Tips for applying to college
Wouldn’t it be nice if all you had to do to attend your dream college was register for classes and show up? Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. If you want to go to college, you have to apply first. The following college application tips will help make the process easier.
Meet with your high school guidance counselor
Your guidance counselors can help you consider specific colleges based on your interests and abilities. Counselors know all the important college deadlines and can usually offer tips on how to write a good essay, or provide guidance about what a particular college looks for in an applicant. You can start by creating a list of colleges you’re interested in and share it with your counselor for feedback.
Apply as early as possible
Once you submit your application, it can take up to eight weeks to get an admission decision (depending on when you apply and if everything required is submitted).
Some colleges, like Arizona State University, allow students to self-report their grades, greatly speeding up the time it takes to receive an admission decision. Through self-reporting, you tell the college what grades you’ve earned rather than submitting official transcripts. Be sure you give them accurate information, because once you’re admitted you must submit your transcripts in order to enroll. If your transcripts don’t match what you told the college, your admission offer may be revoked.
Apply to more than one school
About five is a smart choice. You might consider applying to your top choice, a dream school (i.e., a school you’re not likely to get into but would love to attend), one safety school (i.e., a school that’s not your first choice, but that you know you can get into), and one or two schools that you’d like to attend and that you have a fairly decent shot at getting into. Consider using the Common Application to apply to multiple schools at once. Just note that application fees apply to each school you apply to.
Fill out the application carefully
It usually takes about 30 minutes to complete the average college application. That’s not including an essay, if one is required. You should take your time and be thorough and accurate. You don’t want small mistakes to prevent you from getting into your top school. You should also ask for letters of recommendation from those who can speak to your academic abilities and achievements, like teachers and counselors.
Apply for all the scholarships you can
There are lots of scholarships available if you put in the work of finding and applying for them. And there are some you can start earning while you’re still in high school.
- RaiseMe — You can earn money in high school by doing things you’re probably already doing, such as participating in extracurriculars, earning “As” or going on college visits. You can apply the money you earn to any of more than 250 RaiseMe partner schools, including ASU.
- Scholarship search tools — You can use websites like FinAid Search, FastWeb Search and CollegeBoard Search to discover scholarships that you may be eligible for. Apply for all you can — every little bit adds up.
- Scholarship Universe — If you get admitted to ASU, check out Scholarship Universe. It offers lots of scholarship opportunities that you may be eligible for.
- Check the schools you’re applying to — Many schools offer university or departmental scholarships that you can apply for if you’re admitted. For example, ASU offers the New American University Scholarship. You’re automatically considered for this scholarship upon admission.
And when considering the colleges you’ve been admitted to, be sure to compare tuition costs and remember to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
Good luck!