If your twelfth grader has submitted their early college applications, your family has earned a moment to exhale after weeks of essays, deadlines, and reminders that probably tested everyone’s patience. However, the weeks between submission and Thanksgiving still require attention, because incomplete applications, unfinished alternatives, and slipping grades can undermine months of preparation. For parents of ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders, this is also a preview of what successful preparation requires: consistent habits, thoughtful choices, and a student who learns to manage responsibilities before senior year arrives.

The first priority is confirming that every submitted application is complet...