Admissions Timeline

As a future college student, here is a brief guide to help you on the path from exploration, to admission, to attendance of your dream school.

Spring of Junior Year

  • Plan to take ACT/SAT and AP/IB exams (if applicable) and consider sending scores to your top choices for universities.
  • Keep grades high! Grades from your freshman, sophomore, and junior years are what will have the most weight on your admission.

Junior Year/Summer before Senior Year

  • Research different colleges and universities based on your priorities, such as location, cost, program opportunities, size, etc.
  • Tour college campuses! Seeing the campus in person is often the main factor in determining if that school is right for you.
  • Attend programs that will help you explore the activities and academic programs that you plan to be involved in. For example, MSU offers Green and White Days to learn more about your fit at MSU, including opportunities available to high achieving students as a member of the Honors College.

Late August/ September of Senior Year

  • Start applying! The earlier you apply, the more likely to find out your admission status sooner, and perhaps even earn more scholarships. Many universities have an “early admission” deadline, so be sure to keep those dates in mind for your top choices. We recommend applying to Michigan State University no later than mid-October of your senior year.
  • When filling out your application, don’t be modest! Universities rely on your application to get a picture of who you are, so it is very beneficial to share the things that are important to you and that you’ve worked hard to achieve.
  • Look into scholarships early. Some have deadlines at the very beginning of the school year, and you want to give yourself the best possible chance at earning that extra money.

Visit this webpage to take a look at scholarships for incoming and current MSU Honors College members.

MSU also has a campus-wide scholarship database for currently enrolled students. This is a good resource to find scholarships dependent on your specific criteria.

January-March of Senior Year

  • Encourage your parents to file their taxes early. The earlier they file, the earlier they will get their documents back, enabling you and your parents to fill out your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) more easily.
  • Fill out the FAFSA! It opens on October 1st, and for full consideration, you must apply by March 1st. However, if you miss the March 1st deadline, still apply because there is a chance there is still funding available.

For more information visit our Financial Aid resources webpage.

May 1st of Senior Year

This special day is known as “Decision Day” for most universities. Michigan State University requires incoming students to submit their Advanced Enrollment Deposit (AED) by this date to secure admission for the upcoming fall semester. Students invited to the Honors College must also accept their invitations by this date to join our cohort of incoming HC students.

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