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Reviewed by:
Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University
Reviewed: 07/08/23
Here our experts explain everything you need to know about creating a successful application timeline.
Writing college applications can be stressful enough without having to worry about deadlines. In your junior year of high school, creating a timeline for your college application process is a great idea to keep everything organized.
This article will discuss why you should create a proper timeline, give you some steps to do before creating that timeline, and supply you with an example college schedule with deadlines you can use for your application.
A clear timeline for college is a great way to keep yourself organized when applying to colleges. Generally, your junior and senior years of high school are hectic and can be easy to lose track of.
Having a clear timeline ensures you can manage the college application process and helps you plan so you’re not rushing through your applications. It will also help you see what you must do at different times of the year so you can schedule accordingly.
If you were to rush through your application, you may not get accepted into the college of your desire, which could affect your future. A well-organized college application deadline will help you avoid that.
Many colleges will also require you to take the SAT or ACT. If this is the case, you will want to ensure you take them well ahead of deadlines to avoid delays in your application. So remember to keep these factors in mind.
This section will explain why having a college application schedule can be so important and tell you everything you need to ensure the application process goes smoothly.
Having a clear timeline ensures that you can manage the college application process and helps you plan so you’re not rushing through your applications. It will also help you see what you need to do at different times of the year so you can schedule accordingly.
If you were to rush through your application, you may not get accepted into the college of your desire, which could affect your future. A well-organized college application deadline will help you avoid that.
Many colleges will also require you to take the SAT or ACT. If this is the case, you will want to ensure you take them well ahead of deadlines to avoid delays in your application. So remember to keep these factors in mind.
Below we cover what you should focus on each month of your application year to create high-quality materials to boost your chances of getting into your top schools.
Now that you have decided which schools to apply to, you can start creating your college application process timeline. You might want to put specific deadlines in your calendar when creating a timeline.
We recommend that you start preparing for your college applications during this time with the following activities:
This is when some of the real work begins:
Making sure you stay on track during the summer between your junior and senior years will help you find balance when applying to college. The following are a few things you can work on during your summer break.
Entering your senior year of high school can be stressful, but by checking these tasks off your college application timeline you’ll be able to stay on track.
Make sure you know the different deadlines for early action or early decision, as this is the time of year application deadlines start to appear.
At this point, you should almost be done with your application and should focus on completing supplemental essays for regular decision schools.
If not already finished, you should:
While you wait to hear from schools, you might need to do the following:
You’ve reached the end of your college application process! As you wait for acceptance letters to roll in, remember to take note of the following:
Though this timeline is a broad overview of what you will need to keep track of, you will need to make sure you know the specific dates for the schools you are applying to.
By following this timeline example above, you will have plenty of time to get everything done for your college applications without them interfering with your school work.
Here are the Application deadlines and dates for the year.
Here are some application deadlines for top schools you might be interested in:
If you don’t plan on applying to any of these colleges, make sure to do your research and check each institution’s admissions page to get the deadlines you need.
Now that we’ve gone through the college application timeline and process, you might still have some questions that need to be answered. Here are some FAQs to help you get into college.
The best time to start applying for college is the summer before senior year. Though you will want to start some of the preparation for college applications midway through your junior year of high school, you won’t need to open your college application account until the summer between your junior and senior years.
This will give you time to look through the website and take note of what you will need to submit for their completion.
The college application process starts with deciding what schools you want to apply to and what you must submit. This should also be when you start preparing for the ACT and SATs, which you will take in the summer between your junior and senior years.
Once you start your senior year of high school, you should be able to start the application process and be starting to finalize any essays needed for the applications. You should submit your application in the fall or winter of your senior year and expect to be notified in the spring.
Starting the college application process the summer before your senior year is good because it allows you time to research schools, meet early deadlines, and apply for financial aid, which will reduce stress. This approach helps you stay organized and increases your chances of getting into top-choice schools.
Typically, the college application process can take anywhere from several weeks to several months to complete. The length of the process depends on how much time you give yourself to perfect your application and meet deadlines.
It can also vary depending on the individual school’s processing time. We recommend starting in the summer before your senior year!
Each school has its own deadlines, and ultimately, it depends on when you want to attend school. We recommend giving yourself several months to a year or more to begin the application process, which includes school selection, resume building, acquiring letters of recommendation, and much more.
Filling out a college application can take between a few hours and a few weeks, depending on how much of your material is already prepared and what the individual school’s requirements are.
For example, if you have to write an essay it may take you a few weeks, but if you haven’t required essential materials yet, it may take months to gather everything you need for submission.
Having a detailed college application timeline is a great way to stay organized and focused when applying for colleges. Making sure you have the dates needed for the applications will help you complete the process and stay on top of school work, which is a vital step in the application process. We wish you the best of luck!
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