The New College Admissions Timeline

Although in the past, high school students could start thinking about college towards the end of junior year, 2017 has ushered in several major changes to the college admissions process that make it essential for families to begin focusing on the college search far earlier in order to be competitive for admission, merit scholarships and financial aid.

 

This year, high school students will be facing some significant changes to the college admissions process including earlier fall application deadlines; a new scholarship and financial aid timeline; different standardized testing dates; increased emphasis on ethical engagement involving issues of race, gender and class; and a new multi-year application being put forth by nearly 100 of the nation’s top colleges whereby students begin uploading their essays and projects as soon as they begin high school.

Learn More

9th-11th graders and their parents can learn more about these important changes and what families can do to be prepared by watching a videotaped presentation given recently by Crimson College Consulting’s president Marie Lucca at the Boxford (MA) public library. 

Is Your Family on Track?

As of 2016, families can submit their federal financial aid forms as early as October 1 of senior year, but in order to do so, students must include a list of colleges where they will be applying. Since most financial aid funds and merit scholarships are distributed on a first come, first served basis, it makes sense for students to submit their college applications as early as possible.

 

Don’t need financial aid? Full-pay students are still affected! The new October 1 FAFSA submission date has resulted in many colleges formally or informally moving up their application deadlines to early fall. Further, students with GPAs in the B and C range who apply to colleges with a rolling admissions process will be particularly impacted because slots for admitted applicants will be filled far earlier than in past years. 

Finish Your College Applications over the Summer

For some families, this new October 1 date is quite a shock, and many parents are wondering how on earth their students will get everything done according to the new timeline.  Don’t worry – Crimson College Consulting is coming to the rescue.

 

Students who use our private one-on-one college counseling services are already aligned with the new timeline. However, we have been getting panicked calls from dozens of junior parents over the last several weeks.  Since Crimson College Consulting begins contracting with families as early as the summer before grade 9, we stopped taking private counseling clients from the class of 2018 about a year ago. Therefore, in order to accommodate as many of these families as possible, Crimson College Consulting will be offering a week-long “College Application Boot Camp” at the Ferncroft Country Club in Middleton, MA from July 31 through August 4, 2017 designed for those rising seniors from public, private and parochial schools who want to have the bulk of their college applications completed before the start of senior year.  Seats are strictly limited to ensure individualized attention so be sure to register today.

 

Why Register for Our Boot Camp?  Lots of Reasons!

Besides dramatically increasing your likelihood of admission, financial aid and merit scholarships, there are many other reasons to consider signing up for our College Application Boot Camp. 

 

Guidance from admissions experts

    College admissions is a very complicated process and many students simply don’t know where to begin. Plus, it’s easy for students to make mistakes when tackling applications on their own, irreparably damaging their chances of admission.

 

Reduce stress at home

    The college application process can be nerve-wracking for parents and students alike. By handing the reins to professionals, parents can rest assured that the process is under control – with no nagging involved!

 

Get a jump start on the admissions process before school is back in session

    For many students, the first grades of senior year can make or break their chances of admission. Students need to focus on their academic work during the fall semester. In addition, many students are involved in athletics, clubs and other extracurricular activities during the school year, leaving little time for the many hours involved in crafting polished applications and essays. Therefore, it makes sense to finish as much of the process as possible over the summer.

 

Add some pizzazz to the admissions process

    Students like to have fun and so do we, so we make sure to include games, funny videos and other activities in our boot camps. Plus, even the most arduous tasks always seem more pleasurable if you are doing them with friends, so we encourage friends to sign up together.