February is a busy time in college admissions. High school seniors are starting to receive college decisions or expecting decisions to come any day now. High school juniors are starting to focus on college by building their college lists and taking the SAT and/or ACT. And freshmen and sophomores are thinking about their future classes and plans. 

Seniors

Congratulations to the students who have received acceptance letters! I celebrate your successes! For students who may have received letters that did not offer acceptance – it’s okay! It is not personal and know you are not the only one. Continue focusing on your studies and know that decisions will still be coming. In addition, there are many colleges that are still accepting applications!

For seniors who have received acceptance letters, don’t feel the need to send in your deposit to attend just yet. For students who applied regular decision and early action, you still have until May 1 to send in your deposit. Take your time to consider all of the acceptance letters, as well as financial aid awards. While you have until May 1 to send in your deposit, pay attention to other deadlines the school may have, such as housing deadlines.

Juniors

In a short few months, juniors will be starting to finalize their college lists and submitting applications for admission. There are many things high school juniors can do now to prepare for college admissions.

Spring is a wonderful time to start visiting colleges you are considering. If you’re not sure what colleges to visit yet, visit different types of local colleges to see what the differences may be. For example, check out a state/public school, private institution, and a community college to get a feel for the different types of colleges available.

Sign up for standardized tests. The SAT and ACT has a few test dates before summer that you may want to consider. Don’t go into the test without preparing. In addition to the many test prep companies that cost money to participate, there are free test resources available.

Scholarships

It is never too early or too late to apply for scholarships. Check out the huge scholarship lists with February and March deadlines.

February is Black History Month! Check out the scholarships open to African-American students.

College Admissions Tip of the Month

The cost of college is one of the most important factors when students are considering colleges. Therefore, it is important to find colleges that are good financial fits. Colleges award financial aid based on their own calculations and even colleges with the same price tags could offer much different financial aid awards. Get to know the Net Price Calculators at the colleges you are considering because they will give you a good estimate about the amount of financial aid you may receive if you attend the college in the future.

Have a great February! If you ever have any questions or think there is an article that could be helpful, send me a message. My goal is to help students and their parents as much as I can as they move through the college admissions and financial aid process.

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