Preparing your college applications can certainly seem like a daunting task, but if you stay organized and focused, it can be done efficiently and carefully, even under considerable time pressure. Here are a few tips, with links to more specific advice about the various parts of your applications.
1. What’s Included in the College Application?
- Application Forms
- Personal Statement/Essay
- Transcripts
- Letters of Recommendation
- Test Score Reports
- Supplemental Materials
Although the materials above are generally required, some schools will require only some of these materials, and other schools may have additional requirements. Remember to check with the school as well.
2. Keep Your Applications Organized
If you are applying to multiple schools, many of whom might have slightly different applications, it is a good idea to stay organized from the beginning. Make a checklist for each school and paper-clip it to the envelope you will eventually use to mail the application. As you place application materials inside the envelope, tick off the corresponding box on the checklist.
3. Know the Particular Requirements of the Schools on Your List
Some colleges and universities require all of this information in a single package; many, however, will require that certain aspects of the application, such as the letters of recommendation or the test scores, be sent separately. Still other schools might want you to complete your application entirely online. Make sure you keep track of the requirements of individual schools.
4. When In Doubt About the Application, Call and Ask
Remember as you prepare your applications that you can always call a university’s admissions office and ask questions. Application forms can be particularly confusing, and it will do you no harm to pick up the phone and ask. Email is also fine, but remember that admissions officers do get a lot of email and a rule of thumb is to also follow up with a phone call.
5. Don’t Procrastinate
If it all possible, don’t leave things to the last minute. It is all too common for students to forget to have their transcripts sent on time, or fail to ask for letters of recommendation with enough time before application deadlines for teachers to actually write them. Set for yourself your own private deadline, a couple weeks before the real one, so that you have a little wiggle room if you forget something.
