College Applying Strategies: Conquering the College Application Process

First, Watch Out for Deadlines: The Importance of Applying to Colleges Early

Each application is stamped with the date it is received in the admissions office. It is in your best interest to have your completed application in the admissions office as soon as the institution is ready to receive applications for the next class. I stress that the application package should be completed as soon as possible with the help of your guidance office. You, the student, and their parents should make sure that the institution has received your application, essays, SAT/ACT scores, letters of recommendation, and any other supporting documents as soon as possible. It is your responsibility to check with the admissions office to make sure your application is complete. Do not assume your application is complete until you have verified it yourself.

Colleges and universities will read the completed applications they received first. It will benefit you to be in the first group of applications to be considered for admission. Towards the end of the applicant pool, institutions will become a bit more selective, which lowers your chances for admission, especially if your profile is not extremely strong for that year’s applicant pool. The admissions process comes down to the strength and depth of the applicant pool for that particular year. It’s not personal but a numbers game.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of submitting your application well in advance of the stated deadline date. “The early bird takes the worm” is a saying that is appropriate for the admissions process.

The importance of a good and relevant essay: make sure your essay is well written

By this time of year (fall) you should have your essay finished and reviewed by your English teacher. His personal essay is your chance to put your application front and center. You can make your application come to life as long as you have written a good essay. Your essay must be well written and relevant. It must be an extension of you. It should also be about you or something that is very important to you. It should shed light on you as a college admissions candidate. It can make or break your luck for admissions. Don’t confuse your personal essay with the short essays you may need to write for some college applications.

Don’t Put All Your Eggs In One Basket – Make Sure You Apply To At Least Two (2) Safety Schools

My pet peeve is the lack of consideration for safety schools because most will think and spend a lot of time researching their scope school and the schools within their profile, but they won’t spend a lot of time on the schools they are likely to attend. When applying to schools, be sure to have a serious discussion with your parents about how to pay for the school or schools on your list. You want to have a good idea of ​​which schools you and your parents can afford with little or no help. I implore you to seriously have this conversation with your parents because you don’t want to struggle to find a school you can afford in May of your senior year. A school or schools you can get into and pay for is the top school on your list.

You must apply to at least two safety schools, two schools within your profile, and at least two schools that are your pie in the sky (if you get in and get enough financial aid, you will attend). In order to determine your safe schools, you and your parents must obtain an estimated figure of the Expected Family Contribution before applying to universities.

Take advantage of any situation that sets your application apart from the general pool: Emphasize any part of your profile that will give you an advantage over the current pool of applicants

Finally, before you apply to college, you and your parents should sit down and brainstorm any circumstances that might help you in the admissions process. I also suggest that you sit down with your guidance counselor and go over anything you do to maximize your chances of acceptance. Keep in mind that any unique situation that can help you get into schools that you may consider a long shot because of your academic profile, can also net you a great financial aid package. These unique situations or talents can be anything from sports, performing arts, special abilities, race, and family situations. You must play whatever card God has given you to advance your future. Don’t be afraid to use the race card even if you only have a small percentage of the minority race in you (may be ¼ Indian, for example). Selective colleges and universities will always try to recruit talented minorities to their campus because they want to have a diverse campus. One of my sons benefited from the aforementioned situations (sport and career).

Conquering the college application process is easy if you work closely with your guidance counselor and the information on my website below.