COLLEGE

Early Action (EA)

Apply early (by November, usually) - get decision back earlier and have better chances at admission and scholarships

Early Decision (ED)

Apply early (by November, usually) - get decision back earlier and have better chances at admission and scholarships. **Binding decision to attend the school if you're accepted. Financial consequences if you do not attend that school.

Regular Decision (RD)

The RD deadline is typically between January 1st and February 1st for highly competitive schools and around March for other schools.

Superscoring

Many colleges consider your highest section scores across all the dates you took the ACT/SAT - forming the highest possible total score across all your ACT/SATs. This means that students should retake the SAT or ACT if they can.

Fee Waiver

Take the SAT or ACT & apply to colleges for free If your family qualifies for free/reduced lunch, you qualify for fee waivers. Ask your counselor to check if you qualify and/or get fee waivers.

SAT Subject Tests

SAT version of AP exams. More selective school might require that you take these. It's best to take the subject test after you take the class (for example, taking AP Biology then the Biology SAT Subject Test).

Helpful Links

CFNC.org - College Foundation of North Carolina

ncresidency.org - Residency Determination Service

commonapp.org - Common Application

fsaid.ed.gov - make a username and password with FAFSA

fafsa.ed.gov - complete the financial aid application

fairtest.org - list of test-optional schools

act.org - Register for the ACT and send test scores

academy.act.org - ACT Academy - free ACT prep

sat.org - Register for the SAT and send test scores

khanacademy.org - Find SAT Prep