The Waiting Is the Hardest Part

What To Do Once College Applications Are In

As the last strands of virtual confetti settle on the Common Application submission confirmation screen, the relief sets in. Months of research, visiting, reflecting, and writing have finally culminated in submitted applications for our seniors, and it’s easy to think the application process is finished. They are almost to the finish line, but there are still important tasks to be done:

1. Continuing to check emails from colleges is critical. After submitting an application, students will receive an email from that college confirming its receipt and providing instructions for logging into their admissions portal. Setting up access to those portals and monitoring them every few days is essential for each student to ensure their application is complete and able to be reviewed for admission. The portal contains a checklist of required application pieces, for both admission and financial aid consideration, making it easy for students to monitor the status of their applications and upload any needed items. Colleges will also post admissions decisions via their portals, so students should make sure they’re able to access those to see their results as soon as they’re available.
2. Deadlines to apply for outside scholarships (i.e. those not affiliated with a specific college) typically fall in the winter and spring of senior year. Students interested in applying for merit-based awards should start their search with GoingMerry.com and Scholarships.com, as well as the website for the guidance office at their local public high school which often contains scholarship listings specifically designated for town residents. 
3. While the temptation of “senior slide” can be hard to resist, students do need to keep up their strong work in the classroom all the way through the end of senior year. Colleges require enrolling students to submit their senior grades and will ask anyone whose grades drop significantly to explain the circumstances of that decline.

With college applications complete and just a few tasks remaining, the rest of senior year is the perfect time for our students to rediscover what brings them joy, inside and outside the classroom, and to embrace all the opportunities available here at Governor’s before they graduate. Performing at the winter Guild, dressing up for Semi, coming out for Twilight Softball this spring - there are so many wonderful ways for our seniors to enjoy their time in Byfield while waiting for those college decisions to come out in April!   

Author: Heather Shows, Director of College Counseling