Below are tasks that may be required at the colleges you’re applying to. Some of them require you to work with your high school so make sure to start working on these early in the fall semester.

Pro-Tip: It’s important to develop a relationship with your high school counselor if you haven’t already so you can ask questions as they arise.

Here are tasks that seniors should check off early in the fall:

Ask for Recommendation Letters

You are responsible for asking your teachers to write letters, as well as for making sure they are delivered to the appropriate schools on time. This includes asking your guidance counselor to write a recommendation letter if the colleges you’re applying to require it. (You can find this information in the Colleges section of the Common Application.)

Many high schools have specific guidelines and timeframes for recommendation letters. In general, you should give teachers 3-4 weeks to write a letter and it’s always best to ask early. If you haven’t nailed down your recommendation letters in the spring of junior year, make sure to ask your teachers very early in the school year. Most teachers will want you to provide a resume or other information, such as a “brag” sheet, that will help guide their letter writing.

In general, most students need two teacher recs, ideally from junior year. One from math or science and one from history or English is preferable if possible. There will likely be some colleges on your student's list that only want one rec (or possibly none). We typically suggest that, for the sake of ease, you send all recs to all schools. 

FOR UT Austin: You can only submit two letters of rec, and they should provide additional evidence for your first choice major. A few examples might be: an internship supervisor; a teacher from a related subject; a summer program teacher/professor; a teacher, professor, or any other person that supervised student research; or a supervisor from your job. Please note: most other colleges prefer teacher recs.

Request Transcripts Be Sent to The Colleges You’re Applying To

Your school guidance department will likely have a specific procedure to follow (or form to fill out) to request transcripts, so make sure you know how to get these official copies of your grades sent to every college that needs them. Transcripts must be sent directly from your high school so if the instructions seem unclear, visit, email, or call the high school guidance department to get more information. For schools that use Naviance, transcript orders are typically made through this online system. Most high schools will not send transcripts until the beginning of September, so we encourage students to request these immediately after the fall semester begins. Don’t wait until the guidance office is facing a backlog!

Complete a Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) if Needed 

More and more colleges require that applicants complete a Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) in place of submitting a transcript. If you are applying to a college that requires it, such as Texas A&M, the college will make it clear during the application process that the SRAR is necessary. Students will need their official transcript to complete the SRAR form. You can fill out the SRAR once you have a copy of your transcript through junior year. Just like the Common Application, you only need to fill it out once and it can be shared with multiple colleges. Check out our blog on the SRAR for more information.

Send Test Scores

Once you are done taking standardized tests, you can go ahead and send your best test scores to the colleges, if you are not applying test-optional. Remember that you MUST send the test scores by the application deadline for each college. You order scores online directly through the College Board or the ACT websites--again, watch your deadlines!

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat-subject-tests/scores/sending-scores/how-to-send

Note: Sharing AP Scores With Colleges

Students are not required to send official score reports from Advanced Placement tests to colleges. Advanced Placement scores may be listed in the Common App testing section, but are not required. We recommend only including AP scores if you scored a 4 or 5.