Is this really your last year of high school?! Is it really senior year?! Is it really almost time to apply to colleges?! You bet it is. But don’t worry—you’ve got this! You can even enjoy the fall while getting your college applications done (with time to spare). To help you get through senior year with ease by staying organized and on the ball, we’ve rounded up our best advice from all over the site specifically geared toward seniors and the college search. So take a look at all the advice we have to offer! And feel free to get in touch with us if you need more help.
Surviving senior year of high school
- Starting Your Senior Year: 4 Things You Need to Do: It can be easy to get off track with the excitement of senior year. But these top to-do's will help you finish your last year of high school strongly.
- Video: How to Prepare for Your Senior Year of High School: In this video, student vlogger Zenavieve walks you through all the important things you need to know to be prepared for your senior year of high school.
- Video: How to Make the Fall Semester of Senior Year Easier: Senior year of high school will be memorable and busy! Get ahead of it this summer with student vlogger Lucia's steps for a stress-free fall semester.
- Your Road Map to a Successful Senior Year of High School: Senior year is college go-time! Here's what you should be doing every month, including when you need to step on it and times you can take it slow.
- 12 Quick Ways to Reduce Junior and Senior Year Stress: Six things you can do right now to ease your stress, plus six habits you can (and should) develop to keep your stress levels in check for a long time to come.
- Eight Tips to Help You Combat Senioritis Before It Starts: Senioritis is the ailment that eventually plagues all high school students. Take the initiative to employ these eight tips for a great and productive year.
- How to Finish Senior Year of High School on a Strong Note: It's so easy to slack off at the end of senior year, but putting in the effort will pay off more in the long run. Here’s how you can finish up strong.
Searching for and applying to colleges
- The CollegeXpress Ultimate Guide to the College Search: If you still haven't found your best-fit college, it's not too late! Here's how you find the perfect school(s) for you.
- Helpful College Search Tips From a High School Senior: Wish you could pick the brain of a student who's already been through the college search? Well, here are all the tips that helped one high school senior!
- What You Need to Know About Rolling Admission: Rolling admission is a good option to help lessen the strain of the college search for some students. But what exactly is rolling admission? Find out now!
- Simplify Senior Year With These College Application Tips: Don’t you wish senior year could just be simple? Well if you follow these tips, it could certainly be a lot simpler.
- How to Motivate Yourself to Start College Applications: You know you have to start your college applications, but you could use some inspiration or something at this point. Here's the motivation you're looking for.
- You're an Ideal Applicant! Now It's Time to Show Colleges Why: Knowing what colleges want to see in your application is how you present your best self to admission officers. Here are our best tips for figuring it out!
- How to Make Your College Applications Stand Out: How can you make your college applications rise to the top of the heap? Read on for expert advice from an admission insider who breaks down the process.
- Five Ways to Beef Up Your College Applications: If your college applications are looking a little barren, here's how you can correct the course and add something substantial to impress admission officers.
- College App Proofreading Tips From an Editor-in-Chief: Grab a red pen and get ready to whip your college application into shape! These are the best editing tips and grammar tricks from a professional word nerd.
- 11 Steps to Finalizing and Submitting Your College Apps: Take the stress out of finishing up your college applications with these helpful tips on what to do and review before hitting submit!
- How to Avoid Burnout During College Application Season: The last thing you want to do during college application season is burn out. Here are a few ways to get ahead of things so you don't feel overwhelmed.
Perfecting your college admission essay
- Five Fun and Unique Ways to Brainstorm Your College Essays: It's time to write your college application essay, and these five brainstorming games are gonna help you do it! Check them out here.
- Five Tips to Conquer the Common Application Essay: Fitting your entire life story into 650 words seems impossible, but crafting an amazing Common App essay is a lot easier (and more fun) than you think!
- How to Write About Yourself the Right Way in Your College Essays: There's a place between humble and prideful, and it's the exact place you want to set up camp while writing your college application essays. Learn how here!
- Three Important Steps to Acing the "Why Us?" Essay: "Why this college?" is a common college admission essay prompt. Here's how you can stand out when you're writing about why you love and chose your dream school.
- 15 Helpful Tips to Make Your Admission Essays Shine: Writing your college admission essay can seem daunting, but these 15 pieces of advice can make it easy and painless. Follow them to make your essays stand out!
- Video: College Essay Q&A With Expert Kim Lifton: Writing your college application essay can be one of the most difficult parts of the college admission process. College essay expert Kim Lifton is here to help!
Taking the SAT or ACT
- Standardized Test Timeline for High School Students: What to Take and When?: From the SAT and SAT Subject Tests to the ACT and AP tests, you can encounter a lot of exams throughout high school.
- The Big Choice: The SAT vs. the ACT and Test-Optional Schools: Choosing which standardized test to take (or even to take one at all) can be tough. Here's some advice to help you make the big choice between the SAT and ACT.
- The Most Common Standardized Testing Struggles and How to Conquer Them: You’ve heard standardized tests are hard, but exactly how difficult are they? Here’s how to prepare and deal with the most common hurdles for students.
- Pros and Cons of Retaking the SAT or ACT: Should you subject yourself to test-taking hell all over again to get a better score? It depends. Here are some pros and cons of the situation.
- The Best ACT Test Prep Sites, Books, and More: If you’re planning to take the ACT during senior year, here are the best resources to take advantage of.
- Top Three Smart Tips for Stress-Free Test Prep: It’s no secret that standardized tests are one of the most stressful parts of being a high school student. Here’s some advice to ease the stress in your test prep.
Paying for college
- How to Get Financial Aid for College: The Ultimate Guide: Choosing a college is complicated. You've got to figure out what type of school you want, where to live, what to study, and—oh yeah—how to pay for it all. Here's how.
- How to Fill Out the FAFSA, Step-by-Step: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid can lead you to a wealth of financial aid, and filling out the forms isn't nearly as hard as you may think.
- The Ultimate List of Easy Scholarships to Apply for Now: No long essays. No recommendation letters. Just lots of scholarships that are easy to apply to and practically anyone can win!
- The Best Scholarship Search Sites, Books, and More: Do you want to win a college scholarship? Lucky for you, there are literally billions of dollars in awards out there...and plenty of resources to help you find them.
- All the Important Financial Aid Terms You Need to Know: Before you can start applying for financial aid, it’s best to know what kind of aid colleges offer to students. Here’s what you need to know!
- Five Little-Known Secrets to Getting More Gift Aid for College: The best kind of financial aid for college is the kind you don’t have to pay back. Here are some secrets to receiving more scholarships and grants.
Choosing the right school for you
- How to Choose a College Once You're Accepted: Accepted but still weighing your options? Before you send in your deposit, here are a few steps to guide you toward your ultimate college decision.
- Making Your Final College Decision: Receiving multiple college admission offers is a wonderful thing...until you can't choose between them! Don't stress. Check out our insider tips!
- Five Thoughtful Steps to Help You Make Your Final College Decision: It's coming down to the wire for choosing the college you're going to attend. Time to make a tough decision! This advice will help you make a good choice.
- Video: Top Tips on Making Your Final College Decision: Making your final decision on a college is a big step, and it's certainly not an easy one to make. Student Vlogger Toni has some advice to help you out.
- Rejected From Your Favorite Colleges? Here's What You Can Do: If you’ve read too many letters from colleges that start with “We regret to inform you,” all hope is not lost! Here’s what you can do to make a new plan.
Having fun and preparing for the future
- Stop! You Need to Make a Bucket List Before Senior Year Starts: You don't want to graduate high school with any regrets about missed opportunities. Here are some fun ideas to start your own senior year bucket list!
- Seven Things You Need to Do Before High School Graduation: Graduation will be here before you know it! Celebrate the last few weeks of your high school career by doing these seven important things.
- Six Fun Ways to Prepare for Your First Year of College: College-bound students have a right to be enthusiastic—and a little nervous! Here's how to channel that energy to prepare for your first year on campus.
- Our Best Advice for Having an Awesome Summer Break: Make your summer vacation productive and fun with our best advice on getting work experience, preparing for college, and recharging after a long school year.
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