• Consider College Characteristics - use search features on cfnc.org and collegeboard.org to narrow down your options

  • • Majors and educational programs - is your major offered? accreditation, student to faculty ratio, typical class size

    • Academic support/resources and transition support?

    • What does the school offer for students that need assistance? Tutoring centers? Summer transition programs?

    • Admission requirements - application deadlines, tests required, average test scores/GPA/rank, special requirements

    • Location and size - distance from home, environment (urban, rural, suburbs), size of campus/classes, location and size of nearest city

    • Environment - type of school (2- or 4-year), co-ed or single sex, religious affiliation, military, etc.

    • College expenses - tuition; room and board; meals; application fees and deposits; cost to/from campus, parking, gas, shampoo, etc.

    • Financial Aid - deadline and required forms, percentage of students receiving aid, scholarship opportunities

    • Housing - residence hall requirements and availability, types and sizes of accommodations, meal plans

    • College affiliation and accreditation

    • Campus activities - clubs/organizations, Greek life, athletics/intramurals

    • Facilities - academic, recreational, Student Health Center, etc.

    • Academic reputation

      • How many students graduate from the college in 4 years?  In 5 years?

      • How many students come back to school after the first year?

• VISIT the colleges that you are most interested in if at all possible! - A college visit is super helpful when you are doing your research, sometimes a college can look like a perfect match on paper but a visit may open your eyes to more.  Do you like the location, surroundings?  Can you see yourself living here for 2 or more years and thriving?

• Narrow your list down to a list of 4-5 colleges if possible

  • • One college- “sure thing”- you are overqualified and will be admitted

    • Two colleges- “realistic choices” or “middle of the road”–you meet admission qualifications

    • One college – “long shot” or “reach” – you would really like to attend this college, but you may have a lower GPA, ACT/SAT score or class rank than is required or lower than the average

Review College Admission Test Requirements (ACT, SAT, etc)

Know application fees and deadlines - colleges have many different application deadline types, review the information listed to learn what that means for you.

EARLY ACTION: is an admissions procedure to notify students of early admissions to the college. Students do not need to accept the college’s offer of admissions but may file other applications (used by UNC, NCSU, Georgetown, Yale, etc.). Points to remember are that early action candidates can be rejected, financial awards are made in April, and candidates must have superior records because the process is highly selective.

EARLY DECISION: is a plan under which you may submit your credentials early to one college, usually by mid-October of your senior year. You are notified of your status in December. As part of an early decision plan, you are required to sign a statement agreeing to accept the college’s offer of admission. You must also withdraw your application from other colleges if accepted under Early Decision. (Used by Duke, Elon, Wake Forest, etc.) Points to remember are the same as listed above in Early Action.

REGULAR ADMISSION: candidates submit an application during November to February, depending on the individual applicant and specific college deadline(s). Check the deadline for each individual school.

ROLLING ADMISSION: candidates submit an application at their convenience up to a certain date. They typically receive an offer of acceptance or rejection within four to six weeks. (Used often by Community Colleges and some four-year institutions)

Deciding When You Will Apply - There may be several factors which will affect when you apply to college. You are often encouraged to apply in the fall of senior year, meeting early action deadlines of your institutions of interest. Advantage of applying sooner rather than later?

You’ll know an admissions decision earlier in the year.

You can spend more time applying for scholarships. Some scholarships require applicants to apply to college by a certain date (usually the early action deadline).

Your GPA will not change significantly from fall semester to spring semester. Many students who are not satisfied with their current GPA believe that waiting until spring will be better. Not so in most cases. With one semester, there is no significant change in the GPA unless there is a significant difference in grades (D to A, etc.). You risk missing regular admissions deadlines when you wait, as transcripts will not have fall semester final grades until the end of January. You also stand a greater risk of being waitlisted to the institution, as they might have already filled their spaces.

You can better prepare for financial aid needs once you know where you’re going.

You can focus on the rest of your senior year and enjoy it!

Submit application materials - this process can be different depending on how you apply, see below in the application section for more details.

Double check the deadlines!  Make sure you are applying for the deadline you choose, and if you are hoping for scholarships or honors college consideration, be sure to check the college website to see when you must apply in order to be considered for this.  Many times you will need to apply earlier rather than later in order to be considered.

Complete your applications! 

• • If applying through CommonApp - your counselor will receive a notification to upload your transcript, you will not need to put in a separate request.  If applying through a separate type of application you will likely need to request a transcript to be sent directly to the college through the high school website here.

  • If your list of extracurricular activities exceeds the allotted space, list your top activities or those where you’ve had a leadership or other significant role.  If your application allows, upload your extracurricular resume as an additional sheet.

  • If you’re applying to an arts school, include a copy of your portfolio, slides of your work, a video (if you’re a dancer), or some other way to make your application stand out.

  • If you’re an athlete, send a highlights reel to the athletics department. Don't forget to complete NCAA eligibility requirements.

  • When you have finished your application, confirm next steps: mid-year transcripts, timeframe for when to expect a decision, deadline for you to accept any offer, final transcripts, etc. (Creating a spreadsheet is an excellent way to keep up with all the details)