Are you considering going to college and need some pointers on where to begin? Below you can find a simple step-by-step guide and some words of advice on how to be successful in applying to a college/university of your choice!
You can simply google a college of your choice, with the word "apply" following. Example: Century College Apply
The first (or second) link should take you directly to the college admission application.
How long and how much time an application will take varies from school to school; sometimes they take no more than ten minutes, other times it could be a week long to complete the application.
Make sure to also request your transcript to be sent to that school via Xello- check out the Xello tab on this website for more info.
High school transcript- you'll request your mid-year one to be sent from your Counselor on Xello- check the Xello tab on this website to see how to do this
Test scores (ACT/SAT)- if required (many schools are test-optional) I recommend that if you feel you did well on your tests, you should send them! It could get you additional scholarships!
A strong personal essay- should be around 500 words about an experience in your life that sets you apart from others. I encourage you to have a friend, teacher, coach, or mentor help review your essay.
Letters of recommendation (usually 1–2 teachers or counselor)- make sure to ask them first before actually saying they'll write you one. Sometimes they may not feel prepared or qualified to write a letter of recommendation for you, so please communicate ahead of time.
Activities list or resume- lots of colleges want to know who you are aside from your academics! Make sure you list out all the many opportunities you have been a part of to make your application stronger; you can include clubs, sports, internships, jobs, volunteering, and so on.
Application fee (or a fee waiver if you qualify)- believe it or not, some colleges do cost money to apply to! Can't afford to pay? Come see Mr. Billy!
Applying to a college does come with a deadline. Most colleges want to make sure your name is in their pool of admitted students, so you want to make sure you keep a close eye on the school's admission deadlines. See different deadlines below:
Early Action (EA) and Early Decision (ED) deadlines are usually Nov 1–15- most of the time, when applying for this deadline, you are indicating that you will 100% commit to this school if you are admitted early. Otherwise, you'd also just be applying early to get your spot in the pile sooner than others.
Regular Decision deadlines fall between Jan 1–Feb 1- this is the most traditional and normal deadline for most applications. With regular decision deadlines, this is the hard deadline for when the school will accept applications.
Rolling Admissions- this means that the schools review applications as they come — applying early improves your chances; however you can still apply so long as they have the space for more students.
This must be done on Xello. See the Xello tab for more information HERE.
No one but yourself will be able to answer this question for you. We can provide you with guidance, but only you can decide this for yourself. Some things to consider when exploring different colleges:
Do you prefer a big or small college campus?
Do you want your college to be in the big cities? Or in the quiet countryside? Or something in between?
Does it matter to you if a school is diverse in cultures and racial ethnicities?
When in college, do you want to be close to home or as far away as possible?
Do you have a major in mind, and does the school you're exploring offer it?
Have you gone to visit? If not, you definitely should. Sometimes you could be 100% set on a college, but the second you go visit, it isn't exactly what you were expecting.
Are you able to afford the cost of attendance to that college? Remember that FAFSA and scholarships will help you pay for college, but you should still be cautious of the final bill!
There are lots of resources to help you pay for college, see them below:
FAFSA- this is an application that opens on Oct 1st where you could receive some financial assistance with paying to go to college. This could come with some free grants and scholarships, as well as some loans that you'll promise to pay back later if you accept it. See the FAFSA tab HERE for more information.
Scholarships- there is a forever long list of scholarships to apply to. Mr. Billy has a long running list of ones he thinks are good ones to apply to, but you could also do your own research and find your own scholarships to apply to! See the scholarship tab HERE for more information.
Work and save your own money- you should work and save your money to help you in college. Nothing is better than having your own back.
Take out a personal loan- although I do not always recommend doing this, sometimes it may be the only option. On your own time and effort, go find an agency/organization/business/bank that is willing to give you a personal loan to help you go to college. If you are taking out a personal loan, the things to know about this varies. Mr. Billy could help you better understand this, but in the end, this personal loan will be all on you.