Flickr user Jonathan Harford
The college application process involves several different components – the transcript, essay, various forms, fees, test scores, letters of recommendation, application apps, potentially a college visit and an interview. For your college application to be successful, all of the individual components must fit together like pieces of jigsaw puzzle.
The above is just for one college application. If you’re like most high school graduates who apply to multiple colleges, things can get a little hectic to say the least.
So, how do you keep track of it all and stay on track to successfully complete this complex puzzle. The key is to stay organized. These tips will help you do just that.
1. Start Researching Colleges In Your Junior Year
Researching different colleges and the academic programs they offer is the one of the most important components of the college application process. It is also the first step in the process. With 5,916 colleges and universities to choose from, choosing one be a daunting prospect.
Now, you definitely don’t have to look into each of these institutions. But the earlier you get started, the more time you’ll have to create a shortlist of colleges that appear to be a good fit for you. This will make your search more manageable. Once you’ve created your shortlist, you can then explore each college on the list in more detail to identify those that are the best match for your academic goals.
When researching colleges to create your shortlist, these are some of the things you should consider:
- Academic programs
- Tuition fees
- Extracurricular fees
- Campus location and size
- Class size
See more tips and advice on how to create your college shortlist.
2. Meet With A Guidance Counselor
You have to keep your choice of major top of mind when shortlisting colleges to apply to. While some students in junior year may know what major they want to study, not everybody does. The majority of students in junior year are not yet sure what they want to graduate in or which career they want to pursue. If you need help with making this decision, speak to your guidance counselor.
Guidance counselors have years of experience helping students figure out what path to follow. They will ask you question that encourage you to introspect on your passions, skills, and future goals. They will also help you identify your strengths and weaknesses based on your academic performance. You may need to schedule multiple sessions with your guidance counselor before you gain clarity on the best path forward for you.
Remember, while you do need to have a major in mind when shortlisting schools, your choice is not written in stone. It may be a little time-consuming and inconvenient but you can change your major mid-way through college.
3. Make A Note Of Important College Application Dates And Deadlines
Deadlines are key to staying organized. It’s a total waste of time if you work on every other aspect of your college application but only manage to get it all done after the deadline. No matter which part of your application you are working on, it’s crucial to keep an eye on the deadline.
As you start working on your college applications, you’ll quickly see that you have to stay on top of several deadlines. Some components of the application process have the same deadline date every year. Other components have variable due dates every year.
These are some of the more important recurring deadlines that have the same date every year:
- The Common App goes live on August 1st
- FAFSA goes live on October 1st
- National College Decision Day is May 1st
These deadlines occur on different dates every year so you have to check each one individually:
- SAT/ACT tests
- Scholarship applications
- Early decision/early action application
- Regular decision applications
4. Make A Tracking Spreadsheet
There are way too many dates, deadlines, and details associated with the college application process, It’s impossible to commit all of this information to memory. You’ll find yourself getting overwhelmed very quickly without some sort of system in place to make a note of the details and due dates. Firing up Excel or Google Sheets can be a great way to keep things organized and neat.
No matter how many colleges you are applying to, you will find that an Excel or Google tracking sheet will simplify the entire process. In your tracking document, list the colleges you’re interested in applying to. Include these details against each college on your list:
- College website
- College location
- Cost of tuition – include both, sticker and net price
- What kind of college fit it is – match, reach, or safety
- Admission programs available – early decision, early action, rolling, regular decision
- Application deadline for each admission program
- Application requirements
- Application fee
- Standardized tests required – SAT, ACT, TOEFL
- Number of recommendation letters required
- Application essay requirements
- Important information about the program you’re interested in
You can do a lot with a spreadsheet. You can also use a spreadsheet (perhaps in another tab to keep things neat) to track your progress in the application process. Do you have your ACT/SAT scores sent in? Check it off. Have you written your essay? Check it off. Have you visited a campus yet? Check it off.
By keeping things organized, you can navigate the application process with less stress and more confidence!
5. Ask For Recommendation Letters Well In Advance
Most colleges ask prospective students to submit letters of recommendation along with their application. Don’t wait until the last minute to get these. Teachers receive plenty of requests to write these letters, which they have to work on in between preparing for classes, assessing assignments, and a ton of other work. Writing a recommendation letter takes time. Depending on their other commitments and how much time they have, most teachers will say yes to only a certain number of requests. When you ask early, you have a better chance of your preferred teacher agreeing to write your recommendation letter. Your letter writer will also have more time to write a well thought-out letter recommending you.
6. Start Working On Your College Essay Early
For most students, the college essay can be the biggest hurdle. It requires time and thought and it can be tempting to put off this task for another time. This can be is a mistake. The shorter the window you have to complete your essay, the more overwhelmed you’re likely to feel. This is not conducive to writing a thoughtful essay that reflects your personality and your goals. Besides, writing your essay last minute will not leave you enough time to edit for typos and other mistakes, get feedback, and complete the necessary revisions.
The best to approach your application essays is to start as early as possible. Pick one essay that looks the easiest and start working on it to get into the flow. Start by brainstorming topic ideas that address the essay prompt and write down your ideas. Then create an outline and flesh the outline with the ideas you’ve written down. If you start the process early, you can spread the essay-writing over a few days. You’ll find that your ideas and thoughts flow more easily when you pace yourself and are more relaxed.
After you’ve completed one essay, move on to the next. Before you submit your application, go through your essay one last time.
Yes, the college application process can be stressful but only if you’re not organized. Breaking down the process into smaller more manageable tasks, starting early, being proactive, and using a spreadsheet can help make the process so much smoother.
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