Are you a high school student or an adult learner who is wondering how to apply to college? What are all the steps that you need to take? What is the master checklist, from boot to bonnet?
Take the Right Classes
So the first step in applying to college is to make sure that you take the right classes. For the majority of students that I work with, it’s really not a concern whether they take the right classes because I work with a lot of overachievers, and most of them are taking four years of math, four years of science, four years of English, four years of a foreign language, and four years of social studies. If you take four of everything, you’re pretty much covered. But I realize that not all high schools require that for graduation, and not all schools require that many academic courses. So it’s important for you to make sure that you take what you need to take. If you’re aiming for Harvard or Stanford, where, for example, Harvard says the ideal candidate will have four years of English, four years of math, four years of foreign language in a single language, four years of science in biochemistry and physics, and then a fourth class that is a repeat of one of those subjects at a higher level, as well as three years of history, that’s kind of a high bar. But other colleges and universities don’t have recommendations or requirements that are that high.
The other thing is, if it’s just a recommendation, you don’t have to freak out. If you took AP Environmental Science and Harvard is saying they want AP Biology, it’s probably fine. That’s ideal, but it doesn’t mean you’re disqualified. But if you don’t have some of the core courses—for example, if you don’t have four years of English—that’s something you probably need to remedy with summer school or whatever other options you might have. In California, for the University of California system where I’m located, the bar is a little bit lower, but still, make sure that you have at least the classes required by your state flagship. That’s kind of my general rule of thumb for most high school students. And if you’re an overachiever, again, I already went through that list. So at UCs, you need two years of history, four years of English, three years of math, two years of science, two years of foreign language, one year of arts, and an elective. You can find out more about that on the UC’s website. And again, whatever state you’re in, that’s where I would look at your state university system and see what those minimum requirements are. If you do want to go to college, state universities tend to be more strict about requirements than private universities. So, make sure that you fulfill those requirements so that you are ready to apply and get in.
Determine What You Want Out of College
The second thing to think about is determining what you want out of college. One of the top things to figure out when you’re trying to determine what you want out of college is what major you want to pursue. I recommend that, even as early as freshman year, you start exploring what majors you’re interested in and also what careers you’re interested in, and then backtrack and figure out what majors go with those. Additionally, you want to start thinking about what you want out of college. Do you want to stay close to home? Do you want to go to a big college? Do you want to go to a small college? What kind of reputation are you seeking? What cost can your parents or you afford? What kind of rigor would you like to have? Do you want to go to a rigorous college, or do you want to have a really good time in college? What are your goals? Starting to think about these things will help you determine whether colleges are right for you when you get into the full-blown college search.
Take the SAT or ACT
Step three: I want you to take the SAT or the ACT. And generally, you can start off by taking the PSAT or the pre-ACT to kind of see where you’re at score-wise, but you need to plan for and take standardized tests. And if you’re in AP and IB classes, make sure that you sign up for and take the related exams for those as well. Though I would say 80% of the top 200 ranked colleges in the US are what we would call test-optional or test-blind, there’s an increasing number of top schools that have begun to require SAT or ACT scores, or in some cases, AP or IB scores, in addition to SAT and ACT scores. In any case, as we see those numbers start to increase, if you are aiming for a competitive university or if you live in a state like Georgia or Florida, where in-state universities are requiring tests, you want to make sure that you have your tests taken care of.
I also recommend that almost all students applying to college take the SAT or the ACT, because these tests can help improve your profile overall, even at test-optional schools, which are the majority of schools right now. Over 70% of colleges and universities are test-optional, not test-blind. There’s only a small fraction of schools that are test-blind—maybe less than 10% of the top 200 ranked colleges. So most colleges are going to give you credit if you take a test and do well, and it’s a way that you can stand out. So I recommend you at least take it.
Many colleges and universities offer scholarships to students who hit a particular benchmark on the ACT or the SAT. In Louisiana, for example, you get auto-trigger scholarships, even if you get a score as low as a 21. And so studying for this test for maybe 40 or 80 hours of your life could amount to tens of thousands of dollars in some cases. You can obviously do the research, particularly depending on your circumstances or location. But universally for all students, I recommend that you take the SAT or the ACT and prepare for it so that you increase your odds of getting in, of getting scholarships, of getting into honors programs, and all the rest. Even UCs will let you use SAT English scores to pass out of particular English courses. You can get placed in an upper-level course and get rid of a particular course requirement. So they’re useful. Do not throw them in the trash. Take them, and they can help you in this process.
Another tip on testing: if you don’t have a lot of financial means, you may qualify for a fee waiver. So be sure to talk to your school counselor about that. Likewise, if you don’t have the resources to pay for SAT or ACT prep, you can find free resources online. For the SAT, you can head to Khan Academy. For the ACT, if you qualify for a fee waiver, you’ll also qualify for free prep resources directly from the ACT. So be sure to check that out.
Discover Colleges and Make a List
The fourth step is to discover colleges and make a college list. I recommend that students who are sophomores and juniors start this process. How do you discover colleges? College fairs, college visits, college websites, and all of that mail you get from the PSAT. I read the Fiske Guide to Colleges probably cover to cover and read about 400 different universities all around the United States, which I think was really helpful and informative to help me narrow down what kind of colleges I might be interested in. The other thing you can do is talk to people you know and talk about where they have gone to college, what their experience has been, and what kind of college experience you are looking for.
When you make your list, I recommend that almost all students universally have at least five colleges on their list, two safeties, two fits, and one reach at minimum. What is a safety? What is a reach? I call a safety a place with a 50% plus admin rate where your metrics are at the 75th percentile or above, meaning your GPA and your test score are at the 75th percentile or above on whatever chart they’ve released publicly. For fits, I recommend you find schools with a 30% or greater admin rate, and you should be at the 50th percentile in terms of GPA and, if applicable, test scores. Finally, a reach is a school where you’re at least at the 25th percentile for grades and test scores, and it can have any range of admission rates. If you are applying to schools that are extremely competitive, almost every top 20 school that I know of at this point has admission rates that are below 20%. So what that means is they are all reaches. If you’re applying to schools in that range and you have a shot at getting into one, that’s when I start to say maybe you want to add more schools to your college application list because, essentially, some of it is going to come down to luck. A lot of times I work with students applying to top 20 colleges, and I say to them, I think you have what it takes to get into a top 20 school. You’ll probably get into three or four, but I can’t tell you which ones, which means you’ve got to apply to 12 of them to get those three or four admissions, right? So make sure that you expand your options if you’re applying to competitive schools. Likewise, if you’re applying to competitive majors—computer science, business, economics, nursing, theater, the arts, film, or pre-med—make sure that you apply to more schools than five. I would recommend at least 10 because those programs tend to be extremely competitive, which means your admission rate to that program is going to be much lower than the general admission rate at that school. If you can find those specific admission rates, that can help you in your search. Most students I work with apply to 12 to 20 colleges, and I don’t recommend more than 20 applications in general.
When I say applications, you know, I have some students who apply to UCs. They apply to nine schools at once. They have to pay nine fees, which is kind of expensive. But I count that as one application, because it’s only one thing you have to fill out. It’s only one set of essays, but more than 20 applications just get crazy, your essays suffer, and things don’t look good. And at a certain point, you just need to narrow the field, figure out where you want to go, and then figure out your plan B or your plan C, and maybe that’s community college or whatever it is, but whittle it down. As you make your college list, you might also need to track cost comparisons. A good tool for that is the cost calculators that are on individual schools’ websites. There are third-party apps or websites that will help you calculate approximate costs, including need-based aid at particular schools, but generally the school itself is going to have the most accurate calculators.
So I recommend that you try that if that’s a piece of your decision-making process. We also have a gift for you, which is my college list spreadsheet template that goes through many of the different metrics that you might want to consider as you build your college list.
Explore Your Interests and Grow Outside the Classroom
Number five: explore your interests and find ways to grow outside the classroom. Though it’s not required that you do extracurricular activities if you’re applying to college, it’s always a good idea to be involved in your community because that involvement can help make you a stronger candidate for college. Many colleges, though not all, are going to require you to write essays, and often your activities are a really good source of material for those essays to show things like leadership, excellence, etc.
In particular, as you explore your interests, I want you to look for activities that do the following: one, they help you identify academic and career subjects that interest you. Exploring your academic and career interests is always a good move. Number two: they allow you to be a leader or a team contributor. Being able to contribute to a team or being able to lead others are often qualities that schools are looking for. If you can tell stories about experiences that show that, that could be really good. And finally, they help you show your best qualities or your excellence. And that can vary from student to student. That could mean persistence, creativity, or problem-solving ability. Whatever helps you show your best self, those are good activities to engage in.
Write Your Essays
Number six, my sixth step, is to write your essays. I recommend that most students start writing their essays this summer before senior year. Now, many of you might say that the Common Application doesn’t even open until August 1st, so how in the world are you supposed to start writing your essays before the application is open? Well, the Common Application has the same prompts basically every single year. And the way this application works, if you’re not familiar with it, is that it’s a general application that the majority of colleges and universities in the United States use to process applications. So you only have to fill it out once, and then for each college or university, you fill out little pieces of supplemental questions, sometimes supplemental essays, portfolios, or other elements that you might upload that are specific to a particular program or college. What that means is that you write one essay that you generally use at the majority of the colleges you are applying to. And that one essay that is the Common Application essay, again, the prompts repeat almost every year, and there’s always one that’s choose your own prompt so you can start on that personal statement during the summer before the application is open. If you want help with that process, we have lots of videos here on our channel, and I teach a group class every summer as well as private coaching sessions with about 40 students per year. So if you’re looking for coaching help, you can also head to SuperTutorTV, and we’d be glad to help you out with that process.
Figure Out Your EA/ED Strategy
Number seven: figure out your EA/ED strategy. I know some of you are wondering: what is ED and what is EA? Well, early action, early decision, restrictive early action—all of these things—we have another video that explains the difference between all of them and why they’re really important tools in your college admissions journey. If you’re trying to get into a competitive school or a reach school, when you apply early, you increase your chances of admission at many universities. So I recommend that you try to figure out that strategy, usually in the summer before your senior year or in the early fall of your senior year.
Ask Teachers and Counselor For Letters of Recommendation
Next up is to ask your teachers and counselor for letters of recommendation. Now counselors pretty much universally have to write something up for each of your college applications, so they’re probably aware of that, but it’s always good to check in with your counselor and see if you can help them in that process if they need any information from you. It’s good to meet with your counselor to make sure that you’re on top of everything and that they have everything they need from you. Second, most colleges and universities are going to ask you to get two letters of recommendation from teachers. Now that number isn’t the same at every college and university; some colleges don’t want any letters of recommendation, like the University of California. So check with all of those colleges on your list and their policies for recommendation letters. But chances are, if you’re applying to several colleges, at least one of them is going to want some letters of recommendation.
So I recommend that you talk to your teachers at the beginning of senior year, and you’re going to probably be going to your junior year teachers and asking them for those letters. Give them plenty of time—do not tell them two days before the deadline—at least two to three weeks, but ideally right at the beginning of the year, right as school gets back into session, is a great time to ask your teachers. You can even ask them at the end of junior year if you want to be really ahead of the game, but ask a couple of teachers. Some schools allow you to have an outside recommender as a third letter. And again, that comes down to every individual school’s policies. So see what you need, see what’s available, and make sure you request those letters early on. I have a whole video on strategy for letters of recommendation, so you can check that out as well.
Apply!
Number nine is to apply. So once August 1st hits, your applications are going to be open, and it’s time to start filling out that application. Make sure that somebody proofreads your activity section. I know a lot of people know that someone should proofread their essays, but sometimes people forget that your activities’ descriptions can also sometimes be unclear or confusing. So, make sure that another set of eyes takes a look at those and helps you ensure that they look awesome. Additionally, you’re going to have to fill out all of the other paperwork and forms. In addition to filling out your application, you are also going to want to probably apply for financial aid if that applies to you. There are two different forms that colleges use. Generally, one is called the CSS, which is a private company that does a financial snapshot, and your parents probably have to help you fill this out as well. And the other is called the FAFSA. This year, they rolled out a new FAFSA, and the dates got all messed up. I don’t know what the rollout is going to look like next fall, but generally keep your eyes open because those documents tend to open in the fall, and then you can get those filled out as well.
Follow Up With Your Counselor
Number ten: follow up with your counselor. Once you’ve kind of gotten your college applications in or as you start to get them in, follow up with your counselor and make sure that he or she has sent your transcript and that you have sent any additional supplemental portfolios, information, etc. that might be necessary. For example, sometimes I have students who need to send a separate transcript from the community college where they took a course or something like that. Make sure you tie up all those loose ends and send all the additional little pieces that you need. If a school happens to require official test reports from the SAT or ACT, make sure you send those in. Most colleges don’t require those, but if you do, just make sure you’ve got all those T’s crossed and those I’s dotted.
Sign Up For an Interview (If Available)
Step eleven: sign up for an interview and do an interview if available. Not all colleges offer interviews to prospective students, but if those interviews are offered, I almost universally tell students—unless they have some sort of crazy anxiety disorder—to take the opportunity. Not only do interviews help a college get to know you, but they also help you get to know a college because you can sit there and ask someone who went to that school all about their experience, which is great.
Keep Engaged Throughout the Application Season and Senior Year
Finally, number twelve: keep engaged throughout the application season and throughout that senior year. After you apply and you ship your application in, as I like to say, it’s not over till it’s over. If you have an update in your transcript or grades and you feel like your grades have had an upward clip, it’s totally cool for most universities to send them an updated transcript and let them know that your grades have gone up. If you have an activity update, like if you win a big debate award or something that you think would weigh positively in your application, send an email to the admissions office, and that can help you in the admissions process. Likewise, if you get deferred or you get waitlisted, at some point in the college admissions cycle, I recommend that you check into whether that school will accept a letter of continued interest, a LOCI, or some other updated information. If so, I always recommend that students use the opportunity to write that LOCI or update information to share more of their successes, activities, and accomplishments. So during senior year, don’t give up, don’t get major senioritis, hang in there, and do your best. I’ve seen plenty of students get deferred or waitlisted, and because they knocked it out of the park senior year, because their grades went up, because they engaged in activities in ways they hadn’t junior or sophomore year, even though they were late to the game, they then get off the waitlist or get off that deferred list and get into their dream schools. So I encourage you: if you feel like you’re a late bloomer, it’s not over till it’s over. Keep trying all the way to the end of senior year, do your best, and remember, you can always email the college quick updates if you feel like it’s relevant.
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