The college application checklist.

    Every piece of a US college application, in the order you should hit them. Use it as a paper checklist or open Kolly to track it across all your schools.

    Track this list in KollySee the timeline

    Build your school list

    • Pick 15 to 20 schools across reach, target, and safety tiers
    • Check each school's SAT and ACT middle 50% against your scores
    • Calculate the net price at each school using their NPC
    • Decide which schools you'll apply ED, EA, or RD to
    • Confirm Common App, Coalition, or direct application for each

    Standardized testing

    • Sit for the SAT or ACT in May or June of junior year
    • Retake in August or September if your scores are below your target schools' 50th percentile
    • Send official scores to your top schools through College Board or ACT.org
    • Check each school's test-optional policy, some need scores to qualify for merit aid

    Recommendations

    • Identify two teachers from junior-year academic classes
    • Ask them by June, in person, and follow up with a written note
    • Add a counselor recommendation through your school's profile
    • For schools that allow an additional letter, ask a coach, employer, or mentor
    • Send each recommender your activities list and resume so they can write a specific letter

    Common Application

    • Create your Common App account on August 1
    • Complete the Profile, Family, Education, Testing, and Activities sections
    • List 10 activities, sorted by impact (not chronological)
    • List 5 honors, with the most selective ones first
    • Write the main Common App essay (650 words, one of the seven prompts)

    Supplements

    • List every supplement essay required by your target schools
    • Most are 'Why this school' or 'Why this major'
    • Group similar prompts and draft them in batches
    • Run each draft through Kolly for scoring and a paragraph rewrite
    • Get a parent, teacher, or counselor to read every essay before submitting

    Financial aid

    • File the FAFSA on October 1
    • File the CSS Profile if any of your target schools require it
    • Send tax records to financial aid offices that ask for them
    • Apply to 10 to 20 outside scholarships you qualify for
    • Compare aid letters from each school once acceptances arrive

    Submit

    • Final Read every essay one more time, paragraph by paragraph
    • Verify every recommender letter is in for every school
    • Submit by the deadline (most schools' RD is January 1 or 15)
    • Pay the application fee or request a waiver if eligible
    • Confirm your application status in each school's portal

    Decision day

    • Decisions arrive between mid-March and April 1
    • Compare financial aid offers across all your acceptances
    • Ask each school to match competing offers before committing
    • Commit by May 1, pay the deposit, send your final transcript
    • Write thank-you notes to your recommenders

    Kolly does this for every school.

    Add your schools and Kolly builds the checklist, the supplement list, and the deadlines automatically. Free to start, no card.

    Start free