DC State Board of Education College application planner

Two years.
One application calendar.

Every action you'll need to take from junior year fall through senior graduation — broken into bite-sized monthly milestones.

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Junior year — the build

11th grade
September
Junior
  • Meet with your school counselor to plan the year
  • Start a list of colleges to research
  • Sign up for SAT or ACT prep if needed
October
Junior
  • Take the PSAT/NMSQT — qualifies for scholarships
  • Attend college fairs in your area
  • Begin researching scholarship opportunities
Nov–Dec
Junior
  • Continue researching colleges
  • Visit local college campuses
  • Keep grades up — they matter for admissions
Jan–Feb
Junior
  • Register for the SAT (March) or ACT (April)
  • Start drafting college essay ideas
  • Attend financial-aid workshops
Mar–Apr
Junior
  • Take the SAT or ACT
  • Visit colleges during spring break
  • Ask 2–3 teachers for recommendation letters
May
Junior
  • Take AP exams
  • Finalize your college list — 8 to 12 schools
  • Start personal-statement drafts
  • Confirm letters of recommendation
Summer before senior year
Bridge
  • Write your college essays — get them done before school starts
  • Visit more colleges
  • Research and apply for scholarships
  • Prepare your application materials

Senior year — the launch

12th grade
September
Senior
  • Finalize your college list
  • Create an application tracker or calendar
  • Request transcripts from your counselor
  • Continue scholarship applications
October
Senior
  • FAFSA opens October 1 — file it immediately
  • Submit Early Decision / Early Action apps (Nov 1–15)
  • Retake SAT or ACT if needed
November
Senior
  • Most Early Action deadlines
  • Continue regular-decision applications
  • Apply to DC-CAP for application support
Dec–Jan
Senior
  • Complete remaining applications (Jan 1–15 deadlines)
  • Request mid-year transcripts
  • Early Decision results arrive
February
Senior
  • DC TAG opens February 3
  • Continue scholarship applications
  • Complete FAFSA corrections if needed
Mar–Apr
Senior
  • Admission decisions arrive
  • Compare financial-aid packages
  • Visit admitted-student days
  • Make your final decision by May 1
May
Senior
  • Commit to your college (May 1 deadline)
  • Send your final transcript
  • Apply for housing
  • Graduate

Three resources to bookmark today

FAFSA
studentaid.gov
Federal financial-aid form. The single most important date in your senior year is October 1.
DC TAG
osse.dc.gov/dctag
DC Tuition Assistance Grant — up to $10,000/year for in-state tuition at public schools nationwide.
DC-CAP
dccap.org
Free advisors who help DC students apply, get aid, and succeed in college.