
Senior Year – Execute
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All Year Long
- Keep up your grades. Acceptances are conditional, and colleges expect the GPA you applied with to stay roughly the same
- Continue to participate in extracurricular activities outside of class
- Read weekly emails from the C&CC
- Attend MHS workshops and Academy sessions: senior applications, college representative visits, scholarship presentations, etc.
- Check your application portals and email regularly
- Send colleges any additional information they request promptly
August/September/October
- Finalize college list, requirements, and deadlines for each college you are applying to
- Decide if you are applying ED, EA, or RD for each college (see definitions in Glossary)
- Work on your applications
- Keep a log of the different websites, username/password data for each college application portal
- Turn in your Brag sheet to your counselor. Due September 1st
- Check your high school transcripts and make sure they are accurate (found on Aeries)
- Take the ACT/SAT one more time, if needed
- Update your activities resume. Add activities you participated in over the summer. Use this information to fill out the activities section of your various applications (see Senior Resources)
- Update Maia Learning 'Applying’ list
- Request/Confirm teacher recommendations verbally and send formal requests through Maia Learning
- Order official transcripts
- Send official transcripts from any other schools you have taken coursework to colleges that require official transcripts at the time of application
- Send ACT/SAT scores through the College Board (SAT) or ACT official sites to colleges you are applying to if needed
- Sign Up for an AP test if taking AP classes
October/November
- Take the ACT/SAT for the final time
- Finish your college essay(s) and personal statements
- Complete and send out all EA and ED applications by late October (Typically Nov. 1 deadline)
- Review and submit financial aid information. FAFSA opens on October 1st. Apply by your school deadlines and/or FAFSA deadline. MHS automatically uploads Cal Grant eligibility for you
- Fill out the CSS Profile if needed for your colleges
- Submit CSU and UC applications by the November 30th deadline (good idea to send by Thanksgiving)
December
- Regular Decision (RD) deadlines are typically around January 1. Complete and send out all RD applications no later than mid-December
- If you applied to a college EA or ED, you should receive admissions decisions around mid-December
- If accepted ED, pull all other submitted applications
- Thank all of your letter of recommender writers
January/March
- If deferred, send a letter of continued interest to the admissions representative. Reaffirm your interest in the school and offer them any updates to your application (awards, achievements)
- Start to receive RD admissions decisions. CSUs and UCs typically announce decisions in mid-March
March/April
- Colleges have until April 1st to release decisions
- Share your rejection letters with the “Colleges Missing Out” wall in the C&CC
- Evaluate financial aid packages and scholarship offerings
- Update Maia Learning with application decisions received
- Plan visits to accepted colleges if needed to make your final decision. Attend admitted student day if offered admission to learn more about a college before accepting
- Accept admission to your college of choice by May 1st or earlier. May 1st is a national acceptance date. Once you accept an admission offer, you should let other colleges know that you do not plan to attend
- Enroll and submit a deposit by May 1
May
- If you have been waitlisted, make sure to let the school know you are still interested by writing a Letter of Continued Interest (see Senior Resources)
- Complete the MHS Graduation Survey in Maia Learning
- Sign up for campus housing if you plan to live on campus
Summer
- Sign up for College Orientation Sessions
- Check your portal for any additional information needed by your college of choice
- Send your AP Scores to the college you are attending
- If waitlisted, continue to check email for notifications