The College Application

Getting Applications

Many high school guidance offices have a supply of applications for colleges and of course, you can always get an application at a College Fair. However, it might be just as easy to ask a college directly for an application on their website or by calling the admissions office. Most colleges have their application on their website and you can either complete it online and submit it electronically, or download it and submit it by mail. You should also consider using the Common Application, an application that approximately 300 colleges are currently using. The Common Application is available at www.commonapp.org. A recent addition to the one application for many colleges group is the Universal College Application that is currently used by only a small groupp of colleges but is worth considering.

Completing the Application

Make copies of all applications that you intend to submit before you begin to fill them in. Most instructions tell you to type or write legibly in ink so fill in the copy first and then transfer the information to the final application. Fill in all requested information and follow the instructions for the essay if required for the college whose application you are completing. Be clear with any written statement and don't assume that the reader at the college knows what you mean when you use an acronym to tell them about an activity. Your activity may be unique to your school so describe what it is when you fill in that information.

Much of the information that goes on the application is easy to provide. Colleges ask for your name, address, email address, telephone number, and some family information. They also want to know about the school you attend, your counselor's name, and your school's CEEB Code. This is the number assigned to your high school by The College Board. Finally, they want information about your activities or jobs you have had. The link below will take you to a page with more detailed information.

Submitting Your Application

Although this sounds simple enough, remember that you have to consider the requirements of not only the college but of your high school. Be aware of all deadlines and stay well within them. Others may accept late materials but if you miss the college's deadline for submitting an application, it is unlikely they will give you an extension. Every high school has its own set of procedures for submitting college applications so no one method will cover every high school. Discuss the procedures used by your high school with your counselor who will assist you with this information.

The College Application: More than the Basics

As you read on the web page that led you here, applications can be fairly simple or rather extensive. Let's start with getting an application. Once you've decided where to apply, you can get an application directly from the college. Some high school guidance offices keep applications, especially from Connecticut colleges and universities. Of course, you can always get one from a college representative at a college fair or when they visit your high school. You can complete the paper application or may decide to apply electronically directly from the college's website. Some companies also offer electronic college applications through the company's website. Another application that you can use for about 299 colleges is the Common Application. This application can be either paper or electronic and you can find the Common Application in many high school guidance offices, online at www.commonapp.org, or contact CSLF's Invest in your Future office if you have difficulty getting the Common Application.

We've already discussed the general information on the previous page so let's go on to the other parts of the application. Remember that not all college applications have these parts.

Activities

Colleges want to know how you have spent your time outside of the classroom. This could mean clubs such as the Math Club, the yearbook, or other clubs; sports, both intramural and interscholastic; school and community activities, such as volunteering at the hospital, your religious organization's youth group, or scouting; and part-time jobs you have held. The reason they are interested in this information is that it sheds light on who you are outside of class. They often want to know if you have had any leadership positions, and when in your high school career you were involved. Fill this in completely and honestly. This information is contained in a resumé and you should consider creating one so that the information is always readily available when you need it. You may also need a resumé for some other reason and it will be ready for that need.

Miscellaneous Questions

Some applications ask for honors or awards. If you are among the fortunate who have earned such honors or awards, prioritize them if you have so many that they cannot fit in the space on the application. If you do not have anything for this section, just leave it blank. Other application questions can come from the following group: career choice, college major, short answer essays, or why you are interested in that particular college. Answer in the space allotted and answer honestly. These are great questions to discuss with your high school counselor

Essay

The application essay is sometimes the most difficult part of the application for students. Getting started seems to cause most of the problems for students so the first suggestion is to get started early. It's not too soon to begin writing it during the summer before your senior year as long as you have the current application from the college. One advantage of the Common Application is that once you have selected which topic to write about, you can use the same essay for each college.

Many colleges give you a choice of topics on which to write. Select one that you can answer completely. If you have only one topic, don't try to write about something different in hopes that the college won't know that it's different, or will accept it anyway. Don't take that risk with your college applications. Remember that this is similar to writing an essay for a class in school. It must be well written and grammatically correct. No spelling errors allowed here so don't just use spell check. Did you mean their when you wrote there? Spell check will not pick that up as an error. Ask a teacher, counselor, or parent to read your essay for clarity and to be sure that you have answered the question. One hint before starting, use humor carefully. What you and your friends' view as funny may not be funny to the reader and you risk offending the reader. However, if you have reviewed it carefully with an adult such as a teacher, and you both agree that it is well conceived and executed, use it. It could be just the ticket that makes you stand out.

If you look at the questions on the Common Application, they reflect the kinds of questions that colleges typically ask. They ask you to think about an experience and to describe it, but the most important part of the essay is when you begin to talk about how it influenced you. Many students stop writing after they have described the experience/person/book/dilemma, etc. That is only the beginning. Just as you would write for a class in school, use examples when possible, of how this influenced you. The essay should always fit the length that the college has stipulated. The usual length of the essay is 250-500 words. Work hard to be sure that you meet the stated requirements. After you have written and re-written your essay, ask a teacher, your counselor, or a parent to review it. If necessary, rewrite it again until you have achieved the essay that tells the college something about you and you are certain that it is well written. There are a number of publications that can help you craft your best essay. Since this essay reflects your thoughts and experiences, be sure that this is your work and not something written by another person.

Transcript and Test Scores

Your transcript is the official school record of your course work. It contains all of the courses you took in grades 9 to the present, your grades, and your grade point average. Some high schools report class rank and if so, that will also be on your transcript. When reviewing your college application, colleges will want to see the courses you took, the difficulty of those courses, and how you performed in your classes. They will look to see if you have challenged yourself and how you have grown as a student. Even if you got off to a slow start in high school, how much you have improved will be very important to the admissions office.

Most high schools will send along a copy of your standardized test scores. They will only have scores if you entered your high school code on the registration form. It is important to remember that official test scores are what colleges want. Your high school copy is not considered official so be sure that you contact ACT or The College Board to have official test scores sent to all the colleges where you sent or will send applications.

Letters of Recommendation

Many colleges require one or more letters of support for applicants called recommendations. There are some guidelines that are important to follow. First, read the college's instructions to see if they have a preference for who writes in support of students. Typically, they want a letter from a teacher who teaches traditional academic courses. They also prefer teachers you have had in your junior or senior year of high school.

Decide early which teacher(s) to ask and do so politely. You didn't have to earn an A in order for the teacher to write a supportive letter but you should have put in a good effort in that class. Don't ask for more recommendations than you need. Discuss this with your counselor who can advise you as you make your decision. After the teacher has written your recommendation, be sure to thank them for supporting your application. Finally, after you hear from the colleges and have decided where you will attend, be sure to tell everyone who has assisted you. Make sure this includes your high school guidance office; they will have to send a final transcript to the college you have decided to attend.

Aside from classroom teachers, your school counselor may write a recommendation on your behalf and you may also ask a coach or teacher from another class to support your application for admission.

Secondary School Report Form and Mid-Year Report

Some colleges have a form called the Secondary School Report Form or the School Report. Be sure to fill in the top portion of that form with your demographic information (name, address, etc.) and give it to your school counselor or the guidance office person who does the intake work. Your college application may also have a Mid-Year Report that you should fill in and turn in with your other forms. Colleges ask for first semester senior grades to see how you are progressing in your senior courses. Strong grades can be a major part of being admitted. In the same review of your first semester performance, poor senior grades can negatively impact your application for admission.

Supplementary Materials

Some students may decide to send supplementary materials to the college. You may not be a future star athlete, artist, musician, or writer but if you have a talent to showcase, send that information to the college. A portfolio of your best artwork, a tape of a game or performance may make you a more attractive applicant to a college. If you have written something that is truly outstanding, send a copy to the college as evidence of your writing skills. Discuss these ideas with your school counselor to determine if they apply to you and your application.

Portfolios and Auditions: Artists, Musicians, Theater and Dance Majors Need to be Aware of Special Requirements

If you are applying to specialized colleges or to programs where an audition or portfolio review is critical, you should discuss this with your art or music teacher, and also with your school counselor. Most colleges with this requirement discuss it in detail in their catalog or application brochure. If you are still not certain, call the college directly for detailed information. You need time to prepare for an audition or to develop a portfolio so get started immediately. The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) website, www.nacacnet.org has a section for student information. Students interested in performing and visual arts can find more information on the NACAC website by going to Student Resources, then clicking on National College Fairs in the upper right-had corner. This will take you to the section on College Fairs and Performing and Visual Arts College Fairs. Click on that link and at the bottom of the next page will be a link to Tips for your use. This is a very informative section.

Submitting Your Application

High schools have specific procedures that they want students to follow when they apply to college. There is no one way that is right or best as long as you meet the requirements established by the college admissions offices. Become familiar with how your high school wants to process your materials. There may be unique forms that your high school uses and it is your responsibility to find out what they are, how to get them, and how to complete them. You can always ask your school counselor or other school staff members to help you but don't assume that they will seek you out to tell you what you should be doing. This is not the time to make assumptions that could be wrong. You need to take the initiative and will find that any anxiety you have will be reduced.

Some high schools have established deadlines by which you have to complete and submit applications, transcript requests, or other materials related to your application. You must know them and follow them. After your application(s) have been sent to the admissions offices, you may follow up with a call or email to find out if they have everything they need in order to process your application. Keep copies of all such correspondence for your records, just in case something is missing, lost, or misplaced.

Now it's time to prepare to apply for financial aid and lastly, wait till you hear the good news from each college. We have sections in this website that deal with financial aid and making the final decision on which college to attend.