March is upon us, and we’re looking forward to better weather, warmer temperatures, and longer days when we spring forward this month. Help your students get motivated through the last of the short, cold days with our latest College Planning Calendar, featuring lots of important observances, valuable resources, and fun holidays during the month of March—including some help regarding the increasingly frustrating FAFSA filing crisis.
General monthly planning
- 9th grade: New high schoolers are just a few months away from completing their first year. That’s a big deal! Help them get to the finish line with Our Best Advice for Your First Year of High School.
- 10th grade: You know about senioritis, but have you ever heard of the sophomore slump? Encourage your second-year students to finish the semester strong with advice on How to Avoid the Sophomore Slump in High School.
- 11th grade: Hopefully by now, juniors have started building a college list and planning for standardized tests. Spring is the best time to take the next step in the college search by going on campus visits or taking virtual online tours!
- 12th grade: This year has been frustrating for college-bound students, parents, and institutions alike as they navigate new problems caused by the simplified FAFSA form. However, schools are responding by creating their own expedited financial aid forms for students to submit. Help your affected students by encouraging them to stay in contact with the colleges they applied to and arm them with knowledge about institutional aid and scholarships so they know where else they could receive money despite federal aid concerns.
Month-long observances and events
- Women’s History Month: Support and promote strong women this month and beyond by checking out all our Women’s History Month content.
- Ramadan: Ramadan is a month-long observance in the Islamic religion that begins on March 10 this year. It’s celebrated worldwide with Muslims partaking in fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Ramadan Kareem!
- National Nutrition Month: Nutrition is extremely important for high school and college students, especially as they learn to care for themselves with increasing independence. Help them out by sharing our articles and advice on nutrition.
- Red Cross Month: During March, the American Red Cross encourages everyone to donate blood to those in need. Did you know they also host a scholarship program for students called Leaders Save Lives? Check it out!
- National Foreign Language Month: Learning a foreign language can be extremely beneficial for students personally, academically, and professionally. If they’re wondering why, share our article on How Knowing a Foreign Language Can Help Your Career.
- Social Work Month: This month recognizes the importance and supports the progressions of social work careers and professionals. If your students are wondering what a future in this pivotal profession might look like, they should check out our article What Can You Do With a Social Work Degree?
Friday, March 1
Peace Corps Days
The Peace Corps is known as the great American volunteer program that sends volunteers all over the world to help others. Peace Corps Day commemorates its founding by President John F. Kennedy in 1961.
Saturday, March 2
National Read Across America Day
What better way to spend a Saturday than curled up with a book? The National Education Association promotes literacy across the nation today, with an overall goal to promote the habit of reading and create a nation of diverse readers. To make things super easy, we have a ton of book recommendations right here on CollegeXpress that students can pick up!
Free SAT prep class
Kaplan is offering free monthly prep classes geared toward helping students prepare for the new digital SAT format. The first Digital SAT Live Online Trial Class of the month will take place on Saturday the 2nd from 12:00–2:00 pm ET.
Sunday, March 3
Prep Expert Digital SAT webinar
Dr. Shaan Patel has been preparing for the big SAT change and how it affects test prep by writing a new Prep Expert Digital SAT Playbook! He’s hosting an online webinar on Sunday the 3rd at 6:00 pm ET for students and parents to discuss the book launch, help them understand the new test format, shift their test prep methods, and more. Students can register for this free event now!
Free SAT prep classes
Whether students focus better in the morning or the evening, they have two Digital SAT Live Online Trial Classes from Kaplan to choose from today! The first session goes from 9:00–11:00 am ET, with the second from 6:30–8:30 pm ET.
Tuesday, March 5
Free ACT prep class
Kaplan is offering their monthly ACT Live Online Trial Classes to help students prep for the standardized test. The first free session of the month takes place on Tuesday the 5th from 5:30–7:30 pm ET.
Thursday, March 7
College application and supplemental essay video courses
Ethan Sawyer, the College Essay Guy, is hosting four weeks of webinars for students from March 7–28 on How to Write the College Application + Supplemental Essays. Sessions will run every Thursday of the month, but times will vary depending on which track you sign up for. Session topics include how to cut down your time but still write good applications, activities lists, “Why Us?” essays, extracurricular essays, and more. Although these courses aren’t free, payment plans and pay-what-you-can requests are available.
Friday, March 8
International Women’s Day
We’re celebrating women all month long, but be sure to give the women in your life some extra appreciation today on International Women’s Day during International Women’s Week!
- Great Colleges and Universities for Women and Nonbinary Students: Celebrate the day, week, and month by exploring and connecting with great schools that support and uplift female and nonbinary students.
ACT regular registration deadline
Today is the regular registration deadline for the April 13 ACT test date.
Saturday, March 9
Digital SAT test date
Today is a digital SAT test date for students around the country.
Free ACT prep class
The next available day to prepare for the ACT with Kaplan is Saturday the 9th from 12:00–2:00 pm ET.
Sunday, March 10
Daylight Saving Time begins
Don’t forget to set your clocks one hour forward Saturday night and get ready to enjoy longer days (and hopefully some warmer weather)!
Monday, March 11
Free SAT prep class
Students can sign up for another free SAT trial class from Kaplan on Monday the 11th from 7:00–9:00 pm ET. It’s the last opportunity of the month, so don’t miss it!
Wednesday, March 13
Free ACT prep class
Another day, another Kaplan ACT prep class on Wednesday the 13th from 7:30–9:30 pm ET.
Thursday, March 14
National Pi Day
Pizza pie, apple pie, 3.14159—whatever your favorite pie is, be sure to celebrate this fun academic-based holiday with your students!
- Math in the Real World: Different Careers You Could Pursue: Encourage math-loving students to pursue it in college by showing them what kinds of careers they could pursue in the future—there are a lot of options!
Sunday, March 17
St. Patrick’s Day
Also known as the Feast of Saint Patrick, this day honors the Irish patron saint and is the perfect opportunity to wear some green. Erin go Bragh!
Tuesday, March 19
National Agriculture Day
It’s time to celebrate the contributions agriculture provides to our daily lives during Agriculture Day and Week. Students interested in a related college major and career path should check out our agriculture scholarship listings!
First day of spring
In some nice synchronicity, the first day of spring and National Ag Day fall on the same day this year. Celebrate what the Earth provides by getting outside and appreciating the blooming world around you!
Free ACT prep class
Here’s another chance to prep for the ACT with Kaplan this month with a free class on Tuesday the 19th from 8:30–10:30 pm ET.
Thursday, March 21
Free Common Application Masterclass
Prep Expert is hosting a free live masterclass on the Common App to help students understand the importance of strategically completing this online college application. Register early to watch on Thursday the 21st at 9:00 pm ET.
Sunday, March 24
ACT late registration deadline
Today is the late registration deadline for the April 13 ACT test date (late fees apply).
Free ACT prep class
Today is the last chance for students to take an ACT Live Online Trial Class with Kaplan taking place from 6:30–8:30 pm ET.
Tuesday, March 26
CollegeXpress Day (aka Make Up Your Own Holiday Day!)
What better holiday could there be than one that celebrates CollegeXpress? Thanks for being a part of our community and utilizing us for all your college planning needs.
- The Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Use CollegeXpress: If your students have been reluctant to sign up for CX, help them see why it’s a great resource in their college search with this comprehensive overview of our site.
Sunday, March 31
Easter
This holiday in the Christian tradition honors Jesus’s rise from the dead. We hope those who celebrate have a wonderful day filled with family, community, and chocolate!
CollegeXpress monthly scholarship deadline
Today is the last day to enter our $1,300 March Madness Scholarship! Starting March 1 and throughout the month, make sure all your students are registered for a chance to win free money for school—and not just seniors! US students ages 13 and up can complete their free CX profile (or log back in) and let us know if they’ll be following March Madness this year to enter. It’s that easy!
CollegeXpress Scholarship for Students of Color deadline
That's not the only scholarship deadline we have on March 31. Students of color can apply for this quarterly award by creating a free account or logging back into CollegeXpress and answering this question in just one sentence: What is your dream career to pursue after high school? They could win $1,500 plus a $500 donation to the charity of their choice!
Did you know you can feature our top resources on your website? Head over to our Free College Widgets page to learn more. It’s also a great time for students to apply for scholarships using our Scholarship Search tool!
