Applying to Universities and Colleges
Applying to college can be a stressful and daunting process, especially if you do not know how to start. The application process is long, but very gratifying when you receive a letter of acceptance to your college of choice.
The first step should be to make a list with the preferred universities. Some important criteria to take into consideration are the field of study, location, environment, sports and cost.
Here are some references that can aid your search for a university that meets your preference.
- The Fiske Guide- This guide references various universities and the options each offers.
- College Matchmaker - College Board offers vast information to prepare you for the application process, as well as tools to assist you with the selection of a college that best matches your needs.
- Peterson’s college search - Offers information about various universities.
- College view- Assist with classifying colleges into categories.
After selecting the universities that you wish to apply to it’s very important to visit each schools webpage to read the requirements and assess what documentation you will need to submit to complete your application. The requirements vary from school to school. See below list of common requirements:
- Letters of recommendations (from teachers)
- Transcripts
- Essays that highlight your academic achievements, and explain your interest in the university
- he application the university requires
- SAT or ACT scores
The requirements will vary according to what type of university you apply to. The private colleges have a separate system for applications, typically you visit a webpage where you create an online account where you submit all the necessary paper work and file an online application that is submitted directly to the admissions office.
Remember that each university has an individual application deadline according to the semester that you wish to attend.
An example of a common application: https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/default.aspx