College applications 101 for incoming seniors

By Ronnie Walker

The end of the school year is nearly upon us, and this means one thing for juniors: the college application process begins. It’s a long and hectic process that will last the entire school year, and the earlier you start, the better. Below is a chronological list of steps to take in the college application process.

Summer Steps

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Not everyone knows what their major will be yet; this is okay, though the sooner you decide, the better. Luckily, you have lots of time to decide. In the summer before your senior year, you should focus chiefly on choosing a few colleges you’re most interested in and doing a tour at each one. This is certainly a difficult choice to make, as one must factor location, academic strengths, finances and more. 

Summer is the perfect time to do this as you have much more time than you would during the school year. The tours will give you an idea of the environment on campus, as well as some academic opportunities at the location. You should also consider scholarships; some have deadlines as early as July, and so planning these out will set you up for success.

Fall Steps

By now you should have a general idea of the colleges you’d consider attending, as well as scholarship opportunities that will help cover the steep cost of higher education. As fall approaches, applications open and the time crunch begins. 

Create a list of colleges you will apply to and include safety, match and reach schools. Safety schools are those you can easily get into⁠—they are your fallback plan. Match schools are those where your test scores are most similar to or just above the average. Reach schools are those which you have a low chance of being accepted, but you still want to take a shot at. Add to that list a collection of deadlines for scholarships, applications and whatever else is important.

Then it’s time to apply. If you have many colleges to apply to, using Common App will save you a lot of time. Apply priority to the most likely colleges, and make sure to spend time on your essays. Writing these is an entirely different challenge and an issue which you should consult with your English teachers. Make sure to stay ahead of deadlines and plan your work out.

Spring Steps

Letters of acceptance or rejection should begin coming in around winter break. Because you’re awesome, you’ve been accepted into your college of choice! To officially commit to a college, you must send your enrollment deposit. You should be sure about attending before taking this step, but also keep in mind that many first-come, first-serve elements like housing applications are only accessible once you have sent in the deposit. 

At that point, you’ve done it! Congratulations! Any other steps are specific to the college and scholarships you’ve applied to. Make sure to notify colleges you have been accepted to but won’t be attending of your decision so others can get any scholarships you were eligible for. It’s a long process, but so long as you pace yourself, you’ll be just fine. Don’t be afraid to talk to your teachers, counselors and admissions counselors about any questions you have.