Say you get into college. You get the news via a letter, an email, a text, a package, maybe even something involving a confetti cannon (if you’re into that sort of thing). You get a packet that tells you how to apply for housing, how to accept your financial aid, how to set up your school email, etc. etc. etc.
It might seem a little unfair to have all these to-do list items after you’ve already done all the work to get into a college in the first place. And each institution is different, so you might have to complete the same task for multiple schools before you decide. Alas.
To try and make prioritizing a little easier, here are some general guidelines to keep in mind as you think through your pre-college checklist.
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Stay on top of anything related to financial aid.
If you keep a million dollars worth of gold stuffed into your mattress, then yes, you might choose to skip the FAFSA (but you should probably at least consider following the example of Ron Swanson with that gold). For everyone else: Pay close attention to any notifications that talk about submitting your FAFSA, verifying your FAFSA, applying for scholarships, accepting financial aid, etc. Don’t let weeks slip by before responding to emails or phone calls. -
Set up your email account or activate your online portal account — and check it weekly.
It may seem silly to have email accounts for multiple schools, but you don’t want to miss anything if this is a university’s main channel of communication for deadlines and registration openings.
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Make your confirmation deposit by the stated deadline.
If you apply for a Fall start date via Regular Decision or Rolling Admission (as opposed to Early Action or Early Decision), institutions can’t require you to make your deposit before May 1. Once you’ve decided where you’re going, though, and made your deposit, tell any other universities where you’ve been accepted that you won’t be attending (then they’ll stop sending you 60 emails a week). You should only confirm at one school. If the confirmation deposit is a financial hardship for you, some institutions provide a fee waiver application. -
When you know where you’re going, apply for housing and orientation.
Housing is crucial for obvious reasons. Orientation is important because that’s often where you register for classes before they fill up. At orientation, you also might receive reminders about later-summer checklist items, such as placement exams, health insurance waivers, parking passes and immunization records.
I know it’s a lot. Take it one step at a time, as much as possible. If you see a deadline and you’re not sure you’re going to make it, call the office and explain your situation — talking to a real person might give you a timely idea of your options.
Good luck!
