December College Checklist for Seniors This week, The Choice is publishing our monthly Counselor's Calendar, which is designed to keep students on track during the college admissions process. This installment focuses on seniors. Juniors, your December checklist will be published on Tuesday. We've asked David Burke, the director of college counseling at Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, Mo., for admissions advice for the class of 2013. - Tanya Abrams Seniors: Let me start by saying, I feel your pain. Even though I tell myself every year that I won't wait until the last minute to finish my tax returns, I just can't make myself do them sooner. Remind the adults in your life of this fact the next time they nag you about procrastinating on your college applications. But now that Thanksgiving and Black Friday are in the past, it really is time to get serious about applying to college if you haven't already. Seniors, here is your college admissions checklist for December: What's Your Status? As my friends and colleagues Darnell Heywood and Jen FitzPatrick did in the November college checklist for seniors, I have differing advice for seniors depending upon your present situation: I'm Finished: You applied to your first-choice college or university under an early action or rolling (nonbinding) plan, or an early decision (binding) plan. You have received good news, and you and your parents are comfortable with the school's price tag. I'm Still Applying: You're still adjusting your college list and are still working on the applications for those schools. Checklist for Seniors Who Are Finished First of all, congratulate yourself on a job well done. Remember, though, that you didn't accomplish this feat all on your own. Give Thanks Take a moment this holiday season to thank the people - your parents, teachers and counselors - who helped get you where you are. Most of us who do this work for a living keep a file of thoughtful notes we've received from students over the years. Trust me, those heartfelt sentiments linger a lot longer than the proverbial box of chocolates. Practice Celebration Etiquette Be considerate toward your classmates who are still applying. Everyone chuckles at a clever end zone celebration, but not when it lasts too long and certainly not when it crosses the line from clever to obnoxious. Don't Check Out Remember, your college or university is still keenly interested in your grades and conduct for the remainder of your senior year. So, yes, you still need to study for your final exams! Checklist for Seniors Who Are Still Applying Before you dive into application essays and Common Application supplements, take a moment to look at your list of colleges from 30,000 feet. Re-evaluate Your List Can you see a scenario where you would actually attend every school on your list? If the answer is no for one (or more) of those schools, then why are you applying there? Do you have a "financial safety" as well as an "admissions safety" on your list? Prepare for the Worst Play out the worst-case scenario given your list of colleges. If you were unexpectedly rejected or wait-listed at every school where your admission is in doubt, could you happily choose from the colleges that remain? I do this exercise with all of my students and, even though it's not terribly pleasant to think this way, we both take solace in the fact that the worst-case scenario rarely happens, and we feel better for having considered all of the possibilities. Send Your Test Scores Remember to officially send your test scores from the College Board or ACT to every school to which you have applied. Many colleges and universities will not consider your application complete until they have received these test scores officially. Unfortunately, you will need to pay for each score report; see your counselor if you think you might qualify for a fee waiver. The same goes for the college application fees themselves. Mind the Details As you finish polishing your applications, pay just as much attention to the seemingly minor essay prompts - often found on supplements - as you do to the so-called big essay questions. In this era of skyrocketing applications at many colleges and universities, admissions officials often try to ascertain the "demonstrated interest" that each student has in their institution. So, for example, if you answer the "Why Northwestern?" or "Why George Washington?" question with boilerplate material that you could just as easily write about any college or university, don't be surprised if that reflects poorly on the level of interest you are demonstrating. Regardless of where you currently place yourself on the college application timeline, it'll all be over soon enough. Take some time to revel in that fact; then get on with your senior year. Forget about college for a while (the process is out of your hands for a few weeks, anyway) and enjoy your friends and your family. You might even consider trying something new. Impress yourself (instead of a college admissions committee). If you've always wanted to audition for a musical, then do it! If you've always wished you had time to tutor at the local elementary school, well now you do. Best wishes to all of you this holiday season and for the remainder of your senior year. Remember that a year from now you'll almost certainly be happily enrolled somewhere, and as vexing as it can seem right now, this whole college admissions process will be a distant memory. This post was prepared in consultation with the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools, a membership organization.