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The Spark Admissions Guide to Creating a College Planning Timeline

Spark Admissions

Do I need a timeline for college planning? When should I start planning for college?

There are many reasons to start planning for college as early as possible, which we will summarize below:

  1. A plan will make you a more competitive applicant. There is no question that high school students who start thinking about what colleges and universities are seeking in their applicants early will develop better college profiles. What are you doing to build a unique resume to help you stand out amongst other applicants? Many of our students start college planning as a freshman, sophomore or junior in high school (if you’d like to set up a free initial consultation with Spark Admissions click here).
  2. There is a lot to do and you need to make time to complete all of it at a high level. High School students should start to think about standardized testing as far in advance as possible to ensure optimal results. You need to set aside time to go on college visits, so you can find the colleges where you actually want to apply. You want to start thinking about your academic area of interest (which is something that Spark Admissions can help you do); colleges want to know what field or major you are applying to study and why, so your academic area of interest will shape your college list.
  3. This is a stressful process and the actual application and essay process is very time consuming. Please do not save working on your essays until the fall of your senior year. Not only is there the Common App personal essay, but most schools also have their own supplemental essays. For each college, those supplemental essays are one of the most important ways that a college distinguishes among its applicants. Starting the college essay process as early as possible will give you the time to write high quality essays.

Here is a general, simplified college application timeline for what you should accomplish before senior year:

  • Participate in summer activities and programs (each summer throughout high school)
  • Set up a regular volunteering commitment (as early in high school as possible)
  • Study for and take standardized tests (sophomore year and junior year)
  • Conduct a college search and create a college list (sophomore and junior year)
  • Go on college campus visits (sophomore year through senior year)
  • Request letters of recommendation from your teachers and school counselor and complete any questionnaires or other forms they require (spring of junior year)
  • Request and complete interviews at any colleges that offer them (junior to senior year)
  • Talk to athletic coaches about recruiting opportunities and the process for being recruited (varies by sport, but usually the beginning of junior year)
  • Take summer courses through a college or university (throughout high school)
  • Figure out which clubs and extracurricular activities you should be doing at school and in your community (as early in high school as possible)
  • Obtain jobs and internships (especially the summers after sophomore and junior years)
  • Narrow and finalize your college list (summer before senior year)
  • Demonstrate interest at all the schools on your college list (junior and senior year)
  • Brainstorm, write and revise your Common App essay (summer before senior year)
  • Determine what supplementary information you want to put in the Common App Additional Information section (summer before senior year)
  • Complete the Common App activities list (summer before senior year)
  • Write school-specific supplemental essays (do this the summer before senior year, and you may want to create a spreadsheet for this alone, as you may have as many as 30 school-specific essays depending upon your college list)
  • Request test scores and transcripts (fall of senior year)
  • Create a traditional resume, as many schools request these (summer before senior year)
  • Decide where to apply Early Decision and/or Early Action (fall of senior year) and meet the application deadline

If the college application process sounds like a lot, you’re right; it really is. If you’d like to get help with organizing your own college timeline and need assistance managing your college application deadlines, please set up a free initial consultation with a Spark Admissions college consultant.

Want to get into your dream college? Schedule a free initial consultation with one of our expert college consultants.

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