College Application Dictionary
Which Colleges Should I Apply To?
Before you can decide which colleges to apply to, brainstorm a list of preferences. Consider the following:
☑ Do you want a big or small school?
☑ Would you like to live in a big city, a college town, in a warm climate, etc.?
☑ What’s important to you: student-faculty ratio, quality of the faculty, reputation, happiness of the students, school spirit and good sports teams, etc.?
☑ Do you want to attend a school close to home?
Once you’ve got a general list going, start looking for colleges that meet your criteria. You should also think about what you want to major in, so you can find schools that have strong programs in that major. If you’re not sure, look for schools with a few majors in your main area of interest(s).
If you haven’t noticed from the numerous links above, Niche has tons of filters to help you figure out which schools meet your needs, whether you want to sort by size, selectivity, tuition price, or various other factors. Find the menu beside all our rankings and whittle away until you discover some great matches.
How Many Colleges Should I Apply To?
There’s no absolute answer to this question. Experts offer answers ranging from four to 10. At least six is a good number to shoot for, but ideally no more than 15 schools.
You should divide these schools into three categories: reach, target, and safety. To do so, you’ll need to research the average SAT/ACT and GPA of admitted students. Then, based on your numbers, you’ll determine whether the school is a reach (unlikely to be accepted), target (good chance of acceptance), or safety (very good chance of acceptance).
Want to dig deeper into to see your chances of getting into a certain school? Definitely check out our admissions calculator. Apply to 2-3 safety schools, 2-4 target schools, and 2-3 reach schools. This way, you’ll have some solid options to choose from no matter what happens. And you just might get into the school of your dreams!
Should I Apply Early?
Applying early can get complicated. There are several categories of early admission: Early Decision, Early Action, and Restricted Early Action.
✹EARLY DECISION: Students apply earlier (deadlines early November) than the regular admissions deadline and typically know their admissions decision by mid-December of their senior year. By applying through early decision, the student agrees to automatically accept the college’s offer of admission and withdraw their applications from other colleges. Students can apply to only one college via Early Decision and becomes a binding contract once student receives acceptance and the student/family accepts the Financial Aid Offer.
✹EARLY ACTION: Meant for those students who want to apply early to their first-choice colleges but want to be able to compare acceptances and financial aid packages (this is non-binding). Admission decisions are provided by mid-December 15 with deadlines for application usually early November.
✹REGULAR ADMISSIONS: Standard deadlines that usually fall anywhere from December to early March.
✹ROLLING ADMISSIONS: College has no official deadline. This is a common procedure at public colleges, which continue to review student applications as long as space is available. Many of these schools have suggested deadlines and students are encouraged to apply early as possible and well before the communicated deadline.
Should I fill out the Common Application, State Application, or the Coalition Application?
Both the Common and Coalition applications streamline the admissions process by combing the main application for a large number of schools, but the older Common App covers more schools while the nascent Coalition App is geared toward including underrepresented students in the college admissions process. Neither application gives you a higher chance of earning an acceptance letter.
Colleges that accept both the Common Application and the Coalition Application don’t prefer one over the other. However, the Common Application is accepted by more schools. This means that it can save you time during the college application process.
Once you’ve decided which colleges you’ll apply to, check their websites to see which application(s) they accept. Then you can fill out the application that’s accepted by more of the colleges you’ve selected.
How do colleges evaluate my application?
Most colleges use a holistic review process. This means they consider your test scores, GPA, grade trend, strength of schedule, extracurricular participation, essays, letters of recommendation, etc.
Applicants are considered as whole individuals. The admissions team tries to determine which students will succeed on their campus and make significant contributions. They try to build a diverse class with varying abilities and interests.
What SAT/ACT score do I need? The answer to this question depends on the schools that you’re applying to. If, for instance, you want to go to an Ivy League school, you’ll need to aim for an SAT score in the 1470-1600 range, or an ACT score in the 31-35 range.
Of course, many schools are much less selective. The best plan is to research the average test scores of admitted students at the schools you’re interested in. Which of your schools has the highest average? Aim for a score slightly above that number.
What should I write about for my college essay/personal statement?
Write about something that is meaningful to you. The topic you choose should also reveal significant information about your personality, your “story,” or your passions.
✓ Who are you?
✓ What challenges have you overcome?
✓ What do you want to do with your future?
✓ What lessons have you learned over the years?
✓ How have you grown as a person?
✓ How have you pursued your interests over the summer or your free time?
Find a story that relates to one of these questions and tell it (if, of course, it also relates to one of the college’s topics). Include some reflection on why this story is a meaningful part of who you are.
Must read: 5 College Essay opics You Should Never, Ever Write About
Who should write my letters of recommendation?
Your letters of recommendation should be written by teachers who know you well. Ideally, they should be recent teachers from junior or senior year. Although it’s not a requirement, it can be helpful if at least one recommender teaches a subject that’s related to your intended major.
Additionally, choose teachers who have a good relationship with you. Be sure to ask the teachers if they’re comfortable writing you a letter of recommendation. If they don’t feel that they can write a quality recommendation for you, this gives them the opportunity to pass.
Do I have to choose a major?
Usually, no. You’ll spend the first two years of your college career taking mostly General Education courses. It’s typically not until junior year that you begin your “major” coursework.
Some schools require you to declare a major during the application process. In most cases, you’re allowed to change this major once you arrive on campus if desired. And many students change their major multiple times. For example, a great or terrible internship experience in a certain field can change whether you want to pursue a certain major.
For this reason, it’s often a good idea to hold off on choosing your major. As you take General Education courses, you’ll get a feel for what interests you and what classes you excel in.
Should I do an optional interview or send optional materials?
Yes! Always do anything “optional.” This is an opportunity to tell the admissions team more about you, and you shouldn’t pass it up.
Should I tell the college about any extenuating circumstances that impacted my grades?
Absolutely. Most colleges have a place on the application specifically meant for this scenario. Tread carefully, however. You don’t want to sound like you’re complaining or making excuses.
Simply state the facts about what happened. If applicable, talk about what you learned from the experience or the steps you took to overcome it. The focus should be on your growth and triumphs since then.
How can I make my application stand out?
As cliché as it may sound, the best way to make your application stand out is to be yourself. Write in your authentic voice, tell the truth, and talk about what genuinely matters to you.
See also: How to Make Your Extracurricular Activities Stand Out When Applying to College
While many applicants are concerned with impressing admissions officers, you should be concerned with helping admissions officers get to know you. If your application is truly a reflection of you and “sounds” like a real person, it will stand out.
What should I do if I’m rejected from my dream school?
Getting rejected from your dream school stings. There’s no way around this fact. But luckily, if you follow the rest of our advice, you’ll have some really solid backup plans.
Give yourself time to process the rejection. Talk it over with friends or family members, treat yourself to something that always cheers you up, or even cry if you feel the need.
But don’t wallow. Once you’ve given yourself time to process, turn your attention to your other options. You applied to those other schools for a reason. Think about the benefits of the other schools, the opportunities they offer, what you liked about the campus or city, etc. Look through the course catalog and read up on all the interesting classes or talk to current students to find out why they love the school so much. Then start getting excited about your new opportunity!
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS IN THE COLLEGE PROCESS
✹ Transcript Release Form For Student Athletes
College-Bound Student-Athletes must also authorize their school counselor to release your transcripts, proof of graduation, and any other academic or school-related information or records, as requested by the Eligibility Center for the purpose of determining athletic eligibility.
✹ Additional Considerations when pursuing Athletes in College Talk to your coach about opportunities to compete on the college level and your desire to do so. Discuss and consider what level of competition would be best for you. When visiting campuses, try to arrange a meeting with the coach of your sport. Prepare a one-page athletic resume. It is possible to contact coaches via the college website. Students should consult their coach and/or the athletic director.
✹ Visual Arts Prepare an art portfolio of digital slides. See an art teacher for guidance. Be as professional as possible in your development of materials. Put your name and title of the piece on each item. Be sure to consult the college art department in case the college specifies slides or photos. If you can, try to submit your work for local contests and art shows to build your resume. Students should consult with a visual arts teacher.
✹ Music If you are musically talented, send original sheet music or send a digital recording, carefully labeled and containing only your work. If you are part of a group, enclose a letter explaining the recording and directing the listener to your specific instrument or voice. You may offer to have a live audition. Contact the admissions office. If at all possible, try to arrange to perform or participate in local presentations. Students should consult the music department.
✹ Theatre & Drama Each college has its own specific requirements. You may be required to audition. You may wish to send a video and/or audio-recording. Please be aware that certain prestigious drama programs weigh GPA and SAT scores above auditions and/or do not even grant auditions. Try to gather a “clipping” collection and send these “reviews” to the college. Students should consult the music and theatre advisors.
✹ Students with Special Needs Students with special needs may have additional considerations when applying to colleges. Students with learning and/or physical disabilities, should discuss college options with their school counselor. There are at least three kinds of situations where the student will want to consider some options with his/her school counselor: · The student has moved through high school with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and he/she wants to communicate his/her special needs to colleges with this plan. · The student has a Section 504 Accommodation Plan and wants to have the same accommodations in college as provided previously. · The student has a disability which has been diagnosed privately and not handled by the school and which will require some accommodations at the college. It is up to the student and his/her family to disclose any special needs to colleges. Nowhere on the student transcript or other documentation from the school is there indication of special accommodations or needs. The school will not share a student’s disability with a college.
✹Letters of Recommendation Colleges require letters of recommendation from high school classroom teachers. Now is the time to decide which teachers to ask. This will ensure that your teachers have ample time to write the letters on your behalf. A writer does not have to be a teacher from a class that you received the highest grade. Rather, the best writer is someone who knows you best. Perhaps the writer knows your strengths or witnessed your perseverance in grappling with difficult content – your “grit.” Your school counselor will also write a comprehensive and holistic letter of recommendation for you.