The College Application Process

This post is for those who have decided to attend a 4-year college or university directly after high school. (If you are not sure about your future plans and want to consider your options, read this post.) The process is daunting for many people, but don’t worry, you will get through it. Millions do every year. Here is a quick breakdown of what you will need to do.

[The information below is primarily written for U.S. students planning to attend U.S. colleges, but many of the same steps apply for schools in other countries.]

Step 1: Recommendation Letters (If not required, skip and go to step 2.)

• Consider which teachers you will ask to write your recommendation letters then ask them directly. (Many universities require two recommenders, some ask for only one, and a few do not require any.)

• Send your recommending teachers any information they will need to write an insightful recommendation about you. (Your school probably has a process for this so check with your counselor.) The more you tell them about yourself the better prepared they will be to write about you.

• Teachers will need a few weeks to complete this and may want to speak with you directly so plan accordingly.

• Teachers will upload recommendation letters using an online application system. Make sure to enter their email address in your application system so that they receive the upload link. If asked, you should waive your FERPA rights, meaning you will not be able to see your recommendation letters in the future. This is important to preserving confidentiality.

Step 2: Make a Well-Rounded List of Schools

Putting together a strong application takes time so you should not apply to more than 10 schools. And your list of schools should have diverse acceptance rates, giving you the best chance of being accepted. Your goal is to find schools that are a good fit for you so you should consider size, location, majors, finances, retention and graduation rates. (Retention is what percentage remain at that school after their first year and graduation rates are typically categorized as 4-year, 6-year, and 8-year completion rates.)

• A diversified list includes:

• • Three reach schools – under 25% acceptance rate. (There are actually less than 100 schools in the U.S. that are this selective. Harvard’s acceptance rate is 5%.) If you want to apply to top-tier schools, read this article. The author says that you should have some type of specialized interest or spike. In other words, being well-rounded is not enough. What have you done that shows focus, commitment, and perseverance? Schools want to build a diversified class of people with different interests so admission teams categorize applicants. What category should they place you in? Also see this list of tips.

• • Three match schools – your GPA and test scores are within the average range for these schools.

• • Three safety schools – your GPA and test scores are above the average range for these schools. Important: your safety schools should be schools you would genuinely be happy to attend.

• To help you find good-fit schools use sites such as:

• • Niche (includes student reviews)
  • CollegeData (important information especially under the Admissions tab)
  • College Transitions (clean data charts with helpful information)

*In general, when you see an SAT score range that applies to the 50% percentile, which means one out of two accepted students had a score within that range.

• Choose your major wisely and create your list of schools with your major in mind. Your choice of major could have a big impact on your employment status after you earn your degree. Make sure to check recent employment outcomes for majors you are considering. Then see this list of schools linked to popular majors.

• There are many problems with university rankings, which you can read about here and here. In sum, they use arbitrary metrics, have subjective elements, and often measure things that will not affect students’ learning, such as the number of citations professors receive. So use all rankings with care and don’t put too much emphasis on them. With that said, rankings do bring schools to your attention that you may not have considered. Here are a few examples of world university rankings:

• • QS
  • THE
  • UniRank
  • U.S. News
  • Academic Ranking of World Universities

• For U.S. rankings see:

• • Forbes
  • U.S. News
  • Niche

• To get to know specific schools, it’s best to visit, but if that is not possible, consider doing the following:

• • spend a lot of time on school websites, especially getting to know their academic programs and admission requirements, and using their Net Price Calculator to get an estimate of your cost,
  • see if they are hosting virtual sessions then attend (e.g., Emory),
  • go on a virtual tour here or here,
  • watch YouTube videos of campus tours (e.g., NYU)
  • chat with current students (some schools have this feature on their websites),
  • email questions to admission officers.

*Virtual visits will not give you the crime rate or your general feeling of safety while walking around campus. The Clery Act (1990) requires colleges and universities to annually disclose crime rates on or near their campuses. Schools that do not comply pay fines and get reported on this list. Here is a list of campus crime statistics.

Step 3: Understand Application Types and Deadlines

• U.S. schools have three application types:

• • Early Decision (ED): This is a binding application, which means if you are accepted, you must enroll so you can only do ED with one school. The application deadline is usually November 1 or 15 and applicants will be informed of the decision around December to early February.

• • Early Action (EA). Same as ED except EA is non-binding. You will have until May 1 to decide if you will enroll.

• • Regular Decision (RD): The application deadline varies between January 1 – February 1 and applicants will be informed of decisions typically by April 1. However, as already noted University of California schools require completed application on November 30. 

*Plan on applying Early Decision if you are 100% certain of your top choice school and you believe you are a good match for that school. In general, early applicants (ED and EA) have a higher chance of being accepted. (See the data here.)

• The deadline for many UK schools is January 15, but some UK schools have a regular application deadline of October 15. (That is the earliest application deadline I am aware of.)

Step 4: List all Application Deadlines and Requirements

• Check the application deadlines and requirements on the school websites then make a calendar with all application deadlines. (Each school has its own application policies, which are regularly updated.) Tip: Submitting your application a few days before the stated deadline shows your interest and speaks well of your character.

• Visit the school’s website and note all requirements. (While many schools are now test-optional, meaning applicants do not need to submit standardized test scores, those scores may still help with scholarships. However, an increasing number of schools are now test-blind or test-free, meaning applicants cannot submit standardized test scores. More below.)

• After you have read the website carefully, if you have any questions, you, the student, should reach out to the school by contacting an admission counselor. This shows your demonstrated interest so don’t have your parents do this for you.

Step 5: Create Application Accounts 

• See if the schools you will apply to use Common App. (Currently Common App is used by about 900 U.S. colleges and universities and several in other countries.) If so, create an account, using your name as it is written on your passport.

• You must send recommender requests to your teachers and counselor through your application account. This will allow them to upload their letters and other information for you. (Make sure to ask your high school counselor about this process. If your school uses another system like BridgeU, you will create an account with Common App then link it to BridgeU and send the recommendation letter requests through BridgeU.)

• The nine University of California schools have a separate application system. Their regular application deadline is November 30. They are also now test-blind, meaning standardized test scores cannot be submitted.

• The United Kingdom uses an application system called UCAS. While the deadline for many UK schools is January 15, some schools have a regular application deadline of October 15. (That is the earliest deadline I am aware of.)

• If your school does not use an application system like Common App, you will need to apply directly through their website or through the mail. In that case, you will probably need to create an account on the school’s website.

Step 6: Write your Essay (If not required, skip and go to step 7.)

• This is one of the hardest parts of the process. Although it is only a 650-word essay, do not think you can bang this out on your keyboard in an hour. It will take time and many revisions. And you must be the one to write it or your application will be a false representation of you.

• Start by doing some free writing. Get a pen and paper and write for ten or twenty minutes without stopping.

• Read examples to get an idea of what your essay should be.

• It is super important that you reveal something meaningful about yourself. Ideally, two or three core values should come through your essay. (Here is a list of values.) What do you really care about? Were those values clearly expressed in your writing? One author says, “all schools seem to make a similar point which is that they want authenticity. They want the essay to highlight the student’s passions and let them get to know the student in a way they can’t from the rest of the application” (Merry, Kindle, 417). Another way to say this is to be vulnerable. Here are more tips:

• • Grab the reader with your first sentence.
  • Be descriptive: show don’t tell. Instead of stating that you are adventurous, share a story that shows you are adventurous.
  • Personal stories are engaging. Write a true story about yourself that shows how you think and what you value.
  • Be positive: you can talk about challenges you have experienced, but the overall tone should be positive.
  • Be unique: don’t be cliché. For example, don’t write about being an immigrant to America because many have already written that essay. If you do choose a common topic, make sure to put your own unique twist on it.
  • A work in progress: the essay doesn’t need to conclude with a perfect ending. If the story conveys a tension, the tension can remain at the end. That type of ending is actually more authentic.
  • Write informally: don’t write formally and try to impress with big words. Write like you talk.
  • No grammar or spelling mistakes

• Consider which Common App essay prompt to answer. (Some schools have their own set of questions, such as the University of California system, requiring students to briefly answer four out of eight prompts.)

• The College Essay Guy has tons of advice. (He’s also on YouTube.) Read his advice on how to start your essay.

• Don’t get lost in advice. Keep it simple: write a true story about yourself that reveals how you think and what you care about.

• Make sure to get feedback from a couple people before submitting it.

Step 7: Send Test Scores (if not required, skip and go to step 8.)

• Log into your test accounts, such as College Board or TOEFL, and send scores directly to your schools. This does not happen through an application platform and no one else can do it for you.

• If your school is test-optional, read this article on whether or not you should submit your scores. In addition, here is a list of schools that are now test-blind. (Tip: Don’t put your full trust in third-parties. Always verify information on school websites.)

Step 8: Submit your Application

• Make it your goal to submit your application at least one week before the stated deadline. A completed application means that your recommendation letters have also been submitted.

Step 9: Connect with Schools on Social Media

• Follow schools of interest on social media and engage with them once or twice a week. Some schools keep track of this because it shows demonstrated interest.

• Clean up your social media accounts, removing anything that doesn’t represent you well. Schools have rescinded offers because of things such as racist comments.

Step 10: Apply for Scholarships 

• There are two main types of financial aid: need based and merit based. Here is a list with more detail on types of financial aid.

• For need-based federal aid make sure to complete the FAFSA on time. It opens October 1 and the earlier you submit it the better. For need-based institutional aid your school may also require you to complete the CSS Profile.

• For merit-based aid at specific schools do a Google search for “merit aid + name of school” and use services such as Scholarships360 and myscholly. Some scholarships are easy to apply for so here is a list of these hassle-free applications. Be aware that searching and applying for scholarships can be time-consuming, but if you need financial assistance it is worth your time.

*Finally, some schools require an additional step—interview. Here is a list of interview tips.