This week, The Choice is publishing our monthly Counselor’s Calendar, which is intended to keep students on track during the college admissions process.
 
This installment focuses on seniors. (Juniors, your May checklist will be published on Tuesday.) We have asked J.T. Duck, the director of college counseling at Boston University Academy, for admissions advice for the class of 2013.
 — Tanya Abrams
 
You did it. You made it to May of senior year, which means the college search process and your senior year are almost over. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Kudos to you!
 
There are a few details to keep in mind as you wrap up your high school career, finish your college plans and prepare for your final summer before college.
 
Seniors, here is your college admissions checklist for May:
End on a High Note
 
The euphoria of wrapping up the college application process and the clear sight line to graduation day might compel you to take your foot off the gas pedal between now and the day you receive that coveted diploma.
 
Resist that temptation. Instead, end your high school career on a high note, academically and otherwise.
 
Doing so will mean you will arrive at college a better prepared student, continue to earn the admiration of your teachers and classmates, and ultimately be able to look back on your high school experience (and transcript) with pride.
 
Remember that any offer of admission to a college is contingent upon successfully completing high school in a manner consistent with your record at the time of application. Any significant drop in grades may raise some concerns — or even jeopardize your spot — at your destination college.
 
If you want to transfer to a different college a year from now, your high school transcript may become part of a transfer application.
Make Up Your Mind
 
I often see students who spent months anxiously hoping to be admitted to any college suddenly overwhelmed by having to choose from among several great options. Hopefully you have spent the past few weeks researching your options, visiting campuses, talking to current students, and assessing finances so that you can now make your final choice.
 
Most colleges in the United States expected students to make their final enrollment decision by May 1, though some schools are still accepting applications.
 
Enrolling at a college usually involves a financial deposit to underscore the seriousness of your decision, but if you are receiving significant financial aid from that institution, you may qualify for a reduced deposit.

Politely Decline Other Colleges
 
Decline offers of admission to the colleges at which you are not enrolling. This allows those colleges to assess more quickly whether any spots will be available to students currently on their waiting lists.
 
In my experience, colleges follow up several times with admitted students to find out where they have enrolled in an effort to better understand which colleges constitute their overlap schools in any given year.

Respond Quickly to Wait-List Decisions
 
If you are active on a college’s waiting list, you may hear from that college any day now. Generally, colleges will notify students on their waiting lists as quickly as they can if spaces are not available.
 
If spaces are available, however, expect a phone call or e-mail notification at any time. Respond quickly and with enthusiasm to any wait-list queries from colleges you are still excited about; sometimes a speedy and clear demonstration of interest means the difference between earning an offer of admission and lingering longer on the wait list.

Notify Your High School
 
Your counselor needs to know what college you have chosen so that a final transcript can be sent in June.
 
Share your final decision with your counselor and your teachers. Thank these adults (especially those who wrote letters of recommendation for you) for their hard work on your behalf.

Respond Promptly to All College Communications
 
Once you commit to a college, expect a flurry of communications: housing surveys, course registration information, health insurance forms, and more.
 
Read all communications carefully and respond promptly. Be yourself (not the person you think you should be) when filling out roommate questionnaires and be thoughtful about selecting any courses before the start of the semester.
 
Keep a copy of all communications in one place so that you and your parents can refer to it before you head off to college.

Pay It Forward
 
All around you are throngs of anxious juniors just embarking on this process. Constructively share your experience, wisdom and know-how with your younger peers. Reassure them that they, too, will have good options a year from now. Offer to be a resource as they engage in their college search.
 
Play the role you wish knowledgeable seniors ahead of you had played when you were first starting out. In doing so, you will realize just how far you have come over the past year.

Practice Good School Citizenship
 
Be your best self at upcoming school events: awards programs, prom, senior week, or graduation ceremonies. You are not done with high school until you have that diploma in hand. Your high school and your destination college expect you to be on your best behavior at all year-end events.

Plan Your Summer Activities
 
Create a summer schedule that aligns with your interests and passions or allows you to earn some spending money for college.

Consider part-time jobs, community service, travel, internships or outdoor excursions. Work on getting that driver’s license. And make time for friends.
 
You should be immeasurably proud of your accomplishments and of the hard work that went into each one of them.
 
Spend your last few weeks of high school doing your best work, acknowledging your successes, thanking your educators, reminiscing with friends, and looking forward to a fabulous college experience!