Senior Year of High School: Our Best Survival Advice

Is it really senior year already?! We've rounded up all the best advice we have on CollegeXpress to help you get through 12th grade with ease.

by CollegeXpress

Is this really your last year of high school?! Is it really senior year?! Is it really almost time to apply to colleges?! You bet it is. But don’t worry. You’ve got this. You can even enjoy this fall while getting your college applications done (with time to spare). To help you get through senior year with ease by staying organized and on the ball, we’ve rounded up our best advice from all over the site specifically geared toward seniors and the college search. So take a look at all the advice we have to offer! And feel free to get in touch with us if you need more help. 

Surviving senior year of high school

• Starting Your Senior Year: 4 Things You Need to Do: Obviously, you want to have fun senior year—but there are some things you have to get done. Here’s a list of 5 things you should make top priorities for the year.
• Senior–Year Priorities: You're finally a senior! The school year is going to fly by, and before you know it, you'll be crossing the stage. Read on for some tips on getting the most out of your final year of high school.
• Your Road Map to Senior Year Success: Buckle up, y'all. This newly minted college student explains how to make your senior year of high school the best one yet.
• Your Road Map to a Successful Senior Year: If that first road map guide wasn’t enough, here’s another road map to help you reach senior year success.
• Video: Be Prepared for Senior Year of High School: Student vlogger Zenavieve has advice to share on how to be prepared for senior year.
• Video: Making the Fall of Senior Year Easier: It’s the beginning of your fall semester that really sets the precedent for the rest of senior year. Student vlogger Lucia has some advice for making your fall a little easier.
• 12 Ways to Reduce Junior and Senior Year Stress: Six things you can do right now to ease your stress, plus six habits you can (and should) develop to keep your stress levels in check for a long time to come.
• Freshman vs. Senior Year of High School: The Biggest Differences: From your classes to your relationships to your, well, you, there are a lot.
• 4 Universal Truths About Senior Year of High School: You'll relate to these truths about senior year—trust us. 
• How to Not Go Crazy at the End of Senior Year of High School: When you get close to the end of your senior year of high school, a lot of things start to happen really fast. Here's how to handle them all—and even have fun in the process!
• 10 Tips for Shaking Off Senioritis: Don't get in a senior slump—it could cost you! Here are 10 tips on getting rid of this disease.
• 10 Things You Need to Do Before You Leave High School: You may be counting the days until graduation, but it's important to make some lasting memories while you can.
• Setting Your Senior Year Bucket List: Senior year may be about keeping up your grades and getting ready for college, but it should also be about enjoying yourself! Here are some ideas to put on your last year of high school bucket list.

Searching for and applying to colleges

• The Ultimate Guide to the College Search: How to Find Your Perfect College Match: If you still haven't found your best-fit college, it's not too late! Here's how you find the perfect school(s) for you.
• 20 Helpful College Search Tips From a High School Senior: This advice really helped one high school senior on her way to choosing a university.
• Senior Year College Application Timeline: It's application crunch time! Here is what to do and when to do it.
• What You Need to Know About Rolling Admission: Rolling admission is a good option to help lessen the strain of the college search for some students. But what exactly is rolling admission? Find out now!
  
• Simplify Senior Year With These College Application Tips: Don’t you wish senior year could just be simple? Well if you follow these tips, it could certainly be a lot simpler.
• How to Motivate Yourself to Start College Applications: You know you have to start your college applications, but you could use some inspiration or something at this point. Here's the motivation you're looking for.
• What Do Colleges Want in an Applicant?: Knowing what colleges want to see in your application is key to presenting your best self to admission officers. Here are our best tips for figuring it out!
• How to Stand Out in Your College Applications: All that soul searching to find the perfect college has come down to this, your application. But what actually goes into that mythical document? Find out from an admission expert. 
• 5 Ways to Beef Up Your College Applications: If your college applications are looking a little barren, here's how you can correct the course and add something substantial to impress admission officers. 
• College App Proofreading Tips From an Editor–in–Chief: Grab a red pen and get ready to whip your college application into shape! These are the best editing tips and grammar tricks from a professional word nerd. 
• 11 Steps to Finalizing and Submitting Your College Apps: Take the stress out of finishing up your college applications with these helpful tips on what to do and review before hitting submit!
• How to Avoid Burnout During College Application Season: The last thing you want to do during college application season is burn out. Here are a few ways to get ahead of things so you don't feel overwhelmed.

Perfecting your college admission essay

• 5 Ways to Brainstorm Your College Essays: It's time to write your college application essay, and these five brainstorming games are gonna help you do it! Check them out here.
• 5 Tips to Conquer the Common Application Essay: Fitting your entire life story into 650 words seems impossible, but crafting an amazing Common App essay is a lot easier (and more fun) than you think!
• How to Write About Yourself in Your College Essay: There's a place between humble and prideful, and it's the exact place you want to set up camp while writing your college application essays. Learn how here!
  
• 3 Important Steps to Acing the "Why Us?" Essay: "Why this college?" is a common college admission essay prompt. Here's how you can stand out when you're writing about why you love and chose your dream school.
• 15 Helpful Tips to Make Your Admission Essays Shine: Writing your college admission essay can seem daunting, but these 15 pieces of advice can make it easy and painless. Follow them to make your essays stand out!
• Video: College Essay Q&A With Expert Kim Lifton: Writing your college application essay can be one of the most difficult parts of the college admission process. College essay expert Kim Lifton is here to help!
  

Taking the SAT or ACT

• Standardized Test Timeline for High School Students: What to Take and When? From the SAT and SAT Subject Tests to the ACT and AP tests, you can encounter a lot of exams throughout high school.
• How to Make the Best Use of Your Time When Practicing for Standardized Tests: For seniors, autumn means college essays and interviews and applications—and their last chance to take those infamous standardized tests.
• 5 Ways to Ace All Your Standardized Tests This Year: Here's a list of standardized test tips so you can ace them without reading all those larger-than-life prep books. Unless, of course, you really want to read them. No judgment.
• Pros and Cons of Retaking the SAT or ACT: Should you subject yourself to test-taking hell all over again to get a better score? It depends. Here are some pros and cons to the situation. 
• The Truth About SAT and ACT Prep Courses: If you’re thinking of taking a standardized test prep course before taking the SAT or ACT, consider this before deciding if it’s right for you.
• The Best ACT Test Prep Sites, Books, and More: If you’re planning to take the ACT during senior year, here are the best resources to take advantage of.
• Top Tips for Stress-Free Test Prep: It’s no secret that standardized tests are one of the most stressful parts of being a high school student. Here’s some advice to ease the stress in your test prep.

Paying for college with financial aid 

• How to Pay for College, Step-by-Step: Yes, you can afford to college. We're going to help you get there. One step at a time.
• How to Fill Out the FAFSA, Step-by-Step: This free application can lead you to a wealth of financial aid, and filling out the FAFSA is not as hard as you may think.
• How to Get Financial Aid for College: The Ultimate Guide: Choosing a college is complicated. You've got to figure out what type of school you want, where to live, what to study, and—oh yeah—how to pay for it all. Here's how. 
• The Best Scholarship Search Sites, Books, and More: Do you want to win a college scholarship? Lucky for you, there are literally billions of dollars in awards out there...and plenty of resources to help you find them.
• Types of College Financial Aid: Before you can start applying for financial aid, it’s best to know what kind of aid colleges offer to students. Here’s what you need to know!
• 5 Little-Known Secrets to Getting More Gift Aid: The best kind of financial aid for college is the kind you don’t have to pay back. Here are some secrets to receiving more scholarships and grants.

Choosing the right school for you

• How to Choose a College Once You're Accepted: Accepted but still weighing your options? Before you send in your deposit, here are a few steps to guide you toward your ultimate college decision.
• Making Your Final College Decision: Receiving multiple college admission offers is a wonderful thing...until you can't choose between them! Don't stress. Check out our insider tips!
• 5 Steps to Making Your Final College Decision: So you're down to the wire on choosing your college. Time to make some tough decisions! These five steps will help.
• Video: Deciding on a College: Making your final decision on a college is a big step, and it's certainly not an easy one to make. Student Vlogger Toni has some advice to help you out.
• Videos: Real Student Stories About Getting Accepted to College: Making your final college decision is one of the biggest choices of your life. Here are some stories from real students about why they choose their college.

We hope at least one (but hopefully many) of these articles helped you in some way during your college search and your final year of high school! You’re about to embark on a whole new journey that's sure to bring success and great memories. As senior year progresses, check back here to see if any of the articles take on new meaning or offer advice at just the right time. Good luck with senior year and your college applications!