Your Streamlined College Application Machine
Carefully consider early admission.
Get good recommendations
The keys to getting good recommendation letters are:
- Choose teachers who you know will write you a great letter.
- Ask for the letters early. Teachers get bogged down with requests for letters in late fall and early winter, so make sure you ask in September or early October.
- Choose teachers who teach in the area you want to major in. For instance, if you are applying to an art school, ask art teache for a recommendation.
- If you don't know your area of major yet, choose a teacher who can attest to your leadership skills, your school involvement, or something that the application for doesn't request but you believe is important to know about you.
When you've done everything I've listed so far, it's time to give your recommendations to your counselor and ask him or her to send your transcript to the colleges.
Visit your counselor
Part 4 in a series on going to college:
Part 2: Paying
Part 3: Majoring
Part 4: Surviving
This is the last step!
Your counselor will write a recommendation and send in your transcript, letters and mid-year reports to the schools you name.
Mid-Year ReportsSome schools require mid-year reports. Your counselor fills these out.
The mid-year reports give the schools you apply to an update on your first-semester senior grades.
Give these forms to your counselor when you ask him or her to send in your transcript. Your conselor knows what to do and will send them in when the time is right.
Close You've sought guidance from your counselor right from the start, so your counselor will know you, and be in a position to write a good recommendation.
Rebecca talks to students about their application experiences.
Celebrate!
Now it's time to learn about the best part of college applications: getting accepted!
Not everyone is accepted right away. Some people are wait-listed, which means that the school will wait a few months to see how many students accept its early offers. As some students choose other schools, positions open up for wait-list applicants.
Others are deferred, which means their acceptance is contingent on their first semester or even third-quarter grades.
If you're wait-listed or deferred, it isn't the end of the world. Some people on the wait list end up getting in.
When you're accepted to a college that you want to attend, remember to write an acceptance letter saying that you would be happy to attend. This is arguably the most fun part of the college application process!
Congratulations—you're finally ready to face the next phase of your life!
Congratulations Alec!After writing this story, author Alec Jankowski accepted the invitation to go to Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga.
He visited Savannah and says, "I absolutely fell in love with the city."
The school is technologically savvy and Alec says, "All of the buildings are old historic structures that have been remodeled to house the different departments."
Alec says, "Overall, it looks like a very fun school and I'm very excited to be going there.".
CloseCollege preparation timeline and resources
Before high school
Before High School - Discuss ideas for your future and how to pay for your education with your parents.
- Start saving for college.
- Take classes that challenge you.
- Do your best in school.
- Investigate high schools or special programs that will benefit your plans.
- Become involved in extracurricular activities.
CloseDuring high school
During High School - Save money for college.
- Take challenging classes in core academic subjects.
- Do your best in school.
- Stay involved in extracurricular activities.
- Save copies of your report cards, awards, honors, artwork, athletic game tapes, newspaper clippings, and other examples of your interests and best work.
- Go to college fairs and presentations by college representatives.
- Seek leadership roles in your activities.
Close9th Grade
9th Grade Start thinking and talking with others about your career interests.
Close10th Grade
10th Grade - Meet with your school counselor to discuss colleges and their requirements.
- Learn about careers, and ask other adults about their job likes, dislikes, and education requirements.
- Take a practice Preliminary SAT (PSAT) or ACT Plan exam (also known as the "pre-ACT").
- Find out about advanced placement (AP) classes.
- Use your summer wisely: Work, volunteer and/or take a summer course.
Close11th Grade
11th GradeFall
- Take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
- If you would like to attend a military academy, write to your senator or representative.
- If you are interested in participating in an ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) program, see your school counselor and investigate military financial aid.
Spring
Summer
- Narrow down the list of colleges you are interested in attending.
- Visit schools that interest you.
- Contact colleges to request information and applications for admission and financial aid.
- Decide whether you are going to apply under a particular college's early admission program.
- Start the application process: Draft college admission essays, collect writing samples, and assemble portfolios and audition tapes.
- If you are an athlete and plan to play in college, find out about sports programs and athletic scholarships.
Close12th Grade
12th GradeFall
- Meet with your school counselor be sure you are on track to graduate and fulfill college admission requirements.
- If you haven't already, register for and take exams like the SAT I, SAT II: Subject Test, or ACT for college admission.
- Apply to the colleges you have chosen.
- Before your application deadlines, ask your counselor to submit required documents to the colleges to which you're applying.
- Get a Federal Student Aid PIN so you can complete your financial aid application and access your information online.
Winter
- Ask your parent(s) to complete income tax forms early.
- As soon as possible, complete and submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and any other financial aid applications your school(s) of choice may require.
- After you receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) make any necessary corrections and submit them to the FAFSA processor.
- If the schools you are applying to require it, complete the CSS Profile.
- Complete scholarship applications.
- Ask your parents to check their eligibility for the American Opportunity Tax Credit, Lifetime Learning Credit or other tax benefits.
Spring
True or False: Franklin contributed to oceanography by recording good observations of ocean currents in off California.
Click Ben's head for the answer.
FALSE: Franklin contributed to oceanography in the mid- to late 1700s by making and compiling good observations of ocean currents off the US East Coast.
- Visit colleges that have invited you to enroll.
- Review your college acceptances and compare financial aid packages.
- Notify the school you choose of your commitment and submit any required financial deposit.
- Keep studying. Spring semester performance can make or break an admission.
Close
Age 18
Madison, Wi
WRITTEN BY:
Alec
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