🎒 September College Checklist for Seniors (Plain-English Guide for Parents)
September is where momentum happens. The first big deadlines start popping up next month, so this checklist splits the work into what your kid needs to lead and how you can help without taking over. Keep it simple, steady, and on schedule.
Just getting started? Check out our August senior checklist.🧑🎓 What Your Kid Should Do This Month
- ✅ Finalize the Activities & Honors list (clean bullets, clear roles, realistic impact).
- ✅ Lock the personal statement and create 1–2 reusable supplemental essay templates. [Essay Toolkit]
- ✅ Ask two teachers for recommendation letters (in person), then follow up with a short brag sheet. [Reference Request Toolkit]
- ✅ Check testing policy for each college (test-optional vs. required; do they superscore?). Register for a Sept/Oct ACT/SAT only if it helps merit eligibility. (ACT | SAT)
- ✅ Open/verify each college’s application portal and track missing items weekly (transcripts, rec letters, scores).
- ✅ Start 1–2 competitive scholarship essays now—many priority deadlines hit in Oct/Nov. See our Scholarships Hub.
🧰 Parent Tool: Use our Offer Comparison Sheet (PDF) and Scholarships Hub to organize merit ranges, deadlines, and real costs.
👨👩👧👦 What You Can Do As a Parent
- 📌 Confirm each college’s priority deadline for admission, scholarships, and Honors (often Oct–Dec).
- 📌 Check automatic-merit cutoffs on our college pages and note whether test scores affect awards.
- 📌 Prep for FAFSA: create/confirm your FSA ID and your student’s at studentaid.gov; gather 2024 tax info (for the 2026–27 FAFSA).
- 📌 Bookmark reciprocity/discount programs if applicable: WUE · MSEP · your state aid page.
- 📌 Light-touch editing, heavy project management: keep the calendar and files organized; let your student own the voice.
🧭 What Happens Next (So You’re Not Surprised)
- 📬 Colleges send portal emails—this is where missing items and scholarship forms appear. Check weekly.
- 💸 FAFSA for 2026–27 opens Oct 1, 2025 and uses your 2024 tax return. See our plain-English explainer: Financial Aid 101.
- 🏆 Priority deadlines for Early Action, Honors, and top scholarships land between October and December. Missing them can mean leaving money on the table.
- 📝 If test scores help merit thresholds, September/October is likely the last sitting that meaningfully moves aid.
🎓 Pro Tip: Many “automatic” awards are formula-based—and Honors often requires a separate form. September is the month to lock essays and rec letters so you’re free to hit those early scholarship and Honors deadlines.
September Senior FAQ (Quick Answers)
When should seniors aim to submit applications?
If your colleges have Early Action or priority merit deadlines, target late October to early November. If not, a clean, complete application in November is usually great.
Do colleges superscore the ACT/SAT (and does it affect scholarships)?
Many colleges superscore, but not all. If a school superscores or considers highest section scores, a September/October retake can help you clear automatic merit thresholds. Always check each college’s testing policy.
Which tax year does FAFSA use this fall?
FAFSA uses the prior-prior year (two years back). For the 2025–26 FAFSA, families use 2023 taxes. See our plain-English guide: Financial Aid 101.
What’s the difference between automatic and competitive scholarships?
Automatic awards are based on GPA/test bands at admission (no extra essays). Competitive awards require a separate application/essays and go to a smaller pool. Check your colleges’ Automatic Merit and Competitive Scholarships sections on CRP for cutoffs and deadlines.
How do college portals fit into scholarships and decisions?
After you submit, colleges send portal logins. That portal shows missing items, scholarship forms, and (later) decisions. Check it weekly.