So, you’ve selected a college and sent in your deposit — now what?
The months between making a final college decision and starting the first semester of college are crowded with rites of passage and marked by a strong desire to make lasting memories. Still, students need to stay on top of deadlines that come up throughout the spring and summer, because these deadlines have a direct impact on their experience when they arrive at campus.
Our Executive Functioning and College Admissions teams collaborated to create this one-stop shop list of tasks that students should tackle before they leave home.
School Administration:
These steps will ensure that all of your paperwork is in order. Being proactive on this front is a good way to avoid complications later in college. After all, no one wants to deal with an administrative emergency as they kick off their first semester of classes.
- If relevant, sign paperwork to accept your financial aid and scholarship package
- Select your housing option
- Select your meal plan
- Fill out roommate survey, if applicable
- Make copies of important documentation (social security cards, medical records, 504/IEPs, etc)
- After high school graduation, confirm final transcripts were received by the registrar and that AP credits were applied
- Access your school email and portal
Calendar:
If you don’t already use a calendar, now’s the time to start. There are some appointments to make at home before heading to campus as well as a number of dates from the school to keep track of over the summer.
- Add dates for summer academic advising to your calendar
- Mark your calendar for other important dates from your school
- Get a haircut
- Schedule a physical and submit the corresponding documentation to health services
- Identify and sign up for any freshman summer experiences or orientations
- Confirm if you need to take placement exams & schedule them if needed
Don’t have a calendar handy? Try the Order Out of Chaos Planner.
Academic Success:
Even before courses begin, students can take steps to achieve their academic goals. Selecting the right courses and learning how to access on-campus supports are keys to success in college.
- Send an email introducing yourself to your advisor
- Review required courses for freshman & general education requirements
- Register for classes (after meeting with your advisor!)
- Identify the location & function of key supports on campus
- Library
- Writing center
- Peer tutoring,
- Counseling center
- Health center
- If applicable, reach out to and begin coordinating with disability services
- Submit documentation possibly including recent evaluations and/or most recent 504s
- Apply for accommodations
- Clarify how accommodations will be communicated to your professor
Packing:
Gathering everything for the dorm is one of the most exciting and stressful aspects of preparing to leave for college. Our overarching advice: pack lightly! You can always buy additional or forgotten items after settling in.
- Set your budget
- Check computer requirements
- Make your packing list, keeping it as light as possible
- Coordinate the purchase of large items with your roommate(s)
- Learn what stores are close to campus (or will deliver to your campus) so you can easily purchase last-minute items
This is certainly not an all-inclusive list when it comes to prepping for college, but we hope this will get your graduate off on the right foot. If you need help executing any of this, don’t hesitate to reach out to our executive functioning coaches or our college admissions team.
