What Now? How Test-Prep Tutors Can Support Students After College Decision Day
National College Decision Day has passed; your students have submitted their enrollment deposits and committed to their future schools. But this isn’t the finish line—it’s a key turning point.
What’s next for our clients, and how can we still play a vital role in helping our students navigate the critical transition from high school to college?
Here’s how you can guide your clients through the next steps with confidence—and help set them up for success in their first year of college and beyond.
Help Your Clients Finalize Their College To-Dos
After selecting their school, your students face a surprisingly long to-do list. Encourage them to stay organized and proactive by creating a complete To-Do list and to start checking off the following:
Decline other college offers to free up spots for waitlisted students.
Monitor their college email for key updates about housing, orientation, and financial aid.
Submit housing and meal plan forms ASAP—assignments are often first-come, first-served.
Sign up for orientation and register for classes. Advise them to register for classes as early as possible to get the classes they want and avoid getting stuck with leftovers.
Review financial aid and billing details carefully, and complete loan counseling if needed.
Schedule health checkups and submit immunization forms on time.
Make a basic college budget for books, supplies, and personal expenses.
Reach out to roommates or join admitted student groups to ease social anxiety.
Finalize transportation plans for move-in day and future breaks.
Tip: Share this checklist with your clients and their families to reduce last-minute panic in August.
For more advice and ideas, refer to our post: “Roadmap for the Future: College Selection 101”.
Revisit Standardized Testing—It Still Matters!
Even after a student has chosen a college, the ACT® or SAT® can still serve an important purpose, especially when it comes to class placement and scholarships!
As we explain in our post “Should Your Student Retake the SAT® or ACT®?”, retesting in the late spring or summer could mean the difference between placing into credit-bearing courses or being stuck in remedial classes.
Retesting can be seen as a worthy investment in long-term academic and financial success. Many students are surprised to learn that low SAT® or ACT® scores—or skipping the tests entirely—can result in placement into remedial college courses. These courses don't count toward graduation and often come with full tuition price tags.
In “Submitting Test Scores Can Save Students From Remedial College Courses”, we break down how strong test scores can allow students to bypass these placements entirely. The takeaway? If a student has even a few weeks before orientation, that time can be used strategically to improve scores and solidify their footing before stepping onto campus come August.
Check out Spring into Action: Register Now for Spring 2025 ACT® & SAT® Test Dates to share these upcoming dates with your clients.
Final Thoughts
May 1st might feel like a wrap-up, but it’s actually more of a handoff. As a trusted advisor, you can help your clients transition from “college-bound” to “college-ready.” That means tying up loose ends, building academic confidence, and protecting students from common first-year pitfalls.
Whether your student is breathing a sigh of relief after choosing a school or still rethinking their strategy after missing a deadline (see “Did Your Students Miss the Deadline?”), your role as an educator remains essential.
Keep guiding. Keep encouraging. And keep helping your students take the next right step.
Ready to help your students make Spring 2025 their most productive semester yet?
At Clear Choice Prep, we’re dedicated to helping your tutoring business thrive with personalized solutions designed to meet every client’s unique needs.
We provide a full range of ACT® and SAT® prep materials, available in both digital and paper-and-pencil formats, equipping you and your tutors with the tools they need to deliver tailored instruction to help your students reach their full academic potential.
Ready to elevate your test-prep services? Schedule a free demo today and see how Clear Choice Prep can create a fully customized, white-label test-prep system for your business. With our support, you can expand your offerings and empower your students to succeed academically.