Originally sent as an AltView newsletter on June 1, 2026.
Last week, I wrote about why Indian students should not wait until August to start US applications:
Indian students should not wait for August to start US applications
A few parents reached out after that note with a version of the same question: what should we actually be doing now?
So Sanjeeta and I decided to do a short private briefing this Saturday for Class 12 students and parents applying abroad this year. We will keep the main focus on the current application cycle, but some of the planning points will also be useful for families with younger students.
Class 12 Has Started: What Students Applying Abroad Should Do Before June Disappears
Saturday, 6 June
4:00 PM IST
Online webinar
The reason for doing this now is simple. For CBSE and ISC students, Class 12 has already started. This is not a clean summer before the year begins.
Schools have reopened. Coaching schedules are active. Boards are slowly entering the background. And application portals will open soon enough.
I understand why many families think serious application work can begin in August. That is when the forms feel real. But in practice, August is often too late to start from zero.
By then, the student should ideally have started thinking through some basic but important questions.
Which countries and courses are realistic fits?
What kind of shortlist makes sense?
What will the essays or personal statement actually say?
Which activities and experiences matter most?
How will testing and schoolwork fit around application deadlines?
These are not questions to answer in a rush after school has become fully crowded.
In this session, we will walk through what families should sort out now: country and course direction, shortlist thinking, essays, activities, testing, and the broad application timeline.
It will be most useful for families where the student is currently in Class 12 and planning undergraduate applications abroad in the current cycle.
If your child is younger, you are welcome to attend too. The examples will be Class 12-focused, but it may help you see why we keep saying that application thinking should not begin only when deadlines are already close.
If this note made you think of another Class 12 family, please forward it to them. And if someone forwarded this to you, you can subscribe here for future updates.