For International Students, College Checklists for May

This week, The Choice published our monthly Counselor’s Calendar, intended to keep students on track during the college admissions process.

We’ve asked Rick Hazelton, the director of college counseling at the The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Conn., for this month’s admissions advice for juniors.

J.T. Duck, the director of college counseling at Boston University Academy, offers this month’s college checklist for seniors.

What follows are excerpts that are most relevant for international students. â€" Tanya Abrams

Juniors: College Checklist for May

Take Your Antibiotics

Do not catch senioritis! At this stage, seniors have different priorities than you have, and while their energy around their college options, graduation, prom and other events may seem exciting, they can be a distraction.

Stay focused. Finish strong in your classes and final exams. The successful completion of your junior year will propel you into a rewarding college application process.

Get Organized

Begin a spreadsheet to keep track of college application deadlines, application types (early action, early decision, rolling, regular), testing requirements, supplements, and supplementary materials (art portfolios, dance and theater DVDs, among other things).

Prepare for A.P. Exams and Subject Tests

Many colleges require SAT Subject Tests, and strong Advanced Placement scores can enhance your applications.

Consult with your teachers and guidance counselors about the ideal time to take subject tests. I tell students that the May and June SAT dates are the ideal times to take subject tests in chemistry, biology, physics, American history and world history.

Plan Your Schedule and Request Recommendations

A “light” senior year schedule can weaken your college application. Build a senior year course schedule with appropriate rigor and depth in honors, A.P. and International Baccalaureate courses.

Before your junior year ends, request recommendations from current teachers who can write with credibility about your academic engagement and curiosity (even if you did not receive an “A” in the class).

Start Thinking About Your Essay

Self-reflective writing is difficult for many students; it takes thought to write essays that reflect your genuine self.

The worst advice for the college essay is “write a college essay.” If you sit down to write for a nameless, faceless and highly judgmental admissions reader, your essay will not capture who you are and what you believe.

Take the nameless admissions reader out of the equation for a moment and respond to a simple question: What do you value?

Share an anecdote of that value in action. Think about voice and audience. “Voice” may be hard to define; if what you write would be perceived as honest and genuine by those who know you best, then you have come a long way in capturing your voice.

In order to prepare for the new Common Application essay prompts, your response to this question should not exceed 650 words. The underlying themes of the 2013-14 essay prompts have your values as their core themes.

Evaluate Your Finances With Your Parents

Have frank conversations with your parents about what your family can afford. Use net price calculators, which are available on college Web sites, to get an idea of what you and your parents will be expected to pay for college.

Private tuition may seem high, but resist letting sticker shock keep you from applying to certain schools. Allow the financial aid process to play out.

Plan for Summer Jobs and Enrichment

Use your time well during the summer. Doing something that is consistent with your interests and passions is the key. If you love science, then a summer engineering program or research opportunity at a college or university would complement your talents considerably. If you are committed to service, consider some local, national or international organizations (hospitals, shelters and other nonprofit organizations) to which you can devote your time.

Remember a few things:

1. “Typical” summer jobs are valued and respected in the college admissions process.
2. Choose substance over glitz. Doing actual work for a small company or charity is better than making photocopies at a large law firm or investment bank.
3. Local service is as valuable as service abroad, especially when service abroad may cost you thousands of dollars.

â€" Rick Hazelton

Seniors: College Checklist for May

You did it. You made it to May of senior year, which means the college search process and your senior year are almost over. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Kudos to you!

There are a few details to keep in mind as you wrap up your high school career, finish your college plans and prepare for your final summer before college.

End on a High Note

The euphoria of wrapping up the college application process and the clear sight line to graduation day might compel you to take your foot off the gas pedal between now and the day you receive that coveted diploma.

Resist that temptation. Instead, end your high school career on a high note, academically and otherwise.

Doing so will mean you will arrive at college a better prepared student, continue to earn the admiration of your teachers and classmates, and ultimately be able to look back on your high school experience (and transcript) with pride.

Remember that any offer of admission to a college is contingent upon successfully completing high school in a manner consistent with your record at the time of application. Any significant drop in grades may raise some concerns â€" or even jeopardize your spot â€" at your destination college.

If you want to transfer to a different college a year from now, your high school transcript may become part of a transfer application.

Make Up Your Mind

I often see students who spent months anxiously hoping to be admitted to any college suddenly overwhelmed by having to choose from among several great options. Hopefully you have spent the past few weeks researching your options, visiting campuses, talking to current students, and assessing finances so that you can now make your final choice.

Most colleges in the United States expected students to make their final enrollment decision by May 1, though some schools are still accepting applications.

Enrolling at a college usually involves a financial deposit to underscore the seriousness of your decision, but if you are receiving significant financial aid from that institution, you may qualify for a reduced deposit.

Politely Decline Other Colleges

Decline offers of admission to the colleges at which you are not enrolling. This allows those colleges to assess more quickly whether any spots will be available to students currently on their waiting lists.

In my experience, colleges follow up several times with admitted students to find out where they have enrolled in an effort to better understand which colleges constitute their overlap schools in any given year.

Respond Quickly to Wait-List Decisions

If you are active on a college’s waiting list, you may hear from that college any day now. Generally, colleges will notify students on their waiting lists as quickly as they can if spaces are not available.

If spaces are available, however, expect a phone call or e-mail notification at any time. Respond quickly and with enthusiasm to any wait-list queries from colleges you are still excited about; sometimes a speedy and clear demonstration of interest means the difference between earning an offer of admission and lingering longer on the wait list.

Notify Your High School

Your counselor needs to know what college you have chosen so that a final transcript can be sent in June.

Share your final decision with your counselor and your teachers. Thank these adults (especially those who wrote letters of recommendation for you) for their hard work on your behalf.

Respond Promptly to All College Communications

Once you commit to a college, expect a flurry of communications: housing surveys, course registration information, health insurance forms, and more.

Read all communications carefully and respond promptly. Be yourself (not the person you think you should be) when filling out roommate questionnaires and be thoughtful about selecting any courses before the start of the semester.

Keep a copy of all communications in one place so that you and your parents can refer to it before you head off to college.

Pay It Forward

All around you are throngs of anxious juniors just embarking on this process. Constructively share your experience, wisdom and know-how with your younger peers. Reassure them that they, too, will have good options a year from now. Offer to be a resource as they engage in their college search.

Play the role you wish knowledgeable seniors ahead of you had played when you were first starting out. In doing so, you will realize just how far you have come over the past year.

Plan Your Summer Activities

Create a summer schedule that aligns with your interests and passions or allows you to earn some spending money for college. Consider part-time jobs, community service, travel, internships or outdoor excursions. And make time for friends.

You should be immeasurably proud of your accomplishments and of the hard work that went into each one of them.

Spend your last few weeks of high school doing your best work, acknowledging your successes, thanking your educators, reminiscing with friends, and looking forward to a fabulous college experience!

â€" J.T. Duck

This post was prepared in consultation with the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools, a membership organization.