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.

Update activities documentation - Junior Year College Admission

Overview

Time for a check-in on your activities tracker! Keeping it current throughout the year makes application season much less stressful.

What to Update

New leadership positions or role expansions
Updated hours per week and weeks per year
Recent achievements, awards, or recognition
Quantified impact (numbers!)
New activities started this year
Skills developed or demonstrated

Common App Preview

The activities section allows:

10 activities maximum
50 characters for position title
150 characters for description

Start practicing this format — it's trickier than it looks!

Example Transformation

Before: "Volunteered at food bank"

After: "Team Lead, City Food Bank (11-12, 5 hrs/wk, 40 wks/yr): Coordinated 25 volunteers weekly; served 200+ families; led holiday drive collecting 2,000 items"

Power Words

Founded, Led, Organized, Created, Managed, Developed, Increased, Coordinated, Mentored

Pro Tip

Set a monthly reminder to update this document. Future you will be so grateful!

Overview

Time for a check-in on your activities tracker! Keeping it current throughout the year makes application season much less stressful.

What to Update

New leadership positions or role expansions
Updated hours per week and weeks per year
Recent achievements, awards, or recognition
Quantified impact (numbers!)
New activities started this year
Skills developed or demonstrated

Common App Preview

The activities section allows:

10 activities maximum
50 characters for position title
150 characters for description

Start practicing this format — it's trickier than it looks!

Example Transformation

Before: "Volunteered at food bank"

After: "Team Lead, City Food Bank (11-12, 5 hrs/wk, 40 wks/yr): Coordinated 25 volunteers weekly; served 200+ families; led holiday drive collecting 2,000 items"

Power Words

Founded, Led, Organized, Created, Managed, Developed, Increased, Coordinated, Mentored

Pro Tip

Set a monthly reminder to update this document. Future you will be so grateful!

Update activities documentation

Step-by-Step Guide

Overview

What to Update

Common App Preview

Example Transformation

Power Words

Pro Tip

Task Details

Track Your Progress

Related Tasks

Update activities documentation

Step-by-Step Guide

Overview

What to Update

Common App Preview

Example Transformation

Power Words

Pro Tip

Task Details

Track Your Progress

Related Tasks