Federal Student Aid is the largest provider of financial aid in the country, “providing more than $120 billion in federal grants, loans, and work-study funds each year to more than 13 million students paying for college or career school.”

Not only will the FAFSA identify federal grants and loans for which you may be eligible, but it is also what colleges and universities use in order to qualify you for their in-house scholarships and funding opportunities.

The FAFSA opens on October 1st, and while the federal deadline is not until much later (June 30, 2019, for the 2018–2019 school year), it is best to apply as soon as possible so that colleges and universities can send out a financial aid package with your acceptance letter.

Apply for College

You have been conducting different phases of your college search for a couple of years now — comparing schools online, attending college fairs, meeting with representatives that come to your school, touring campuses, narrowing down your list, etc. Now is the time to put all of that research to action and actually apply for school.

First, it is absolutely imperative to note the deadlines. Be sure to have everything prepared and ready to go (and preferably submitted) far in advance.

Second, identify what exactly you need for your application: most often, you will need the application itself, your resume, your official transcript, and letters of recommendation. Depending on the school and the major for which you are applying, you may need to interview, take entrance exams, submit audition tapes or portfolios, or more. Be sure to know exactly what is required.

It is highly likely that your application will have essay questions. This is an incredibly important component of the admissions process, so be prepared to spend a great deal of time on it. Research qualities of strong admissions essays, and find a few to read for inspiration. When you know the topic about which you are required to write, brainstorm a list of ideas, draft a couple of options, and revise one until it is absolutely perfect. Then, ask for others to read it and offer constructive criticism and feedback. Talk to your teachers, your counselors, your parents — the more people who read your work and offer you advice, the better.

Check the Mail

It’s time! Acceptance letters and financial aid packages will be flooding your mailbox, so be on the lookout.

First and foremost, be excited about this! You have put a lot of time and energy into this process, so it is important to celebrate every single victory: the community college down the street wants you? Awesome. The University of Iowa offered you admission? Yay! You received a yes from Notre Dame, too? Spectacular. And Harvard? Wow! Celebrate all of this.

Then, continue filling out your spreadsheet: track which schools you hear back from, which you are still waiting on. Note the financial aid package they offered as well as the amount you will have to pay out of pocket.

If you are having trouble deciding between different schools, it’s time to weigh the pros and cons of each. Maybe one is closer to home? Maybe one has a better program for your major of choice? Maybe one has better study abroad options? Maybe one has a more active Greek system? Figure out what’s important to you, and create that list.

When you have it narrowed down to the school you would like to attend, complete the required paperwork (and make copies of all of it). Then, notify your high school of your choice as well as the awards you’ve received and the scholarships you’ve been offered. Not only is this super impressive, but it will also likely appear in the commencement program.

Get Excited

You did it! You finished 13+ years of elementary and secondary education, and you’re off to college. This is an exciting time in your life, and it is certainly cause for celebration. And there is also so much to look forward to: attending summer orientation, heading off for welcome weekend, meeting your roommate, making new friends, becoming involved in campus life, starting internships, networking with career professionals, joining extracurricular activities, living on your own, exploring a new city, studying in a different country, and more. You’re starting a new chapter of your life, and it is thrilling.

Way to go, seniors. You did it.