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If you use your credit card for everything, from paying bills to ordering takeout to booking trips, you put yourself at risk for fraudsters to steal your credit card information.

One way to protect your sensitive information is to put a freeze on your credit report. A credit freeze provides you with an extra layer of security because it prevents anyone from running a hard inquiry on your report or potentially opening a new line of credit without your permission.

But at some point you might want to open a new credit card or apply for a loan. So how do you unlock a credit freeze? In this guide, you’ll learn all about how to unfreeze credit.

What Does it Mean to Unfreeze Credit?

When you freeze your credit report, you can’t open a new line of credit, whether that’s a credit card, mortgage, auto loan, or something else. At the same time, no one can run a hard inquiry on your credit report — so lenders, landlords, even potential employers can’t access it. While there are limits on who can legally look at your credit report, a credit freeze can provide peace of mind that no one can open an account in your name.

When you unfreeze your credit, it’s like you’re turning back on the credit report. Once your credit is unfrozen, you can once again open a new line of credit, and lenders can run a hard pull on your report.

How a Credit Freeze Works

Also known as a security freeze, a credit freeze restricts access to your credit file. Credit freezes don’t happen automatically. You have to reach out to each of the three credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — to ask for a credit freeze.
Thanks to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, if you request a credit freeze over the phone or online, the credit bureaus are required to freeze your report within 24 hours. If you send the request via mail, they have up to three business days.

When you make a credit freeze request, each bureau will give you a PIN (personal identification number) or password that you need when you decide to lift the freeze.

A credit freeze is often confused with a credit lock, but they’re two separate things. A credit lock is a service you sign up for, and there’s usually a subscription fee. It’s similar to a credit freeze as you block access from most lenders. However, you can freeze or unfreeze it at any time on your phone or computer, and you don’t have to wait for it to go into effect.

A credit freeze is free, and you have to go through the credit bureaus to thaw your credit, and it takes about an hour to go into effect.

Types of Credit Freeze Lifts

At some point you may think about unlocking your credit freeze. When the time comes, there are two main types of credit freeze lifts:

Temporary lift

A temporary lift will unfreeze your credit report for a designated time period. You can choose how long you’d like your credit to be thawed, but it’s typically anywhere from one to 30 days.

You can thaw your credit freeze temporarily to apply for new credit, take out a loan, or apply to rent an apartment. But once you’re done with that financial task, the freeze restarts.

Permanent lift

A permanent lift will thaw your credit freeze for an indefinite amount of time. You might want to go this route if you don’t want to go through the steps of freezing and unfreezing your credit and find that the trouble isn’t worth the benefits.

Recommended: How to Read and Understand Your Credit Report

Ways to Unfreeze Credit Using Bureaus

How do you unfreeze your credit? You just need to contact each of the credit bureaus. You can do it in one of three ways:

•   Phone: If you request a lift by phone, the credit bureaus are required to thaw your credit within an hour.

•   Online: If you make the request online, your credit freeze will also be lifted within the hour.

•   Mail: You can also request a credit thaw by mail. If you go this route, expect the lift to happen within three business days.

Recommended: How to Dispute a Credit Report and Win Your Case

When You Should Unfreeze Your Credit

Generally, you need to unfreeze your credit anytime someone needs to review your credit report, like if you’re opening a new line of credit or applying for a loan. Some common scenarios of when you’ll need to unfreeze your credit:

•   Applying for a credit card

•   Applying for a mortgage, personal loan, or car loan

•   Applying for a line of credit

•   Hunting for an apartment

Recommended: Common Credit Report Errors and How to Dispute Them

Credit Freeze vs. Fraud Alert

If you’re at high risk for fraud, or you suspect you’ve been a victim of a credit card scam, or you just want to take extra precautions, you can set up a fraud alert on your credit report. When you have a fraud alert in place, a lender or creditor needs to verify your identity before they can issue you a new line of credit or approve you for a loan.

To place a fraud alert, you only need to reach out to one of the three credit bureaus. By law, that credit bureau must let the other two credit bureaus know you placed a fraud alert. In turn, all three credit bureaus will place a fraud alert on your credit file.

Initial fraud alerts are free, and initial fraud alerts last one year. After one year, you can renew it. Extended fraud alerts last for seven years, but they are for victims of identity theft, and you must submit a police report to qualify.

A credit freeze, on the other hand, blocks any party, including lenders and creditors, from accessing your credit. You need to place a credit freeze separately with each of the three credit bureaus, which lasts indefinitely. They can only be lifted when you make a request.

💡 Quick Tip: On-time payments are key to building your credit score. To ensure that you make your payments in time, consider setting up automatic payments or set a calendar reminder of your due date.

The Takeaway

Unfreezing your credit report is relatively simple, and it’s easy to set up a temporary lift should you decide you want to apply for a new credit card or personal loan. There are a few different ways you can go about thawing your credit as needed, and the credit bureaus have to unfreeze your credit within an hour of you making the request by phone or online.

Whether you're looking to build credit, apply for a new credit card, or save money with the cards you have, it's important to understand the options that are best for you. Learn more about credit cards by exploring this credit card guide.

FAQ

Can I unfreeze my credit?

You can unfreeze your credit anytime by going through each of the three credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — and requesting a lift on your credit freeze. You can ask for either a permanent or temporary lift. The thaw usually lasts anywhere from one to 30 days if it’s temporary.

Can you freeze your credit automatically?

Credit freezes don’t happen automatically. You will need to contact the three credit bureaus and make a proper request. You can do so online, by telephone, or via snail mail.

How soon can I unfreeze my credit after freezing?

You can unfreeze your credit as frequently as you like and request a credit lift as soon as you freeze it. If you made the request online or over the phone, it can take up to an hour to unfreeze your credit. If you send the request in the mail, it can take up to three business days.

How long does it take to unfreeze your credit?

It depends on the credit bureau and how you made your request. If you requested your credit to unfreeze or “thaw” over the phone or email, the credit bureaus must lift it within an hour. If you made the request by mail, the credit bureaus must unfreeze your credit within three business days.

Can I still use my credit card after freezing my credit?

Freezing your credit doesn’t impact your ability to use your credit card. You can freely make purchases on your card, book trips, redeem your cash-back points, and so forth. But if you want to do something that requires a hard pull of your credit — apply for new credit, loan, or submit a rental application for an apartment — you’ll need to unfreeze first.

Photo credit: iStock/nortonrsx

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Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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College application deadlines have a tendency to come up fast. But the process of preparing for college typically begins much earlier than senior year.

Plenty of students prefer to get ready as early as their junior year of high school—in an effort to strengthen their eventual college applications (and make the process more manageable).

For those interested in college, some years of high school carry more weight — especially, the junior year. Colleges often look more closely at grades and achievements from students’ junior years when evaluating who to accept.

After all, that third year in high school is the last full academic calendar a college can view before students apply.

So, approaching junior year with a clear action plan may even give applicants a leg up on admission into their dream college. Compiling a junior year of high school checklist could help students to tackle this vital year with more drive, confidence, and focus.

Here’s an overview of why junior year of high school is so key and some strategies for staying focused while preparing to apply for college.

Why Junior Year Is Important

Junior year of high school can be especially impactful for strengthening a student’s college application. It’s the last school year that universities can look at in full before applications are due during senior year.

As a result, many admissions committees pay particularly close attention to grades and extracurricular activities from the junior year of high school.

The third year of high school can feel overwhelmingly for a few reasons:

•   Class difficulty levels are often higher than earlier years.
•   Students can begin studying now for the SAT and ACT. (It’s possible to take these exams in the spring of junior year, affording juniors a chance to retake them during the fall of senior year.)
•   Upper-class students can take on numerous extracurriculars and a part-time job.

To help make junior year a lighter lift, it can be a good idea to enter into it with a checklist in hand. This can help students see more success when college acceptance letters are sent out the next year. What follows are some helpful things students may want to keep in mind to make more out of this critical year.


💡 Quick Tip: You’ll make no payments on some private student loans for six months after graduation.

Getting Involved in Extracurriculars

To strengthen their college applications, many juniors opt to get more involved with organizations or activities they care deeply about. Being involved in extracurriculars doesn’t have to feel like a chore.

Extracurriculars that might stand out on a college application range from clubs to student council, from athletic endeavors to volunteering. There’s no one-size-fits-all way for students to be engaged in school or in their communities.

Many high schools host a variety of clubs that students can join. Juniors could choose one or two they’re really passionate about, allowing these extracurricular activities to serve as a break from hitting the books (all while still fleshing out their college application profile).

Staying Focused

Another potential way to increase focus is to keep a planner. It seems simple, but in today’s technology-driven age, it’s easy to forget how valuable writing big dates or goals down can be.

With seven dates available to take the SAT, and seven or more different dates available to take the ACT, it’s not hard for busy students to lose track of when to study for and schedule their college admission tests.

Once a test date has been chosen, students can mark it down in their printed planner. It’s then possible for a high school junior to work backwards, planning out practice tests and pencilling in study sessions during the build-up to the testing date.

The simple act of writing things down can make them easier to remember, so some researchers suggest jotting down key dates first in a physical planner before then adding them to a digital device or calendar.

Recommended: ACT vs. SAT: Which Do Colleges Prefer?

Making a Junior Year Checklist

In addition to writing down important dates, some students may benefit from making a personalized junior year checklist. Some tasks that could be included on such a list are:

•   Studying for major tests, like the SAT or ACT
•   Joining extracurricular clubs or organizations
•   Researching different colleges and universities
•   Getting familiar with the format of college applications

Once a checklist is drafted, students might then make to-do lists under each sub-category. The planner could be used in tandem to help students stay on top of these goals and deadlines.

Designating a Study Space

Creating a dedicated space for studying can also improve a student’s focus during a jam-packed school year. Many high schoolers opt to designate a comfy space at home, where they may then concentrate on their studies. It’s even possible to give this study space a personal touch — decking it out with school supplies, keeping it clutter-free, and decorating it with inspirational photos or personal items (like a magnet from one’s dream college).

Creating a dedicated study space, some claim, could both make recalling information easier and studying more effective.

Remembering to Reward Accomplishments

Busy high school juniors might want to remember to reward major accomplishments during this high-stakes year. Once important dates and tasks are mapped out (and scheduled), students could make another list of potential fun rewards to enjoy, once an outlined goal is met. Aced those finals? Binge on some light TV. Finished the SAT practice exam? Download that new game everyone’s been playing.

It may also be helpful to recall that an overly hectic junior year can increase students’ feelings of stress, possibly making it harder to accomplish big goals. Burnout is likely easier to avoid when students carve time out for regular breaks.

Strengthening that College Application

There’s a multitude of ways for juniors to strengthen their eventual college applications. Choosing which tasks to focus on can be the hard part.

Some juniors add volunteering to their schedules this year. Certain volunteer opportunities have age restrictions, which can make them easier for upperclass students to apply for. Similar to the earlier at-school clubs, many juniors opt to volunteer with non-profit organizations or institutions they’re passionate about.

To possibly stand out more on the college application, it may also be helpful for juniors to find a volunteer opportunity in the field they’re hoping to pursue as a career some day.

For instance, a student interested in medicine might seek out opportunities in a local hospital (so they could learn firsthand about what working in that environment and evidence their commitment to a given field of study.)

Recommended: College Planning Guide for Parents

Getting a First Job

Junior year could also be a good time for students to get their first part-time job. Many states allow young people to begin working once they’re 16 years old. If a student can find a job that’s easy to get (and doesn’t distract from academics), work experience can be one more experience to highlight on a college application down the road. Holding a part-time job at a young age might demonstrate skills, such as time-management and personal responsibility.

Moreover, there may also be unique opportunities available to upperclass students at their individual schools. It’s common for special electives or programs to open up to older students — things like, working on the school yearbook, interning for credit, or volunteering on or off site.

Recommended: Am I Eligible for Work-Study?

Financing College

Earning admission is just one piece of the going-to-college puzzle. Once accepted, many high schoolers have to wrestle with how to pay for college. For parents, saving up for a child’s college years is something they may want to start while their student is much younger.

What are some options for financing college? Some ways to pay for college include need-based grants, merit or affinity scholarships, federal student loans, and private student loans.

Some grants, such as Federal Pell Grants, are disbursed by the U.S. government to those who qualify. Grants, unlike loans, do not typically have to be repaid by the student. Scholarships are frequently merit-based, meaning they’re often awarded based on a student’s academic, athletic, or community-based accomplishments.

Many high schools and colleges publish lists of financial aid resources available to eligible undergraduates. These lists are one starting place to begin searching for potential scholarships or grants.

So, it may be worthwhile to check with a guidance counselor or on a college’s official financial aid web page (to see what resources have already been compiled).


💡 Quick Tip: Parents and sponsors with strong credit and income may find much lower rates on no-fee private parent student loans than federal parent PLUS loans. Federal PLUS loans also come with an origination fee.

The Takeaway

Junior year can play a vital role in preparing students to vie for college admission. There’s a lot to keep track of this year — from juggling academics alongside extracurriculars to figuring out how, eventually, to pay for college (once accepted).

Loans are another common way to help pay for college. There are both federal and private student loans. Federal loans are offered by the U.S. government to those who qualify. It’s important to note that federal loans can come with certain baked-in benefits (such as forbearance or income-driven repayment options) not always guaranteed by private lenders.

If you’ve exhausted all federal student aid options, no-fee private student loans from SoFi can help you pay for school. The online application process is easy, and you can see rates and terms in just minutes. Repayment plans are flexible, so you can find an option that works for your financial plan and budget.

Cover up to 100% of school-certified costs including tuition, books, supplies, room and board, and transportation with a private student loan from SoFi.

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SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SoFi Private Student Loans
Please borrow responsibly. SoFi Private Student Loans are not a substitute for federal loans, grants, and work-study programs. You should exhaust all your federal student aid options before you consider any private loans, including ours. Read our FAQs. SoFi Private Student Loans are subject to program terms and restrictions, and applicants must meet SoFi’s eligibility and underwriting requirements. See SoFi.com/eligibility-criteria for more information. To view payment examples, click here. SoFi reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at any time. This information is subject to change.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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As useful as a college’s website can be, it’s not going to give you the full picture of what it would actually be like to attend that school.

Touring colleges can be a great way to get the inside scoop and access to hard-to-find information. Instead of sifting through endless pages online, you can get answers from the people who know the school best.

You might feel lost when it comes to figuring out which questions to ask on a college tour, but we’ve broken them down into some basic categories to help make it less overwhelming for you and your parents.

Campus Life

Being in college involves a lot more than just attending large lectures and pulling all-nighters at your computer. Your campus will have its own culture and social life that you’ll want to explore.

Usually, in the first few weeks of the year, there will be events where clubs, Greek communities, and student councils set up tables and try to recruit members.

Getting involved in on-campus activities, clubs, and extracurriculars can be a great way to build a network, explore your interests, and importantly, make friends. So it can be helpful to get an idea of the types of activities a school offers and how you can get involved while you’re on your college tour.

Ask if your guide knows when these events are planned and what types of organizations will be present.

Another important facet of campus life is, of course, the food. Your guide will probably show you where the various food courts and dining halls are, but it doesn’t hurt to ask about what is available and what their recommendations are. And if you have specific dietary restrictions, you may want to ask what types of accommodations dining halls can make.

Some more questions you might want to ask about campus life include:

•   When are most people on campus?

•   What time do places (e.g., library, coffee shops, restaurants, gym, etc.) close?

•   Is it easy to find parking near campus?

•   Are students generally inclusive of all types of people?

•   Do most freshmen live on campus? Is there a freshman dorm?

College is going to be your home for about four years, your experience will be impacted by the time you spend both in and out of the classrooms on campus.


💡 Quick Tip: Private student loans offer fixed or variable interest rates. So you can get a loan that fits your budget.

Classes

A large portion of your time in college will, naturally, be spent in your classes. Your tour will probably cover certain types of buildings, like the engineering building, the liberal arts buildings, etc. But if your guide doesn’t mention where classes for your major will be taking place, make sure to ask so that you are familiar with the campus layout.

If you haven’t researched how big your classes will be, this could also be a good time to ask those questions. See if your guide has information on how common large lectures are as opposed to smaller class sizes.

You may prefer a school where smaller class sizes are the norm. This can make it easier to get to know your classmates and professors. Or, you might like the excitement of being in a large lecture hall.

Registering for college courses can be a hectic experience, especially for popular classes with limited spots available. Every college has its own system and it can impact whether or not you get the courses you want.

Ask your guide what the school’s process is for class registration and if you might have issues getting desired courses within your major.

Recommended: College Visit Checklist for Parents

Sports

Another way to get involved in your school’s social scene is through sports. Your school will likely have official sports teams as well as intramural sports.

Going to the official games with friends is a fun way to show your school pride and spend time with classmates outside of studying.

Some questions you can ask your guide about sports are:

•   Where are the sports played, on-campus or off?

•   Which ones are the most popular to watch?

•   What’s the average cost for a sporting event ticket?

If there’s a sport that you’re particularly fond of watching, ask your guide about the school’s team.

If you’re athletic or want to become more athletic, joining an intramural sports team can be a fun way to get exercise and socialize at the same time.

While you’re on your tour, ask where the school gym is and where and when intramural sign-ups usually happen. Another question you might ask on your college tour is if a gym membership is included in tuition and what you get access to, as some intramural sports may have an extra sign-up cost.

Living Situations

Some of the most important questions to ask on a college tour will have to do with the available living situations. Choosing your college living situation is a huge decision.

There are usually a few options depending on how far away from home your school is. If you’re going out of state, you’ll probably have the option to live in a dorm or find somewhere to live off-campus. Some schools require out-of-state freshmen to stay on campus during their first year, so asking about this on the tour can help you understand what’s required at your school.

Since every school’s dorms will be different, here’s a list of questions worth asking while you’re on the tour:

•   How many people are assigned to a room? If it’s suite-style, how many people share common living spaces such as the kitchen and bathrooms?

•   How do they assign roommates and when do you learn who your roommate is?

•   What is the process for changing your roommate if problems occur?

If you choose to stay in the dorms, you want to make sure your college will be supportive of making sure it’s a safe and friendly environment for students.

Off-campus living may be an option for your first year, but even if it isn’t, it can still be good to ask about it on your college tour. Ask what options are available nearby and what the average cost is for rent. It can be helpful to also gauge how many upperclassmen live on-campus vs. off-campus too.

Consider asking if the school has a system for finding roommates, like an online forum, so you can meet other students and find trustworthy people to room with.

Some schools may opt to assign roommates for freshmen, so understanding what the standard protocol at the school is can be helpful.

If you’re touring schools close to home, you may have the option of living at home. If you’re considering commuting, you could ask your guide how they think commuting affects students’ ability to enjoy campus life and their ability to stay involved in events/organizations.

Work and Career Opportunities

It’s pretty well known that college isn’t cheap. Hopefully, you’ll be able to get some help paying for tuition and books with various forms of financial support, but it doesn’t hurt to see what job opportunities will be available for you on campus.

Ask your tour guide if jobs are available to students and where you can get more information.

For long term career goals, it’s important to know if your school hosts job fairs or networking events in your field. Many colleges will support students beyond just getting a degree.

During your tour, ask what events your school provides to help students start their careers post-graduation.


💡 Quick Tip: It’s a good idea to understand the pros and cons of private student loans and federal student loans before committing to them.

Financial Aid

Paying for college can be a stressful topic, but your tour guide may have a better understanding of what you’re feeling, having already gone through the process themselves. While you’re touring different schools, it’s important to ask what financial aid options are available that are unique to the school.

Wherever you end up going, the way to apply for financial aid is by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This will let you know if you are eligible for any federal aid, which may include grants, scholarships, work-study, and federal student loans.

To fill in any gaps in funding, you may also want to explore private student loans. These are available through banks, credit unions, and online lenders. To apply for a private student loan, you generally fill out a loan application either alone or with a cosigner. Rates vary depending on the lender but borrowers with solid credit typically qualify for the lowest rates.

Just keep in mind that private student loans may not offer borrower protections, such as deferment and income-driven repayment plans, that come with federal student loans.

If you’ve exhausted all federal student aid options, no-fee private student loans from SoFi can help you pay for school. The online application process is easy, and you can see rates and terms in just minutes. Repayment plans are flexible, so you can find an option that works for your financial plan and budget.

Cover up to 100% of school-certified costs including tuition, books, supplies, room and board, and transportation with a private student loan from SoFi.

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SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SoFi Private Student Loans
Please borrow responsibly. SoFi Private Student Loans are not a substitute for federal loans, grants, and work-study programs. You should exhaust all your federal student aid options before you consider any private loans, including ours. Read our FAQs. SoFi Private Student Loans are subject to program terms and restrictions, and applicants must meet SoFi’s eligibility and underwriting requirements. See SoFi.com/eligibility-criteria for more information. To view payment examples, click here. SoFi reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at any time. This information is subject to change.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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