By: Cassidy Johnson
There is no doubt that the entire process of applying to college is incredibly stressful. Between juggling all of your normal responsibilities and time constraints, it may seem like there’s never enough time to get things done. Should you apply Early Action or Regular Decision? Or even Early Decision? Once you figure that out, there are those 650 words of perfection you’ve got to come up with. Let’s not forget the sheer cost of attending college. Most of us can’t afford to just pay thousands of dollars in tuition for four years in a row. If you’re going to an out-of-state school, you will likely be miles away from your home or any familiar environment. That can be frightening.
1. Give the government all your financial information
The FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the government application for students and parents to complete. The FAFSA becomes available on October 1st, and universities recommend that you complete it before you submit your application. The FAFSA needs to be done when you apply to college, and every year when you are in college. Know that the FAFSA should be done at https://fafsa.ed.gov/, not through any other website. Other websites will you charge before you can submit the form, whereas the government website is free. The FAFSA will be used to calculate your family’s expected financial contribution to your college education and whatever financial aid package you are given to attend school.
2. See if you can stay still for 4-5 hours straight
Although some colleges do not require that you submit test scores, most do. A number of universities will also require the essay or writing portion of the SAT or ACT. The Ivy Leagues will especially demand the additional test section, but they are not the only ones, so be watchful. Furthermore, SAT Subject Tests may be necessary to complete your application. Subject tests, provided by College Board like the SAT, are available in a number of subjects such as Chemistry, World History, and a number of languages. They are meant to further display your academic capabilities and highlight in which areas of study your strengths lie. Those that are kind enough leave the decision to submit the score up to you and will only consider them if they help you.
3. Stalk colleges
How can you apply to a college if you’re not sure you want to go there? The best decision is an informed decision. Researching colleges includes looking at the offered majors and minors, cost of attendance, and how it compares to other institutions. Don’t forget to take note of the city the school is in. If possible, visit the college. This is the best way to see if you could see yourself living there for 4 years. If you can’t make it there in person try a virtual tour.
4. Give the colleges all your personal information
Tedious yes, but very necessary. Students can submit their applications through a number of portals: the Common Application, Coalition Application, Questbridge, Universal College Application, or an individual institutional application. Not every college is on every portal so you may have to use more than one in your whole admission process.
5. Write 650 words about how great you are
Your personal essay is a crucial opportunity for colleges to get a sense of who you are. You will have a selection of prompts to choose from depending on the application portal. The essay cannot be any less than 250 words or any more than 650 words. This may be the hardest part of the entire application process, so don’t hesitate to ask for help.
6. Talk to the teachers that love you
Along with a counselor recommendations, your application will be incomplete without at least one from a teacher, as well. Universities prefer to read one from a core teacher that taught you your last 2 years of high school. No matter what kind of relationship you have with the teacher you ask, provide them with a resume. They don’t know everything about you, so giving them as much information as possible is the best way to ensure they write a great review of you.
7. Talk again about how great you are
Universities tend to have their own individual questions to better determine if you’re the right fit for their school. The questions range from short answer to long-response. They can be about anything from your favorite book to a pivotal moment in your life. Time management is important here too because you should put as much time and effort into these supplements as you did your personal essay. Try to tailor your essays to the specific colleges when you complete them; some schools will take shown interest to attend into account.
8. Get it all done in time
There are different admission plans available to students each with their own deadlines. Early Decision is–as it sounds–the option with the earliest deadline. Applications for this plan are generally required at the start of November. Early Decision is binding; if you are admitted you must go to that college. You, your parents, and counselor must sign off on this when you apply. You will be notified of your admission or rejection before 2018. Next, there is Early Action, a non-binding decision with a deadline of Nov. 15 and notification date of Dec. 15. Regular Decision applications are non-binding too and need to be turned in by Jan. 1. Notifications begin in the Spring. For both Early Action and Regular Decision colleges must be informed of your decision by May 1.
9. Apply for money
Merit scholarships are awarded based on individual achievement in either academics, arts, athletics, or some other aspect of life. Schools will have additional deadlines for merit-based scholarships that will be independent of the admission pans. The due dates will likely be before the Regular Decision dates, so be mindful.
10. Check for status updates
Once you’ve submitted your application, it’s not over yet. Most colleges will allow you to check the status of your application through their website to make sure everything is on order and notify you if they require any clarification on anything.
Yes, it’s a bit overwhelming, but it’s worth it. Or hey, maybe we should all just skip it and join the military. 🙂