Senior Year Checklist

Keep your grades up. Many schools review final grades and may rescind an offer of admission if senior grades slip.
Select your courses carefully. College admission requirements usually include a specific number of college-preparatory courses. Make sure that most of your courses have a high academic content and include English, foreign language, mathematics, science, and social studies.
Take the ACT and/or SAT if you have not already, and request that your scores be submitted to the institutions that you are considering. If you have not taken the ACT or the SAT by your senior year, you are strongly encouraged to complete the test and submit your scores as early as possible. Most colleges and universities require test scores to make their admission decisions. Anyone applying to LSU as an entering freshman for the 2006–07 year will be required to submit the new writing assessment component of the ACT or the SAT. Both examinations will introduce a standardized writing assessment in spring 2005. For more details, visit the ACT Web site or the SAT Web site.
Establish an e-mail account for college admissions purposes and check it frequently. Most colleges and universities will send you periodic updates on the application process and on your admissions status. Having an e-mail account dedicated to this purpose will prove useful if you are interested in multiple institutions. However, it only works if you check the account often.
Apply for admission. By your senior year, you should have narrowed your choices to three to five colleges or universities. You should submit your applications for admission to your top institutions by October of your senior year. Check your top institutions’ Web sites and brochures for application deadlines and information.
Search for scholarships. Free online search services, such as FastWeb or WiredScholar, can help you. Many scholarships have application deadlines as early as November of your senior year for funds to be available for the following fall, so begin this step early.
Visit colleges and universities that interest you. If you have yet to tour the campuses of your top choices, you should try to visit as many as you can before or during your senior year. By spending time on the campus, meeting the students, and exploring the area on your own, you will be able to develop a sense of what it would be like to live there. Many colleges and universities offer day or overnight visits that allow you to stay with current students and attend classes with them.
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid as soon after January 1 as possible to apply for need-based financial aid for the following academic year. Students are encouraged to submit the form online.

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