The college search process begins well before your senior year in high school. This will be an exciting journey for you and your family. We are ready to help you through this process and are looking forward to working with you!

Ninth and Tenth Grade Checklist

This is the time to begin the college review process. You’ll begin receiving information from various schools, and you may want to start thinking about the features that are important to you. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

• Begin requesting information. We want to stay in-touch with you, so make sure we have your contact information.
• When it comes to your high school coursework, hit the ground running! We will be looking at your cumulative high school record, so your grades throughout your entire high school career matter. Now is the time to develop good study habits that will benefit you in the future.
• Visit Campus! We are eager to show you around our home. LSU has one of the most beautiful campuses in the world—come and see for yourself!
• Start thinking about some academic areas that interest you. It’s never too early to start thinking about career possibilities. We would be happy to provide you information about areas that interest you.
• Make the most of your summers. Participating in meaningful summer activities—such as workshops, community programs, or personal enrichment programs—can provide personal fulfillment as well as experiences that you can include on college application essays. You might also consider job shadowing to learn more about professions that interest you.

Junior Year Checklist

• Keep your grades up! For scholarship consideration, we will evaluate your grades from freshman year through the end of your junior year, as we begin awarding scholarships before you will complete your senior year courses. We look at a weighted academic gpa, so pay special attention to any AP or honors courses you take.
• Take the ACT or SAT. LSU accepts either one of these tests. Take whichever you prefer, or try both. You should take the test more than once, as your scores will likely improve with experience. We will look at your highest composite score from all times you took the test and at your highest sub-scores in each subject area.
• Make sure we have your correct contact information, as we will be sending you important information. If you have not done so, become a Tiger Insider to make sure you are getting the most valuable information.
• If you have not yet visited campus, we invite you to come and see for yourself (link to Visit Campus) what LSU has to offer!
• Select your senior year courses carefully. We recommend going over your plans with your school counselor. As always, please let us know if we can be of any assistance.
• Once you complete your junior year, it is time to APPLY TO LSU!

Senior Year

Congratulations on making it to your culminating year of high school! As this chapter of your life comes to an end, we are here to begin the next chapter with you. Get ready! You are in for the time of your life!

• You should complete and submit an application for admission in the summer before you begin your senior year courses. This application will also serve as your application for LSU scholarships.
• Talk to your school counselor about other scholarship opportunities in your community.
• If we have not met yet, we want to meet you! LSU representatives travel to various high school around the country. We also invite you to visit LSU’s campus.
• Make sure that The Office of Undergraduate Admission & Student Aid has all information we need to make an admission decision. Being admitted by November 15 is crucial to be included for scholarship consideration.
• If you are interested in living on campus, you may complete a residential life application as soon as you are admitted to LSU. Apply early, to ensure that you have priority when choosing your housing preference.
• After January 1 of your senior year, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with your family.  This serves as your application for various financial aid opportunities (link to Financial Aid), including Louisiana TOPS.
• In early spring, make sure you register for an orientation session after you have been admitted. Orientation is an integral part of the college enrollment process where you will be able to learn about campus life, schedule classes, and take advanced placement exams.
• Your fee bill for the fall semester will be available in mid-July. If you have completed the financial id application process, you should see financial aid credits applied to your fee bill. You will complete your registration by submitting any payments to The University. Once this step is complete, your class reservations are locked-in, and you are ready to show up for class!
• Finally, we want you to know that we are available to assist you in any way possible. Please let us know if there is anything we can do throughout this process.

Important Dates

• December 1 - application deadline for Spring Term
  (October 1 for international applicants who have international credentials)
• April 15 - application deadline for Summer Term
• April 15 - application deadline for Fall Term
• November 15 - deadline to apply to Honors College. You may apply to Honors College on the Undergraduate Application for Admission.
• November 15 - priority date for full consideration for LSU scholarship programs (link to Scholarship page)