<p>So as I'll be the first to go to college in my family (and since my parents were immigrants they only have immigrant friends who also are clueless about the application process) I had a few questions. </p>
<p>When should one ask for teacher recommendations? Towards the end of junior year? Work on their essay (I've already been planning mine and will work on it during the summer/maybe spring break of this year so I can have my wonderful language arts teacher go over it with me)? When should you fill out the Common Application online? Especially if you are going to apply early decision? Do you send financial aid requests at the same time as your regular application or afterwards?</p>
<p>Sorry for the bombardment of questions! Feel free to add any other suggestions as to what to do as well!</p>
<p>At the end of junior year, plan to know WHO you're going to ask for recommendations. Remember, they don't have to be teachers, they can be your conselours, your employeers, your boyscout troop leader, etc, someone who knows you well and of your accomplishments and abilities in something. During your summer between junior year and senior, fill out the common application (I say during july) and perfect it, be the first one to show and ask your recommenders a couple weeks after school starts I say. As for your essay, it's your choice, my recommendation is ask your LA teacher if you could email you your essay to help edit it over the summer.</p>
<p>I can't answer early decision/financial aid stuff, sorry.</p>
<p>I asked my teachers in October for letters that were due on November, they were all written terrifically. </p>
<p>Financial aid stuff: My dad filled out the CSS and sent it in online to the colleges I was applying to write after I sent my common app out. FAFSA is done later (after January)</p>
<p>Oh yeah, also how do you send ACT scores if you didn't put any schools down when registering and if you are applying to extra schools that you must pay extra to send your scores to? Do you go on their website and tell them where to send scores to and pay with a credit card or do I ask my counselor to send them or what?</p>