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Pre-College 101: Sending Those ApplicationsOct 02 '05 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Looking for advice on applying to college? Read this. I am an acting coach on Long Island. This means that I give private acting lessons to actors of all ages. Many of my students just started their senior year in high school. Furthermore, I am the eldest of 9 grandchildren. This, of course, means that my younger cousins, most of which are in high school (one of which is in her senior year) come to me for advice. I am flattered, even though I do feel a bit old. (Hey-- I just turned 29, for crying out loud!) Applying to college is the first step in ensuring yourself a promising future. That isn't to say that people who don't go to college don't have promising futures, but we all know how important education is when it comes to getting a job in the "real world." Last year, I wrote an article on choosing the colleges that you should apply to. Soon, I will write an article on the process of sending out your applications. In this article, however, we are dealing with how early you should send out your applications. By now, you should have a pretty good idea as to what colleges to which you want to apply for admission. Maybe you have one specific college that you know you're going to apply to, no matter what. Go ahead and apply. NOW. There are only a couple of rules that you must follow when applying to colleges: Make sure you have at least one set of SAT (or ACT) scores. These scores are really important, whether you like it or not. You can take the test(s) as many times as you want, but you should really have one set of scores before applying to college. Don't forget that you can have your scores sent directly to the colleges you are applying to. If you are going to do this, make sure you let them know that you are taking the test(s) again and will have the scores directly sent. COMPLETELY fill out the applications. Regardless of whether you are applying to college early or late, it is imperative that you COMPLETELY fill out your college applications. If your application isn't completely filled out, don't bother sending it in. It looks sloppy and irresponsible. You will pale in comparison to other applicants. Period. Submit at least one recommendation letter. Colleges usually ask for three recommendation letters. Make sure that you submit at least one, and let them know that (at least) two more will be following suit. Be specific and let them know who the letters are coming from. (If you want advice on getting your recommendation, read my article on how to ask for one!) Send your application with tracking. It doesn't cost much more to add tracking to your envelope through the USPS. It's a good idea to get it, so that you can keep track of when you mailed in your application and when it was received. Have patience. Just because you sent in your application early doesn't mean that the colleges are going to give you their answer early. If you want an early answer, there are two types of applications that you can send in: EARLY ACTION An Early Action application is when a student applies to a college earlier than the "normal" application date, and gets their response sooner. This is a non-binding program, which gives students (and their parents) the opportunity to find out what colleges they are accepted to and compare financial aid packages. I applied Early Action to The George Washington University by the deadline of October 15th, and found out that I was accepted on December 13th. (Unfortunately, GW doesn't offer an Early Action program any longer.) EARLY DECISION An Early Decision application is the same as an Early Action application, only it is a binding agreement. The student MUST attend the university/college to which they apply Early Decision. If you are applying Early Decision, you better be serious about going to that school if you are accepted. Most colleges respect the Early Decision application to other colleges, and won't accept you if you have already been accepted Early Decision somewhere else. So, if you have your heart set on going to a college, Early Decision is a good application choice. If not, you might want to go Early Action or just wait for the regular deadlines. Applying to college is very exciting. You might be a little too excited and forget some steps, so make sure that you have a parent or teacher go over your applications. And don't forget the application fees! I can't stress to you enough about making sure that all of your applications are complete. It can make or break your acceptance. By the way, you don't have to visit a college to decide whether or not you want to apply. You should apply to the colleges that you are interested in first. Once you get accepted, visit the school and make your decision. Otherwise, you're going to put too much stress on yourself. You still have high school to worry about, remember?  |
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