The Complete Checklist for High School Seniors
A step-by-step guide for your senior year of high school leading up to college.
Get Ready for What's Next
There are a few things you can do to prepare for the college application process.
This might feel like a stressful time – with all of the to-do lists and expectations being thrown at you. Don't worry! You will survive the college admission process.
Concordia's online application for admission opens July 1 for students entering college in Fall 2021.
Before You Start Applying to Colleges
1. Evaluate Your Options
Ask yourself: What do I want in a college? Think about your own interests, personality, and goals in order to narrow down which schools you will apply to. Make a list of “dream,” realistic, and safety schools and apply to every school on that list. Continue to rely on and seek guidance from your school counselors, teachers, pastors, coaches, family, friends, and admission reps to help with your decisions.
2. Go on College Visits
You've made your list of schools and the natural next step is seeing what they're like in person. Visiting colleges is a great way to get a feel for whether you feel like you "fit in" on campus. Even in the summer months, when the students are on their break, you can still take advantage of summer visit events.
3. Explore Scholarship Opportunities
Not only can you get scholarships to the schools you're applying for, but you can also earn scholarships from your community. This is a great time in the process to do your research! Watch for scholarship deadlines and send your essays or other required materials with plenty of time to spare.
4. Talk to Your Counselor and Mentors
Remember, your school counselor and other adults in your life are in your corner! They'll help you keep on track and accountable for all the application materials you need to complete. Sometimes, all you have to do is ask for help in sending materials such as your transcript, test scores, recommendations, and scholarship essays to the schools you want.
5. Keep Doing You!
Stay on top of your grades and all the activities you're involved in. Good grades and being active in your community look great on applications – especially because colleges and universities tend to focus on what you did your senior year. Keep on eye on how you're doing in class and your involvement in extra activities. But mostly, enjoy senior year and get excited for what lies ahead in the four years to come.
