The College Application Process: How to Apply to College (With Timeline)
The college application process can be overwhelming. As a high school student applying to college, you may be wondering:
What are all the steps for the college application process?
What information needs to be collected & submitted?
When does everything need to be done?
How can you organize the tasks and paperwork so everything gets done on time and well?
What are some resources to help you make powerful college applications?
If you have these questions, you’ve come to the right place. At Lantern College Counseling, we have over 25 years of experience helping high school students apply to and transition to college and over 45 years of experience supporting and educating students on college campuses. This expertise has directly led to our proprietary Deep-Fit™ Admissions Approach, which leads to students making their strongest college applications and setting themselves up for college success. We’ve distilled our experience into this complete guide and task timeline for the college application process.
Freshman Year
Select classes that will challenge you in the five core academic areas (English, history, world languages, math, natural sciences) and electives that interest you. Course selection is one of the most important parts of the college admissions process, and we discuss this in more detail in our article on what high school classes students should take to prepare for college admissions.
Get to know your school counselor and freshman year teachers; let them get to know you.
Work hard in school; seek help from your teachers if you need it.
Get involved with extracurricular activities that interest you at school or within your community. The strongest college applications reflect sustained engagement, initiative, and genuine intellectual curiosity, which we discuss in our article on what extracurricular activities matter most and how students should choose them.
Select summer activities that will help you learn about your interests.
Create a resume and activity list to update throughout high school.
Explore possible majors and careers; My article The College Search & Admissions Process for Undecided Majors: Advice From a University Dean includes ideas for steps to take to develop a sense of your academic direction.
Read some books outside of school for fun. Beyond being fun, reading books will benefit you for standardized testing, and you may be asked about books you’ve read outside of school during your college application process (essays and interviews). For example, Columbia University asks a question about books students have read outside of classes.
Sophomore Year
In addition to everything from your freshman year (choosing challenging courses, getting to know your teachers, researching potential majors & careers, etc), here's what else you can do during sophomore year to prepare for your college applications:
Make a standardized testing plan; take diagnostic tests to choose SAT or ACT; select test dates and budget time for studying.
Make a few local college visits. Read How to Identify Deep-Fit Colleges (Beyond the Obvious Criteria). Learn 15 Questions to ask on a college tour to drill down on the potential for impactful experiences and find Deep-Fit™.
Begin talking about financial aid as a family; take the financial aid quiz.
Are you a sophomore in high school who would benefit from personalized, hands-on guidance about class selections, choosing activities, your academic direction, and early steps in the college search process?
Junior Year
The junior year is when things intensify for the college application process. Continue the steps outlined for your freshman and sophomore years (choosing challenging courses, getting to know your teachers, researching potential majors & careers, etc), and also take these steps:
Take initiative (beyond involvement) with your extracurricular activities; show leadership; be a force for change that will lead to positive impact within your community.
Take the SAT or ACT.
Begin building your college list; perform deep research to learn about your schools; take notes on your research; finalize the list by the end of junior year.
Decide whether you will be applying to colleges or universities or both. University vs. College: What’s the Difference and How it Impacts the Student Experience provides important considerations about the differences between university and colleges.
Consider whether you are interested in applying to universities outside the United States, particularly in the UK, Canada, and Europe, where the admissions process and application structure can be quite different. Students interested in this path can read our guide for U.S. students applying to international universities. International families applying to U.S. institutions may find our guide for international students applying to U.S. colleges helpful.
Make sure your list contains at least two schools where you have a high chance of admission based on data. If you plan to major in the extremely competitive field of computer science, you should have at least three schools where you have a high chance of admission based on data.
Confirm with your school counselor that your admissions assessments are accurate. Do not underestimate the importance of this step so you will have college options.
Be careful not to include too many highly selective schools on your list thinking this will increase your chances of acceptance to one. See our article The Flawed Approach of Applying to Many Prestigious Colleges to Increase Your Chance of Acceptance (And What to do Instead).
Make college visits or attend virtual events to learn about colleges on your list. Read How to Identify Deep-Fit Colleges (Beyond the Obvious Criteria). Learn 15 Questions to ask on a college tour to drill down on the potential for impactful experiences and find Deep-Fit™.
In the spring, invite two of your junior year teachers to write you letters of recommendation.
When your junior year grades are in, request an unofficial copy of your high school transcript to aid you in your college application work.
Summer Before Senior Year Before August 1
If you are applying to a school that is not on the common application (for instance, the University of California, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgetown University, etc.), create an account on that school’s platform. Note, a specific school’s platform may not be available before August 1.
Be mindful of the appropriate use of artificial intelligence tools before you start working on your application essays.
Write your common application personal statement (if you are applying to the University of California consider writing the Personal Insights Questions to begin.) Learn how to write a strong personal statement from my article What ChatGPT Can Teach Us About How to Write a Strong College Application. If you are planning an engineering major, you will find helpful guidance in my article How to Write a Standout College Essay for Engineering Applications. Likewise, if you plan to major in computer science, my article How to Write a Standout College Essay for Computer Science (CS) Applications is a valuable resource. Students often ask whether unusual topics are appropriate for college essays; the answer is usually yes, as long as the essay reveals how the student thinks and grows. We discuss this in our article on writing a college essay about video games and other unconventional topics.
Complete the main common application (i.e., the parts of the common application that go to all schools.) Do not complete school specific application components before August 1.
Use your high school transcript to complete the SRAR for the schools that require it.
Read some good books! Beyond being fun, you may be asked about books you’ve read outside of school during your college application process (essays and interviews). For example, Columbia University asks a question about books students have read outside of classes.
Summer Before Senior Year After August 1
The common application will be refreshed with the next cycle’s application details on August 1. After this has occurred:
Make a plan for completing your college applications. Consider an application strategy (rolling admission, early action (EA), early decision (ED), etc.) and all associated deadlines.
Create an essay organizing document that includes your list of colleges, how you are applying (EA, ED, rolling, etc.), what you plan to major in at each institution, and the school in which the major is housed. For instance, if you plan to study computer science, are you applying for CS in the School of Engineering or applying for CS in the School of Arts and Sciences? See my article Navigating the Competitive Landscape of Computer Science Admissions: An Expert’s Approach to understand the distinctions and considerations.
Review each of your schools’ applications to identify every required essay prompt. Edit your essay organizing document to include ALL the essay prompts and maximum word length for your schools.
Review your school’s standardized testing policies. Be sure you know which places allow self-reporting of scores and which require you to send official test scores from the testing agency.
For your common application schools, complete the non-essay parts of your school’s supplemental applications.
Request an “other” letter of recommendation from someone who knows you in a non-classroom setting, such as a coach, employer, research supervisor, club advisor, or the like.
Fall of Senior Year
Read your email daily. Pay attention to emails from your colleges!
Select classes that will challenge you and electives that interest you. Consider taking classes outside your high school to challenge yourself and extend the curriculum.
Quantify the impact you are making with your extracurricular activities.
Send your standardized test scores to schools that require official test scores.
Make sure your school counselor knows your college list, mode of application (ED, EA etc.) and deadlines so they can submit their letter and your transcripts properly.
Stay on track with your plan for completing your college applications.
Use your essay organizing document to help you organize and write your supplemental essays.
Submit each application at least a week in advance of its application deadline.
Stick with your thoughtful plan. Do not decide to apply to highly selective schools at the last minute “just for kicks” or because you are in a panic.
After you have submitted an application, watch your email for instructions about accessing your school’s application portal. Set up your account on the portal promptly.
Keep an eye on your application portals to be sure all your application materials have been received and you are aware of any important updates, including admissions decisions.
Attend visits that your colleges’ admissions offices make to your high school.
Consider interviewing at some of your colleges. If a school says they require or strongly recommend interviews, you should do one. If you are offered one by a school, you should accept the invitation and schedule one.
Complete the FAFSA and CSS profile, as appropriate.
Spring of Senior Year
Read your email daily. Pay attention to emails from your colleges!
Keep an eye on your application portal for your schools to be sure you are aware of any important notifications, including admissions and financial aid decisions.
Visit your schools.
Speak with Financial Aid Offices to be sure you understand any financial aid offers.
Choose your school! Remember, Deep-Fit is what matters when it comes to a student finding success in college, not a college's ranking or reputation.
Carefully follow the deadlines and instructions for letting the college you choose know you are attending. Pay the deposit to only one school. Confirm that the deposit has been received.
Once you have confirmed your attendance with the school you’ve chosen, let your other schools know that you will not be attending via their application portals.
Plan for a thriving college experience with Lantern’s roadmap for college success.
We hope you find this complete guide and task timeline for the college application process helpful! Download the guide in PDF form by signing up for Lantern’s newsletter at the link below.
If you feel that you need more guided, personalized support, learn about our College Admissions Counseling services and the different levels of support that we can provide. If you are wondering if college counseling services are worth the expense, our article Deep-Fit College Counseling: An Investment for Life details the benefits of hiring Lantern College Counseling and how we arm families to be most thoughtful about the significant financial investment of college. Interested in learning more? Schedule a free consultation with one of our college counselors.
Frequently Asked Questions About the College Application Process
When should students start preparing for college applications?
Students should begin preparing for college admissions in ninth grade by selecting challenging courses, getting involved in extracurricular activities, and exploring academic interests. The college application process is built over all four years of high school.
What should students do in 9th grade to prepare for college?
Students should focus on building strong academic habits, selecting challenging courses, getting involved in activities that interest them, and beginning to explore possible majors and career interests.
How many colleges should a student apply to?
Most students should apply to between 10 and 12 colleges, including a balanced list of high-chance, medium-chance, and low-chance of admission schools. Applying to too many colleges often leads to lower-quality applications and unnecessary stress.
When should students start writing college essays?
Students should begin writing their main personal statement during the summer before senior year and complete supplemental essays in early fall of senior year.
What matters most in college admissions?
The most important factors in college admissions are course rigor, grades, extracurricular involvement, essays, letters of recommendation, and the overall fit between the student and the college.
Do colleges care about freshman year grades?
Most—but not all—colleges see freshman year grades and they are part of the academic record, though junior year grades are often the most important.
When should students visit colleges?
Students should begin visiting colleges during sophomore and junior year, with many students making final visits in the spring of senior year before making their enrollment decision.
