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Hitting "submit" feels like the finish line, but a handful of steps in the weeks after can make or break your outcome — especially on the financial aid side. Here's your post-application checklist, plus what not to do while you wait.
Confirm every application was received
Check each college's applicant portal to confirm your application, test scores (if submitting), recommendations, and transcript all arrived. Missing pieces are common and fixable — but only if you notice. Follow up on anything marked incomplete.
Finish the financial aid forms
Submitting the application is only half the job. File the FAFSA (and the CSS Profile if any of your schools require it) by each school's priority deadline. Aid — not just admission — decides where you can actually go.
Send mid-year reports and keep your grades up
Your counselor sends a mid-year transcript, and colleges look at it. Senior grades matter for admission, scholarships, and avoiding a rescinded offer. This is the worst time to coast.
Watch your email and portals
Colleges may request additional documents, offer interviews, or flag missing items — usually by email or in the portal. Check regularly so you never miss a time-sensitive request.
The financial aid forms are the easy thing to forget
Every year, students get admitted somewhere they then can't afford because they never finished the FAFSA or missed a CSS Profile deadline. Treat the aid forms as part of applying — not an afterthought. Admission without aid isn't an option you can use.
Prepare for possible interviews
Some colleges offer optional alumni or admissions interviews after you apply. If invited, accept and prepare a little — it's a low-stakes chance to show interest and ask questions.
Keep researching for decision time
Use the wait to research the schools you applied to more deeply — costs, programs, fit — so that when offers arrive you can compare quickly and confidently instead of starting from scratch.
Don't panic — and don't do anything drastic
The wait is stressful, but resist the urge to add reach schools impulsively or to relax completely. Stay steady: grades up, forms in, inbox checked. The hard part is mostly done.
When decisions arrive, some may be denials or waitlists — that's normal and not a verdict on you. A balanced list means you'll have good options. Focus on the offers you do get and the choice ahead, not the ones that didn't work out.
Stay on track: finish the financial aid timeline, handle deferred/waitlisted/denied, and when offers come, use the decision tool.