10 Things To Know And Do Before Applying For College
10 Things To Know And Do Before Applying For College
As the season of college admission approaches, you will have the need to know and do many things in order to have your college journey on tracks right from the initials, so as to begin the process in ease and brilliance.
The process that starts from the application need requirements through to the admissions that need decision making. The things you should know and the things you should do are the first stage of the process that essentially require your experience and knowledge with strategy that is going to be mention here in this particular article.
Below are the things you should be happy to come across before your college journey begins, which will help you ease later on.
Things You Should Know Before Applying For College
1. Know the application type you will perfectly fit, with the exact deadline.
Submit applications to several universities, each with different requirements and deadlines. Apply early to many colleges and universities with or without a commitment from you.
Find out what are the requirements and when to submit your application whether the school offers rolling admission, early action, early decision, or other forms of admission.
2. Create Enough Time And Understand Yourself
If the college requires an admissions interview, will you be required to prepare a personal essay as part of the application process?
Make sure you have enough time to finish each stage in order to make the deadlines.
Prepare an explanation of your past involvement, academic successes, aspirations, and driving forces. Make careful to highlight your distinct qualities in essays or interviews.
Describe what sets you apart from the crowd. Consider the reasons why every college on your list is a suitable fit for you as well.
3. Know What To Be Posting Online And Be Very Punctual With Your Essay.
Your social media pages and profiles can be checked out by some institutions. Verify that nothing you’ve placed online gives them a reason to reject your application. Make a new professional email address if your personal one isn’t appropriate.
Have your essay completed and saved in advance if you must submit it online so you can just copy and paste it into the application. In this manner, you have a backup copy in case something goes wrong with the technology and you won’t have to start over from scratch.
4. Learn To Keep In Touch
Once the college receives your application, you need to get some sort of confirmation. Please get in touch with the admissions office if you don’t.
If you need assistance with the application process or have queries, admissions representatives are also available. Just remember to get in touch with the school, don’t expect your parents to do it for you.
Things You Should Do Before Applying For College
1. Create Your Personal College List And Assure Financial Cost Of The Study
You must compile a college list prior to submitting an application. Start your college search by identifying schools that fit your criteria, such as price, location, size, majors offered, and campus life. Applying to 5 and above institutions is crucial, and you should also consider financial safety schools.
A school that offers financial safety is one where admissions are very competitive and where the Net Price (the cost of attendance less any grants or scholarships) is affordable.
Visiting potential colleges is a crucial step in determining which one is the greatest match. Try electronically visiting a college even though the epidemic could prevent you from going in person.
2. Have Your Recommendations At Hand
Don’t put off getting reference letters until you are about to apply to colleges. It’s time to start thinking about the person you want to write your recommendation for. You want someone who knows you well, a teacher, coach, or counselor to endorse you and make a stronger case for you.
If at all possible, find out if your teacher is willing to write you a reference before the new school year starts. Recall that other students might have similar questions.
3. Have Your Documented Academic Records
Since high school consists of many years of varied activities, it’s normal to lose track of what you were doing in the ninth grade. You may maintain track of your significant extracurricular activities by creating a CV, which will be helpful when you start applying to colleges.
Furthermore, a lot of application platforms let you include an activity sheet or résumé in your application. You will, nevertheless, also have to input the data into the application.
4. Be Efficiently Challenging To Yourself
It will be tempting to offer yourself an easy senior year when you schedule your last year of high school. Still, it’s critical that you come in strong. The college admissions committee will look at your whole high school record through the first semester of your senior year after you apply.
Your final transcript will be sent to high schools if you are accepted. Striking a healthy balance between pushing yourself and taking on too much is necessary.
Take as little or as few challenging classes as possible to avoid having your grades suffer. It has been known for certain colleges to withdraw their admissions offer. But enrolling in difficult classes will guarantee that you’re ready for coursework at the college level.
5. Register and Take The SAT’s
Enroll as soon as possible in the SAT or ACT if you haven’t already taken the test. Take the standardized test at least once before your senior year to see how you do, and if time permits, take it again while you’re a senior.
Make sure you read the policies of every college on your list to avoid any misunderstandings. You should absolutely take the test if nothing is stopping you from doing so because it might lead to further opportunities.
6. Write Essays And Begin Now
Writing essays is a common prerequisite for college applications. But among college candidates, this is one of the requirements that causes the most anxiety. The essay prompts for students applying in fall 2020 are the same as they were the previous year if you are utilizing the Common Application.
Depending on the institutions you choose, you will also be required to submit some college-specific additional essays in addition to those essay prompts.
Colleges also use the essays to identify applicants who stand out from the crowd. Creating an essay that is interesting and highlights your own viewpoint on any subject could lead to a “Accept”.
Remember that your essay is an opportunity for you to express your individuality and tell more of your own tale. This is your chance to demonstrate to college admissions officers how you will improve the class they are striving to establish, going above and beyond your grades and test results.
You can respond to the question posed, but instead, use it as an opportunity to write about something you really care deeply about. Get a second opinion on your essay from someone you can trust.
Conclusion
The quicker you move the more you have in hand, I will strongly advise you to start your scout and process as early as possible and prior to the application announcement. It must have been hard through that final year, but believe me the task ahead are a lot more complex and scary but fortunately manageable with appropriate strategy and promptness.
