The College Application Process

Applying to college can be a stressful undertaking, no matter your age or degree program. Understanding the application process before getting started can help make the entire experience more enjoyable and manageable. After conducting a college search and selecting a list of colleges you would like to apply to, follow these steps to ensure each application is complete and ready for the admissions department.

Complete Your Student Resume

Your student resume should highlight your: academic honors, school clubs and honors, extracurricular activities, leadership positions, volunteer experience, job experience (if any), and traveling experience if you’ve ever traveled for the purpose or learning or to help others.

Register for SAT or ACT Testing

If you are currently a high school student who does not have any sort of SAT or ACT test score, register to take the test of your choosing. Colleges will look at these scores to help determine which general education courses you will be placed in. If you are not a high school student, and you do not already have scores from previously taking the test, colleges have their own placement tests. After you take the test and receive scores, verify that copies of the score reports have also been sent to the colleges you specified.

Choose Your Application Schedule

Colleges accept applications on varying schedules including: early, regular, rolling, or late. We strongly advise you to apply on the early schedule to ensure there is plenty of time if something was left out of the application, or if the institution requires more information.

Print College Applications for All Selected Institutions

Take time to visit the websites of all the colleges you are interested in, and print the application. Take time to verify which standardized tests are required by the college for admission, so you can be sure you’ve taken the correct ones.

Fill Out All Applications By Hand

You likely will not need to send in the paper copies of the applications, but this will prepare you for filling out all the online versions of the applications later. When it comes time to fill out the online applications, all you will have to do is type in your answers, and paste in your essay.

Write, Proofread, and Edit College Essays

Nearly all colleges will ask applicants to write an essay of some sort, so they can gauge writing ability, grammar, and even seriousness about attending college. Don’t use the same essay for each application. Use clear organization, and be sure to stay within your word limit. Check for spelling, grammatical, and typographical errors. Have someone else read the essay to make sure your eyes didn’t miss anything.

Request Copies of Transcripts (High School or College)

Colleges will want to see how well you’ve done in your previous course work, be it from high school or a two-year college. You will need to request formal copies of these transcripts from a school counselor or admissions department. Remember to request at least one copy for each school you are applying to. Also, verify whether they will be sent directly to the schools you are applying to, or if you will receive sealed copies to include with your application.

Ask For and Obtain Letters of Recommendation

Create a list of people you think would be willing to help you with college recommendation letters. The people on this list can be: teachers, counselors, employers, and other adults who know you and your work well. Ask the people on the list if they can write you a letter of recommendation to include with your application materials.

Complete Online Admissions Application

When all the other required information is ready to go, visit the college website and fill out the online application. Have your essay ready to copy and paste into the appropriate location. Pay the necessary application fee online, and print copies of everything before you submit it. Make sure to get a mailing address to send transcripts and letters of recommendation to.

Mail In Required Application Materials

Some application materials, such as your transcripts and letters of recommendation, cannot be included in your online application. If the transcripts and recommendations were not mailed directly to the school on your behalf, you should have them in a sealed envelope from the institution or person who provided them for you, to show that you did not tamper with them.

Sit back, relax, and wait for the acceptance letters to come to you.