The secret to gaining admission to a college or university is SOLID ACADEMIC PREPARATION. Take as many courses as you can in high school to help prepare you for college-level work. Try to make your high school courses as challenging as possible without being overwhelming. Exploring your career focus and working hard in high school will make any post-secondary transition easier in the long run.
SEARCHING FOR A COLLEGE
Some students have a good idea on how to begin searching for a college, while others have no idea where to begin. The College Board provides a broad college-search service free of charge. This services includes all colleges in the United States, with search filters by majors, geographical areas, SAT scores required, athletics, housing options, and more. Students can save searches and be linked to a variety of help resources along the way. Get started here.!
Click here for a list of all Maine College and University Websites on the Maine DOE page.
APPLYING TO COLLEGE
Many colleges provide online links to help students apply quickly and easily. There are a few who still utilize paper applications, but for the most part, colleges prefer online applications.
If you are applying to two or more 4-year colleges, it is worthwhile to check out the Common Application.
The Common App is an application portal where students can (electronically) enter their data once, and then "check off" to which colleges their applications should be sent. For example, if a student wanted to apply to Bowdoin and UMaine and Stonehill, using the Common Application, they could complete one application and have it sent to 3 different places.
In addition, students electronically invite faculty and staff to write recommendations, and once they have been submitted, students can view when it was uploaded by the College. This takes all of the guesswork out of the process....such as "did my counselor REALLY send my transcript?" or "Did my teacher evaluation get lost in the mail?" With one click, students can view their status and know the moment when their application has been completed and submitted.
For more information, please click this link to access a tutorial page on the Common Application:
WHENEVER you need help with this process, please don't hesitate to contact your School Counselor.