Completing a college application is the first step to applying for a college or university. Information requested on a college application includes: your personal information, academic and career interests, questions concerning or extracurricular activities, work experiences, and future plans. It is important to be honest, thorough, and concise in your application. Colleges typically do not open up their applications until August or September with deadline anywhere between November and May.

• READ ALL DIRECTIONS AND FOLLOW THEM!

• Submit your applications early (suggested: by November 1st) to ensure you are as competitive as possible for automatic scholarships. Exceptions are if you have earlier deadlines or if you are waiting for test scores.

• Use an appropriate email address that you check often. This is the means by which colleges communicate with you. 

• Be sure to keep track of all passwords and keep them in a safe place.

• Use your full, legal name when completing applications. It must match exactly with what is on your transcript and test scores (i.e. If your name is Jennifer and you go by Jen, complete your applications with Jennifer).

• Be sure to type your counselor’s and teacher’s name and email address correctly or they will not receive your recommendation request.

• If you are asked to list GPA (and nothing says “unweighted” or “weighted”), use your higher GPA.

• You can send different pieces at different times – colleges will collect all materials (application, test scores, transcript, recommendation, etc.) and put them into a student file. Once all the pieces are there, it’s a complete application.

• Have someone check over your application before submitting.

• Use your unofficial transcript to self-report your grades/courses/GPA/class rank. Report them exactly as they appear.

• Your GPA is listed on the middle right-hand side of your transcript. WEGO is on a 5.0 grading scale.