The College Application Process: Ready, Set, Go!
Oct 16 '01 (Updated Jan 28 '06)
The Bottom Line Applying to college requires timeliness and punctuality. Whatever you do, don't procrastinate!
For high school seniors, the thrill of graduation day is one of the most anticipated events in their adolescent lives. The feeling of accomplishment is satisfying, and the sense of completion is finalized. Four years of hard work have paid off, in the form of a high school diploma.
But for many students, this is only the end of one educational phase and the beginning of another. The next journey is going to be in college, and the high school senior must take the necessary early steps in the application process to improve the chances of getting accepted into the school of his or her choice.
Deciding Where to Apply:
Finding the right school to apply to is going to be contingent on several factors. First and foremost, the high school senior needs to decide on a field of study (or at least have a rough idea, if undeclared) and then conduct research to find the schools that have reputable programs in the selected field.
The size of the school can also be a factor. Some students prefer a smaller college, similar in size to a high school. Others like the larger size colleges that offer a full array of college experiences, like division 1 sports, numerous social activities, and a wide range of amenities and resources.
Once you have decided what you want in a college, you can start to narrow down your list of possible places to apply. I think it’s a good idea to apply to between 4 and 10 different schools. Don’t limit yourself to only 1 or 2 schools. If you do, and you don’t get accepted to either one, it might be too late to apply anyplace else, and you will be forced to wait until the next quarter or semester to apply again.
Taking the Admission Test:
It’s important that you check into the admission requirements at each college, to see which admission tests are accepted. The two most popular college admission tests are the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and the ACT (American College Test). Most all colleges will accept the scores of either test for admission, but this isn’t something that you should assume. Do your research first, to make sure that they will accept the test you plan on taking. And make sure that you schedule to take the tests as soon as possible, in your senior year. If you wait too long, there may not be enough time to get your test results back to meet the application deadline at your chosen college.
Some colleges will even accept other, less well- known admission tests. You need to check the college’s admission policy, before you take any other test. Your best bet is to take either the ACT or SAT because even the colleges that accept other tests will almost always accept the ACT and SAT also.
Gathering Information:
Once the testing is completed, you will need to start gathering up the necessary information to complete your application. When you apply, you need to keep in mind that you are trying to sell yourself to the college, just like when you apply for a job. You need to make out a list of your activities in high school and in the local community. Some activities will carry more weight than others, but they all count. For example, if you were the president of your senior class, this will improve your chances for acceptance much more than being a member of the chess club. But even your chess club membership is better than nothing at all, because it shows that you did have some social involvement in high school.
Try to emphasize your strong points. If you finished in the top 10 percent of your class academically, make sure that you emphasize this fact. If your ACT or SAT was very high, then make sure that the college personnel take notice of your excellent ability to learn and apply knowledge, as proven by your high score on the admission test.
You will also be asked to include some personal references. Try to think of people who can accurately describe your personal character. You can list relatives, but it’s best to think of other people, if you can.
Writing Your Essay:
This is the part of the application process that worries students the most, but it’s actually much simpler than it seems. College applications will typically provide a list of possible essay questions to complete, allowing the student to choose the one he/she likes best. The questions can be things like “Why do you think that this college is the best match for you?”, or “Describe an event in your life where you felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment”.
There are many possible questions that colleges give the applicants to answer and all you really need to do is put your pen to the paper and write. They aren’t looking for a Pulitzer Prize winning essay. They just want to hear a thoughtful, detailed answer to the question. It’s imperative that you check your writing for neatness, punctuation, and proper grammar, before you submit. It’s also a good idea to ask someone else to proofread your essay first, just to be on the safe side.
If your selections for higher education include some more prestigious schools, then you might want to consider asking for some help from parents or some other adult. It would be a good idea to check the admissions statistics for each school that you apply, to see what percentage of applicants are accepted. Obviously, if a college accepts 70 percent of all applicants then you won’t need to be as articulate with your essay and/or as worried about you other credentials as you would be with a school that accepts only 10 percent of all applicants.
Getting accepted into these more prestigious universities is often very tough and very competitive. If you aspire to getting accepted into one of these schools, then I recommend seeking out some help with the application process.
Submitting Your Application:
You need to check on the admission policies of each school, to make sure that you send your application through before the deadline. It’s a good idea to submit as early as possible, because the fact that you are punctual will improve your chances. If you wait until the last minute to submit, your chances for rejection are greatly increased.
In today’s information age, the majority of colleges now offer on- line application submission. This makes the process quick and simple. You just logon to the college’s web site, and follow the link to apply. You can enter all the necessary data and submit on- line, or you can print out the application (in most cases), complete the form, and mail it in.
It’s not uncommon now to find schools that require all students to apply on- line. Many schools are moving in this direction because it’s easy and it saves money on printing and mailing out all of those forms. You need to check first, to see what the policy is at your chosen school.
Final Thoughts:
Applying to college doesn’t need to be the scary, complicated process that some students make it out to be. It’s really just a matter of being disciplined and punctual. You need to schedule your admission tests and start looking at possible places to enroll as soon as possible.
When you fill out your application, try to be as honest as possible. Don’t cheat and state that you were involved in more extracurricular activities than you really were. Most colleges will not reject an applicant because of too few school activities, but they will reject someone who is caught falsifying information.
While you’re waiting to find out whether or not you were accepted, it’s a good idea to start thinking about financing your education. It would be wise to start gathering up information on grants, loans, and possible scholarships to apply for, while you wait for your acceptance letter.
Applying to college can be an enjoyable experience if you keep track of things and manage your time accordingly. Don’t sweat the writing of the essay, or your lack of high school activities. It’s all much easier than you think. Just get your work done in a timely manner, and you should have no problem getting that much awaited acceptance letter. You may not get accepted to Harvard, but you should have no problem at all getting accepted to one of your top choices.
Good Luck!
For More Educational Reading, Click on the Links Below:
Advice on College Admissions:
Choosing a College or University
How to Help Your Child Choose a College
Should I Transfer Schools?
Should I Take Time Off?
Should I Go to Grad School?
Advice on College Life:
College Survival Tips
What is College Really Like?
What I Should Know About Dealing with College Roommates
What Should I Know About Greek Life in College?
What I Should Know About Alcohol Abuse in College
What I Should Know About Spring Break Planning
What Should I Bring to School
How Can I Succeed in College Academics?
How to Manage Your Time
How Should I Deal With Tough Times in School?
How Should I Prepare for Life After Graduation?
Advice on College Finances:
Should I Take a Part Time Job?
How to Pay Off Student Loans
How to Manage Your Budget
How to Negotiate Financial Aid Packages
How to Apply for Financial Aid
Reviews of Test Prep Materials, Services, and “How To”:
800Score.com
How to Take the GMAT
How to Take the GRE
What is the GRE?
Kaplan GMAT On- Line Course
Princeton Review GMAT On- Line Course
Reviews of Specific Universities:
Wright State University
University of Dayton
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