Planning Timeline
Although you won’t submit applications to colleges until the fall of your senior year, it’s never too early to start making lists. Please click the links below to find our list of dates, deadlines, tips, and strategies for every year of high school as you embark on your own college search process.
Freshman Year
Get off to a good start, and lay down a solid foundation on which to build upon. To use a sporting analogy, “You can’t win the game in the first quarter, but you can certainly lose it!”
- Read voraciously! Blogs, magazines, newspapers, books—find topics that engage you, and look up unfamiliar words.
- Make an ally out of social media. What you post will follow you, so use Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram wisely. The technological profile you construct is a part of your narrative.
- Academic path. Consider curricular recommendations made by colleges (i.e. if you want to pursue Engineering, make sure you’re on a path to take AP Calculus and AP Physics by your senior year).
- Challenge yourself appropriately. Grades and academic rigor will be the two single most important factors in college admission decisions. So perform well in your classes, and don’t just go for easy A’s. If you can take on more rigor, take more rigor.
- Get involved! Continue to stay engaged in the community. Be active, and find opportunities outside the classroom. Don’t just be involved, be engaged!
Sophomore Year
On the horizon you’ll see standardized tests approaching, college visits, and much, much more.
- Take the PSAT. The PSAT is a test to see how you’re going to test later on the SAT, and colleges will not see your results so don't panic if you score poorly.
- Refine your route. Look ahead to classes you might want to take in 11th or 12th grade, and make sure you work in any prerequisites.
- Find a balance. You want to strive for the best possible grades, in a program level that challenges you appropriately; however, overtaxing yourself will lead to an underwhelming performance.
- Are you an athlete or have another talent? Talk with coaches and teachers to gauge your abilities in these areas. If you are talented enough this may potentially play an important role in your college process.
- Attend the Sophomore CC Parent night. The College Counseling office will host a sophomore college counseling night for parents in the spring, be there.
- Make the most of your summer. Find opportunities that complement your academic/extracurricular interests. Take some advice from the Dean of Admission at Harvard—colleges want interesting students, so be interesting! For a list of summer programs LFA students have attended in the past go to Outside Opportunities.
Junior Year
Now is the time to begin thinking more seriously about college. Build a college list, devise a testing plan, visit colleges, and think about what teachers you want to write your recommendation letters. However, do not lose sight of the most important thing: maintaining strong grades!
August
- Attend the College Info session for juniors at the opening of school.
September
- Counselor assignment. Although you won’t begin to meet with your college counselor on a cycle basis until January of your junior year, you will be assigned your college counselor at the end of September.
- LFA College Fair. Attend LFA’s College Night fair where 130 different colleges and universities will be on campus for an hour and 45 minutes (mandatory for juniors and seniors to attend).
- Colleges visit LFA. Over 215 colleges and universities visit LFA each fall. Juniors can’t miss class, but if you have a free period, drop by the CC office to meet with college admission officers. See who’s visiting LFA this fall by going to the College Visit Calendar.
October – December
- Visit colleges. If you haven’t already begun to visit college campuses, fall break is as good a time as any to begin. Need a starting point? Check out our Matriculation Map to see where recent LFA graduates have attended. *Please note juniors cannot miss school days to visit colleges.
- Take the PSAT. The PSAT is the National Merit and National Achievement Scholarship Qualifying test. It’s a test to see how you’re going to test later on the SAT, and colleges will not see your results so don't panic if you score poorly. However, students who perform well are eligible to receive National Merit scholarships.
- Register for the ACT/SAT. LFA is a test site, however registration is on a first come, first serve basis. You are not guaranteed a seat here, so register early! See test dates here.
- ACT/SAT prep classes. Consider signing up for ACT/SAT prep classes. Families can register for classes through One-To-One tutoring services, and classes are held on LFA’s campus beginning second semester junior year. On the fence about registering? Check out what the CC office has to say about test prep classes by going to Standardized Testing.
- Colleges visit LFA. Over 215 colleges and universities visit LFA each fall. Juniors can’t miss class, but if you have a free period, drop by the CC office to meet with college admission officers. See who’s visiting LFA by going to the College Visit Calendar.
- Complete the Student Questionnaire over Winter Break.
- Have parents complete the Parent Questionnaire.
January
- Schedule a cycle meeting with your assigned college counselor. We’ll be your greatest advocate and ally in this process.
- Set up a Scoir account.
- Register for the ACT/SAT. LFA is a test site, however registration is on a first come, first serve basis. You are not guaranteed a seat here, so register early! See test dates here.
- LFA College Workshop. We invite fifteen admission directors from a wide range of colleges to lead families through a mock admissions committee workshop (mandatory for juniors; parents and guardians are strongly encouraged to attend).
- Talk cost. Start talking to your parents about college costs and whether or not merit-based or need-based aid will be a part of your process. Fill out the FAFSA4caster to get a ballpark estimate of your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), and use colleges’ Net Price Calculators to gain more clarity about what you can expect to pay at that college.
February – March
- Summer plans. Find opportunities that complement your academic/extracurricular interests. Take some advice from the Dean of Admission at Harvard—colleges want interesting students, so be interesting! For a list of summer programs LFA students have attended in the past go to Outside Opportunities.
- Register for the ACT/SAT. LFA is a test site, however registration is on a first come, first serve basis. You are not guaranteed a seat here, so register early! See test dates here.
- Build a college list. Begin building a college list comprised of safety, fit, and reach schools.
- Build a college visit list. Make spring and summer college visit plans.
- Visit colleges. Use Winter Weekend for college visits. But don’t be a passive campus visitor, go to lunch with current students, take a tour, attend an information session, and make it official by scheduling it through their admission office. Demonstrated interest can be important at some colleges and universities, so make sure they know you’re there. *Please note juniors cannot miss school days to visit colleges.
March – April
- Register for the ACT/SAT. LFA is a test site, however registration is on a first come, first serve basis. You are not guaranteed a seat here, so register early! See test dates here.
- Visit Colleges. Use Spring Break to visit colleges. But don’t be a passive visitor, go to lunch with current students, take a tour, attend an information session, and make it official by scheduling it through their admission office. Please note juniors cannot miss school days to visit colleges. Demonstrated interest can be important at some colleges and universities, so make sure they know you’re there. *Please note juniors cannot miss school days to visit colleges.
- Schedule classes for next year. Take challenging classes that are of appropriate rigor, particularly in your areas of greatest interest. Don't forget to consider any remaining graduation requirements.
- Attend Networking Night. An opportunity for current students to interact with young LFA alumni and learn about careers in a variety of industries, as well as ask questions about college majors, internships, and the typical day-in-the-life of young professionals.
May
- Recommendation Letters. Ask (in person) two teachers if they’re willing to write recommendation letters for you.
- Take AP Tests. Scores can be counted for credit at some colleges and universities, and some international colleges require these exams in their application.
- Refine your list. What have you liked, or disliked about your visits so far? Focus on more schools that fit your preferences.
June, July and August
- Summer plans. Find opportunities that complement your academic/extracurricular interests. Take some advice from the Dean of Admission at Harvard—colleges want interesting students, so be interesting! For a list of summer programs LFA students have attended in the past go to Outside Opportunities.
- Visit colleges! But don’t be a passive visitor, go to lunch with current students, take a tour, attend an information session, and make it official by scheduling it through their admission office. Demonstrated interest can be important at some colleges and universities, so make sure they know you’re there.
- Create a Common Application Account. Begin filling out your activities section, and profile. Feel free to check out college's supplement essays but don't write responses in this section until after August 1st when the Common Application transitions to the next admission cycle.
- Write an essay. Procrastination doesn't make for a good college essay. Aim to have your first Common Application essay draft complete by the time you start back at school. Share it with an English teacher and your college counselor.
- Are you an athlete? If you plan on playing Division 1 or 2 athletics in college, register with the NCAA Clearinghouse and notify your college counselor.
- Maybe you have another talent? If you have a talent in music, theatre, dance or art, start working on audition pieces or portfolios you’ll be submitting this fall.
- Applying Early Decision? Now that you’ve visited some schools, is there one that rises to the top? Start thinking about whether you want to apply Early Decision somewhere.
- Check requirements. Become familiar with the application requirements of your colleges. Do they require the SAT/ACT? How many additional essays will you have to write? If you’re an international student and English is not your first language, do your colleges require the TOEFL? When are your school’s application deadlines?
Senior Year
You made it. Let’s party! Well, not quite yet. There’s still much work to be done. Offers of admission are contingent upon a strong performance senior year, and colleges can, and will, rescind admission offers to those who slack off, so stay focused!
August
- Attend the college information session for parents and seniors at the opening of school.
- Schedule a cycle meeting with your college counselor ASAP. You’ll meet once every cycle from now until December to discuss your college list, essays, and much more.
- Private scholarships. Begin looking at private outside scholarships if you are interested. Fastweb.com, finaid.com, and goodcall.com are good starting points, and application deadlines start as early as August.
- Register for the ACT/SAT. LFA is a test site, however registration is on a first come, first serve basis. You are not guaranteed a seat at LFA, so register early! See test dates here.
- Register for the TOEFL. International students, if your first language is not English, some colleges no matter how long you’ve studied in the US will require you to submit a TOEFL score.
- Teacher recommendations. Touch base (in person) again with your teachers to make sure they’re still able to write a recommendation letter for you, and inform them of your first application deadline.
- Update Scoir. Make sure Scoir accurately reflects the colleges you’re applying to, and the round in which you plan to apply (Early Action, Early Decision, Regular Decision, Priority, Rolling, Early Decision II, and Restrictive Early Action).
- Essays. Hopefully you’re ready to submit your Common Application essay to your college counselor. The sooner you complete this, the sooner you can get started on the supplemental essays many colleges require.
- Course changes. Discuss any class changes you are thinking about, and run them by your college counselor. You’ll have two weeks after school starts to make changes to your academic schedule.
September
- Send scores. NOW is the time to send your AP, TOEFL, SAT and ACT scores to colleges that have a November 1st deadline. You are responsible for sending scores, not LFA. Don’t wait until the last minute, as they can take up to 2 weeks to arrive at a school!
- LFA College Fair. Attend LFA’s College Night where 130 different colleges and universities will be on campus for an hour and 45 minutes (mandatory for juniors and seniors to attend).
- Update Scoir. Make sure Scoir accurately reflects the colleges you’re applying to, and the round in which you plan to apply (Early Action, Early Decision, Regular Decision, Priority, Rolling, Early Decision II, and Restrictive Early Action).
- Essays. Hopefully you’ve received feedback on your Common Application essay and are close to a final product. Continue to make iterative changes but the focus should now be put on completing your supplement essays.
- Colleges visit LFA. Over 215 colleges and universities visit LFA each fall. Seniors can miss class to meet with visiting college admission officers, just be sure to make your teachers aware, and sign in at the CC office. See who’s visiting LFA by going to the College Visit Calendar.
- Off-Campus Interviews. Many schools will offer off-campus interviews with admission representatives or alumni interviewers. If you’re given the opportunity to, take advantage of it!
October
- Visit colleges. Take advantage of fall break, and go visit colleges. If you haven’t already visited the school you’re considering applying Early Decision, now is the time to do so!
- Essays. You have a polished Common Application essay, and hopefully have begun sharing drafts of your supplement essays with your college counselor.
- College Application Day. Spend this day, in the middle of October, to touch base with your college counselor, and to polish off the remaining items on your application. Whether that is completing the activities section of your Common Application, supplemental essays or portfolios.
- Applying for Financial Aid? If you’re planning on applying for federal financial aid, you'll need to submit two items: the FAFSA and CSS Profile. Both become available to submit on October 1st. Non-domestic students applying for financial aid should contact their college counselor.
- Send Scores. NOW is the time to send your AP, SAT and ACT scores to colleges that have a November 15th deadline. You are responsible for sending scores. Don’t wait until the last minute, as they can take up to 2 weeks to arrive at a school!
- Colleges visit LFA. Over 215 colleges and universities visit LFA each fall. Seniors can miss class to meet with visiting college admission officers, just be sure to make your teachers aware, and sign in at the CC office. See who’s visiting LFA by going to the College Visit Calendar.
- Off-Campus Interviews. Many schools will offer off-campus interviews with admission representatives or alumni interviewers. If you’re given the opportunity to, take advantage of it!
November
- Press submit! Many schools Early Action and Early Decision deadlines fall on November 1st.
- Send scores. NOW is the time to send your AP, SAT and ACT scores to colleges that have a December 1st deadline. You are responsible for sending scores. Don’t wait until the last minute, as they can take up to 2 weeks to arrive at a school!
- Off-Campus Interviews. Many schools will offer off-campus interviews with admission representatives or alumni interviewers. If you’re given the opportunity to, take advantage of it!
- Press submit! Many schools Early Action and Early Decision deadlines fall on November 15th, and others (namely UC schools) have a November 30th application deadline.
- Colleges visit LFA. Over 215 colleges and universities visit LFA each fall. Seniors can miss class to meet with visiting college admission officers, just be sure to make your teachers aware, and sign in at the CC office. See who’s visiting LFA by going to the College Visit Calendar.
December
- Early Decision Notification! Early Action, Early Decision and Restrictive Early Action decisions will typically come out in Mid-December. Assume the worst, and be prepared to submit Regular Decision or Early Decision II applications in January.
- Update Scoir. Whatever admission decisions you receive: admit, defer, deny, or waitlist, please update your Scoir account to reflect those decisions.
- Course changes. Discuss any second semester changes you are thinking about, and run them by your college counselor. You will have to notify the colleges you’ve applied to of any changes to your schedule.
- We’re away. The LFA CC office will be away from the office during the holiday season so be sure to touch base with them about application questions prior to leaving for the holidays.
- Send scores. NOW is the time to send your AP, SAT and ACT scores to colleges that have a January 1st or 15th deadline. You are responsible for sending scores. Don’t wait until the last minute, as they can take up to 2 weeks to arrive at a school!
- Press submit! Many schools Early Decision II and Regular Decision deadlines will fall on January 1st, or January 15th.
January
- Send scores. NOW is the time to send your AP, SAT and ACT scores to colleges that have a February 1st deadline. You are responsible for sending scores. Don’t wait until the last minute, as they can take up to 2 weeks to arrive at a school!
- Update Scoir. Whatever admission decisions you receive: admit, defer, deny, or waitlist, please update your Scoir account to reflect those decisions.
February-April
- Update Scoir. Whatever admission decisions you receive: admit, defer, deny, or waitlist, please update your Scoir account to reflect those decisions.
- Visit colleges. For those who are still undecided, visit the colleges you’re still considering. For those of you who have made a decision, attend your school’s Admitted Student Day programs. Who knows, you might meet your roommate for next year!
- Decisions! Most Regular Decision notifications will come out toward the end of March and early April.
- Attend Networking Night. An opportunity for current students to interact with young LFA alumni and learn about careers in a variety of industries, as well as ask questions about college majors, internships, and the typical day-in-the-life of young professionals.
May
- National Candidate Reply Date. You must choose a single offer of admission to accept by this date. Submit your enrollment deposit to hold your spot in the class; otherwise colleges reserve the right to offer your spot to a student on the wait list.
- Update Scoir. Where are you attending next year? Be sure to input that information as well as all the admission decisions you received from all your schools before leaving LFA. We will send a final transcript to the school in which you are enrolling as long as you tell us where you're attending.
- Thank your teachers. Be sure to thank the teachers who wrote recommendation letters for you.
- AP exams. Scoring a 4 or a 5 on an AP exam might count for credit at your college or university so be sure to sign up and study.