October Newsletter
Senior families: FAFSA is open
The 2027-28 FAFSA opened to all families a week ahead of the usual October 1 date. If you plan to apply for need-based aid, there's no reason to wait. Much of the aid tied to the FAFSA is awarded early, and filing now keeps you well ahead of college and state priority deadlines.
Start the FAFSA at StudentAid.gov · Read the BCP financial aid guide
New: the BCP Resources page
All of the guides, tools and conference notes I've put together for BCP families now live in one place, organized by where you are in the process. I'll keep adding to it throughout the year, and I'll point you to specific pages in each grade section below.
Grade Level Updates:
12th Grade Class of 2027 · tap to open
Application submission season is here. Here's what to use, what to watch for, and which dates are coming up fast.
Your go-to pages this month
Senior Year Reminders
Use this one often. It covers the details that are easy to miss, like watching your email (spam folder included) for instructions on setting up each college's applicant portal, writing thank you notes to your letter of recommendation writers, and checking whether your colleges require the STARS self-reported academic record or official SAT/ACT scores sent by the application deadline.
Paying for College, Explained
The aid calendar, FAFSA and CSS Profile, need-based vs. merit aid, local scholarships, and net price calculators.
Admission Interviews and Recordings
Which colleges accept video recordings like Glimpse and InitialView, and which offer or expect interviews.
Supplemental Essay Guide (BCP families only)
Our internal resource on how to attack the supplemental essays, with tips and sample essays.
Review your applications slowly
Before you submit anything, review every application slowly and methodically, line by line. Don't take for granted that a green check means a section is complete. A check often only means the required fields have something in them, not that everything is correct or finished.
Deadlines coming up
October 15: Clemson, UT Austin, UGA, UNC Chapel Hill and several other schools. That is coming up! Don't wait until the day of to submit.
November 1 or November 15: Most Early Action and Early Decision deadlines.
November 30: UC and CSU applications due.
Regular Decision: Deadlines begin around November 15, but most fall between December 1 and January 15.
Applying to the Cal states?
If I'm helping you apply to the CSUs (for example, Cal Poly and SDSU), make sure you've already created your Cal State Apply login and shared those credentials with me. The application fully unlocks on October 1, which is when I can get in and start working on your transcript details.
Important
I'll be working on CSU applications on October 1, but I will be out of the office October 2 and 3.
No need to worry: the CSU application isn't due until November 30.
11th Grade Class of 2028 · tap to open
October is a big month for juniors. Here's what to focus on, with links to the Resources pages that will help.
The PSAT is coming up. Review the testing info and do some practice before test day. Understanding the PSAT, SAT, and ACT
Request a meeting with me once your results arrive so we can talk through your scores and what they mean for your testing plan.
Get going on your resume now. It's much easier to build as you go than to reconstruct later. Resumes and Brag Sheets
Complete the college match survey and send me your results/notes, by January. It gives us a great starting point for your college list. Dr. Antonoff's College Match Survey
Lock in your regular meeting time
Start thinking about a regular every-other-week meeting time with me. Email me your preference as soon as you know it to lock in your spot.
Days: Monday through Thursday
Times: 2:30pm, 3:30pm, 4:30pm or 5:30pm
9th & 10th Grade Classes of 2030 & 2029 · tap to open
I hope you've been having fun adjusting to the new school year, finding club opportunities and sitting in on college rep presentations. As you start to learn about what's out there, I wanted to share some stats, conference notes and other tools to help as you build your academic and extracurricular profile.
A note on the PSAT or Mock ACT. If offered a practice exam by your school, even though it's practice and technically has no impact on anything, still take it seriously. It gives us a helpful baseline for our college conversations, especially since more and more selective colleges have returned to, or are considering a return to, requiring these exams for admission. Understanding the PSAT, SAT, and ACT
Stats, notes and tools