The Ultimate Guide For Rising High School Seniors — Advice, College Tips, & Resources! | The Teen Safe Zone
- Lexi - Founder
- Aug 9
- 15 min read
Already feeling the anticipation of senior year? Are you nervous, excited, maybe even scared of what’s to come after this four-year chapter finally closes?
I get it. I was in your shoes just this previous school year, so I know exactly how you’re feeling. Thankfully, I managed to push through senior year (through the ups and downs!), and I have a ton of things I’ve learned along my journey—from college advice, things I wish I would’ve known sooner, or things I could’ve done differently (and if I could, I would!)—and I’m here to share it all with you!
So, grab a paper/pen, iPad, or notebook, and take notes from this ultimate guide to your senior year (as written by an upcoming college freshman).
Hi everyone! Welcome, or welcome back, to The Teen Safe Zone, where it's safe for teens to be themselves. As most of you know, I recently graduated from high school as a member of the Class of 2025, and I’ll be the first to say that my journey was far from easy. I can look back to a year ago from today, and notice all of the mistakes I made along the way, can pinpoint the things I wish someone would’ve warned me of sooner, and overall, I’ll now have a different outlook on how I’ll approach senior year and moving forward to college.
I feel like senior year is one of those years with “unwritten rules”. You know the general rules of what you’re expected to do, but no one tells what it takes to get to that point—or worse, sometimes people aren’t even given the choice or time to decide that route for themselves. Senior year can honestly be isolating; you tend to spend a lot of time alone processing college or work applications (whichever you prefer), researching to see which one would be the best fit for you, making resumes in hopes they’ll look nice to colleges and/or employers, finding and applying for scholarships, and the most anticipating one of them all: not knowing whether you got in or not.
Senior year is tough, but not impossible.
Below, I’ve created an ultimate guide to navigating your senior year, from basic terms you’ll need to know in the college process, what happens during and after the college process, and tips + advice so that (hopefully) you won’t make the same mistakes that I did. Enjoy!
The Basics:
Here are a few “basic” terms that are important for you to know and differentiate, especially during the college process. You may already be familiar with these terms, but just in case you aren’t (or you’ve heard them before and aren’t sure what they exactly mean), these are terms you should get yourself familiar with as early as possible, as they’ll make your college search much easier because you’ll know what you’re getting yourself into!
College: It is important to note that while we tend to use the terms “college” and "university" interchangeably, these two are not technically the same! Colleges tend to focus on offering undergraduate programs (such as associate and bachelor's degrees). They are typically smaller than universities (think of community colleges), and have less funding for research programs, etc.
University: On the other hand, a university offers a wider range of programs and degrees (for both undergraduate and graduate programs), and typically has multiple “colleges” within it. Unless private, they are typically larger in size and have a stronger focus on research programs and available funding.
So, in other words, all universities are “colleges”, but not all colleges are universities. The difference may not seem like much, but it really depends on what you’re looking for. Do you want to attend a school that’s perhaps closer to home, smaller in size, and offers solely undergraduate programs? → You might be more interested in attending a local or community college. Private universities may also be an option (which I’ll discuss more about below). Or, do you want to attend a larger institution that has several departments within it, and more access to research programs, higher education (like graduate school), etc.? → You might be more interested in attending a university.
Public: Public colleges (and universities; we'll use them interchangeably from now on) are funded by the government (state/federal); they sometimes can be a much cheaper alternative than privately funded institutions. (Examples of public colleges are: Purdue, state universities, etc.)
Private: Private colleges rely on student tuition, donations, and endowments, and (usually) are more expensive because of this. (Examples of private colleges are: most Ivies, UChicago, many smaller-scale colleges, etc.)
After you’ve decided whether you’d like to attend a college/university and whether you’d like it to be public/private (and don’t worry, you can apply to a variety of each during the application process, it’s just important to pinpoint what you want upfront!), next you’ll need to understand these next set of terms:
“Safety” Schools: Safety schools are practically a “guaranteed” safe spot for enrollment, meaning they are not difficult to get accepted into. This usually involves local / community colleges. It is important that you apply to at least one safety school, just in case, during your application process.
“Match” Schools: Match schools are schools that you have a fair chance of getting accepted into. These schools aren't extremely easy to get into, like safeties, but they aren't as hard as a reach school. There's a 50/50 chance. It's important to research match schools during your college search.
“Reach” Schools: Reach schools are schools that are very difficult to get into. They are typically prestigious institutes and have extremely selective admission processes. Reach schools include schools like the Ivies, Stanford, UChicago, etc. Most students apply to reach schools as a challenge, but make sure to have another plan.
In whichever option you choose to aim for, just note that it is important to have a variety of all three types included in your college application list. If you’d like to know whether a school is a safety, match, or reach school to you, most college search websites (like College Board’s College Search tool, which is what I used during my senior year!), will tell you once you insert general information about your GPA, SAT/ACT scores, class placement, etc.
Pre-Admitted: If you have a high GPA, chances are that you might receive a letter from the higher education department in your state (or something related to it) providing a list of schools you've been pre-admitted to. Pre-admissions are great because these are schools you automatically are admitted into (think of a guaranteed admission)! To accept your offer, the only thing you'll need to do is apply to show your interest, and you will be admitted!
Direct Admissions: Although sounding similar to pre-admissions, it is important to know that pre-admissions and direct admissions are not the same thing! While pre-admissions guarantee a spot in an institution, direct admissions are simply institutions that will provide you with an automatic decision (also known as rolling decisions), which can be either an acceptance or a rejection.
Waitlist: If at some point in your college decision process, you receive a decision that you are neither accepted nor rejected, it means that you have been waitlisted. Waitlisting isn't a bad thing, as it offers you a second chance at admission. Wait-listing can happen for a variety of different reasons: 1) not enough spots are available for the applicant pool, so you are moved to the next applicant pool in hopes there will be an available spot. 2) the institution would like to know more about you, or feel that you could “add something” to your application profile to stand out better, so they are offering you a second chance to update your profile before making their final decision. View this as an opportunity; it isn’t always a bad thing! Not everyone makes it to the “waitlisting round”. Waitlisting typically comes along with you having to write a separate “Letter of Continued Interest” to the admission board.
The College Process:
Here’s a complete breakdown of how the general college process goes:
August 1st: Most Early Decision/Early Action applications open.
Early Decision (ED): Early Decision states that if you are accepted into a college, you are committed to attending there! Do not select this option for more than one college, as this is a binding/legal agreement! This is useful if there's a specific school you're sure you would like to attend if you get accepted there. Otherwise, you should be selecting “Early Action,” so make sure you are selecting the right option under your application!
Early Action: Unlike Early Decision, Early Action states that you are simply applying to the college, but you are not committed to going there. Early Action is a non-binding, meaning that you are not expected to go there if you get accepted.
Early November: This is when most Early Decision/Action applications close. Last year, for the Class of 2025, this date was November 1st, but make sure to check with each college's deadline to make sure.
Regular Decision: Regular Decision applicant pools are typically the final application opening. This typically occurs from late winter to early spring. Regular Decision works just like Early Action: you are not committed to attending the college if you are accepted.
Rolling Decision: Some colleges offer rolling decisions, which work similarly to direct admissions (as mentioned earlier). They respond to applications as they receive them, meaning that you typically receive a decision not long after submitting your application.
December: Typically, the FAFSA (Federal Student Aid) form opens to the public in December (but this is subject to change this school year; Make sure to double-check with your guidance counselor in case this has changed). The sooner you fill out the form, the better chances you’ll have of getting a higher aid package, depending on your financial circumstances (FAFSA operates on a first-come, first-served basis). In some states (like mine), ALL seniors are required to fill out the FAFSA form if they are attending college, and must fill out a waiver if they aren’t planning to attend college, so make sure to check with your state laws. FAFSA has a strict deadline (typically in the spring), so make sure you aren’t missing the opening window!
May 1st: This is the national final day to submit your enrollment deposit for the college of your choice. An enrollment deposit is required to secure your spot in an institution. The price will vary, so make sure to check in with your admission counselor (which is a counselor at college to help you during your admissions process; not the same as your guidance counselor in high school) for the price confirmation.
Starting Your College Journey:
How to prepare for your college journey:
Summer Before Senior Year/Early Senior Year
Use this time to boost your SAT/ACT scores, if needed.
Take summer college courses or Modern States CLEP tests to get a head start in common generation education classes (which are general courses you’ll most likely take in your freshman year)
Make a list of things you look forward to in college (this will help narrow down your college search)
Start creating your college list by using the College Board College Search tool or similar programs. Take notice to terms used like “public”, “private”, “safety”, “match”, and “reach”. It is also important to do your independent research on the schools you find during your college search!
Start researching external scholarship opportunities, as they may come in handy!
Start preparing everything in order so that you’d be ready to send in college applications.
Start reaching out to get letters of recommendation from teachers/staff/counselors.
Common App
Common App is a popular and easy-to-use platform to submit your college applications all in one place!
Things you’ll need to do:
Create an account (you’re most likely a “first-year" student, even if you’ve already completed dual credit courses, or else, you’ll be viewed as a transfer student, which you aren’t yet).
Complete the required information.
Link your school counselor so that they can upload your high school transcripts (you’re not able to do that on your own as a student)
Decide whether or not you’d like to fill out the FERPA waiver. A FERPA waiver for college students is a statement that allows colleges to access a student's educational records, including teacher recommendations, without the student's right to review them. By waiving FERPA rights, students essentially permit colleges to use these records during the application process, potentially without the student having the opportunity to see them first. (I waived my right as a student and don’t regret my decision, but that’s completely up to you). Typically, colleges like to see what teachers have to say about the student without the student being the “middleman” (because it comes across as more honest), but it is optional.
Upload letter of recommendations; here’s a video on how to do that!
Add colleges to your dashboard, and start filling out the applications before the applicant pool closes!
Good For You To Know:
Many colleges will require different essays for students to write during the application process, so be prepared to write a ton of essays in senior year! Try writing a general "one-size-fit-all" essay (general essay prompts can be found on Common App), but be prepared because some colleges might require you to write specific prompts. I will warn you, most prompts are crazy similar and it can get annoying having to write the same thing in different words lol.
What Happens After Applying:
You did it! . . Now what?
Celebrate for yourself! You made it through the application trenches!
Frequently check your email that you signed up to Common App with; colleges will start contacting you with the next steps to take.
The next steps typically require setting up a student portal (you’ll need to do this for every college you applied to). The email sent will provide you with your college username and a temporary password; you’ll then create your own.
The student portal will be used for you to see your application status, decision, upload additional material, and how to get in contact with your admin counselor.
It is important to create a folder on your computer and bookmark all student portals so that you can easily access them again later.
Get in contact with your college admissions counselor (as mentioned earlier). While waiting for a decision, this is your time to get in contact with your admin counselor at the college and ask questions about the school. If you’re applying to a reach school, my best advice is to keep frequent contact with your admission counselor and show real interest in the school. This isn’t a guarantee for acceptance, but it can help out!
Depending on the college admission type, you may either receive a decision within a few days (rolling admission) or on a mass-release day (which is posted by the school to everyone at the same time; for example, Purdue University). It is important to be aware of when to expect a college decision.
Start keeping track of your college decisions (if you’re applying to a lot; trust me, it comes in handy!) using a tracker template, Google Sheets, Notion, etc.
Fill out the FAFSA form when it becomes available.
Submit your enrollment deposit by May 1st (the national deadline), and you’ll be prompted on what steps to take next.
It is also important to keep an eye out for things like admitted student days, housing applications, financial aid packages, etc.
My Advice To Rising Seniors:
You've made it to the "end" of the general roadmap of senior year, but truthfully told, senior year is so much more than just steps on paper. It's a tough journey of physical and mental challenges of encouraging yourself to keep moving forward, even if you can't see the "rewards" yet. It's the journey of being possibly told "no" numerous times before getting the "yes". It's the exciting and unpredictable experience of adulthood knocking at your door.
It's the process of being strong for yourself, because no one else can do that for you.
Below, I will be sharing my tips + advice with all the rising seniors on what to expect while navigating this upcoming chapter. These are written from my personal experience, and as I always share on this blog, one person's experience may not look like another—and that's okay! These are just things I've personally learned along the way, and I hope my advice can help someone else during their journey.
First and foremost, I want to emphasize that it's most important for you to know that this journey does not determine your self-worth, the kind of student you were in high school, or the kind of person you are! Your worth and self-esteem are worth SO much more than how a school/job sees you on paper! It's so common to get discouraged by rejections (and sometimes without an explanation), but their decision ultimately doesn't make you "less than" or should allow you to discredit yourself or your hard work. Don't get caught up in a school's credentials to the point that you ignore your own mental health along the way. The school you attend does not determine who you are as a person! Whether you decide to attend a community college, a state university, a private school no one has ever heard of before, or a nationally accredited one, it doesn't change you as a student; it doesn't "take away from" your hard work; it all leads to the same road: a degree. So say it with me: "The school I attend doesn't determine my worth as a person, or as a student." This is an important mindset to have going into senior year.
The fact that you worked hard, fell down, brushed yourself off, and tried again is "good enough". Once again, don't let rejections or test scores discourage you along the way. You know how much work you put in. You know how much time you spend studying for exams, or writing college essays (when you didn't have to), and that alone should be more than enough for you! My SAT tutor shared this with me, and I've held onto her words ever since, so I knew that I had to share this with you all.
Generally speaking, SAT/ACT scores are now less important when it comes to college admissions. For the Class of 2025, I've seen that a lot of institutions were still "test-optional" or that some didn't want to look at SAT/ACT results at all. Though I'm not sure if the Class of 2026 will be affected, I know that some institutions are interested in reintroducing "testing required" in the next few years. My recommendation is to just do your best on the test and not put too much pressure on yourself based on your score. It's possible that you could still be accepted to a school without submitting your test scores (or it can play a very small role in terms of their decision). Colleges are looking for students with personality, motivation, and ambition... things aren't always about test scores and GPA.
Make sure to constantly surround yourself with things besides applications and colleges during your senior year... there's still a world out there, so go live it! Take it from someone who spent my Halloween and Valentine's Day writing essays for colleges (which I didn't even end up going to lol). Please remember that you have a life outside of being a student, too! Don't burn yourself out.
If possible, try getting a part-time job sometime during high school or senior year if you don't have one already. I know this one sounds super obvious, as most teenagers start working around high school, but using your spare time to start saving is a good idea! As I always say, live in the moment, of course, but try not to spend your entire paycheck in "the moment" lol. Put aside any extra money you make so that you'll have something to start off with post-graduation, or you can use it for college supplies, during your first semester, around campus, etc. It's much easier to save in advance, rather than trying to save up the money the summer before college starts!
Don't get too hurt if you don't end up getting to attend your "dream school". Don't let their decision or life circumstances stop you. Your life continues on, and where you go from there is up to you. Just know, there are so many other opportunities out there just for you! A rejection can be a blessing in disguise. Also, a "delay" doesn't always mean "no". There's a chance that sometime in the future (for example, if you go to grad school, etc.), you might have the opportunity again! Just don't let the moment break you. Keep moving forward.
Don't feel too pressured by the deadlines that you end up rushing your decision. THIS ONE is so important, and I have never heard anyone talk about this! Of course, you should try your best to meet the deadlines (I'm not saying to procrastinate it lol), especially for college applications and FAFSA, but if you're still unsure about your final decision when May 1st comes, don't rush it for the sake of meeting the deadline. To my surprise (even after I made my decision), some colleges will still reach out long after the May 1st deadline and allow you to still submit your enrollment deposit. Of course, you should ask around to make sure, but just know that it is still a possibility! Don't end up making a decision that you regret!
While making your final college decision, it is crucial that you pick a college that values who you are as a student (and not just say it, but truly make you feel wanted too), and is willing to meet you halfway during your journey. You don't want to spend the next four years at an institution that sees the price of your tuition before they see you as a person. During my college journey, honestly, I ended up marking off so many colleges just by researching how current students felt that they were being treated. If there's a complaint you have, it should be quickly resolved, not pushed under the rug or made worse. Your mental health and comfort matter as a person, before you are seen as a student.
Adding on to the previous point, it's also important that you aren't afraid to voice your opinion and understand that your voice matters during this college journey. Don't feel like you have to compromise your voice to satisfy someone else. Once again, your mental health and comfort matter and should be a priority. If you feel like you're not being heard at an institution, it's best to find somewhere else that will take your concerns seriously. My best tip is to never forget/compromise your power as a student.
And with this being said, best of luck, rising seniors! Congrats to the upcoming Class of 2026!
I hope some of you found my advice helpful, and that you'll feel a little bit more prepared to head into your senior year! Of course, there is so much more to share regarding this topic, and feel free to share any advice you've learned in the comments! It's normal to still feel nervous with this new chapter starting, but I know you'll do great! Best of luck Class of '26! See you all soon!
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