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Welcome to April’s CATES College Checklist!

Our monthly admissions-focused newsletter, the CATES College Checklist brings you the month’s important dates and deadlines along with testing and advising resources relevant to your student’s year in school.

We hope that elements of spring have made their way to your part of the country and that you are feeling revitalized by the energy of renewal. Longer days might allow you to add in an after-dinner walk with your students to talk about their goals. Engaging them in positive conversation about their vision for their future offers them the confidence they will need to pursue it.

Last updated: April 2024

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Freshmen

It’s spring season for your freshmen, so whether they are looking ahead toward a new sport, a robotics competition, or a spring production, they might be exhibiting a new-found self-assuredness having overcome the jitters of first experiences in the fall. Continue surrounding them with encouragement to go for that leadership opportunity, try a new activity, or attempt that AP course—an openness for embracing challenges will empower them later in life.

Freshman Checklist

Academics

Admissions

  • April: Further cement positioning for leadership roles in extracurricular and community activities
    • Learn more

      For your future college and scholarship applications, it is important to establish yourself as a leader in the classroom, school, and community. Admissions personnel want to know that they are admitting students who have a documented track record of service in their communities and who will bring that positive influence to their campus. Opportunities abound through school clubs and activities, as well as in the community through non-profit, municipal, and religious organizations.

      Discover Education Advising from CATES

Sophomores

Your sophomores might have their first AP tests or cumulative final exams on the horizon. Preparing for these content-heavy tests can be overwhelming, so encourage them to seek outside resources that can help organize and compartmentalize their studies in the form of after-school meetings with instructors, study groups, or private tutoring.

Sophomore Checklist

Academics

Admissions

  • April: Further cement positioning for leadership roles in extracurricular and community activities
    • Learn more

      For your future college and scholarship applications, it is important to establish yourself as a leader in the classroom, school, and community. Admissions personnel want to know that they are admitting students who have a documented track record of service in their communities and who will bring that positive influence to their campus. Opportunities abound through school clubs and activities, as well as in the community through non-profit, municipal, and religious organizations.

      Discover Education Advising from CATES

Testing

Juniors

Most of your juniors have at least one or more of their formal SAT/ACT experiences completed, but it is not yet time to ease off the preparation if their scores are not yet on target. They should be reviewing past tests to gain insight into why they are answering incorrectly and seeing more questions to quiz their new understanding. Mock testing is also an invaluable resource to acclimate them to the timing—and stress—they will encounter on test day.

Junior Checklist

Academics

Admissions

  • April: Decide on a schedule for school visits in the spring, summer, and fall
  • April: Identify prospects for summer internships
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      The summer before senior year offers the perfect opportunity for your students to show colleges they are serious about their intended program of study by completing an internship in the field. Because these opportunities can be competitive, your juniors should be researching local businesses or firms that might support such a role and contacting them via email.

      Discover Education Advising from CATES

Testing

Seniors

For seniors, April is a month of deliberation as the national deadline for submitting college decisions and the nonrefundable deposit is May 1st (although this year, several colleges have pushed back this deadline due to FAFSA delays). As they compare their acceptances to make a final decision, your seniors should be weighing academic quality, cost, campus life, college graduation rates, and career counseling and networking. While the above considerations are largely intellectual, your students should also heed the inner voice that might be reminding them of their emotional response to the campus visit—did they actually feel at home there? If a final decision has not been confidently made by the end of April, schedule a clarifying conversation with your CATES advisor.

Senior Checklist

Academics

Admissions

  • April: Receive admissions decisions and send Letters of Continued Interest and other requested materials to waitlisted schools
    • Learn more

      If your student receives an invitation to join the waitlist for one of their top choices, they should weigh their decision to decline or accept very carefully. Accepting the invitation comes with a fair amount of stress as final decision dates may come as late as July, and the uncertainty can fray even the most unflappable students. If a waitlist invitation is accepted, it is important that your student communicate their continued interest in a formal email to the school known as a Letter of Continued Interest. This email is your student’s opportunity to bolster their chances of being chosen for one of those final admissions spots. The email will reiterate their dedication to admission and highlight the following: high academic achievement; new extracurricular or community involvement; awards, honors, or recognition; or updated test scores. Students should also submit the deposit for their second choice school by May 1st (or a later deadline, if applicable).

      Discover Application Support from CATES

  • April: Unsubscribe from college mailing lists and withdraw applications
    • Learn more

      Once you have made the big decision about which college you will attend, it is important to formally withdraw your applications from the others in order to be respectful to the admissions personnel. The process of withdrawing is different for each institution: for some, you must withdraw through the college portal; for others, you must withdraw your application by either emailing or writing a formal letter to the admissions office—be sure to include your name and address and the ID number connected to your application.

  • May 1: National College Decision Day
    • Learn more

      National College Decision Day has traditionally been the deadline for submitting your final admissions decision and deposit; however, with the FAFSA deadline delayed until June 30th, some colleges have extended their deadline—be certain you know the deadlines for your schools of interest!

      Discover Education Advising from CATES

  • April–May: Complete your FAFSA
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