Updated December 28, 2025

Your 2026 College Application Checklist

Bonus Material: 35 College Essays That Worked

Feeling confused by all the materials you need to write or request just so you can hit submit on your college applications? You’re in good company: for many students, all the different essays, forms, and other pieces of the application are hard to keep track of.

But applying to college doesn’t need to be overwhelming. At PrepMaven, we have over twenty years of experience supporting students through the college application process. In this guide, we’ll break down exactly what you need to be doing at every stage of applying, from early high school through to matriculation. 

You’ll also find real-world examples and inspiration for your essays in our free resource compiling 35 personal statement essays by students who successfully applied to Ivy League schools, linked below.

Then, we’ll go through each step of the process itself and when you should start working on each component that you’ll need to submit.

Jump to section:
Before Your Junior Year
 Junior Year: Laying the Groundwork
 Junior Summer: Getting Started
 Senior Fall
 Senior Spring: The Home Stretch
 Next Steps

Before Your Junior Year

  • Take a range of classes, and challenge yourself in your coursework.

As well as giving you a chance to explore, learn, and discover what areas of study you’re drawn to, taking a range of classes and choosing more challenging courses where possible will strengthen your college applications.

  • Participate in extracurricular activities, social activities, and/or work opportunities.

First and foremost, taking part in activities or organizations you care about outside the classroom is part of a balanced, well-rounded life in high school and beyond. When it comes to applying to college, extracurriculars can also show your non-academic qualities, especially if you’re taking a leadership role in any of your activities. And if you’re an athlete, they can even help you win a scholarship to college.

  • Don’t be too laser-focused on college admissions.

Although coursework and extracurricular activities are both important for college, remember to follow your interests and the things that are important to you. If you’re passionate about language-learning, for example, you’ll be both happier and more successful if you pursue that interest than if you force yourself to take high-level math classes just because you think it will look better to colleges.

Junior Year: Laying the Groundwork

Think about what criteria are important to you and make a list of prospective colleges you’re interested in. Now is also a good time to talk to your school’s guidance counselor, to other mentors at your school, and to your parents or guardians about which schools could be a good fit academically, socially, geographically and financially. Your school college counselor can answer any questions you have about the process. If you have the chance to visit any schools you’re interested in or attend a college fair, that can also help you decide where you’re interested in applying.

With more test-optional schools now going back to requiring test scores, it’s a good idea to take the SAT or ACT. Take a look at the average score range for schools you’re interested in to get a sense of the score you’ll need to be a competitive applicant. If your scores aren’t where you want them to be yet, you might want to consider a couple of months of SAT or ACT group classes or one-on-one tutoring. 

  • Search for scholarship opportunities and research ways to pay for college.

Tools like the College Board’s Scholarship Search can help you find opportunities that might be a good fit. You can get started on applying to many scholarships early. 

Junior Summer: Getting Started

  • Finalize your college list, in conversation with your school’s college counselor and parent or guardian.

Remember that early decision is binding, so only choose that option if you’re 100% certain about your first-choice school. You can also apply through early action, which is non-binding and usually allows you to apply to multiple schools early.

  • Start drafting your Common App or Coalition App essay.

Since essays, and especially the main personal statement essay, are often the most time-consuming part of the process, it’s a good idea to start on them as early as you can, before you head back to school and find yourself too busy with coursework. Check out this blog post to learn more about the differences between the Common App and Coalition App, and how to choose which one might be best for you.

While you’re brainstorming, read through our free collection of 35 real essays that got applicants into Ivy League schools. 

  • Start drafting the supplemental essays for any colleges that require them, especially anywhere you’re applying early action or early decision.

There’s often significant overlap in the prompts different schools use, so you don’t need to reinvent the wheel for every supplemental essay. You might want to make a folder of all your supplemental essay prompts and drafts so you can adapt them as needed for each school. 

  • Get to know the application requirements and what you, your guidance counselor, and your teachers will need to submit.
    • As well as your essays, you’ll complete and submit an application form.
    • If you’re applying to schools that require standardized test scores, or you choose to submit test scores to test-optional schools, you’ll have official score reports sent directly to the schools.
    • Your school counselor has several documents to submit: your official high school transcript; your mid-year and final school transcripts, showing your senior year grades; and the guidance counselor recommendation. 
    • You’ll also request recommendation letters from one or more teachers and mentors. These letters support your application by highlighting your academic performance, work ethic, leadership skills, or other qualities. The writers submit these documents directly through the online portal, so you won’t see them. 

Senior Fall: September

Make sure to request the letters politely and thank the writers for their time. It’s a good idea to share your resume or CV with the high school teachers or mentors writing recommendation letters for you, and to let them know if there’s anything you’d especially appreciate them highlighting in their letters.

  • Retake the SAT or ACT if you want to raise your score.

Getting a higher score can improve your chances of admission, but at some universities, it can also make you eligible for significant merit scholarships – sometimes up to full tuition. (Depending on which test you’re taking, the fall test date could be in September or October.)

Ask friends, family members, or mentors to read your essays in at least two rounds: once for the content and once to catch any spelling and grammar mistakes. 

  • Fill out your college application form. 

For expert 1-1 help with tutoring, test prep, or college essays, reach out to us for a free consultation, and we’ll let you know we can help.

The form varies slightly depending on which application portal you choose (like the Common App or Coalition App). It will include sections on your personal information, test scores, extracurriculars, summer activities, academic or other honors, and any disciplinary infractions, plus the essays you’ve drafted.

  • If you’re submitting an arts supplement, prepare your portfolio.

This could mean, for example, compiling recordings of your musical performances or scans of your artwork. Check the arts supplement requirements for each university where you’re planning to apply.

  • Request an application fee waiver if applicable.

For the Common App, your school counselor will need to verify that you’re eligible for a fee waiver. On the Coalition App, you don’t need any verification. You can also save on fees by applying to some colleges that don’t charge a fee to apply.

Senior Fall: October

  • Submit any early action or early decision application(s) due in October.
    • Submit your completed application form.
    • Make sure your high school sends your school transcript to the universities where you’re applying.
    • Have your official score reports for standardized tests sent to the universities, if applicable.
    • Remind your recommenders politely to submit their letters, if they haven’t yet.
    • Confirm that the schools received your application materials by checking your application status in the online portal.
    • Send any additional material that’s needed, like an arts supplement.
  • Start filling out your FAFSA and CSS Profile forms (if applicable) after they become available on October 1.
  • Check each college’s financial aid website to see if you need to submit any additional institutional forms. If you have questions, reach out to the school by phone or email.

Senior Fall/Winter: November-December

  • Submit any early action or early decision application(s) due in November.
    • Submit your completed application form.
    • Make sure your high school sends your school transcript to the universities where you’re applying.
    • Have your official score reports for standardized tests sent to the universities, if applicable.
    • Remind your recommenders politely to submit their letters, if they haven’t yet.
    • Confirm that the schools received your application materials by checking your application status in the online portal.
    • Send any additional material that’s needed, like an arts supplement.
  • Finish drafting any essays for the regular decision round if you haven’t already.

Even if you applied early, it’s a very good idea to finish your other essays before you receive a decision from the schools where you’ve applied already. If you’re accepted, you won’t need to submit these applications – but if you’re not, getting them done ahead of time will save you from scrambling to write a new pile of essays in the last couple of weeks before the regular decision deadline, especially after you’ve just gotten disappointing news.

  • Once you’re notified of the admissions decisions from any schools where you applied early action or early decision, decide what’s next.
    • If you were accepted through early decision, congratulations! You’re all set.
    • If you were accepted through early action, you can decide whether you still want to apply to more schools (for example, if you want to compare more financial aid offers).
    • If you received a rejection from your ED or EA schools, you’re ready to apply to schools in the regular decision round.
    • If you were deferred, meaning your application will be considered again in the regular round, you might be able to improve your chances by writing a letter of continued interest.

Senior Fall/Winter: January

  • Submit your applications for the regular decision round.
    • Submit your completed application form.
    • Make sure your high school sends your official transcript to the universities where you’re applying.
    • Have your official score reports for standardized tests sent to the universities, if applicable.
    • Politely remind your recommenders to submit their letters, if they haven’t yet.
    • Confirm that the schools received your application materials by checking your application status in the online portal.
    • Send any additional material that’s needed, like an arts supplement.
  • Continue to work on and submit any scholarship applications as applicable.

Senior Spring: The Home Stretch

  • Make sure your mid-year school transcript is sent to the schools where you applied.
  • After receiving decisions and financial aid award letters from all the schools where you applied, make your decision and accept a place at your first-choice school by May 1st.
  • Notify any other schools where you were accepted that you’re not planning to attend.
  • Apply for housing and meal plans, if applicable. If you’ll be looking for housing off campus, start looking!
  • If applicable, keep submitting scholarship applications to supplement your financial aid package.
  • Update and thank the people who wrote you letters of recommendation or otherwise helped you through the college application process. They’ll be glad to hear from you!

Next Steps

The college application process can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By starting early and taking a step-by-step approach, you can feel more in control of the process and submit applications that reflect the best of your abilities.

And wherever you are in the process, you can always contact us for support with any component of your application that’s holding you back, whether that’s standardized test scores, essay writing, or academics.

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Ro

Rosamond graduated summa cum laude from Princeton. During college, she worked as a peer tutor for Italian, French, Greek, and academic writing. Since graduation, she’s continued to tutor students of all ages in French, Italian, Latin, English, and math, some of them for several years. She’s currently a graduate student studying the relationship between religion and secular law, and she works as a freelance journalist and translator.

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