SCARBOROUGH, Maine — Back-to-school season for high school seniors typically means crunch time for applying to colleges and universities as the early admissions and financial aid deadlines creep closer.
College Solutions counselor Kim Labrecque said seniors should hit a few key milestones in their college searches this fall.
By fall, seniors should have their list of colleges with safety, target, and reach schools finalized.
Labrecque encourages students to make sure their lists have safety schools where they would be sincerely happy. She said seniors who graduate from high school in 2023 face a pandemic phenomenon: when many colleges made reporting of standardized test scores -- such as the SAT or ACT -- optional, students sent an "onslaught" of applications to schools, broadening the colleges' pool of applicants to choose from.
"What's been great about the elimination of an SAT for argument's sake is it's giving kids who truly deserve a shot at being successful in a school a chance to get in. On the same token, we're also seeing kids who, in a more normal platform, would've been admitted are getting rejected for no good reason," Labrecque said. "When you have more applications, colleges now have a more diverse student body to choose from, so they can really work to build their classes in whatever way they deem favorable."
Labrecque noted several important benchmarks in the application process high school seniors should meet this fall:
- Polish and perfect your college essay.
- Be aware of Early Action deadlines. Many schools list October 15 or November 1 as their deadlines.
- Get in touch with teachers and counselors now to request recommendations and transcripts.
- Start gathering documents for financial aid applications now. The "season" opens October 1 for students applying for aid for Fall 2023.
She also said inflation has increased the minimum income for families to receive financial aid. She said some families making $200,000 per year are still eligible, although financial aid also considers a family's assets.
"I think the formulas are becoming more fair during what can be a very daunting time for parents and students," Labrecque said. "The worst thing we can do is position a student in front of a school that they love and then rip it out from underneath them because it's simply not affordable."
Scarborough High School senior Lexi Bradbury is applying to eight schools. Her goal is to become a dermatologist.
"It's a little nerve-racking because I only get to choose one school," Bradbury said. "It's definitely stressful figuring out how much I value scholarships and everything compared with what else the school has to offer."
Each school has different deadlines for financial aid.
For state or college aid, the deadline may be as early as October 2021. You may also need to complete additional forms.