3 Tips for a High School Senior Submitting College Applications

College is a great experience and should be one of the choices for every high school graduate. Moreover, choosing a college will be a big decision for high school students and parents. A high school student should start researching colleges and preparing to submit college applications the summer before their senior year in school. There are some tips that a student should consider when applying for school.

First, some students only apply to a smaller number of schools or to certain schools because of application fees. Have you seen the price of the application fees? The prices are from $15 to $50. The prices really vary depending on the school. Also, it can really add up if you want to apply to more than one college. Did you know that you can avoid this fee? You can write a letter of hardship to the admissions office and ask the admission office to waive your fee. It's just a simple letter with your name, stating you can't pay the application fee, and you would like to be consider for a waiver of your application fee. Also, don't forget to sign the letter with your signature. If you have the extra money or help with paying for school then you can pay the application fees. I was a broke college student and had to use all of the short cuts to pay for college.

Second, this is a tip for students that want to live on campus. I know that some colleges require that students pay a deposit to reserve a dorm room. One advantage to paying the deposit is that the next semester the deposit will be applied to your room. The room deposit is another fee that adds up and can be very expensive. Besides, students can use that money on books and food. This will only work if you are approved for financial aid. Moreover, you can write a letter of hardship asking that your room deposit be waived for the semester. Did you know that the Financial Aid office will apply your room deposit towards your financial aid award for the semester? Also, you will still receive this money back the next semester.

Third, if you decide to attend college in another state this tip will come in handy. Every student that has paid out of state tuition knows that it's much higher than regular tuition. Did you know that most colleges give a waiver every year to a select group of students? Yes, students have to apply through the admission office to be considered as one of the students to receive in state tuition. The student has to write a letter to the admission office explaining why they should receive in state tuition for the school year. Guess what? Students have to apply for the tuition waiver in the summer, too. Most students will not have any problems receiving the waiver in the summer. A student chances are higher at receiving a waiver for in state tuition in the summer then fall or summer. Also, students should apply for the waiver early and not at the last minute.

College is a learning experience about life and education. Students should spend more time studying and having fun then worrying about how to pay for school. These tips will be very helpful for a college freshman because they have so much to learn.