Preparing to apply to college
A year-by-year plan for high school, the Common App, building a profile, and how homeschool and adult students apply. Every fact below names its official source.
Last checked:
A 4-year high school timeline
Overview only. For dates, registration, rules and scoring, see each test maker's own site.
9th grade
Students should meet their school counselor, who will work with them to outline a path and explain the steps they will need to take. [1]
Students who are not feeling challenged can ask their counselor or teachers about honors or advanced course options: whether they are available, whether the student is eligible and how to enroll. [1]
Students should get involved in activities that interest them, take time to find what they like doing, and then keep doing it. [1]
First-year applicants must complete 15 yearlong high school courses with a letter grade of C or better, at least 11 of them before their last year of high school. [2]
10th grade
Students should choose courses that both interest and challenge them, not just courses that will help them get into college. [3]
11th grade
Students should compile an initial list of colleges, do their research, take notes and meet with their school counselor to further shape the list. [4]
The best way to get a sense of whether a college is right for a student is to visit the campus, attend an information session, take a campus tour, talk with students and visit a class if possible, and students who can’t visit in person can take the virtual tours many colleges offer. [4]
Students should not wait until senior year to secure their recommenders. [4]
When planning their senior year class schedule, students can talk with teachers and counselors about advanced options such as honors, AP, IB or dual enrollment courses, keeping in mind that being able to take every advanced class does not mean they should. [4]
The SAT is offered several times during the school year, from fall through late spring. [5]
Students should take the ACT at least two months before their earliest college and scholarship application deadlines. [6]
12th grade
Students with a first-choice college can discuss applying early decision (ED) or early action (EA), but should make sure they would be happy to attend every college on their list. [7]
Students should make sure they understand the testing requirements for each school on their list, and the College Board and ACT both offer exam fee waivers for eligible students. [7]
Students should be mindful of deadlines, avoid waiting until the last minute, and monitor when their transcript and letters of recommendation have been submitted to each college. [7]
Students should pay careful attention to the specific financial aid deadlines and requirements for each college. [7]
Students review their admission offers and compare financial aid packages, submit a deposit to only one school by the start of May, and notify the colleges they do not plan to attend. [7]
The entire senior year of grades still counts, the chosen college receives the final high school transcript at the end of the year, and college acceptances are contingent upon successful completion of coursework. [7]
SAT® and AP® are registered trademarks of College Board. PSAT/NMSQT® is a registered trademark of the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. ACT® is a registered trademark of ACT Education Corp. IB® is a registered trademark of the International Baccalaureate Organization. Common App® is a registered trademark of The Common Application, Inc. None of these organizations is affiliated with or endorses UpOnly Learning.
The Common App: essay, recommendations and deadlines
Common App publishes the full set of first-year essay prompts each year, and its essay guide says applicants have 7 prompts, one of which is to share an essay on any topic of their choice. [8] [9]
Applicants choose one option and write an essay of no more than 650 words, and the application will not accept a response shorter than 250 words. [10]
Colleges can either make the personal essay optional or required. [11]
More details
There are four recommender types in the Common App (counselors, teachers, other recommenders and advisors), and every college can choose how many letters of recommendation to require. [12]
Counselors share information about an applicant within the context of the entire class and school community, and teachers provide information in the context of their classroom. [12]
Applicants should ask for a letter of recommendation at least three weeks in advance of a deadline. [12]
Counselors also submit the School Report and transcripts, and some colleges also ask applicants to self-report their high school transcript. [11]
A deadline is the date by which an applicant must submit application materials, and the application shows each college’s requirements for testing, writing, deadlines and more. [13] [11]
Building a profile: courses and activities
- Penn Admissions looks at whether applicants are taking advantage of the rigorous courses available in their high school, and it reviews each school’s profile to understand the types of courses available to the applicant. [14]
- Penn Admissions asks whether an applicant had the opportunity to take challenging courses and whether they took that opportunity. [14]
- Applicants can add up to ten activities to the application, but that does not mean they need to enter ten. [15]
More details
- Activities to list can include family responsibilities, a job, an internship or volunteer work. [15]
- Penn Admissions does not value one kind of activity more than others, and applicants should include details about their role and specific responsibilities for each activity. [16]
- Activities include part-time work, family responsibilities and summer activities. [16]
Applying as a homeschool student
Each college sets its own rules for homeschool applicants. Check each college’s homeschool page and the forms it asks for.
The School Report is a form submitted by the high school counselor to provide basic information about the applicant’s academic performance. [13]
The student sends the form to the home school supervisor, who may leave the supervisor details blank if they are the same person listed as the counselor on the school report and are attaching the supplement to the school report. [17]
The supervisor attaches short explanations (1000 words or less each) of the student’s homeschool experience and environment, the grading scale or other methods of evaluation, and any courses taken from a distance learning program, a traditional secondary school or a college. [17]
More details
The form is sent directly to each college admission office, not to Common App. [17]
In addition to a transcript, homeschooled applicants are encouraged to submit a detailed description of their curriculum, but it is not necessary to follow a prescribed or approved homeschooling program. [18]
Stanford requires three letters of recommendation (two from teachers and one from a secondary school counselor), a parent may write a letter in place of a secondary school counselor, and it prefers teacher letters from external instructors who have taught the student in an academic setting, such as a community college professor. [18]
Caltech's Secondary School Report for Homeschooled Applicants is started by the student and completed by the homeschool counselor or supervisor, who lists course titles and levels (for example college prep, AP, IB, honors or college-level). [19]
Caltech requires official grades for all coursework regardless of the setting, and applicants must attach official transcripts for any courses taken through a local college or an online provider. [19]
Adult and returning students
For federal student aid, see Paying for College. For moving from a community college to a university, see Transfer.
There are some differences between adults returning to school and students who go to college directly from high school. [20]
There is no age limit for receiving federal student aid, and almost everyone is eligible for some type of federal student aid. [20]
Questions people search
Chosen from our search-question research. Every answer is cited.
How do homeschoolers apply to college?
The student sends the form to the home school supervisor, who may leave the supervisor details blank if they are the same person listed as the counselor on the school report and are attaching the supplement to the school report. [17]
The form is sent directly to each college admission office, not to Common App. [17]
In addition to a transcript, homeschooled applicants are encouraged to submit a detailed description of their curriculum, but it is not necessary to follow a prescribed or approved homeschooling program. [18]
How long is the Common App essay?
Applicants choose one option and write an essay of no more than 650 words, and the application will not accept a response shorter than 250 words. [10]
Common App publishes the full set of first-year essay prompts each year, and its essay guide says applicants have 7 prompts, one of which is to share an essay on any topic of their choice. [8] [9]
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Sources
- Common App (The Common Application, Inc.). Your path to college: 9th grade checklist. https://www.commonapp.org/plan/your-path-to-college/9th-grade. no edition stated. Checked .
- University of California, Office of the President (UC Admissions). Subject requirement (A–G). https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/admission-requirements/first-year-requirements/subject-requirement-a-g.html. no edition stated. Checked .
- Common App (The Common Application, Inc.). Your path to college: 10th grade checklist. https://www.commonapp.org/plan/your-path-to-college/10th-grade. no edition stated. Checked .
- Common App (The Common Application, Inc.). Your path to college: 11th grade checklist. https://www.commonapp.org/plan/your-path-to-college/11th-grade. no edition stated. Checked .
- College Board (SAT Suite of Assessments). SAT Suite Test Dates and Deadlines. https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/dates-deadlines. dates for 2026-27. Checked .
- ACT Education Corp.. Register for the ACT. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration.html. page shows 2026-2027 test dates. Checked .
- Common App (The Common Application, Inc.). Your path to college: 12th grade checklist. https://www.commonapp.org/plan/your-path-to-college/12th-grade. no edition stated. Checked .
- Common App (The Common Application, Inc.). First-year essay prompts. https://www.commonapp.org/apply/essay-prompts. prompts for 2026–2027. Checked .
- Common App (The Common Application, Inc.). Telling your story (How to approach the essay). https://www.commonapp.org/static/42daa63548ea40d8cb5f17c9efca75fc/How-to-Approach-the-Essay.pdf. PDF dated September 2026. Checked .
- University of Michigan, Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Essay Questions (first-year applicants). https://admissions.umich.edu/apply/first-year-applicants/essay-questions. no cycle year stated. Checked .
- Common App (The Common Application, Inc.). First-year application guide (step-by-step guide). https://www.commonapp.org/apply/first-year-students. no edition stated. Checked .
- Common App (The Common Application, Inc.). Understanding the recommendation process. https://www.commonapp.org/static/bd27e890c7338673cbde71a9ce883bef/Understanding-Rec-Process.pdf. PDF dated September 2026. Checked .
- Common App (The Common Application, Inc.). Application dictionary. https://www.commonapp.org/static/eb936e0080b0c7535a04c720aabf4b75/Application-Dictionary_0.pdf. PDF dated September 2026. Checked .
- University of Pennsylvania, Penn Admissions. Academics (Preparing Your Application). https://admissions.upenn.edu/how-to-apply/preparing-your-application/academics. no edition stated. Checked .
- Common App (The Common Application, Inc.). Approaching the activities section. https://www.commonapp.org/static/f45949473bb80a91c80aface729d83df/Approaching-Activities.pdf. PDF dated September 2026. Checked .
- University of Pennsylvania, Penn Admissions. Activities (Preparing Your Application). https://admissions.upenn.edu/how-to-apply/preparing-your-application/activities. no edition stated. Checked .
- Common App (The Common Application, Inc.); form posted by Harvard College Admissions. Common App homeschool supplement. https://college.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/2026-08/FY_SR_home%20school%20supplement%20copy.pdf. form © 2026 The Common Application, Inc. (PDF posted August 2026). Checked .
- Stanford University, Undergraduate Admission. Guidelines for Homeschooled Applicants. https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/first-year/home_school.html. no edition stated. Checked .
- California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Undergraduate Admissions. Secondary School Report (SSR) for Homeschooled Applicants. https://www.admissions.caltech.edu/documents/7975/Secondary_School_Report_SSR_for_Homeschooled_Applicants.pdf. no date printed (PDF form). Checked .
- Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education (Financial Aid Toolkit). Adult Students. https://awsfinancialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/tk/outreach/target/adults.jsp. no edition stated. Checked .
Format: Publisher. Page title. URL. Edition or catalog year. Checked date.