Things to look for when applying to colleges, and choosing which one to attend (in America)

[3905]

When applying to college, there are so many questions that pop up. It's not bad, everyone has these questions, and I'm here to help.

So to start off, when applying to colleges you should consider what field you plan on going into (Medical, Law, Tech., etc.). From there you should search for which colleges have programs for the field you wish to go into, and which ones are nationally recognized for it (Such as Harvard's Law program).

Once you have made a list of a few colleges you plan on attending, you should look up how much it would cost to go there. The costs include tuition, housing, meal plans, and more. Also you should apply for Financial Aid as soon as possible because the earlier you apply the more aid you will qualify for. And if the school you want to apply to is too expensive even with financial aid, then you should try applying for scholarships (you can start as early as your freshman year of High School, or even earlier in some cases).

So you know which colleges you plan to go to, and you know what the money situation is like, now is when you should apply. When applying, you get the option to apply with Early Decision, Early Action, or Regular Decision. Early Decision is a binding application which means that if the college accepts you then you have to go there. Early Action simply means you get your application reviewed earlier and you'll know sooner if you got in or not. Regular Decision is just...the normal review process, nothing much to it.

Okay so now that you've applied to the colleges you want to, you can relax for a bit and wait for the colleges to respond back. Once the colleges get back to you saying that you were either rejected or accepted (or I just look for if the envelope is skinny or fat =p), now is when you take all the colleges that accepted you and compare them side by side. This is where you start thinking about things like which college is offering you more money, which one has a better program for your field, or which one has good student organizations.

Overall the college application process is not hard at all, you just have to have all the documents and requirements ready when applying. Plus applying is easier nowadays with electronic submissions. There is no stress involved, just keep your cool and do your best.

If anyone still has any questions, feel free to ask ^-^

 

[BlazingPhoenix]

considering culinary arts job, with literary arts as my backup, thank you so much for this guide

 

[TheSpiritedWarrior]

considering culinary arts job, with literary arts as my backup, thank you so much for this guide

Aren't you 13? He is talking about an application process, meaning that you have to be in 11th grade to apply for a college. Of course, in our age, it is good to look for college to make some sort of goal for high school, as sat scores and gpa goes. Not the time to apply though .

I heard that it is better to get accepted as a junior so that sophomore year can be a lot easier.

 

[BlazingPhoenix]

Aren't you 13? He is talking about an application process, meaning that you have to be in 11th grade to apply for a college. Of course, in our age, it is good to look for college to make some sort of goal for high school, as sat scores and gpa goes. Not the time to apply though .

I heard that it is better to get accepted as a junior so that sophomore year can be a lot easier.

Yeah, well, I tend to have one heck of a brain, so... Yeah

 

[Mistral]

It's honestly not bad to look at schools when you're 13, like BlazingKen is. It's good to have some sort of idea of the direction you want to go in sooner rather than later. Of course, you're bound to change your mind by the time you go to apply for schools, but having some sort of idea in mind is better than having nothing at all. For me, I had my mind set on the school I wanted to go to when I was in middle school. I ended up getting rejected from that school and going to community college instead for a couple years, but after community college, I was able to get into the school I had wanted to get into.

Also, don't choose a school because they're giving you lots of money. Apply to all the schools you're interested in and can afford, but also don't ultimately choose a school because they're giving you a lot of money. If that's the school you really like and has a good program for what you're studying, then go for it. But if it's your last pick school and not one you'd really enjoy going to, don't choose it. Go to a school you're happy at.

Carrying off that point, definitely look at the things the school has. Are there clubs and activities you can get involved in? Don't let your whole college/university experience revolve around your classes. Those are important, yes, but having fun while you're in college is too. Look at the clubs and activities your school has to offer.

You can have loads of fun in college, you just have to pick the right school. Picking the wrong school can lead to a miserable college experience, and you don't want that.

I've never heard of Early Action though. Maybe because none of the schools around here have it? I dunno. I knew there was Early Decision, but it wasn't a binding contract for me. I just submitted the application by the school's early decision deadline and they gave me an acceptance and I had to pay my deposit by a certain date to secure my place in the school. Each school has different rules regarding that though, so definitely look at that.

(Also don't order your books from your school's bookstore. It's most likely stupidly overpriced, and you can find books online at places like Amazon for a helluva lot cheaper than your school's bookstore. Also don't get a book unless you're sure you need it (or return it if you can for a refund) because you don't want to waste money on something you're not going to use either.)