September College Checklist: 5 Must-Do Tasks for High School Seniors

Senior year flies by. For high school seniors, September is the best time to get ahead on college applications and scholarships. By tackling these 5 essential tasks now, you'll reduce stress, stay organized, and put yourself in the best position for admissions success.

1. Finalize your college list: know where you want to go

Now, yes right, is the time to finalize your college list. A strong, balanced list sets the foundation for a smooth application season. By early fall:

• Confirm each school's application deadlines (early action, early decision, and regular decision).
• Review admission requirements like test policies, supplemental essays, and portfolio submissions.
• Ensure your list fits your academic profile, financial needs, and personal goals.
• Make sure your college list is balanced between reaches, target schools and safeties.

2. Start Drafting Your Personal Statement and Essays

Your essays are your biggest and best chance to stand out. Starting early is key as stress is the biggest factor in a poor essay. Every word counts so give yourself extra time so early this September:

• Brainstorm personal stories that give a window into who you are and why those stories matter to you.
• Review prompts for the Common App, UC PIQs, or other school-specific essays.
• Ask your college counselor, or school teacher for early feedback so you can revise before deadlines.

3. Request Letters of Recommendation Early

Your teachers and counselors may soon be overwhelmed with letter of recommendation requests. On top of their everyday work tasks, this season can be extremely busy so a letter of recommendation is a lot to add to their plate. Ask a few weeks after school has started to give them some time and ask in person if you can! To help them help you:

• Choose recommenders who know you well academically and personally. Make sure at least one is from a core class (Math, English, Science, History)
• Provide a brag sheet or resume with activities, leadership, and achievements.
• Remind them of a moment in class where you displayed strong character, or how their teaching impacted you in the classroom and outside.
• Be patient with them, don't send follow up emails everyday and remind them if there are no updates 2 weeks before the deadline.
• Confirm submission methods (Common App, UC portal, etc.) and deadlines with your letter of recommendation writer.

4. Organize your application timeline

Senior year is full of fun activities, from senior sunrises, to sports games and trying to do everything you wanted to in High school, deadlines will sneak up fast. Start in September being focused by building a simple tracking system:

• Use a spreadsheet or planner to list application due dates, essay requirements, and testing info.
• Break tasks into steps: draft essays, edit, request transcripts, and submit.
• Aim to finish applications at least a week before each official deadline.

5. Research Scholarships and Financial Aid

A mistake that I often see is students wait until winter to start thinking about financial aid. It is key for students to start early in fall to take time to see what scholarships suit them best and what are the requirements and deadlines for each.

• Search for national, local, and school-specific scholarships. Use Fastwebb, Big futures, and Niche for the best scholarship search engines.
• Gather tax and income documents to prepare for the FAFSA and CSS Profile. Give your parents time to find the information.
• Ask your school counselor about community-based awards not widely advertised, and what scholarships the school offers for students.

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Bottom line: September is your chance to take control of your college journey. Start early, stay organized, and you'll thank yourself when deadlines roll around. Need more help with applications or scholarships? Contact me or follow on facebook or Instagram for more college admissions tips!