So you want to go to college...but where?? How??

• 4 year institutions (ex: Appalachian State University)

  • Offer a wide range of Bachelor's degree programs that usually take 4 years to complete

  • Can be public or private

  • Come in a wide variety of sizes, demographics, and locations

    • Whether you want small or large, rural or urban, there's one out there for you!

• 2 year institutions (ex: Caldwell Community College)

  • Offer a wide range of Associate's degree programs that usually take 2 years to complete

  • Offer transfer pathways to 4 year institutions after you complete your Associate's

  • Offer certificate programs, licensing, and fast track training for specific skills and trades

    • If you have a program in mind, research to see what schools offer it!

    • Unsure what direction you want to go in? Take a look at CCC&TI's available programs!

You can check on a school’s website to see how they prefer you to submit an application. The 3 most popular websites for applications are Common App, Coalition, and College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC). 

• Common App: https://www.commonapp.org/

  • Click here for a step-by-step walkthrough of the Common App questions

  • Common Black College Application: https://commonblackcollegeapp.com/

• Coalition: https://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/

• CFNC: https://www.cfnc.org/

Reminders:

• Use a personal and appropriate email

• Wrtie down your passwords somewhere secure so you don't forget them!

• Residency (RDS)

  • Required if you want in-state tuition

• Financial Aid

  • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

    • Required if you want to be eligible for federal financial aid or aid from a public institution

    • Filling out the application is not a commitment to loans!

  • CSS Profile

    • Alternate form of financial aid not funded by the U.S. Department of Education

    • Not required by every college! For a list of colleges requiring the CSS profile, click here.

• High school and community college transcripts (if applicable)

• SAT/ACT/AP scores

  • Many schools are not requiring test scores for the 2024-2025 application cycle 

  • Double check if they are required for scholarships/honors programs

  • They can also can be used to supplement your application, so if it's a good score, submit it!

• Essays

  • Usually included in your application

  • Certain programs/scholarships require additional essays

  • Contact me for help brainstorming or for proofreading!

• Letters of recommendation

  • Read your application/scholarship instructions carefully to see if a recommendation letter is required

  • Ask for these early! Your teachers/coaches will have more than just yours to write!

Reminder: be thorough and put in the effort to make your applications shine! You want the colleges you're applying to to know YOU as well as they can so they can make an informed decision! Be yourself :)