When exactly should a student apply to a college?

[Planogirl]

I guess that it depends on the individual colleges but we're still a bit thrown by what would be typical. I have a Junior soon to be a Senior.

One college we're looking into wants this:

Application
Essay
Activities Resume (?)
High School transcripts (incomplete is OK?)
Counselor evaluation
Teacher evaluation (for scholarship consideration)
SAT or ACT scores

Is this a pretty typical list? We're on overdrive now to get done what we can. I saw mention of applications being allowed as early as October and we want everything ready. Is it better to apply early?

It looks like scholarships and grants and the like are usually handled later. I just hope that we can afford whatever it is we get approved for.

 

[Green Tea]

If your child is completely set on one college that might be a "reach" school, early decision greatly enhances the chance of acceptance.

That said, the student should be thinking about the essay right now. Look at the Common Ap website. I think this year's topic is announced Aug. 1, but this will will spur some ideas and get them thinking. *Most* schools accept the common ap. Some will require a supplemental question. Top schools will likely require 2 or 3 SAT IIs in different subject areas.

Applications will be submitted in fall of senior year. Deadlines vary but plan on wrapping up by Christmas.

Some schools do rolling admissions and you'll hear within weeks. Top schools pretty universally notify April 1 and all have a May 1 deadline for accepting their offer.

 

[mistysue]

Now is the time to look into it. I graduated in '99 and my high school started having people fill out and send things in during the spring of Junior year. When I showed up in august of my senior year, I was considered a late application. I had no idea I was supposed to apply sooner, and they had only notified the "top students" to apply early... so with a 3.5 and a 31 ACT I got waitlisted to schools that were accepting people with a 2.5 and a 21...

Unless things have changed a lot in the last 10 years, I would check with schools to know the soonest you can apply. Apply early because it is easier to get in- they will not accept you and then change their mind- but being wait listed when you are way above their average acceptance can be nerve wracking. I didn't know for sure if I could even go to college until a month before school started.

 

[Planogirl]

One school we looked at definitely didn't want applications before October but of course like stated they vary. One school also has a very specific list of subjects allowed for the essay. The poor kid will be doing some serious writing in the next few weeks.

Thanks, this is all mind-boggling...

 

[laurafergie]

That list looks pretty typical to me. Incomplete transcripts are fine - the colleges know that they will be incomplete. They will have to be updated later.

Activities Resume is basically a resume like an adult's, but lists all jobs, extracurricular activities, volunteer work - everything. Even if the college doesn't require this formally, you really need to have it.

Some colleges require a parent's financial statement in addition to the Fafsa.

Your Fafsa needs to be done asap, like January - freshman deadline is sooner than the upper class.

Apply as early as possible. Your interested colleges will have these dates posted.

If not already - sign up on collegeboard.com.

You will begin to receive decisions February-March.

I recommend applying to a "safe" school along with the schools you want. You never know. My favorite example is of my DS's friend - Valedictorian - was wait-listed at UVA. He was crushed.

Financial aid - is handled later, typically won't see awards until March-April of senior year. However, if you have a college courting your young person - you can ask for an early decision (that may not be the correct term, it's been awhile) and that college will give their financial offer early. We had one as early as October? I think and one was around December. Both were private colleges, not state. So I can't speak for state.

 

[kamik86]

With the transcripts most schools want you to send whatever you have at that date when you apply. Then when you graduate you have to make sure the school sends a final copy as well.

they will not accept you and then change their mind-

This is true ONLY if nothing changes. The reason for wanting the final transcript is that they WILL change their mind if the student gets a bad case of senioritis and goes from A's to barely scraping by in the senior year. I have personally known someone who got burned by this.

 

[DisDance92]

I am going to a university this August, my school had a pre application period, that is when i applied and sent in my personal statement, application, and transcript.

If the colleges your child is looking at offer some sort of early application do it because they have a better chance to get accepted, i was one of the first.

They can also start working on a generic personal statement (who you are, what you want to do in college, struggles you have had in highschool, extra cirricular activites) then just change the PS to each of the colleges specifications.

 

[Planogirl]

I am going to a university this August, my school had a pre application period, that is when i applied and sent in my personal statement, application, and transcript.

If the colleges your child is looking at offer some sort of early application do it because they have a better chance to get accepted, i was one of the first.

They can also start working on a generic personal statement (who you are, what you want to do in college, struggles you have had in highschool, extra cirricular activites) then just change the PS to each of the colleges specifications.

Adding to list...

The kid might still go for the local community college to start out. (Decisions, decisions...) But at least DS will have choices if we follow through with all of this.

 

[SDSorority]

Hi I work in college admissions- isn't that lucky??

We're accepting applications starting September 1 for our next class. I'd start working on the essay and all of that good stuff. The earlier you apply, the better- more opportunities for scholarships

 

[hffmnheidi]

Seems normal. I applied to a college that I had to do three essays for-one was for acceptance to the school, acceptance to the program I wanted to be in, and acceptance for specific department since I was enrolling as a double major. Start making a list of colleges that you're interested in and check them out online and request an information packet. The packet will list all important dates and a lot of essays can be 'recycled' from school to school.

 

[Planogirl]

Hi I work in college admissions- isn't that lucky??

We're accepting applications starting September 1 for our next class. I'd start working on the essay and all of that good stuff. The earlier you apply, the better- more opportunities for scholarships

But don't you need FAFSA for many of the scholarships?

So you're accepting applications about a year in advance then? I might look at that as an earliest possible target date for all of them. We'll need to rush to get the transcripts and evaluations though.

 

[linnylu]

I have a ds who will be a college senior. Is there usually a form for the activities resume provided by the college applying to? Or should he create his own form- perhaps in excel? Maybe his hs will go over this but it would be great to do anything over the summer to get a head start.

 

[NJGirl]

I don't think you can even fill out the FAFSA for the next school year until you've completed your income tax return as it uses numbers from there. I helped a cousin do theirs this year. His dad had to start doing his taxes as soon as all the statements came in January.

 

[FourBees]

Actually you can start filling out the FAFSA as of January 1, 2011 for next year. You can put in last years (2009) tax return figures and when you get your 2010 done you go back into the FAFSA application and update it. You should try to get your taxes done as soon as possible though.

 

[Camping Griswalds]

My oldest is entering his Senior Year. We basically have a list of where he wants to go and apply. On the individual schools websites, it does list a deadline for applications for things like early entrance, honors college etc. Some colleges seem much easier to navigate than others. Good luck to you. I am always looking for hints and tips about this process. I am quite anxious.

 

[msmayor]

Please be VERY careful about applying Early Decision. Despite the encouragement here that it may 'increase' your chances of acceptance, it can really be heartbreaking if you are counting on significant financial aid to be able to attend.

There are very specific rules about applying to a college ED (early decision). Once accepted, you are required to immediately rescind ALL other applications for consideration. You cannot and will not have the opportunity to compare financial aid offers...regular decision financial aid will not be released until the springtime...and its entirely possible that another school may have offered your child more money (meaning: the school could be more affordable than the ED school).

There are 'outs' regarding ED schools (if their financial aid offer is truly not going to make it affordable) but the reality is you need to know that BEFORE you submit and ED application. KNOW that you can afford it and avoid disappointment.

 

[Camping Griswalds]

I was under the impression that you can apply early admittance that is not binding. Its just letting the college and you know early. The same with rolling admissions. Its not the same as committing to only go to that school. So perhaps in those cases, you can find out early, relax a bit, but still wait to weigh your choices.

 

[msmayor]

I was under the impression that you can apply early admittance that is not binding. Its just letting the college and you know early. The same with rolling admissions. Its not the same as committing to only go to that school. So perhaps in those cases, you can find out early, relax a bit, but still wait to weigh your choices.

You need to be very clear on what the early decision means. Most schools will not simply give you an acceptance and allow you to delay your commitment unless they specifically state "rolling admissions".

Rolling admissions does not mean you must commit to the school upon acceptance. My daughter's college had rolling admissions; she applied in September of her senior year and had an acceptance the first week of November. She had until the following May 1 to formally accept.

Schools are going to send out their acceptances in bulk, usually around the beginning of April. They will weigh the entire pool of applications, and make their admittance decisions based on a look at the whole picture.

An Early Decision application will often require you to sign an agreement stating that you will indeed immediately accept their offer and rescind every other outstanding application. If you do not, or if you continue to send applications out, not only can you lose your place at the Early Decision school but other schools will NOT consider your application; you become 'black-listed'.

 

[FourBees]

There are two ways to apply early. One is called early decision and it is binding meaning that your child can only apply to one school and if they are accepted at that school then if you have applied to other schools you must withdraw your application. The other is early action and you can apply to as many schools are you want and if they are accepted they can either committ to the school right then or wait until spring.

 

[WyomingMomof6]

Thankfully my son didn't have to have his application in until early spring. Like everyone else has said, there's a lot of different deadlines among colleges. Good luck!