Surviving the College Application Process
The college application process can be a daunting experience. The following are tips to make your life easier:
Never overapply
Applying to too many schools will make you lose your focus. Another good reason not to send too many college applications is that it will help you save money, according to MyUSearch.com:
Suppose each application fee is around $40. Add the cost of sending ACT scores at $9 per recipient college ($9.50 for the SAT). For the sake of your cardiac health, we won’t consider the costs of registering for the tests, campus visits, or any extra fees from your high school. Assuming (optimistically) that you’re only sending ACT scores and that you took full advantage of the six free reports you can send on the day of the test — applying to only five colleges would cost $200. Two more costs $289. Ten schools? $436. I know people who applied to as many as fifteen or more and had to send ACTs, SATs, and SAT Subject Tests. Please, just save your money for the school you do go to!
Now you don’t want your hardearned money to just go down the drain because you can’t decide on which school to apply to. To go about this, keep a short list of options and do your research on each of them.
Set aside enough time when writing the essay
Keep in mind that many selective colleges have unique supplementary essays, plus a few more if you’re applying for honors programs, competitive majors, or scholarships.
If you wish to get into a top school under a scholarship program, you may have to write a couple of essays. Set aside enough time so you can really write a draft, revise, edit, and proofread without having to pull an all-nighter.
Get organized
The information overload seems daunting at first, so create a spreadsheet or a list somewhere to keep track of deadlines, requirements and fees for each school you’re applying to.
A college application checklist will help keep you sane and in control.
Talking to a counselor or asking mom and pop for help will also help you keep your cool, as My College Guide suggests:
It’s important to know when all of your child’s admissions materials are due at their prospective schools, and marking deadlines on your teen’s calendar can be a helpful reminder for your child.
Knowing that your parents fully support you whatever happens, the college application process won’t seem so difficult.