Completing Applications
College applications can be downright confusing! If you're ever confused about a college application, reach out to your College Adviser for help!
What to Bring With You
What to Bring With You
- Access to a non-school email address
- Access to your Social Security Number (Why? Colleges ask for your SSN to match your application up with your financial aid application and to prove that you really are the applicant)
- An application essay, resume, or any other materials if the colleges you are applying to require them
Writing Application Essays
Most prompts for application essays are pretty similar to each other, so feel free to reuse them if you can!
Here are some key things you need to know when writing a college application essay:
Are you writing an essay for a school that uses the Common Application? Check out this Essay Outlining Tool!
Here are some key things you need to know when writing a college application essay:
- Your essay should be personal and about you - don't turn in an essay you wrote for English class about a book you read!
- Your essay should follow all instructions and clearly answer the prompt
- Your essay should be structured and should use paragraphs
- Your essay should contain zero grammatical errors, so make sure you have someone proofread for you!
- Your essay should show off who you are without bragging
- Your essay can be about anything you want, so try to make it unique!
Are you writing an essay for a school that uses the Common Application? Check out this Essay Outlining Tool!
I Applied! What Now?
Congratulations!! You're most of the way there! Here's everything else you'll need to do.
Tell Your College Adviser
Seriously. Please let me know.
Send your Transcript
Carson City-Crystal: Log into your Parchment Account to send your transcript.
Central Montcalm: See your College Adviser or Mrs. Staten to get your transcripts sent!
Send SAT Scores (Maybe)
Your SAT scores are posted on the bottom of your transcript, so you may not need to send your scores to schools again. However, some colleges require official SAT scores from College Board (usually big schools like the University of Michigan or Michigan State University). Check in with the college you applied to to see if your SAT score on your transcript is enough or if they need your official scores. You can log into your CollegeBoard account to check where you sent your scores at any time!
Send any Other Requested Materials
If a college reaches out to you to ask for additional information, make sure you send it in!
Wait
If you've done everything above, all you'll need to do is wait on an admissions decision! If it's been more than a month since you applied, see your College Adviser if you'd like to check the status of your application!
After You Get Accepted....
Be sure to tell your College Adviser!!
Tell Your College Adviser
Seriously. Please let me know.
Send your Transcript
Carson City-Crystal: Log into your Parchment Account to send your transcript.
Central Montcalm: See your College Adviser or Mrs. Staten to get your transcripts sent!
Send SAT Scores (Maybe)
Your SAT scores are posted on the bottom of your transcript, so you may not need to send your scores to schools again. However, some colleges require official SAT scores from College Board (usually big schools like the University of Michigan or Michigan State University). Check in with the college you applied to to see if your SAT score on your transcript is enough or if they need your official scores. You can log into your CollegeBoard account to check where you sent your scores at any time!
Send any Other Requested Materials
If a college reaches out to you to ask for additional information, make sure you send it in!
Wait
If you've done everything above, all you'll need to do is wait on an admissions decision! If it's been more than a month since you applied, see your College Adviser if you'd like to check the status of your application!
After You Get Accepted....
Be sure to tell your College Adviser!!
FAQ
Q. How many colleges should I apply to?
A. The recommended number is three - one safety, one target, and one reach school. However, you can apply to as many (or as few) colleges as you would like! If you are 100% sure you want to go to a specific college and are 100% sure that you'll be accepted, don't waste your time applying to other places!! If there are several colleges you're interested in and aren't ready to narrow it down to three yet, go ahead and apply to them all!! I would NOT recommend applying to more than six or seven colleges. If you apply to more than that, it will get exhausting and expensive very quickly.
Q. When should I start applying to colleges?
A. You should start at the beginning of your senior year. You can start as early as August 1st of your senior year at most schools! You should be finished with applying to colleges by November 1st because most colleges have scholarship cutoff dates on or around that date. You'll also usually hear back if you've been accepted by Christmas and will have more time to decide on a college.
Q. What will I need to submit with my application?
A. This will be different for each college. Colleges tend to ask for things like personal statements, resumes, letters of recommendation, high school transcripts, test scores, and application fees - but not all colleges will require these things.
Q. How do I decide where to apply?
A. Check out the Researching Colleges section for some helpful tips!
Q. How do I apply?
A. Most colleges have an online application that you can access on their website. Some colleges offer paper applications as well, but sometimes charge extra fees or take longer to process them.
Q. What if I'm planning on applying to a lot of colleges?
A. Look into applications like the Common Application or the Coalition Application. These allow you to apply to multiple colleges at once and will save you a lot of time! However, not every school will participate in these. Make sure the schools you're interested are on there before you start filling one out!
Q. What if I can't pay an application fee?
A. If you're on free or reduced lunch, your College Adviser can definitely waive your application fees to any college! If you're not on free or reduced lunch, but are unable to pay an application fee, your College Adviser may be able to waive your application fees.
Q. When will I hear back from colleges?
A. It will depend on the college! You will typically hear back from community colleges within a week or two, but larger colleges will sometimes take a few months to get back to you. You can always see your College Adviser for help with checking the status of your application if you're worried about it.
A. The recommended number is three - one safety, one target, and one reach school. However, you can apply to as many (or as few) colleges as you would like! If you are 100% sure you want to go to a specific college and are 100% sure that you'll be accepted, don't waste your time applying to other places!! If there are several colleges you're interested in and aren't ready to narrow it down to three yet, go ahead and apply to them all!! I would NOT recommend applying to more than six or seven colleges. If you apply to more than that, it will get exhausting and expensive very quickly.
Q. When should I start applying to colleges?
A. You should start at the beginning of your senior year. You can start as early as August 1st of your senior year at most schools! You should be finished with applying to colleges by November 1st because most colleges have scholarship cutoff dates on or around that date. You'll also usually hear back if you've been accepted by Christmas and will have more time to decide on a college.
Q. What will I need to submit with my application?
A. This will be different for each college. Colleges tend to ask for things like personal statements, resumes, letters of recommendation, high school transcripts, test scores, and application fees - but not all colleges will require these things.
Q. How do I decide where to apply?
A. Check out the Researching Colleges section for some helpful tips!
Q. How do I apply?
A. Most colleges have an online application that you can access on their website. Some colleges offer paper applications as well, but sometimes charge extra fees or take longer to process them.
Q. What if I'm planning on applying to a lot of colleges?
A. Look into applications like the Common Application or the Coalition Application. These allow you to apply to multiple colleges at once and will save you a lot of time! However, not every school will participate in these. Make sure the schools you're interested are on there before you start filling one out!
Q. What if I can't pay an application fee?
A. If you're on free or reduced lunch, your College Adviser can definitely waive your application fees to any college! If you're not on free or reduced lunch, but are unable to pay an application fee, your College Adviser may be able to waive your application fees.
Q. When will I hear back from colleges?
A. It will depend on the college! You will typically hear back from community colleges within a week or two, but larger colleges will sometimes take a few months to get back to you. You can always see your College Adviser for help with checking the status of your application if you're worried about it.