Class of 2027: Your Senior Year Starts Now

If you are entering your senior year, congratulations! This is an exciting year—but there is a lot coming your way.

And parents, if this is your first child going through the college application process, you may be looking at words like Common App, FAFSA, SAI, Early Action, scholarships, recommendation letters and financial aid and wondering where you're supposed to begin.

That's okay. You don't have to figure everything out at once.

Throughout the school year, we will go over the college and career planning process during our enrichment class. My goal is to help our seniors understand what they need to do, when they need to do it, and why it matters.

But I don't want students to wait until school starts.

We have about one month before senior year begins, and there are several things students can do now that will make the fall much easier.

Your Senior Year Head Start

1. Start building your college list.

Don't choose colleges based only on the name, campus or where your friends are going.

Start researching academics, majors, location, admission requirements, graduation rates and—very importantly—cost.

Your list should include schools that are realistic academically AND financially.

Need help getting started? Use College Board's BigFuture to research colleges, majors, costs, admissions information, and more.
👉 Start Exploring Colleges with BigFuture

2. Start researching the real cost of each college.

Tuition isn't the entire cost.

Look at tuition, housing, meal plans, fees, books, transportation and personal expenses.

Find each school's Net Price Calculator and use it with your parent or guardian. The advertised price and what your family may actually pay can be very different.

💰 Parent Tip: The price you see on a college website may not be the price your family actually pays.

Each college is required to have a Net Price Calculator. This tool gives your family an estimate based on your financial situation and, depending on the calculator, other information about the student.

Before deciding that a college is “too expensive”—or assuming that you can afford it—run the numbers.

👉 Learn About Net Price vs. Sticker Price

Then search: “[Name of College] Net Price Calculator” and make sure you are using the calculator on the college's official website.

3. Ask about outside scholarships BEFORE applying.

If you plan to apply for private scholarships, find out how each college handles them.

Ask the financial aid office:

“If I receive outside/private scholarships, how will they affect my financial aid package? If my aid must be adjusted, which type of aid do you reduce first?”

Don't wait until you win a $5,000 or $10,000 scholarship to learn the answer.

⚠️ Before Your Student Applies, Ask This Question

If your student plans to apply for private scholarships, contact each college's financial aid office and ask:

“If my student receives an outside/private scholarship, how will that affect the financial aid package you offer? If financial aid must be reduced, which type of aid do you reduce first?”

Ask for the school's policy in writing or ask where you can find it on the school's website.

There is a term you may hear called scholarship displacement. We are going to discuss this in greater detail because families should understand a college's outside-scholarship policy before choosing where to apply—not after winning a scholarship.

4. Check whether you qualify for application fee waivers.

College application fees add up.

Some students may qualify for application fee waivers. Attending a private school does not automatically mean that you won't qualify.

Families should privately review the eligibility requirements and ask the school counselor about available options.

💡 Before You Pay an Application Fee...

Some students may qualify for a college application fee waiver, which means they can apply to certain colleges without paying the application fee.

Don't automatically assume your student won't qualify.

Students who attend private schools may also qualify if they meet the eligibility requirements.

Families do not need to discuss their financial circumstances publicly. If you think your student may qualify, speak privately with your school counselor or the appropriate school representative.

👉 Read the Common App Fee Waiver Information

5. Create your college application résumé.

Start one document containing your:

• Activities and clubs
• Leadership positions
• Employment
• Volunteer/community service
• Sports
• Awards and honors
• Academic programs
• Summer experiences
• Certifications
• Special accomplishments

Don't depend on your memory in October.

6. Start thinking about your Common App essay.

You don't necessarily need a finished essay before school starts, but you should start thinking about your story.

What experiences have shaped you?

What matters to you?

What would an admissions officer understand about you after reading your application that grades alone wouldn't show?

Your essay should sound like YOU.

7. Think about recommendation letters.

Which teachers know you well enough to talk about your character, work ethic, growth and abilities?

Don't choose someone simply because you received an A in their class.

When school begins, you will be prepared to approach your recommenders early rather than asking at the last minute.

8. Create a professional email address—and check it.

College communication is going to increase dramatically.

Students should have a professional email address and develop the habit of checking it regularly.

Parents: your student's email is about to become extremely important.

9. Start a scholarship routine now.

Don't wait until January.

Create a scholarship folder or spreadsheet and keep track of:

Scholarship name
Amount
Deadline
Requirements
Essay required
Recommendation required
Status

A few applications every week can become dozens of scholarship opportunities over senior year.

10. Have the money conversation as a family.

This may be one of the most important conversations you have before applications begin.

Parents and students should discuss what the family can realistically afford.

Students deserve to know this BEFORE falling in love with a college.

An acceptance letter is exciting.

An affordable acceptance is even better.

Parents: You Don't Have to Know Everything Yet

If this is your first student going to college—or your student may be the first generation in your family to attend college—some of this terminology may be completely new.

That's one reason I'm starting these conversations early.

We will talk about applications, scholarships, financial aid, FAFSA, college costs, deadlines and much more throughout the year.

I want our students to become informed participants in this process rather than simply waiting for adults to tell them what to do.

And I want parents to understand enough about the process to ask the right questions.

We have time.

But the best time to start preparing for senior year isn't October.

It's now.

Class of 2027, let's get ready.