When should I start preparing for college admission?

You should start preparing in freshman year of high school. This includes focusing on grades, exploring extracurricular activities, and beginning to think about your interests and potential career paths.

What are the most important college admission deadlines?

Key deadlines include: Early Decision/Early Action (November 1-15), Regular Decision (January 1-15), FAFSA opens (October 1), and CSS Profile deadline (varies by school). Our timeline tracker helps you never miss a deadline.

How many college admission tasks are there?

There are 374+ tasks across all four years of high school, including academic preparation, standardized testing, extracurricular activities, college research, applications, and financial aid.

What is included in the admission timeline?

The timeline includes tasks for: A-G requirements tracking, standardized test prep (SAT/ACT/AP), college research and visits, application essays, letters of recommendation, financial aid (FAFSA/CSS), and scholarship applications.

FAFSA opens - Junior Year College Admission

Overview

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the gateway to federal financial aid. Nearly every college requires it, and filing early can help you get priority consideration!

Important Links

FAFSA Application: studentaid.gov/fafsa
Create FSA ID: studentaid.gov/fsa-id

Key Dates

Opens: October 1, 2025 (for 2026-2027 school year)
California Priority Deadline: March 2, 2026 (for Cal Grant)

Getting Started

Create FSA IDs — both student AND parent need separate accounts with different emails
Allow 1-3 days for Social Security verification
Gather 2024 tax returns and financial documents
Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to automatically import tax data

School Codes

You can list up to 20 schools. Find codes at studentaid.gov/fafsa-app/FSCsearch

Helpful Tip

Even if you think your family's income is too high for need-based aid, file FAFSA anyway! It's required for federal loans and many merit scholarships.

Overview

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the gateway to federal financial aid. Nearly every college requires it, and filing early can help you get priority consideration!

Important Links

FAFSA Application: studentaid.gov/fafsa
Create FSA ID: studentaid.gov/fsa-id

Key Dates

Opens: October 1, 2025 (for 2026-2027 school year)
California Priority Deadline: March 2, 2026 (for Cal Grant)

Getting Started

Create FSA IDs — both student AND parent need separate accounts with different emails
Allow 1-3 days for Social Security verification
Gather 2024 tax returns and financial documents
Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to automatically import tax data

School Codes

You can list up to 20 schools. Find codes at studentaid.gov/fafsa-app/FSCsearch

Helpful Tip

Even if you think your family's income is too high for need-based aid, file FAFSA anyway! It's required for federal loans and many merit scholarships.

FAFSA opens

Step-by-Step Guide

Overview

Important Links

Key Dates

Getting Started

School Codes

Helpful Tip

Helpful Resources

Task Details

Track Your Progress

Related Tasks

FAFSA opens

Step-by-Step Guide

Overview

Important Links

Key Dates

Getting Started

School Codes

Helpful Tip

Helpful Resources

Task Details

Track Your Progress

Related Tasks