High school students know how stressful it can be to balance schoolwork, extracurriculars, and college applications. Luckily, there are ways to make the process easier.
We asked local education consultants and college admissions officers about everything you need to know before applying to colleges, from standardized testing and financial aid to letters of recommendation and the Common App.
Start Preparing Early
College planning often begins years before students enroll. And when to start the application process depends on each student’s application timeline. Sally Roemer, founder of Roemer Educational Consulting in Great Falls, says application timelines — early decision, early action, regular decision, or rolling admission — should be based on a student’s individual circumstances. Students should consider academic performance, standardized testing plans, and the college’s admissions policies.
“Students applying through early action or early decision generally face deadlines in October or November, making it especially important to begin well in advance,” Roemer says. “I recommend that all of my clients start the application process at the beginning of the second semester of 11th grade. During the spring, students complete the core sections of the Common App, develop their college list, and organize materials needed for their applications.”
Applicants may want to seek counsel from a college consultant or essay coach. And it’s also wise to begin this process early. Cathy Ganley is owner of ForWord Consulting in Falls Church. She recommends that families inquire about consultants’ credentials, whether they work in-person or online, and if they only work with students or involve parents, too.
“Families who want guidance should start early, ideally by sophomore or junior year, while students are still making important decisions about courses, testing, activities, and college lists,” she says.
Ganley recommends looking online for college consultants on professional organizations’ websites, including Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA). Interviewing counselors before making a selection is beneficial. And most offer a free informational call or short meeting prior to committing, according to Lee Styles of Admission Styles in Leesburg.
“I find it helpful to start early — ninth or 10th grade,” Styles says. “This allows the consultant to guide the student in areas such as course selection in the early high school years and work with them on finding extracurricular or summer activities.”
Check Off the Logistics
Regardless of whether students choose to take the SAT or ACT, they should take the exams early in the second semester of junior year, says JP Pennix, director of recruitment at Virginia Tech.
“My advice is to take one ACT and one SAT exam in February to April of junior year. Then, consider retaking whichever test that you feel most comfortable with for a second time,” Pennix says.
Seats fill up quickly for August and September dates, so make sure to register early. Ganley says students should check with universities to see if they accept scores after the application deadline. Students will not be penalized if they apply without test scores to a test-optional school.
“Three years of hard work will always matter more than three hours on a Saturday,” Ganley says. “Most colleges are test-optional. Students who choose to test should take their first SAT or ACT by March of junior year and test during a less busy season.”
Each high school has its own process for sending transcripts. Students should check with their counselors to see what the procedures and deadlines are for requesting and submitting a transcript.
“The application deadline does not usually mean that the transcript must be received by that deadline,” says David Trott, senior associate dean of admission at William & Mary. “You will likely be able to see online via your application portals which materials have been received and which have not.”
Recommendations and Financial Aid
While contacts for letters of recommendation vary for each student, it’s advantageous to ask teachers from core classes who are most familiar with your work ethic. Students should start making these requests of busy teachers during junior year, if possible. Trott says it’s helpful to provide teachers with a resume and a list of schools you’re applying to with the application deadlines for each.
“Be sure to find out if your school has policies and procedures already in place for recommendation letters,” Trott says. “If no policy exists, then typically you want to give a teacher at least a month’s notice, preferably four to six weeks.”
For financial aid, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the primary application used by colleges to determine eligibility for federal and institutional aid. Roemer encourages families to gather any necessary documents well in advance. Applying early helps ensure students are receiving full consideration for available financial aid and minimizes last-minute stress.
“Students should apply for financial aid as early as possible after the applications become available, generally in the fall of senior year,” Roemer says.
Complete the Common App
Most universities accept the Common App, which allows students to apply to multiple institutions at one time — with some additional supplemental essays for certain schools. Styles says much of the Common App can be completed before the platform opens on August 1. And she recommends students begin their Common App in the spring of junior year.
“While the application resets each year on August 1 for the upcoming application class, there are several sections such as the profile, family, and activities sections that can be completed as these will roll over after the refresh,” she says.
Ganley suggests that students complete as much as they can during the summer while they’re not in the school environment taking demanding classes, playing sports, and participating in other extracurricular activities.
“The platform allows applications to up to 20 colleges, but many schools require supplemental essays. And students should regularly monitor each college’s application portal after applying,” Ganley says.
A personal statement of up to 650 words is the first thing on students’ plates, according to Ganley. Rather than sharing a list of accomplishments, students should share something unique to them and the story behind that.
“Tell colleges something about you that they otherwise can’t tell from your resume or transcript,” she says. “What’s a quality or trait that makes you, you?”
This story originally ran in our October issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
