College Applications
The end goal for most high school students is college, but before you get there, you have to apply. It might seem daunting, but by taking it slow, you can make the process smooth and simple. Read below for some quick tips on how to go about college applications.
The Basics
What it is
College applications are the process of applying to the colleges you wish to attend. Many U.S. colleges use the Common App, with a number of schools using the Coalition Application instead. Some notable schools that don't use either include the California State University system, the University of California system, some Texas public schools, and the military academies, all using their own application system.
What they look like
The key aspects of most college applications are your grades, extracurricular activities, essays, recommendations, and testing scores. Colleges weigh each category differently, so make sure to look at which aspects are the most important on their common data set. You will also need to input personal and family information, personal awards/honors, and answer specific questions that differ from college to college.
Types of applications: Early Decision
There are 4 main types of college applications, early decision, early action, regular decision and rolling admission. Early decision often gives you the best chance at admission, but it is binding, meaning if you get accepted, you must attend the university unless you have a financial reason. As a result, you can only early decision to one school per admissions cycle. Additionally, many schools don't offer early decision applications.
Types of applications: Early Action
Early action gives you your second-best shot at admission, the only catch being that the application is due earlier, normally November 1st, but ranges from mid-October to early December. Early action decisions will also be released earlier than regular decision decisions. Some public schools have different early action deadlines based on whether you are an in-state or out-of-state applicant. Additionally, some schools only offer restrictive early action, meaning you can apply to one school during the early action period.
Types of applications: Regular Decision
Regular decision is the base college application with no strings attached. If a school offers early action or early decision, it is often more challenging to get admitted applying regular decision. Deadlines for regular decision are normally January 1st or 15th, but a few schools have deadlines earlier or later.
Types of applications: Rolling Admissions
Rolling admissions is basically first-come, first-served, meaning colleges review applications as they come in. If a college offers rolling admissions, applying as early as possible will give you the best shot at admission and financial aid opportunities.
Online Help
How to Apply
Deciding which colleges will be the right fit for you is pivotal for your application process. Some baseline tips include: choosing a mix of reach, target, and safety schools, visiting urban, suburban, and rural schools to find out which type fits you best, finding out if you like smaller or larger colleges better, checking the price tag associated with each school, and doing online or in-person tours when possible.
Time management
A thorough and polished application will take time to complete, so spreading out sections of your application is important to not burning yourself out. First, understanding your deadlines is important. Once you know you want to apply to a specific college, look at their deadlines and decide when you should apply by. Secondly, using your rising senior year summer will help if you do it effectively. If you can finish your personal essay, know which colleges you're applying to, and complete a supplemental essay or to by the time school starts, you'll be in good shape.
Writing
By the time you start applying for colleges, there's not much new you can do to help bolster your application in time. The only important thing that you can do is write your essays and descriptions well. Many colleges rank your personal and/or supplemental essays highly in terms of importance, so spending time to draft, write, and revise the essays you write can go a long way in terms of admissions. Additionally, making sure you describe your extracurricular activities in the best way can ever so slightly boost your application.
Getting help
Along with the online help you'll find below, getting one-on-one advice and guidance during your application journey will make your life much easier in what is often a stressful time. Though private college counselors can be costly, they are great for getting continuous help over time and guiding you through every step of your journey. Another avenue is working with organizations, like college-tracks, who will often provide low-cost advice or guidance through online or in-person meetings. Finally, making sure you utilize your college and career counselor at your school, if you have one, is another great way to get one-on-one help from an experienced professional.