Applying for College: Tips to Stay Ahead of the Application Process

Deciding to go to college is one of the best investments that a person of any age can make for themselves. Having a college education provides you the specific training needed for a career, and it provides you the opportunity to become a well-rounded learner of the world. As a college student you will be introduced to various types of individuals with similar and much different backgrounds. You will also learn how to deal with time constraints and responsibility and you begin these lessons the day you start your application process.

Once you have your list of colleges that you will be applying to, the first thing you should do it check out their website. By now all higher educational institutions have a website that will give you a general idea of what they have to offer. This will help you weed out any colleges that do no have what you are looking for. For example if you know that you want to study chemical engineering, do not apply to a college that does not offer that major, unless they have a bridge program where you will automatically be accepted into that major a nearby college that offers that particular degree.

Next, look for application deadlines and write them down by the college name. This is very important because once the deadline has closed, your application will not be looked at. Also if the college has a rolling admissions process, there generally is not a specific deadline but you will need to get your application in early to insure other processes run on time, such as financial aid. Also look to see which colleges offer a discount on the application fee, such as no processing fee.

Now that you are certain which colleges you will be applying to along with when the deadlines are, this is the time to start drafting a personal essay; but before doing this find at least two adults that can write you a winning letter of recommendation. This is important because their personal view of your capabilities as a college student will help in making your application stronger. You should get recommendations from influential people that will impact your application. For example if you are applying to a military college, it would be best to get a letter of recommendation form your school's ROTC Sergeant . Just as if you were applying to a dance academy you will want a recordation from your dance instructor. Also, if you work part time or volunteer have your superior complete an letter of recommendation for you as well.

Most colleges will want a personal essay on a particular topic and by drafting one ahead of time you can get an idea of what points about yourself you want to address in each essay. Also do not be afraid to be creative and really personalize your essay. For example, if you have to submit your essay online with the application add a slideshow of your accomplishments, volunteer work or add a short movie depicting these things. Although most colleges will not ask for these extra creative steps, submitting them may give you an advantage over another student with the same qualifications as you. This may show the admissions team that you are inventive, a leader and adaptive to technological resources. However, keep in mind that some colleges are very strict in their admissions applications and essays so always find out if submitting these extra creative supplements will be ok.

Another good thing to do prior to submitting your personal essay is to get a teacher ( English teacher would be the best choice), counselor or tutor to review your work. Although you may have proofread your essay numerous times and used the grammar check tool, you may still have errors in your essay that could hurt your admission chances. This is true for colleges that heavily influences with writing in all of their academic curricula. This means that a college like this will require essays in technical, science , math and sports based courses.

Once you are ready to submit your application and essay take your time and carefully review everything. Make sure that you answer all questions . Once you have submitted you application you should inform your counselor that your transcripts need to sent along with any test scores such as the S.A. T. After a few weeks it is good to call the admissions office to confirm that your application has been received and they have all needed materials. Some colleges will inform you that your application is received and complete either by email or by the postal mail service. Rule of thumb is if you are concerned about your application, call and speak to an admissions counselor. Do not be afraid to do this because that is part of their job and they are more than happy to help you.

While you wait for letters to pour in from the colleges do not fall behind in your class work and do not stress yourself out about whether or not you will be accepted or not. In due time you will get a response and the best thing you can do for yourself is to keep making good grades and enjoying your
senior year.