2016-2017 College Application Calendar for Juniors

Dearest juniors-or do you now prefer to go by “rising seniors?” Dearest class of 2017, welcome to the busiest year of your life. Before you start stockpiling RedBull or making plans to flee to Cuba, know that you can do this. At this very moment, you have the whole year ahead of you, and if you pace yourself, you’ll survive the application process like a champ. (And we bet you won’t even need those RedBulls.) Of course we think the essay is one of the most important parts of your application, and it is objectively one of the most time-consuming, so we made you a 12-month college application calendar to help you organize your writing process around other admissions cycle milestones. Stay tuned for future installments!

And by the way, seniors, we didn’t forget about you. You should also stay tuned for some more tips on applying to liberal arts schools with late deadlines, surviving the wait, and (gulp) writing yourself off the waitlist.

And now, without further ado, the calendar:

JANUARY: Get Organized!

You’ll need to write up a formal resume at some point, but for now, take a look back at your high school career (or at least 2015) and start a running list of all of your accomplishments. What leadership roles did you take on? What games did you win? What accolades did you receive? What challenges did you surmount? Be as specific as possible and keep this up-to-date through the end of the year.

FEBRUARY: Prepare!

In our opinion, it’s never too early to get started on your college essay. We say so about a zillion times in College Essay Academy, our 10-episode video introduction to the college essay. Before you have to actually start writing these essays, you should know what kind of challenges lie ahead – and how to overcome them!

MARCH: Brace Yourself for the Common App!

The Common App typically releases its new batch of prompts sometime in March, so keep your eyes peeled. It’s waaaay too early in the game to commit to a prompt at this point, but, ya know, forewarned is forearmed.

Looking ahead:

APRIL: Research!

MAY: Take your APs (and other exams)!

JUNE: Pick your recommenders!

JULY: Have experiences!

AUGUST: Start writing!

SEPTEMBER: Keep writing!

OCTOBER: Polish up your early application(s)!

NOVEMBER: Polish up your regular applications! (Yes, everyone.)

DECEMBER: Hit submit!

We’ll be filling in these upcoming months in installments to help you stay on track! In the meantime, you know where to find us.

Learn more about the CEA process.

Read our guide to the 2015-2016 Common App.

Preview College Essay Academy and get a head start on your essays.