How Do I Apply?
Step 1: Get the College Applications
You know your sixth semester grades(end of junior year); you know your SAT or ACT scores (you might test again, but you have to go with what you know for this step); and you have done your research. Run the final list by your counselor for input and information that may be new to you and then get your applications. More and more colleges are either asking you to apply online or giving you a downloadable version that you can print out. If you are on the mailing list already, schools may still send you paper versions.
The Common Application is used by 414 colleges. View the colleges at: View the colleges at: www.commonapp.org. See if two or more of the schools on your list use the Common Application. If so, you may want to fill out the Common Application, rather than the institutional applications to save repeating the same information over and over. If you use the Common Application, be sure to look for supplements required by many colleges.
Organizational Note: Set up a filing system that works for you. Keep a separate file for each college to which you are applying.
Step 2: Keep a Log of Deadlines
Chart each application deadline, counselor/teacher recommendation(s) required, personal essay requirement, SAT/ACT test dates and scores, and date mailed. Applying to colleges can be a draining and time consuming business. Organization of files and information will help alleviate some of the stress during this time. Deadlines are critical. Given that deadlines are as varied as the 4352 colleges out there, keeping track of them is crucial. In Kentucky, we have very early deadlines for our state university systems. Note the other school’s deadlines carefully, as well as any standardized testing deadlines if you plan to test in the fall. If mailing the application, use registered mail, return receipt requested.
Some highly competitive colleges have deadlines called Early Decision and Early Action. You won’t find many fans of these application options among high school counselors, because in our experience, there are tremendous changes in perspective among students as they move through the admissions process from October to May. But, ED and EA exist, so explore them if you wish, but always proceed with caution. They both carry risks. ED and EA deadlines are usually November 1st, with a promise of an early answer, usually December 15th.
Early Decision (ED): If you are admitted as an Early Decision applicant, you must attend that college, and you must withdraw all other applications. This is a highly competitive applicant pool, but because the college can get the best applicants early out of this pool, they sometimes take students with slightly lower overall grades/test scores than it might in the regular application pool. The real issue for counselors, and hopefully for you too, is that you might change your mind between December and the universal May 1st decision date. Most high school seniors do, and if you are accepted ED, the entire process of decision-making is short-circuited. You absolutely must see your counselor before you can send in you ED application anyway, since he or she must sign it. Be certain that you absolutely want to attend this school if accepted. There is no room for doubt – Early Decision is a binding contract.
Early Action (EA) refers to a nonbinding early admission program. Students admitted under this program are not committed in any way, and may, if they wish, file admissions applications to other colleges. Colleges that have Restrictive Early Action programs do not allow candidates to apply to other schools via Early Action or Early Decision. Students can apply rolling or regular admission at any time and do not need to wait for the Restrictive Early Action decision. Students receiving deferral notifications will be reconsidered with the regular applicant pool. Early action pools are also very strong, so if you aren’t that strong, you might actually run the risk of being rejected outright. Talk it through with your counselor. There are issues concerning Financial Aid with both ED and EA, so again, speak with your counselor regarding these early deadlines.
Finally, you should be aware that if you file an application as an Early Decision or Early Action applicant to a school and are denied admission, you may not apply again to the same school for the same admissions year as a regular admissions applicant.
Rolling Admissions: With rolling admissions, the admission application is reviewed as soon as the file is complete. The college notifies the student of its decision within a short time, usually four to six weeks. Due to the increasing competitiveness of college admissions, it is a good idea to apply early to these colleges.
Open Admissions: Some colleges do not practice selective admissions and offer admission to all students who apply. Generally, there are no admission deadlines for colleges that follow this policy. The community colleges are an example of this type of admission.
Step 3: Complete the Applications
Do not procrastinate. Do not treat the deadlines as though they are flexible. Be sure you mark your progress on your Deadlines Chart. Welcome your parents reminding you to stay on top of the deadlines. You will appreciate their support, guidance, and encouragement.
Private school applications will generally require a School Report (found in the application itself) and one or more Teacher Recommendations (forms also found in the applications). As soon as you receive or download an application, fill in the top portion of the form itself and one or more Teacher Recommendations (forms also found in the applications). As soon as you receive or download an application, fill in the top portion of the forms.
Organize a large file for all of your School Report forms. When you have all the reports together, signed and filled out, give them to your counselor with an envelope addressed to each college/university with two stamps. Your counselor will then complete the School Reports, attach an official transcript, a letter of recommendation (if required) and mail all the materials together.
If applying to private schools, write an autobiographical resume. Most college applications will contain sections that ask for your activities and interests outside of the academic classroom setting. Completing these sections on several applications can be tedious and time consuming. Once you develop a resume, you can include it with your application and bypass these sections on every form, noting “See attached resume.” (Some applications including the Common Application, ask you to complete the form even if you submit a resume. The resume gives you more space, however, and a more flexible format.) You may already have done this for a job, or a summer experience. The resume will be used by your counselor, teachers writing recommendations, admissions officers, and possibly a coach or interviewer. Your resume should include information such as:
· Personal data: full legal name, address, telephone number, and email address.
· Educational background: school(s) attended.
· Extracurricular, personal, and volunteer activities you have done either in the summer or during the school year while in high school – community service; scouting; church, synagogue, or youth group projects or activities; school activities outside of class (sports, theatre, musical talents, art projects, student committees, etc); significant travel experiences; summer camps or special outdoor programs; independent projects you have completed.
· Include specific events, major accomplishments, special awards, or honors in any of these activities (musical instruments played, acceptance to a
program by audition, elected offices held, varsity letters, workplace awards, etc.), and note any leadership roles you may have held.
· Indicate your level of involvement with each item (hours per week, weeks per year, or overall time involved). The length of time spent in each of your endeavors is not the most crucial factor since the type of venture or your level of responsibility may be more important. However, time spent reveals the degree of your commitment.
· Special interests and hobbies: This category usually includes activities that show great dedication and participation over a long period of time.
· Work experience: Not only should you list your job(s), but also the number of hours you worked during the period(s) of employments.
Note: Separate athletic, drama, music or other specialized resumes are very significant when applying for competitive programs.
Sample Resume
First Name, Last Name
Name of High School
City, State of High School
Graduating Senior, Class of 20__
Academic Awards/Achievements
Top Student Award – Biology 10 th
Top Student Award – Chemistry 11th
Extracurricular Activities and Leadership Positions
Speech/Debate Club 10 th , 11 th , 12 th grades
11 th Two individual bronze medals, regional competition
Team silver medal, regional competition
Basketball 12 th – Elected team CoCaptain
10 th – Junior Varsity, 11 th /12 th – Varsity
10 th – Captain, Voted MVP
11 th – Voted Most Improved
ASB Class Representative 9 th , 10 th
Class Vice-President 11 th
Student Body Vice-President 12th
Community or Volunteer Service
Habitat for Humanity Helped build houses 8 hours on seven Saturdays, 2009
Hospital Volunteer Assist nurses, visit patients 4 hours per week, 1/2009 to Present
Talents/Special Honors
Voice: Sing in school choir 11 th and 12 th grades
Public Speaking - Won Rotary Four-Way
Test Speech Contest - 11th
Employment/Summer Activities
Courtesy Clerk Local grocery store, Summers 2009, 2010 -2535 hours per week
Foreign Language Program -Spent two months with a host family in Spain, Summer 2008
Limit your requests for teacher recommendations to one or two teachers (as specified by the college). Colleges rarely ask for more than two teachers. Some colleges ask for a 3 rd optional (ex: coach, music teacher). It is important that you personally ask a teacher to complete the teacher recommendation form. The teacher you choose should know you well enough to give several specific examples describing your characteristics as a person and student, your written work, the degree and quality of class participation, and your interest in the subject. This is not necessarily the teacher who gave you an “A.” Recommendations should come from junior or senior level teachers. Here are some ways you can make this task easier for your teachers:
1. If recommendations are required, forms are usually included with the application. Fill out the top of the teacher recommendation form completely. You should mark that you waive your right to see the letter of recommendation and sign it. Just so you know, the federal law governing this aspect of your application states that you only have the right to see the letter once you have been admitted and you actually attend that school. Then you have the right to go to the admission office once you are on campus and read the letter. If you are rejected from a school, you have no right to see the letter at any time (ERPA Family Education Rights & Privacy Act)
2. For each college, address a plain business-sized envelope, leaving the return address blank. Place one stamp on the envelope.
3. Neatly organize a folder with your resume, all the request forms for the various colleges, and envelopes addressed to each college with one stamp. Attach a list of the colleges with deadlines clearly noted for each college. Keep a copy of that list for your records.
4. Give the folder to the teacher a minimum of three weeks before your first deadline.
5. Check with each teacher a week to 10 days before the application is due to be sure that the letter of recommendation has been sent. Remember to give your teacher a thank you note.
Letters of Recommendation: What Not To Do
· Assume that recommendations are quickly and easily prepared (they are not).
· Ask a teacher to write a recommendation on the day it is due – give them a minimum of two weeks notice.
· Drop off the form at the last minute as you leave for vacation.
· Ask more than two teachers to write recommendations for you unless special circumstances dictate. This is an inefficient use of teachers’ time and is considered to be an imposition on the third teacher when only one or two recommendations are needed.
· Neglect to thank the teacher for his or her help.
· Neglect to let the teachers know where you have been admitted, especially if he/she wrote and sent a letter of recommendation to a school where you have been accepted.
Writing Your Essays
There will be a prompt in the application if an essay is required. This can be anything from “Tell us something about yourself” to something off-the-wall
that will enable the creative student to do his or her thing. Usually, prompts look something like this:
· Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
· Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
· Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
· Describe a character in fiction, an historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and describe that influence.
· Topic of your choice.
Essays are important, so do not leave this piece until the night before you mail the package. Write it (three or four rough drafts is the norm for writing a good essay), set it aside, revise it, have someone else edit it, then finalize it when you know it really reflects who you are. If you are short on ideas, one of these might help:
· Do you participate in class? Think of a time when something you said sparked an interesting discussion.
· Think of your best qualities: leadership, persistence, compassion, humor. Tell a story about a time when that quality exhibited itself in your life.
· Do you excel in some extracurricular activity? Do you play the French horn? Do you tear up the soccer field? Do you write so beautifully that it brings tears to eyes of the reader? Tell an anecdote from your life concerning your talent.
· Do you bring diversity to the (future) campus? If you have a different perspective to add to the student body at your hoped for college, talk about it.
· Was there a time in your life when you failed at something, and now, looking back, you can see how much you learned from your failure/mistake?
· Did you gain insight after an experience, or after meeting someone special, that changed your outlook on a person, a group, or a situation? Talk about that personal growth.
Essays: What to Do
· Be original in your word choices and the way you present your ideas.
· Personalize your essays. The admissions reader wants to know about you.
· Avoid generalities.
· Keep your essays short, and stay within the space provided whenever possible.
· Have someone else read your essay and give suggestions. Your English teacher and counselors are good resources.
· Write about something you really care about.
Essays: What Not To Do
· Try to write a funny essay if you are not a good comic writer.
· Repeat information from other parts of your application.
· Use your essay to list things you have done.
· Write about “last summer” unless it is really important to you.
· Write your essay for the admissions reader. Write it for yourself, but make it interesting for the people evaluating your essays.
You are responsible for sending official test scores to each college. If you coded colleges on your standardized test registration forms, then you have already sent official copies. If you didn’t, contact the College Board www.collegeboard.com or ACT www.act.org and send the scores immediately. There are charges for sending scores.
Interviews might be required or recommended for some colleges. If so, there may be a representative coming to the Ashland area or the school may arrange for alumni in the area to interview students. You must call and schedule the interview according to the instructions given in the application. Sometimes interviews are optional. If you are a borderline student, you should try to interview. Once the interviewer sees that you are a great student who would be an asset to the school, the input from the interview just might tip the balance in your favor. Interviews are rarely make-or-break events, so relax and be yourself. Dress appropriately, speak well, make eye contact, and be confident that the interviewer will only ask you questions for which you know answers.
Step 4: Submit the Applications
Try very hard not to submit the applications the night before they are due. You will receive an acknowledgement via Email from each college confirming receipt of your applications.
Step 1: Get the College Applications
You know your sixth semester grades(end of junior year); you know your SAT or ACT scores (you might test again, but you have to go with what you know for this step); and you have done your research. Run the final list by your counselor for input and information that may be new to you and then get your applications. More and more colleges are either asking you to apply online or giving you a downloadable version that you can print out. If you are on the mailing list already, schools may still send you paper versions.
The Common Application is used by 414 colleges. View the colleges at: View the colleges at: www.commonapp.org. See if two or more of the schools on your list use the Common Application. If so, you may want to fill out the Common Application, rather than the institutional applications to save repeating the same information over and over. If you use the Common Application, be sure to look for supplements required by many colleges.
Organizational Note: Set up a filing system that works for you. Keep a separate file for each college to which you are applying.
Step 2: Keep a Log of Deadlines
Chart each application deadline, counselor/teacher recommendation(s) required, personal essay requirement, SAT/ACT test dates and scores, and date mailed. Applying to colleges can be a draining and time consuming business. Organization of files and information will help alleviate some of the stress during this time. Deadlines are critical. Given that deadlines are as varied as the 4352 colleges out there, keeping track of them is crucial. In Kentucky, we have very early deadlines for our state university systems. Note the other school’s deadlines carefully, as well as any standardized testing deadlines if you plan to test in the fall. If mailing the application, use registered mail, return receipt requested.
Some highly competitive colleges have deadlines called Early Decision and Early Action. You won’t find many fans of these application options among high school counselors, because in our experience, there are tremendous changes in perspective among students as they move through the admissions process from October to May. But, ED and EA exist, so explore them if you wish, but always proceed with caution. They both carry risks. ED and EA deadlines are usually November 1st, with a promise of an early answer, usually December 15th.
Early Decision (ED): If you are admitted as an Early Decision applicant, you must attend that college, and you must withdraw all other applications. This is a highly competitive applicant pool, but because the college can get the best applicants early out of this pool, they sometimes take students with slightly lower overall grades/test scores than it might in the regular application pool. The real issue for counselors, and hopefully for you too, is that you might change your mind between December and the universal May 1st decision date. Most high school seniors do, and if you are accepted ED, the entire process of decision-making is short-circuited. You absolutely must see your counselor before you can send in you ED application anyway, since he or she must sign it. Be certain that you absolutely want to attend this school if accepted. There is no room for doubt – Early Decision is a binding contract.
Early Action (EA) refers to a nonbinding early admission program. Students admitted under this program are not committed in any way, and may, if they wish, file admissions applications to other colleges. Colleges that have Restrictive Early Action programs do not allow candidates to apply to other schools via Early Action or Early Decision. Students can apply rolling or regular admission at any time and do not need to wait for the Restrictive Early Action decision. Students receiving deferral notifications will be reconsidered with the regular applicant pool. Early action pools are also very strong, so if you aren’t that strong, you might actually run the risk of being rejected outright. Talk it through with your counselor. There are issues concerning Financial Aid with both ED and EA, so again, speak with your counselor regarding these early deadlines.
Finally, you should be aware that if you file an application as an Early Decision or Early Action applicant to a school and are denied admission, you may not apply again to the same school for the same admissions year as a regular admissions applicant.
Rolling Admissions: With rolling admissions, the admission application is reviewed as soon as the file is complete. The college notifies the student of its decision within a short time, usually four to six weeks. Due to the increasing competitiveness of college admissions, it is a good idea to apply early to these colleges.
Open Admissions: Some colleges do not practice selective admissions and offer admission to all students who apply. Generally, there are no admission deadlines for colleges that follow this policy. The community colleges are an example of this type of admission.
Step 3: Complete the Applications
Do not procrastinate. Do not treat the deadlines as though they are flexible. Be sure you mark your progress on your Deadlines Chart. Welcome your parents reminding you to stay on top of the deadlines. You will appreciate their support, guidance, and encouragement.
Private school applications will generally require a School Report (found in the application itself) and one or more Teacher Recommendations (forms also found in the applications). As soon as you receive or download an application, fill in the top portion of the form itself and one or more Teacher Recommendations (forms also found in the applications). As soon as you receive or download an application, fill in the top portion of the forms.
Organize a large file for all of your School Report forms. When you have all the reports together, signed and filled out, give them to your counselor with an envelope addressed to each college/university with two stamps. Your counselor will then complete the School Reports, attach an official transcript, a letter of recommendation (if required) and mail all the materials together.
If applying to private schools, write an autobiographical resume. Most college applications will contain sections that ask for your activities and interests outside of the academic classroom setting. Completing these sections on several applications can be tedious and time consuming. Once you develop a resume, you can include it with your application and bypass these sections on every form, noting “See attached resume.” (Some applications including the Common Application, ask you to complete the form even if you submit a resume. The resume gives you more space, however, and a more flexible format.) You may already have done this for a job, or a summer experience. The resume will be used by your counselor, teachers writing recommendations, admissions officers, and possibly a coach or interviewer. Your resume should include information such as:
· Personal data: full legal name, address, telephone number, and email address.
· Educational background: school(s) attended.
· Extracurricular, personal, and volunteer activities you have done either in the summer or during the school year while in high school – community service; scouting; church, synagogue, or youth group projects or activities; school activities outside of class (sports, theatre, musical talents, art projects, student committees, etc); significant travel experiences; summer camps or special outdoor programs; independent projects you have completed.
· Include specific events, major accomplishments, special awards, or honors in any of these activities (musical instruments played, acceptance to a
program by audition, elected offices held, varsity letters, workplace awards, etc.), and note any leadership roles you may have held.
· Indicate your level of involvement with each item (hours per week, weeks per year, or overall time involved). The length of time spent in each of your endeavors is not the most crucial factor since the type of venture or your level of responsibility may be more important. However, time spent reveals the degree of your commitment.
· Special interests and hobbies: This category usually includes activities that show great dedication and participation over a long period of time.
· Work experience: Not only should you list your job(s), but also the number of hours you worked during the period(s) of employments.
Note: Separate athletic, drama, music or other specialized resumes are very significant when applying for competitive programs.
Sample Resume
First Name, Last Name
Name of High School
City, State of High School
Graduating Senior, Class of 20__
Academic Awards/Achievements
Top Student Award – Biology 10 th
Top Student Award – Chemistry 11th
Extracurricular Activities and Leadership Positions
Speech/Debate Club 10 th , 11 th , 12 th grades
11 th Two individual bronze medals, regional competition
Team silver medal, regional competition
Basketball 12 th – Elected team CoCaptain
10 th – Junior Varsity, 11 th /12 th – Varsity
10 th – Captain, Voted MVP
11 th – Voted Most Improved
ASB Class Representative 9 th , 10 th
Class Vice-President 11 th
Student Body Vice-President 12th
Community or Volunteer Service
Habitat for Humanity Helped build houses 8 hours on seven Saturdays, 2009
Hospital Volunteer Assist nurses, visit patients 4 hours per week, 1/2009 to Present
Talents/Special Honors
Voice: Sing in school choir 11 th and 12 th grades
Public Speaking - Won Rotary Four-Way
Test Speech Contest - 11th
Employment/Summer Activities
Courtesy Clerk Local grocery store, Summers 2009, 2010 -2535 hours per week
Foreign Language Program -Spent two months with a host family in Spain, Summer 2008
Limit your requests for teacher recommendations to one or two teachers (as specified by the college). Colleges rarely ask for more than two teachers. Some colleges ask for a 3 rd optional (ex: coach, music teacher). It is important that you personally ask a teacher to complete the teacher recommendation form. The teacher you choose should know you well enough to give several specific examples describing your characteristics as a person and student, your written work, the degree and quality of class participation, and your interest in the subject. This is not necessarily the teacher who gave you an “A.” Recommendations should come from junior or senior level teachers. Here are some ways you can make this task easier for your teachers:
1. If recommendations are required, forms are usually included with the application. Fill out the top of the teacher recommendation form completely. You should mark that you waive your right to see the letter of recommendation and sign it. Just so you know, the federal law governing this aspect of your application states that you only have the right to see the letter once you have been admitted and you actually attend that school. Then you have the right to go to the admission office once you are on campus and read the letter. If you are rejected from a school, you have no right to see the letter at any time (ERPA Family Education Rights & Privacy Act)
2. For each college, address a plain business-sized envelope, leaving the return address blank. Place one stamp on the envelope.
3. Neatly organize a folder with your resume, all the request forms for the various colleges, and envelopes addressed to each college with one stamp. Attach a list of the colleges with deadlines clearly noted for each college. Keep a copy of that list for your records.
4. Give the folder to the teacher a minimum of three weeks before your first deadline.
5. Check with each teacher a week to 10 days before the application is due to be sure that the letter of recommendation has been sent. Remember to give your teacher a thank you note.
Letters of Recommendation: What Not To Do
· Assume that recommendations are quickly and easily prepared (they are not).
· Ask a teacher to write a recommendation on the day it is due – give them a minimum of two weeks notice.
· Drop off the form at the last minute as you leave for vacation.
· Ask more than two teachers to write recommendations for you unless special circumstances dictate. This is an inefficient use of teachers’ time and is considered to be an imposition on the third teacher when only one or two recommendations are needed.
· Neglect to thank the teacher for his or her help.
· Neglect to let the teachers know where you have been admitted, especially if he/she wrote and sent a letter of recommendation to a school where you have been accepted.
Writing Your Essays
There will be a prompt in the application if an essay is required. This can be anything from “Tell us something about yourself” to something off-the-wall
that will enable the creative student to do his or her thing. Usually, prompts look something like this:
· Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
· Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
· Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
· Describe a character in fiction, an historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and describe that influence.
· Topic of your choice.
Essays are important, so do not leave this piece until the night before you mail the package. Write it (three or four rough drafts is the norm for writing a good essay), set it aside, revise it, have someone else edit it, then finalize it when you know it really reflects who you are. If you are short on ideas, one of these might help:
· Do you participate in class? Think of a time when something you said sparked an interesting discussion.
· Think of your best qualities: leadership, persistence, compassion, humor. Tell a story about a time when that quality exhibited itself in your life.
· Do you excel in some extracurricular activity? Do you play the French horn? Do you tear up the soccer field? Do you write so beautifully that it brings tears to eyes of the reader? Tell an anecdote from your life concerning your talent.
· Do you bring diversity to the (future) campus? If you have a different perspective to add to the student body at your hoped for college, talk about it.
· Was there a time in your life when you failed at something, and now, looking back, you can see how much you learned from your failure/mistake?
· Did you gain insight after an experience, or after meeting someone special, that changed your outlook on a person, a group, or a situation? Talk about that personal growth.
Essays: What to Do
· Be original in your word choices and the way you present your ideas.
· Personalize your essays. The admissions reader wants to know about you.
· Avoid generalities.
· Keep your essays short, and stay within the space provided whenever possible.
· Have someone else read your essay and give suggestions. Your English teacher and counselors are good resources.
· Write about something you really care about.
Essays: What Not To Do
· Try to write a funny essay if you are not a good comic writer.
· Repeat information from other parts of your application.
· Use your essay to list things you have done.
· Write about “last summer” unless it is really important to you.
· Write your essay for the admissions reader. Write it for yourself, but make it interesting for the people evaluating your essays.
You are responsible for sending official test scores to each college. If you coded colleges on your standardized test registration forms, then you have already sent official copies. If you didn’t, contact the College Board www.collegeboard.com or ACT www.act.org and send the scores immediately. There are charges for sending scores.
Interviews might be required or recommended for some colleges. If so, there may be a representative coming to the Ashland area or the school may arrange for alumni in the area to interview students. You must call and schedule the interview according to the instructions given in the application. Sometimes interviews are optional. If you are a borderline student, you should try to interview. Once the interviewer sees that you are a great student who would be an asset to the school, the input from the interview just might tip the balance in your favor. Interviews are rarely make-or-break events, so relax and be yourself. Dress appropriately, speak well, make eye contact, and be confident that the interviewer will only ask you questions for which you know answers.
Step 4: Submit the Applications
Try very hard not to submit the applications the night before they are due. You will receive an acknowledgement via Email from each college confirming receipt of your applications.