College Application Guidelines
Your Application:
Read directions
Pay attention to deadlines
Give yourself plenty of time for the application
Neatness and correct writing really make a difference
Keep all correspondence
Stay organized
Get your own e-mail address
Don't panic
What Matters to Colleges:
The high school transcript
Standardized test scores
Class rank
Letters of recommendation
The admissions essay
The college interview
Extracurricular activities
A special talent/skill
The Admissions Essay:
Your application essays are the best way to stand out from the other applicants
It's about who you are and what you think. Revealing such personal information could scare anybody, but look on your essay as an opportunity,
your chance to let a college in on what's behind the numbers.
No matter what the essay topic is, it's really about you, it's about your preferences, feelings, character likes and dislikes — the real you.
Will your essay make or break your chances for admission at a college? It depends on the college.
For some admissions officers, the essay may make little difference, while at other colleges, especially highly selective ones, a well-written essay is essential.
The essay generally supports your qualifications for becoming a student at the college reading it.
You should consider your essay as important as you would your grades or test scores.
Your essay proves to a college that you can at least write and hopefully, that you can write well.
Short-answer questions sometimes accompany the essay, but they're no less important because of their length.
Stick to the instructions on essay length and format.
Make sure it is neat, legible, grammatically correct, with no misspellings, and an example of your best effort.
Prepare for it by writing an outline to clarify your thoughts.
Write rough drafts and ask your teacher or a friend to proofread.
Don't send a poor or messy writing!
Acceptance
Schools will generally make their admissions decisions about five months before the start of classes.
They will notify you of their decision by mail. You will receive one of three possible types of letters from each school to which you have applied.
The first type is the acceptance letter. It may or may not be accompanied by a packet of additional information from the school;
some schools send the packet out only after their offer is accepted.
The letter normally provides a deadline by which you must make a decision.
If you decide to accept the offer, sometimes a deposit will have to be provided right away to secure your spot.
If you decide to decline the offer, you should do so formally, and not simply ignore the letter.
The second type is a waiting-list letter. You will be placed on a waiting list when the school would like to accept you,
but has a limited number of spots available. The school will later send you an acceptance letter if a guaranteed spot becomes available .
The third type is a rejection letter. Schools reject students for a variety of reasons (see "What Matters to Colleges" earlier).
Sometimes highly qualified students have to be rejected simply because there were many more applicants than open spots.
Rejection letters do not require a response.
Once you have received decisions from all the schools to which you have applied, it is time for you to make your own decision.
This requires some serious thought and should not be rushed. However, a response to each acceptance letter must be made by the deadline provided.
Admissions - Information
Admission Process
General Considerations
Accreditation
Your Application
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