Episode 99: College Planning Timeline: 12th Grade

Transcript

• [0:00:07] BT: Senior year is finally here, and with it comes all of the excitement and nervousness about what comes next.

  [0:00:14] BHA: For students with their eyes set on college, now is the time to get to work on submitting your very best applications to your dream schools.

  [0:00:21] BT: I'm Brooke Thames from Bucknell University. And on today's episode, Becca and I are covering tips, tricks, and application insights for high school seniors.

  [0:00:29] BHA: And I'm Becca Haupt Aldredge, also from Bucknell. If you missed our episodes for 9th, 10th or 11th graders, go back and check out episodes 96, 97, and 98. Brooke, we finally made it and arrived at senior year. Let's start by zooming in on that summer between junior and senior year.

  [0:00:47] BT: That's a great place to start. Till now, you've been spending grades 9, 10 and 11 getting ready to apply. But the summer between 11th and 12th grade is your first opportunity to take that real first step of starting to work on your application. For many schools like Bucknell, the actual application will open around Aug. 1. And students have a lot to keep track of between then and when the application is due. So how can they stay organized during this busy time of year?

  [0:01:14] BHA: We've said this in previous episodes, but managing the college search and now the application process on top of school work and extracurriculars can feel like a full-time job. If you haven't done so already, now is a good time to start to get organized. Keeping track of important dates, deadlines, and supporting materials that are needed for your application is a great place to start.

  In fact, many colleges and universities help track some of those things for you. Once you submit your application, you'll more than likely get access to some type of online portal that will track a to-do list of missing items and supporting materials that you still need to submit to that college or university. Make sure you're keeping track of those application checklists, portals, and login and passwords for easy access.

  [0:02:04] BT: As far as where to apply, now's the time to narrow that long list we talked about in the last episode and get specific on what schools you actually want to attend, and your strategy for applying to each of those schools — whether you'll be applying Regular Decision, Early Decision, or Early Action, or Rolling Admission, depending on what the school offers. Knowing what each of those deadlines are will help you work backwards and prioritize what's due soonest.

  Becca, as our resident admissions expert, what needs to come together for a student to have a complete application?

  [0:02:36] BHA: Sometimes hitting the "submit" button on the application itself is really only just the start. While it's still worth celebrating, students will still need to finalize and submit their essay, any supplemental essays that a school might require, letters of recommendation, transcripts from their high school, official or unofficial test scores, and financial aid applications. So it can be a lot to keep track of in order for your application to become complete.

  At some schools, they won't begin reading that application until all of your materials have been submitted. And it's important that all of those materials are in by that school's application deadline. The application process for admission and the application process for financial aid tend to go hand in hand.

  Brooke, do you have any tips for the financial aid side of things?

  [0:03:29] BT: For a complete breakdown of the financial aid process, I really recommend listening to episodes 52, 53 and 54 of this podcast, where we talked to Bucknell's own financial aid team. But here are the basics. If you want to be considered for need-based aid, it's essential that you meet the deadlines and instructions outlined by each of your schools. If you want to be considered for need-based aid, it's essential that you meet the deadlines and instructions outlined by each of the schools on your list. That typically includes submitting the FAFSA and/or CSS profile through the College Board.

  These applications require lots of personal information. And so you'll need to work with the person supporting you through your college process, whether that's a parent or a guardian, to gather all of the necessary documentation to start that process as early as possible. But that's not the only way to secure financial support for your college journey. Becca, what about merit scholarships?

  [0:04:20] BHA: If you want to be in the running for merit awards, it's also important to follow the specific instructions outlined by the colleges you're applying to. Every university's process is a little bit different. While some merit scholarships might require additional applications or interviews, others, you might be automatically considered for merit awards. It can be easy at the end of your college application process to forget this part of the admissions puzzle. So, make sure that you're setting aside enough time to complete those merit scholarship applications if you need to do so.

  [0:04:56] BT: Becca, in your experience, do you find that students feel excited for having submitted their application or anxious about the waiting period that comes next?

  [0:05:04] BHA: This has actually been my favorite question to ask students while on the road at their high schools this fall. Some students are really eager to hit that "submit" button, and so it can feel really, really good to have the application out of their hands and off into the world of admissions for us to read. I actually recently learned that the Common Application does display confetti when you hit that submit button. I heard from another college counselor that if a student hits the submit button in her office, she has a cowbell for them to ring, and everyone cheers.

  But for some students, hitting the submit button can actually be more stressful because now the waiting process begins. What can a student do to stay busy while they wait for that decision, which could be weeks or even months?

  [0:05:51] BT: There are plenty of ways to keep interacting with the schools on your list, even after you hit submit on the application. If you haven't seen schools in person yet, schedule time to take a tour. You can also reach out to your dedicated admissions counselor at each of the schools on your list to update them on any new achievements or even additional information that's relevant to your application. But choosing to take a deep breath and enjoy the rest of senior year is also valid, too. This year is full of experiences to savor and memories to make. From homecoming, to prom, to senior trips. Don't forget to make the most of it while you can.

  [0:06:23] BHA: And after those decisions come out, hopefully there's more confetti. If you applied Early Decision, your process ends here — because when you're admitted to your early decision school, you've committed to enrolling at that institution. If you've applied Regular Decision, you might consider a spring visit to your top schools as you weigh your final decision by the May 1 national deposit deadline.

  [0:06:46] BT: Your college choice is one of life's most important decisions, but it's also one of the most exciting transitions that you'll ever make. No matter where you end up, remember to take it one day at a time — and like this series showed, one year at a time — and you'll be well on your way to a future full of possibility.

  [0:07:03] BHA: Let's end there as we wrap up this series of your college planning timeline. Over the past four episodes, we took you from 9th grade through 12th grade along the college search journey, ending — like Brooke said — with some amazing opportunities ahead. Thanks, everyone out there listening. If you're a fan of the podcast, please take a moment to rate, subscribe and share this episode with students and families in your life.

  [0:07:29] BT: We'll be back in a few weeks with our biggest episode yet, episode 100 of the College Admissions Insider podcast. In the meantime, send your questions, comments and episode ideas to podcast@bucknell.edu. We read every note you send.

  [0:07:43] BHA: And finally, you're invited to follow Bucknell on your favorite social media apps. Just look for @bucknellu on Instagram, Facebook X, YouTube and TikTok. You can also follow our student-run Instagram account, which is @iamraybucknell.

  [0:07:57] BT: Until next time, keep on reaching for your dreams and your dream school.

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