Application
In order to apply to a college, you need to fill out....an application. While a school may accept multiple types of application, you should fill out only one for each school.
It is helpful to have a good core of your college list determined before you start filling anything out. The key to making this part easier is to minimize the number of different applications you will fill out. If you have a very long list, you will also need to choose wisely, as some applications have a limit, and some schools only accept one type of application.
Application Types
The main application types are:
Common Application (can create now - most students use the Common for a good portion of their schools)
Coalition Application (can create now - but I would see if it is necessary before putting work into it - many students find this application to be a lot of work, and they do not need to use it)
Group applications - Some groups of colleges have their own application (e.g. PASSHE schools in PA, the University of California Schools, etc.)
Individual College Applications - Some schools require their own application, or offer their own application in addition to one or more of the others.
Tips Before You Get Started
Start a spreadsheet (you can start with this one!), where you track what is required and accepted for each school. The more schools you plan to apply to - the more necessary this is. This is definitely necessary if you are applying to BS/MD programs!
Remember that the Common App has a limit of 20 schools. Full stop.
Use your PERSONAL email address for all college applications. Make it professional. Check this email regularly.
Make a note on your phone where you keep all of your college-related usernames and passwords.
If you are eligible for free & reduced lunch, you qualify for fee waivers. Speak to Mrs. Thomson, so that you know what this includes and how to use it wisely.
Common Application
Max of 20 schools can be applied to using the Common App
The main part - the Common App tab - goes to ALL of the schools. You can start this anytime. You can work on things in any order. You will get a check in each section, and eventually, a check on each page (on the left)
Courses & Grades is only required by some schools (see the section about transcripts/self-reported grades)
Under My Colleges, you will add each individual school you are applying to. They have their own questions - some more than others. This is where you will find the supplemental questions. Don't do this until August - because it will not rollover from the current year.
There is a VERY SPECIFIC PROCESS for entering your recommendation requests in Common App. You will NOT ENTER teacher email addresses. We submit recommendations using SCOIR.
There is not one big submit button. You will submit individually to each school.
Coalition Application
This application is time-intensive. Only one school, the University of Washington is Coalition-exclusive. You may not need the Coalition unless your specific subset of schools is Coalition, but not Common (eg possibly big schools in the South).
Rutgers accepts the Coalition - but if your other schools all take Common - we suggest you do the Common, and the Rutgers-specific app (which is much faster than the Coalition)
For Coalition, you need to do all of the required sections before you will be able to move through the school-specific questions. Sometimes you will have to do more sections in the main application after you add a school. You can work out of order, to some extent, in the main application.
After you add a school, you will have to do the school-specific questions. These have to be done in order, and you can't see what the questions are until you get to them. Sometimes there are supplemental essays here (Hint: UMD has additional short answer questions).
You should not request any letters of recommendation or transcripts through Coalition. We send these using SCOIR.
There is no big submit button. You submit one school at a time.
Rutgers Application
Rutgers accepts the Coalition Application, or their own application. If you don't need to do the Coalition application for any other reason - you would be much better off doing the Rutgers Application. It is much shorter and will take you far less time.
The Rutgers App usually opens in early September
You can preview the application here
Rutgers only accepts a limited number of activities and awards on their application - they want your 5 most important
Rutgers has its own essay prompts, but will also accept a design your own, so you can use your main Common App essay
Rutgers doesn't accept transcripts (you must do a SRAR - see that section of this page)
Rutgers doesn't accept letters of recommendation
Important Info for Applications (Class Size, GPAs, etc)
Class size: 575
GPA: Weighted. Use the cumulative weighted GPA from your transcript. Don't round or convert to a 4.0 scale.
Rank: We do not rank.