The Common App portal is open, which means every rising senior's application year starts on a live clock instead of a hypothetical one. We’re walking through the Common App’s most common misconceptions in a free live session on Aug. 4, worth attending before any of that confusion turns into an actual mistake on an application.
Testing deadlines are compressed this month too, with the SAT's next two registration windows both landing before Labor Day. None of this is optional reading. Here's what's confirmed so far, and what each grade should be doing with it.
Aug. 14 — Regular registration deadline for the Sept. 19 ACT
Sept. 1 — Late registration deadline for the Sept. 19 ACT
There’s no ACT test date in August. If a student needs a non-Saturday option for religious reasons, non-Saturday testing is worth checking before the Aug. 14 deadline, not after.
Aug. 7 — Regular registration deadline for the Aug. 22 SAT
Aug. 11 — Late registration deadline for the Aug. 22 SAT; fees apply
Aug. 22 — SAT test date (scores expected to be released Sept. 4)
Aug. 28 — Regular registration deadline for the Sept. 12 SAT
Sept. 1 — Late registration deadline for the Sept. 12 SAT; fees apply
Two full registration cycles fall inside this single month. Students aiming for the Aug. 22 date are already past the point of casual planning, and the Sept. 12 date is the real fallback for anyone still deciding.
Topics that should be on your mind in August: Common App account setup and the activities list, personal statement drafts, teacher recommendation requests, fall testing registration, and the first two weeks of the new school year.
Ease the transition, not manage it. Freshman year grades count toward the GPA a college eventually sees, so this isn’t a practice year to shrug off, but it also isn’t the moment to hover over every assignment. Talk with your student now, before schedules lock in, about what a manageable course load looks like, and plan to treat the first two weeks back as an information-gathering window rather than a performance review. Specifically:
Have the goals conversation now. Not a lecture — a real conversation. What does your student want sophomore year to look like? Grades, friendships, activities? Getting clarity now makes fall feel less reactive.
Help them find something to do with purpose. Even a few hours a week of volunteering or a structured program builds the habit of showing up. If your student’s school or program has community service requirements, summer is the time to start chipping away.
Keep tabs on required reading. It’s easy for this to fall off the radar. A gentle check-in mid-July goes a long way.
Discuss the transition to high school: Have open conversations about the transition to high school and address any concerns or questions your child may have. Let the reflection be guided by takeaways from the past school year and inspire positive changes for the coming school year.
Go in with a plan to pay attention from day one, not just show up. Habits set at the start of high school carry through four years.
Set up a planner or folder system before the first day. It’s a lot easier to build that habit now than to fix a mess in week three.
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