It’s that time of your life when it seems every college ever founded is trying to get you to go to that college. There are ways to weed through the quagmire. Time to apply is generally in the spring before the fall semester. You can go for the early admission that comes with the stipulation that you will not apply at other colleges if accepted.
Another thing to keep in mind is cost and financial aid as well as grants available for the program you are trying for. The application generally asks these types of questions so be prepared. Have your high school transcript, recommendations from teachers, written essay, work experience, extracurricular activities, which includes work experiences, awards and honors, academic experience, family information and other personal information ready to go. Some colleges require a personal and or phone interview.
Keep in mind deadlines and answer all questions completely. Follow each direction. Type in, or print very clearly making sure it is neat. How it is presented is very important. When submitting, include the letters of recommendation. Two or three should do the trick. The best ones to ask for a recommendation are teachers and councilors that know what your strengths are. Your employer is another.
Make copies just in case it is lost. Make sure to sign it. Include the processing fee. Write a rough draft of the essay before writing it down on the application. Have someone else proofread it to make sure you don’t ramble on or make mistakes.
In your senior year of high school, you should start preparing for college as soon as September. With your guidance councilor, start discussing your course load and other college plans as well as test scores, before starting to get applications from the schools you want to apply for. Start getting those letters of recommendation and get a head start on those essays.
By February and March, send in the completed applications and don’t forget to ask about housing. Have your guidance councilor send in your transcripts with your first semester grades to the schools you applied for.
By April and May, acceptance letters should start coming in. That is when you need to check your admissions information to see you remembered to include a meal plan and your housing. Have your guidance councilor send in your transcripts with your first semester grades to the schools you applied for. If you haven’t heard from the school(s) that they received your paperwork then contact admissions office to see if the paperwork got there.
Check to see what your school’s policy on sending extra information about you. Think about taking a course at the local community college. Don’t forget to keep your grades up the whole year. Some schools will change their minds if they see that your grades slide.
This is an exciting time in your life but remember that it is also the year of great responsibility of preparing for college. Remember to send in your applications early, make them neat, complete all the questions, and don’t forget all the required papers.
