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Welcome to September’s CATES College Checklist!

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

Come September, some parents celebrate their students’ return to learning while others mourn the loss of summer’s adventures. Regardless of your perspective, anticipation weighs heavy this month as students start their first classes, first practices, first auditions, and first games. As parents, take advantage of the opportunities to go back to school yourselves to attend the teacher meet-and-greets and curriculum-orientation events so that you can support your students when they have questions and point them in the right direction.

Last updated: September 2025

JUMP TO:

Freshmen

Your freshmen once again embark on a new school year—but this time, it counts. While your first-time high-schoolers are learning to navigate their new social arena, they must also enhance their academic self-management skills and rise to the increased levels of rigor in their courses. Students who breezed through middle school might find new demands on their time for studying and preparing assignments, so a conversation about the necessary changes in work habits is always wise before that first round of exams.

Freshman Checklist

Academics

  • September: Learn how to make the most of high school academics
  • September: Invest in a diverse array of outside reading material
    • Learn more

      Independent reading—whether formally assigned or personally chosen—is an excellent way for students to develop their intellectual and academic engagement. Research shows that children who connect with meaningful reading material experience greater reading achievement, and as reading skills improve, students are better prepared to comprehend other classroom reading materials and subjects.

Admissions

  • September: Join student groups, clubs, and community activities that allow you to explore and develop career interests and extracurricular passions
  • September: Begin a Passion Project to help differentiate yourself from other applicants in your class
    • Learn more

      The aim of this project is to empower students to enact the change they wish to see in the world through pro-social action. The project allows them to develop passions into community impact and address pain points with which they possess a personal connection.

      Discover Education Advising from CATES

Sophomores

Sophomores are moving into higher-level classes, possibly APs, so they will begin to take part in increasingly intellectual conversations and deepen their understanding of the world. This offers a great opportunity for you to stimulate conversation yourself, discussing current events, financial markets, medical advancements, or global politics. These discussions might even make their way back into the classroom, continuing the cycle of critical thinking and increasing communication skills.

Sophomore Checklist

Academics

  • September: Learn how to make the most of high school academics
  • September: Invest in a diverse array of outside reading material
    • Learn more

      Independent reading—whether formally assigned or personally chosen—is an excellent way for students to develop their intellectual and academic engagement. Research shows that children who connect with meaningful reading material experience greater reading achievement, and as reading skills improve, students are better prepared to comprehend other classroom reading materials and subjects.

Admissions

  • September: Join student groups, clubs, and community activities that allow you to explore and develop career interests and extracurricular passions
    • Learn more

      Paired with academic classes, extracurricular experiences allow students the opportunity to explore their strengths and interests and increase their communication and problem-solving skills. These roles not only enhance their college applications but also offer rich experiences through which they can learn, grow, and mature. Set yourself up now to take over leadership positions in your extracurricular activities (both in and outside of school) during your junior and senior year.

      Discover Education Advising from CATES

    • Watch our webinar on building your college application narrative
  • September: Begin a Passion Project to help differentiate yourself from other applicants in your class
    • Learn more

      The aim of this project is to empower students to enact the change they wish to see in the world through pro-social action. The project allows them to develop passions into community impact and address pain points with which they possess a personal connection.

      Discover Education Advising from CATES

Juniors

Junior-year grades are some of the most important on your high-schooler’s transcript—the gateway to admission at their dream school. It is incredibly important for them to jump right into academics and make a good first impression on their teachers, who will be asked to write letters of recommendation in the future. AP loads have probably increased for your students, so be aware of signs of struggle and emphasize the role of study groups and after-school sessions.

Junior Checklist

Academics

  • September: Learn how to make the most of high school academics
  • September: Invest in a diverse array of outside reading material
    • Learn more

      Independent reading—whether formally assigned or personally chosen—is an excellent way for students to develop their intellectual and academic engagement. Research shows that children who connect with meaningful reading material experience greater reading achievement, and as reading skills improve, students are better prepared to comprehend other classroom reading materials and subjects.

Admissions

  • September: Join student groups, clubs, and community activities that allow you to explore and develop career interests and extracurricular passions
    • Learn more

      Paired with academic classes, extracurricular experiences allow students the opportunity to explore their strengths and interests and increase their communication and problem-solving skills. These roles not only enhance their college applications but also offer rich experiences through which they can learn, grow, and mature. Set yourself up now to take over leadership positions in your extracurricular activities (both in and outside of school) during your junior and senior year.

      Discover Education Advising from CATES

    • Watch our webinar on building your college application narrative
  • September: Begin a Passion Project to help differentiate yourself from other applicants in your class
    • Learn more

      The aim of this project is to empower students to enact the change they wish to see in the world through pro-social action. The project allows them to develop passions into community impact and address pain points with which they possess a personal connection.

      Discover Education Advising from CATES

Testing

Seniors

Your seniors are busy writing personal statements for the Common App and creating their final school lists, narrowing down top choices for Early Decision or Restrictive Early Action, and writing their supplemental essays. Most Early Decision due dates are November 1, but many southeastern universities have moved theirs to October 15. Early Decision admissions are binding, so be sure to learn your financial responsibility using the net price calculator on the college’s website and schedule final trips to campuses if the decision is not yet certain. With the current competitive nature of college admissions, it is wise to take advantage of Early Decision and Early Action options.

Senior Checklist

Academics

  • September: Learn how to make the most of high school academics

Admissions

Testing

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