The College Application Process

There are many pieces to the puzzle of making a complete college application. To put together a comprehensive and unified application that accurately reflects you as a student, you only need to keep track of the details and use organizational skills. Follow these guidelines to get a sense of the general procedure, then create a personalized graph or checklist of your own.

Create a checklist. You have already searched for schools that interest you, and narrowed down your list. Now you are ready to begin the college admissions process. The key to staying on top of applying to post-secondary schools, whether they are online or traditional brick and mortar, is to stay organized. Approach the tasks before you with a checklist mentality (making an actual checklist is also a great idea!). One excellent non-profit resource for guiding you through the steps of college application is the College Board website. Though designed primarily for high school students, the information found here for organizing your enrollment process is useful to post-secondary students of any age.

Contact the college admissions department. Each school you are applying to will have an Enrollment Counselor. The admissions office will guide you through the process of filling out forms, enrolling and applying for financial aid. Ask them how their school handles transferring credits from other colleges if that pertains to your situation. Each school will also have a Financial Aid counselor who will be your contact person for dealing with FAFSA issues, finding scholarships and college based aid to pay for your tuition.

You may decide to apply to a number of colleges or universities simultaneously, then later choose one that has accepted your enrollment. Bear in mind that most colleges charge an application fee, usually around $35. Sometimes the fee can be waived dependent on your income.

Over 390 colleges in 42 states accept the Common App, an application that you can fill out online and submit to several schools at the same time. Many other schools offer an online application for their programs. You will need to follow up these electronic applications with other documents as well.

College Board Tests. Find out what the colleges you are applying to require for entrance examinations. Most undergraduate college programs will require that you send either SAT or ACT scores as part of your application process, though some community oriented schools will accept their own placement exam scores. These tests are a standardized way to show that you are able to do college-level work.

Request documents from previous schools. The schools you are applying to will want to know about your academic performance, whether that means high school or another college. Request your official high school and/or college transcripts to be sent directly to the colleges you are applying to. Typically college applications ask for letters of recommendation from an instructor or professional who knows you well. Be sure to ask for these well in advance, choosing someone who can provide a good idea of your strengths and will follow through promptly.

Writing sample or essay. Usually college applications require a sample of your writing ability. Find out the specifics from each college, as some may provide a particular topic that you address in an essay form. Have at least two other people proof-read your writing sample before you turn it in. You want to put your best foot forward and this is not the place to overlook spelling or punctuation errors.

Ask for an interview. Some schools require an interview as part of your application process, but even if they do not, ask if they will set one up. If distance is an issue, or you are applying to an online college, then a phone interview is good idea. You are presenting yourself in a more direct way, as well as getting a better sense of the school.

Track the deadlines. As part of your tracking system, be sure to know when deadlines are for all the various parts of your application. There will be deadlines for financial aid, admissions, letters of recommendation and entrance exams. Be sure to have these on your calendar and follow them. Being timely with turning in your application components will reflect well on you, and ensure that you are still in the running for the schools you want attend.