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Welcome to May’s CATES College Checklist!

Our monthly admissions-focused newsletter, the CATES College Checklist brings you testing and advising information relevant to your student’s year in school, salient webinars and podcasts, and important dates to remember.

May brings a cascade of culminating school activities—the big musical, the prom, and graduation ceremonies—so we hope that you enjoy these special moments together, and we thank you for including us in your student’s academic journey!

Last updated: May 2023

JUMP TO:

Freshmen

Your freshmen continue to concentrate on high academic achievement, including creating a finals study plan to finish out the semester strong. Their summer plans should include enhancing their academic transcripts or developing their Passion Projects.

Freshman Checklist

Sophomores

Your sophomores are finalizing their academic or career-related plans for summer, which might include future-oriented coursework or an internship opportunity. They might also be thinking about using their summer break to job-shadow at various institutions to narrow down their career interests. For the remainder of the semester, your sophomores should be focused on completing the semester with the highest grades possible.

Sophomore Checklist

  • May 1–12: AP exams
  • May: Create your study plan for final exams
  • May: Continue working to establish leadership roles in your extracurricular and community activities
  • May: Schedule an SAT vs. ACT Diagnostic Test to take once school ends
    • What is an SAT vs. ACT Diagnostic?

      CATES offers students a diagnostic exam with sections mimicking both the SAT and the ACT to determine which test best suits a student’s unique strengths.

      Based on a thorough analysis of the qualitative factors underlying diagnostic score trends, we can determine a student’s best fit and put a test preparation schedule in place. Our tutors will prescribe new strategies and techniques to unlock peak performance and lead students to testing success.

Juniors

Your juniors are steeped in preparation and testing this month. Between tests, they continue visiting prospective colleges as part of the exciting exploration and discovery process. They should also be finalizing their summer plans as the two-month break from school will offer a considerable opportunity to maximize career-related experiences, leadership responsibilities, and community impact activities for their fall applications.

Junior Checklist

Seniors

Congratulations, families of seniors! Your students’ final college decisions have been made! Deposits sent in, you can all enjoy the relief that comes with knowing the last four years of dedication and diligence have been rewarded. Your students must now decline any acceptances from other colleges and submit their last Letters of Continued Interest if they are in a waitlisted holding pattern. This final month of high school will bring many milestones and memories, so remind your students to live in the present and enjoy these special moments with friends and family.

Senior Checklist

  • May 1: National deadline for submitting college decisions and deposit
    • Read our explainer on the May 1 deadline

      Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions your students will make. As they compare their acceptances to make a final decision, they should be weighing academic quality, cost, campus life, college graduation rates, and career counseling and placement services.

      While the above considerations are largely intellectual, your students should also heed that inner voice that might be reminding them of their emotional response to the campus visit—did they actually feel at home there?

      In some cases, your students might receive an invitation to join the waitlist for one of their top choices. This option comes with a fair amount of stress as 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 an email to the school, reiterating their dedication to admission and highlighting the following: new extracurricular or community involvement; awards, honors, or recognition; or updated test scores. This letter is your student’s opportunity to bolster their chances of being chosen for one of those final spots–and they should also make the deposit for their second choice!

      If a final decision has not been confidently made by the end of April, schedule a clarifying conversation with your CATES contact. The national deadline for submitting college decisions and the nonrefundable deposit is May 1st.

  • May 1–12: AP exams
  • May: Create your study plan for final exams
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