Applying to College
Applying for college can be a stressful, time consuming process. Here is a great overview of the process: College Admissions Guide.
North Carolina College Admissions Deadlines and Open House Information
Below you will find information that will hopefully make that process a little easier for you.
How to Pick a School:
Choosing schools to apply to is not an easy task! There are many factors you have to consider while being bombarded with information from colleges (some you've heard of, and some you haven't). Look over the information below for tips on how to choose colleges to apply to:
Naviance also has some GREAT tools that can help you pick a college! Explore the College Research section under the Colleges tab in your Family Connections account.
How to Apply:
Now that you have decided which schools you want to apply to, how do you actually apply? You can use the college's website, Naviance, CFNC.org, or the Common Application (aka the Common App). The Common App is a membership association that was established in 1975 by 15 private colleges that wished to provide a common, standardized first-year application form for use at any member institution. They now have over 500 member institutions that participate. You complete one application, regardless of how many schools you are applying to that use the CommonApp.
How to Apply using CFNC or Common App
Don't Make Stupid Mistakes on your Applications (article about application mistakes to avoid)
Two Biggest Mistakes Families Make in the Application Process
Residency Determination Service (RDS):
The Residency Determination Service helps to determine whether a student is considered in-state or out-of-state for tuition purposes. If you are applying to a college in North Carolina as a first-time undergraduate student, the RDS is required.
DO RDS FIRST – Before you do your College Admission Applications www.NCresidency.org
Everything you need to know about RDS - a list of articles with information about the RDS process + video.
Recommendation Letters:
Some colleges/universities and scholarships require letters of recommendation. Follow the recommendations here for the strongest possible letter! The most important things to remember are:
Ask Early: Since 11th grade teachers are preferred, ask them early in the spring semester of that year. By then, there’s been enough time for a teacher to get to know the student and vice versa. If a teacher even hesitates regarding a student’s worthiness, he should look elsewhere.
Help Letter Writers: A recommendation letter should never be a cast of the dice because of uncertainty regarding what the teacher will write. The student should set up a meeting with a planned LOR writer late in junior year. At the meeting, he should provide and leave behind a letter reminding the teacher of how well they performed in their class. He should attach a graded paper or exam to the letter. The student should also identify the colleges to which they plan to apply and state their educational and career goals. When requesting letters of recommendation, PLEASE provide the writer with your resume and/or Brag Sheet!
Discussion: The student should have a frank discussion with the teacher about the personal attributes that he would like the teacher to highlight in the letter and specific facts to include. This enables recommenders to write a detailed and strategically complementary narrative.
If They Ask — Be Ready: Due to their busy schedules, teachers will often accept a draft written by the student in order to facilitate the writing of the LOR. Many teachers will produce a final LOR that reflects this draft almost verbatim. The student should have a draft of the LOR with them in case the teacher asks for it or indicates that she would welcome one.
Reminders: Teachers often forget LOR submission deadlines. The student should ask if it will be okay to remind them. She will probably say yes, so she won’t be annoyed when the student does so.
Express Gratitude: Students should send a “Thank You” note to the teacher when they agree to write the LOR and another one when it has been submitted. The teacher should be thanked a third time if the student is accepted by one or more of the colleges that received the LOR.
Requesting a Recommendation Letter in Naviance
Writing a Statement of Purpose or Essays:
Some college applications require essays and/or a statement of purpose. Below are some helpful links:
Fee Waivers:
If you took the SAT with a fee waiver, you will automatically receive four college application fee waivers. Log into your CollegeBoard account to access your fee waivers.
FAQ's About College Application Fee Waivers