Step
5 will help you complete the college application. The entire
college application process can be time-consuming. There are
numerous steps and supporting documents you must gather and
submit to the college’s admission office. If you start
early and stay organized, you will complete your college application(s)
in a timely fashion and keep your stress level to a minimum.
Keeping
Track of Applications
Once you start receiving the college applications and gathering
supporting documents, create a separate file folder for
each college. Write the name of each college and deadline
date on the tab or front of the folder. Everything that
you receive and gather (i.e. brochures, recommendation letter,
resume, application, etc.) for each college should be place
in this folder. File folders will also keep everything clean
and neat, especially the college applications.
To help you remember important dates and stay on track,
you should buy a calendar and mark the deadline date for
each application and other important date(s), and place
it where you will constantly see it.
Admissions
Process
The admissions process will vary for each college. Each
college that you apply to typically requires the following
items:
•
College
Application
It is very important to read and follow the application’s
instructions. If you have any questions, do not hesitate
to call the colleges' admissions office. Failure to
follow instructions and/or submit the supporting documents
requested may disqualify your application. Remember,
each college application has its own set of rules and
deadline dates, so follow the instructions carefully.
College
applications request the same basic information
from each applicant, such as:
•
Personal
Information
•
Intended Major
•
High
School Education (i.e. Grade Point Average, Course
Work, Class Rank, etc.)
•
Test
Scores (i.e. ACT, SAT, etc.)
•
College
Education (For Transfer Students)
•
Extracurricular
Activities
•
Achievements,
Awards, Honors
•
Supporting
Documents
Most colleges request supporting documents to accompany
your completed application. Supporting documents give
the admission’s committee a “3 Dimensional
Picture” of you. These documents can tell the
committee more about you than your answers on the application.
In many cases, supporting documents have been the deciding
factor as to who is admitted or denied admission to
college.
There are various types of supporting documents
such as:
•
Academic
Transcript
An academic transcript is an official record of
all your grades from high school or college. It
is not the same as your report card. If you attended
more than one school, you will need to request
a transcript from each school. In order to save
yourself some time, order several transcripts
from your school and place them in a clean envelope/folder.
It is important that you follow the application’s
instructions about how to submit your transcript.
Some colleges prefer to have the transcript mailed
directly to them, while others like to have it
included with the completed college application
package. If you are instructed to have your school
mail the transcript directly to the college admission’s
office, it is important to provide your school
with the correct mailing address to ensure that
the college receives the application. You should
also contact your school to confirm that they
mailed your transcripts. If you are instructed
to include your transcript with your application,
do not open or tamper with the sealed envelope
the transcript may come in.
•
Essay
/ Personal Statement
Most colleges will request applicants to write
an essay or personal statement. Colleges typically
specify a topic and the essay’s length,
which can rang from one paragraph to no more than
two double-spaced, typed pages. The essay/personal
statement is one of the most important parts of
any application. Without an essay/personal statement,
every application will look the same with the
same basic information (i.e. grades, financial
need, extracurricular activities, etc.). The essay
is a key factor in deciding whether an applicant
is granted admission or invited to an interview.
The
essay/personal statement is a self-portrait
of you. It offers an insightful view of yourself
(i.e. values, experiences, dream, etc.), your
method of thinking, ability to communicate,
and write effectively. It provides an added
dimension to the application. You may be able
to reuse or revise previous essays written for
other college or scholarship applications. This
does not mean that you should write one very
general essay/personal statement to use for
every college or scholarship application. If
you reuse an essay that you wrote previously,
you must revise it and tailor it to each college.
Your essay can make or break your application.
•
Letters
of Recommendation
Most colleges will request two or three letters
of recommendation from individuals that you know,
such as a reference. Letters of recommendation
allow the admission’s committee to form
an idea of who you are as an individual through
someone else's opinion. These letters can be extremely
important, and they should reveal information
about you that is not necessarily mentioned in
your application, test scores, etc. A good letter
of recommendation can often be persuasive to the
admissions committee, especially if there is a
“borderline” decision between you
and another applicant. For more information about
‘Who to ask to write a letter of recommendation,
click
here.
•
Standardized
Test Score(s)
If you are a high school student, you may have
to submit an official copy of your most recent
SAT or ACT Test score(s) with most of your college
applications. A copy of your official SAT and
ACT test scores must be requested from the testing
organization. The test registration booklet and
your score report should tell you how to request
additional score reports. When you request additional
score reports, you will have to pay a fee and
provide the code of the college to which the score
report is being sent to. For more information
about Standardized Tests: ACT,
SAT, or GRE (for Graduate students), click
here.
You can request additional score reports online:
• ACT
Score
• SAT
Score
In order to save time, you should also begin preparing
and gathering some of these supporting documents before
the application arrives. Once you have this information,
it is wise to keep all of your documents in an oversized
envelope or folder to keep them clean and neat. Remember
- first impressions are lasting impressions. So be CLEAN
and NEAT! The importance of planning ahead cannot be
overstated.
•
Application
Fee
Generally, there is a non-refundable fee for processing
your application. Application fees vary from school
to school. Fee waivers are available for students that
qualify. Before you enclose your check or money order,
make sure it is addressed to the appropriate school
with the proper amount. Don’t send the Northeastern
check to Northwestern.
