Everything You Need to Know About Applying to College

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” –Lao Tzu

That’s a quotation you might learn in college. All you have to do is get there!

Lao Tzu couldn’t have been more correct. You can’t get anywhere until you begin your journey, and while it’s good to take things one step at a time, that first step can be really hard. College applications can feel that way.

The college admissions process has changed a lot in the last few years, and if your parents went to college it’s bound to be very different from what they remember. Between visits, tests, forms, and roughly a million deadlines, it’s okay to feel overwhelmed. That’s why we’re here to help.

Here is an easy to follow, 10-step guide on how to apply for college, so you can stop fearing the FAFSA and get to quoting Chinese philosophy.

Step 1: Shop around

Before you apply you have to have an idea of what you’re looking for and where you’d like to attend—and no, closing your eyes and pointing to a spot on a Google map doesn’t count. There’s never been more information available about how to get into college or more ways to find it than there is today, but you need to be strategic. You can’t apply for admission everywhere.

Start small by searching the web and checking out college websites. They’re designed to show you what to expect and give you the best impression of the school. But don’t stop there—check college’s profiles on U.S. News, World Report, and The Princeton Review. Use social media to ask college students and alumni what their school is really like. And don’t be too quick to throw away those mailers you’re sure to get from every college under the sun—there’s important information there, too.

If you find a few that catch your eye, take the next step and schedule a visit. Pictures are great, but nothing beats walking around a campus and picturing yourself there. Take a guided tour and ask as many questions as you can think of, and be sure to sit in on some classes.

Step 2: Set your heart

Once you’ve checked them out, it’s important to make a list of schools you might want to attend and break them into categories. You’ll probably end up with a few schools you love, a few more you would be okay with, and your biggest pile will be the “no” pile.

Get a little deeper into what each school has to offer and how they could benefit you. Check their application standards to see how you stack up. Look at their tuition fees, room and board costs and what scholarships they offer. Think about how far they are from home and how you’ll get back and forth. And make sure they offer majors and courses you are interested in. If you have some idea about what you want to do after college, be sure your schools can prepare you for it. Will you be able to secure a job post college? Fun fact: Did you know that North Central College is one of the very few radiation therapy schools in Illinois with a 100 percent job placement rate. 

Narrow down your list to a couple of good fits, “reach” schools you want to go for, and safety schools you can live with.

Step 3: Remember please and thank you

No matter where or how you apply, you’re likely going to need letters of recommendation. Make sure you know the requirements each university has for these. They may want to hear from a teacher or school guidance counselor, and they may want them in a certain format. Get the right letter for each school.

When you are asking for letters, look for people who know you well and can speak to your qualifications. Just because your chemistry teacher is hilarious doesn’t make them an expert on why you’d be a good fit for college. If you don’t know any of your teachers, counselors or coaches well, start to get to know them.

Remember how much you hate writing essays when asking others to write your letters: be polite, let them know exactly what they need to include and when you need it finished, and give them plenty of lead time. Asking “Can you write me a letter of rec by tomorrow?” is the quickest way to get on a teacher’s bad side. A note or an email to say thank you after the fact is also a really good idea.

You should aim to get these done by the end of your junior year so you’ll have them in time for the rest of the admissions process.

Step 4: Pick your battles

While they are not as important as they once were, standardized tests are, for better or worse, still a commonly-used tool by colleges to help them make admission decisions. Be sure you know what tests your chosen schools look for, as you don’t want to waste time and money on getting ready for the wrong standardized test.

The SAT and ACT are the gold standards, and there are prep courses you can take for both. Whether you want to go to a prep class or take one online, make sure you do one or the other—don’t try to prepare all on your own. And get signed up soon, because classes fill up quickly and you want to give yourself a lot of time to prepare.

Find out from your school when and where testing days are being held and get registered. Registration deadlines are right around a month before the test, and there can be charges for registering late. You should take the SAT or ACT in the spring of your junior year. If you don’t like your test scores, that gives you the summer to get ready before you take it again the following fall.

Step 5: Get in form-ation

Find out what applications your colleges of choice take and make yourself familiar with them. Some online services can give you a preview of the college application forms you will be filling out so you know what you’ll need to include, from letters of rec to a list of your activities to test scores.

The good news is more and more schools are using the Common Application, which is accepted by close to 900 colleges and universities. There are numerous web resources for tips on completing the Common Application, and you can also find help as well as access the application form by going to commonapp.org.