College-Bound Rising Seniors Summer Checklist
For rising seniors planning to attend college, there’s lots to do. With application deadlines in the fall, students should work on their applications over the summer to avoid the stress of completing them once their senior year begins.
These six tasks for soon-to-be high school seniors from U.S. News & World Report are a good starting point:
Narrow down your list of colleges. It’s wise to include on your list “safety” schools, “reach” schools and schools whose accepted students’ grades and test scores align with your own. You must cut the list, though, so determine your preferences. Do you prefer a school close to home or far away? A rural or urban setting? A large “hoo-rah” school or a small school with a cozy feel?
Visit college campuses. You might think you want a school of a certain size, but once you walk on campus, you might realize otherwise. Attend an information session and take a tour. You might just a get “the vibe” and know when you’re at a school you’d like to call home.
Write your college admission essay. Leaving the essay for the last minute causes unnecessary stress and even leads to errors. Work on the essay over the summer so you have plenty of time to refine and edit as you go.
Request recommendation letters. School counselors and teachers are inundated with these requests in the fall. Ask for recommendations now to get ahead of the game. You can ask an employer for a recommendation letter as well.
Study for standardized tests. If you’re planning on taking or retaking the SAT or ACT in the coming months, study over the summer when you don’t have homework competing for your time.
Research financial aid options and scholarships. College is expensive. There are ways to make it more affordable, but you must do the legwork. Check out these websites that can help you find scholarships. And use Delaware Student Success’s Scholarship Compendium, an outstanding resource that compiles many scholarships available for students pursuing college, trade/technical schools or certificate programs.
Take these steps over the summer, and you’ll be on your way to acing the college admissions process.