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PrePOCS and POCS Calendar

Cliché: Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
POCS Reality: The college to-do list has a specific time line and missing deadlines can be costly.

Whether you are a prePOCS (parent of a future college student) or a POCS (parent of a college student) you are going to be very busy with college stuff. Here’s a sample listing of what your calendar may look like during your student’s senior year in high school (prePOCS) and during his college years (POCS):

PrePOCS POCS
July
  • Plan some Family Fun activities
  • Collegecation: Tour colleges on student’s list
  • Student’s college interviews, if required
  • Compare colleges and their costs
July
  • Plan some Family Fun activities
  • June-August: Freshman student attends college orientation and takes college course placement exams
  • Student contacts roommate and coordinates what to bring
  • Prepare finances to pay college bill including taking out loans, if necessary, and consider college payment plan options, if available
August
  • Plan some Family Fun activities
  • Back to school shopping
  • Collegecation: Tour colleges on student’s list
  • Student’s college interviews, if required
  • Continue to compare colleges and their costs
August
  • Plan some Family Fun activities
  • Back to school shopping
  • Pay college bill by due date
  • Book hotel room if staying over after exhausting move in and book for next family visit
  • Assess quantity of student’s belongings. If they exceed size of POCS vehicle, consider renting a van
  • Make First Night care package
  • College move in day
  • Scout college area for restaurants, activities, and other lodging choices. Pick up local paper for area news and events
  • POCS/student’s siblings fun: Do something special
  • Watch out for changes in a pet’s behavior
September
  • Final research of colleges online and in library
  • Attend college fairs, financial aid and planning events
  • Complete college list: Include reach, safety target and financial safety schools
  • Final college visits/student interviews
  • Student conducts outside scholarship search
  • Student may register for SAT®, ACT®
September
  • Prepare for adjustment when student goes to college
  • POCS/student’s siblings fun: Take up a new activity
  • Watch out for changes in a pet’s behavior
  • Student resumes scholarship search and submits applications by deadlines
  • Student’s senior year: Consider booking hotel room, if needed, for college graduation
October
  • Complete CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE®: Only if required, submit before school’s deadline
  • Attend college fairs, financial aid and planning events
  • Choose college application method: Early decision (ED), early action (EA), regular, or rolling admissions. Submit applications by deadlines
  • Student continues outside scholarship search: Submit scholarship applications by deadlines
  • Student may take SAT®, ACT®
October
  • Complete CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE®: Only if required, submit before school’s deadline
  • First College Family Visit: Take advantage of three-day Columbus weekend holiday (or any convenient time) to visit your student and the campus including college sponsored Fall Family Events
  • Book hotel for next visit
November
  • Happy Thanksgiving
  • Continue college applications: Submit by deadlines
  • College supplemental financial aid forms: Only if required, submit before school’s deadline
  • Student continues outside scholarship search: Submit scholarship applications by deadlines
  • Student may take SAT®
November
  • Happy Thanksgiving: Prepare for school break
  • Plan a Family Fun activity but don’t overdo
  • Prepare for readjustment when student goes back to college
  • POCS/student’s siblings fun: Take up a new activity
  • Watch out for changes in a pet’s behavior
December
  • Happy Holidays
  • Get FAFSA PINs for parent and student at www.pin.ed.gov
  • Student outside scholarship search: Submit scholarship applications by deadlines
  • Student may take SAT®, ACT
December
  • Happy Holidays
  • Send exam care package
  • Happy end of semester: Prepare for first extended home visit
January
  • Happy New Year
  • FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): Submit before school’s deadline at www.fafsa.ed.gov
  • State financial aid forms: Only if qualify, submit before school’s deadline
  • Receive college acceptance from early admission programs
  • Student may take SAT®
January
  • Happy New Year
  • FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): Submit before school’s deadline at www.fafsa.ed.gov
  • State financial aid forms: Only if qualify, submit before school’s deadline
  • Prepare for readjustment when student goes back to college
  • POCS/student’s siblings fun: Take up a new activity
  • Watch out for changes in a pet’s behavior
February
  • President’s Week school break
  • Collegecation: Tour colleges on student’s list
  • File income tax returns early (colleges may want to see them prior to finalizing financial aid awards to admitted students)
  • Review (and correct, if necessary) SAR, received after filing FAFSA
  • Student may register for AP exams before deadline
February
  • Second College Family Visit: Take advantage of President’s Week holiday or any convenient time to visit your student and the campus including college sponsored Winter Family Events
March
  • College acceptances continue to arrive
  • Collegecation: Attend admitted students events
March
  • Spring break: Prepare for student’s home visit
  • Prepare for readjustment when student goes back to college
  • POCS/student’s siblings fun: Take up a new activity
  • Watch out for changes in a pet’s behavior
April
  • Collegecation: Attend admitted students events
  • If inadequate, appeal financial aid award from choice college after comparing offers of financial aid from other colleges offering admission
  • Accept offers of college admission and financial aid from choice college by deadlines
  • Reject offers of college admission and financial aid from colleges not attending by deadlines
  • Send in tuition and housing deposits for choice college before deadline
  • Review finances to prepare for college bill
April
  • Spring break: Prepare for student’s home visit
  • Prepare for readjustment when student goes back to college
  • POCS/student’s siblings fun: Take up a new activity
  • Watch out for changes in a pet’s behavior
May
  • Student may take AP exams
  • Tell family and friends the good news-where your student will attend college
  • Review finances to prepare for college bill
May
  • Send exam care package
  • Move out day: Consider a storage facility to make next year’s move in easier
  • Student’s senior year: Attend college graduation and plan graduation party according to student’s new job schedule
June
  • Attend high school graduation and plan graduation party
  • June-August: Student attends college orientation and takes college course placement exams
  • Student may receive contact info for roommate
  • Review finances to prepare for college bill
June
  • Prepare for readjustment if student moves back home
  • POCS/student’s siblings fun: Take up a new activity
  • Watch out for changes in a pet’s behavior