Re-Routing the Map: Guidance for Senior Families
One of our goals at College Parents of America is to support families by providing clear, no nonsense senior year guideposts. This is the point in the journey where there are different detours and off-ramps for every student and family. It’s kind of like when your phone map sees that you missed an exit and re-routes the journey. November is a good time for you and your student to consider re-routing the college application map.
If your student submitted early applications . . .
Students (and their families) deserve a break after getting those early applications in, but there are a few things to keep in mind . . .
Your student should check their email account REGULARLY. They should activate application portals (which are through the schools and not through Common App) where those are available. Students might receive notice of something missing, a follow-up task, or an opportunity through email and it is important that they stay on top of it.
If a student is considering applying to an Honors College or Program, those are often separate applications. Students should check on the deadlines for those applications and include them on their application tracker.
Most schools that offer early decision deadlines are transparent about when they will communicate decisions. Social media is a good way to keep track of these announcements – look for <university name> + admissions on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, or X.
Many schools with early decision deadlines make their decisions quickly and announce in early December. Every student is different, so the best approach is to talk to your student about how they want to read their decisions. Do they want to do this with family alongside? Or by themselves? We encourage discussing this before the announcements come in having a plan.
One of our mantras is that every family is different and we will never tell a family what to do . . . but we will go out on a limb here and offer a few gentle reminders.
Posting videos of the “reveal” and your student’s reaction is pretty much never a good idea.
If you are considering making a public announcement about your student’s results, remember that plenty of students - including your own student’s friends - are processing disappointing news.
If your student has more applications to finish, encourage them to keep on rollin’. They are probably in a groove on essays and those late November deadlines are around the corner.
The entire application process is a growth experience, and students might discover new schools they are interested in as well as schools that they are no longer interested in. Fortunately, at this point in the game there is still time to modify the “list” and add and delete schools from the application list. It is worth having a conversation with your student to see if they want to re-route at this point – or at least add or subtract some detours or side trips.
If your student hasn’t gotten going yet . . .
It’s okay! The vast majority of colleges have Regular Decision deadlines that haven’t hit yet, and many have rolling admissions. If your student is trying to figure out where to start, here are a few tips:
A good starting point is in-state schools. Encourage your student to investigate their in-state options and identify one or two that are accessible from a financial and admissions standpoint AND that have December or later deadlines. If possible, take a tour.
Another option is to investigate community colleges in your area.
Remind them that most schools have deadlines in January and thereafter. There is still plenty of time to get started on this process.
Getting started on FAFSA . . .
FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It is the gateway to receiving federal grant money, qualifying for additional state and university-based grants, and qualifying for federal loans. We recommend that all families fill out FAFSA. The online portal opens in October. We recommend that families start by checking out the FAFSA website. Students and parents can also apply for their FSA ID now - a necessary first step that only takes a few minutes. Students and parents will have separate FSA ID numbers, and if a parent has submitted FAFSA for themselves or an older student, they likely already have an ID established (you can retrieve that information through the website). You can read more about FAFSA in our FAFSA overview blog post.
Find a Rest Stop and Take a Break
Fall of senior year can be a time of significant growth for students. Many start the college application process basing decisions on the dreams and goals they had as a child, and as they work their way through the process as a near-adult they might make some thoughtful and informed shifts. Re-routing is usually a sign of maturity and independence, and is an important part of the whole process.