September Newsletter

✓ Transcript sent to high school (if you took a summer course for credit)

✓ College list is complete

✓ SAT/ACT already registered

✓ Common App account created

✓ UC application portal created

✓ Cal State Apply portal created

✓ UCAS account created, for those applying in the UK

✓ All four UC Personal Insight Questions completed

✓ Common App personal statement completed

✓ Letter of recommendation brag sheets submitted

✓ Counselor and two teachers invited in Common App, Naviance, SCOIR or whatever platform your school requires (most use Common App)

☐ Completing the forms and sections in your Common App, UC, CSU and UCAS portals

☐ Researching supplemental essay prompts, and writing your first supplement by this point

☐ Sitting in on college rep visits at school, particularly for schools that track demonstrated interest

☐ A handwritten thank you card, plus cookies or a small gift card, for your counselor and teachers. They are writing your letters on their own time

☐ Touring California campuses in person where interest is tracked, and doing official virtual tours for schools outside California

☐ Watching for interview invitations and recorded video response opportunities such as Glimpse

☐ If you are applying Early Decision, get the ED agreement signed by your parent and school counselor

☐ Keeping up your rigor. Colleges want upward momentum and strong academic performance all the way through 12th grade

The single question I want senior families answering this month: are you applying for need-based aid this year? Everything else follows from that answer, and it is much easier to decide now than in the middle of application deadlines.

If yes, the FAFSA and the CSS Profile both open October 1. Start pulling together your tax returns, W-2s, and records of untaxed income and assets now so filing takes an evening rather than a weekend. File early. Some aid is awarded on a first come, first served basis.

Watch the priority deadlines. Many colleges set a financial aid priority date that is earlier than the admission deadline, and some require the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA. Check each school on your list individually, because the requirements are not consistent.

If you think you won't qualify, still run the net price calculator on every college website on your student's list before ruling anything out on price. Sticker price and actual cost are frequently very different numbers, especially at private colleges. And a local note: the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara requires the FAFSA from Santa Barbara County students, so filing may still be worth your time.

On merit aid, most colleges consider applicants automatically when they apply for admission, but a handful require a separate scholarship application or an earlier deadline to be considered. 

For a plain-English walkthrough of merit versus need-based aid, need-blind versus need-aware admission, and how to use a net price calculator, here is my one-pager: Understanding College Financial Aid. 

Oct 1: UC and CSU application submission period opens, and the FAFSA and CSS Profile open for the 2027-28 year. Parents, this is your cue to gather tax documents.

Oct 15: Earliest Common App deadlines, plus the UCAS deadline for Oxford, Cambridge, and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses.

Nov 1: Most Early Decision and Early Action deadlines. Aim to have those applications done two weeks early.

Nov 30: UC and CSU applications due. Our goal is to have both submitted before Thanksgiving.

Prep for the PSAT in October. Take at least one full practice test before test day. It is likely offered at your school, and for juniors it is the qualifying test for National Merit.

Consider YouScience (about $75) if you want a thorough career aptitude and interest assessment. Check with your school counselor first, since some schools provide it or something similar for free.

Schedule a meeting with me after PSAT results arrive in November or December so we can build your testing plan around your actual scores.

Start thinking about a standing meeting day and time with me, beginning in January or February of this school year.

Visit three very different colleges this year, for example UCSB, Westmont and Cal Poly. The point is not the schools themselves, it is figuring out which size, setting and vibe actually feel right to you.

Ask me for college ideas any time you want them. You do not have to wait until spring.

Most importantly, focus on academic performance. This year carries the most weight, and these are the teachers you'll be asking for letters of recommendation this spring for the fall 2027 application cycle.

Take the PSAT if your school offers it to sophomores. It does not count for National Merit this year, and that is exactly why it is a low stakes way to see the format.

Ask your counselor about a practice ACT this year. Comparing the two (PSAT & ACT) tells us which test suits you before junior year prep begins.

Do some career exploration. Your school counselor can point you to free tools. I'm happy to help you interpret results and connect them to possible majors.

Sit in on a college presentation this fall. Rep visits at your school are the easiest way to hear about colleges you have never considered.

Go deeper, not wider, in your activities. Two or three things you genuinely care about will always read better than eight you barely show up for.

Keep a running record. Activities, hours, honors, summer work. Add to it as it happens.

Join one club that actually interests you. Finding peers with a shared interest is how new opportunities show up, socially and academically.

Introduce yourself to your school counselor. Stop by the office once in a while. That relationship matters a great deal by senior year.

Ask your teachers for feedback. Going to office hours or staying after class is a normal, unremarkable thing to do, and it works.

Aim for four years in each of the five core areas where you can: English, math, science, social science, and a language other than English.

Balance rigor with performance. Generally speaking, As and Bs in regular classes read slightly better than Cs in honors, AP or dual enrollment. Colleges want you challenging yourself and doing well. It is a delicate balance, so reach out if you want counsel as first semester gets under way.

Build the study habits now. Ninth grade grades count toward your GPA at most schools, and recovering a low first semester takes longer than you'd expect.