College Applications: How to Begin

College Applications: How to Begin

Applying to college is a big job. It can feel overwhelming. However, you can make the process much easier by breaking it down into small steps. Here's how.

How to Start Applying for Colleges

The good news is that most U.S. universities follow the same standard application process. If possible, begin the following four-step approach several months before the submission deadline.

1. Get Informed
   Colleges want to know the real you. When you apply to colleges, don’t try to make yourself look better by listing the accomplishments or writing the essay you think they want to see. If you're honest about who you are and what you've done, you're more likely to end up at a college that's a good fit for you.
   
   Here's how you can prepare to apply to colleges:
   • Understand the common terminology you'll see during the application process. Learning how to apply to college involves having a good grasp of such things as frequently used acronyms, supporting documents, and government departments.
   • Review the appropriate application timeline you should follow when signing up for college. Every school has its own deadlines, but you may have certain milestones to hit during your senior or even junior year.
   • Discover the individual components of a complete application. For example, schools usually ask for supplemental application materials like letters of recommendation, transcripts, and written essays.

1. Get Organized.
   How do you apply for colleges efficiently? If you can keep track of everything you need and get organized, you'll be ahead of the game. For each college you're applying to:
   • Create a real and a virtual folder for storing documents.
   • Print a checklist to track your progress on each part of the application.
   • Build a spreadsheet to stay on top of submission deadlines.
2. Gather the Necessary Documents. 
   • Your Social Security number.
   • Your high school code.
   • A copy of your high school transcript.
   • Your score report from a college admission test.
3. Review Your Application Before Submitting.
   Don’t forget to review your application before you hit the submit button;
   • Make sure you’ve included all required information and that the information filled out on the forms is accurate and spelled correctly.
   • Confirm that any required attachments are the correct files and have been properly uploaded.
   • Double-check that you filled out all fields and followed all instructions.
   • Take a deep breath. Click submit!