On your first day of high school, you’re more worried about finding your classes and getting along with your peers than anything else. College is the furthest thing from your mind. You still have plenty of time to prepare.
While this is true, it’s never too early to start hunting around for a good university to attend. If you choose extracurriculars with schools in mind and begin studying for your SATs early, you’ll be ahead of the game.
The hardest part is learning how to apply to university. We can help you get through it. Check out this guide to get into the college of your dreams.
Begin the Search Early
The first step of getting into a good school is knowing where you want to go. It’s never too early to begin your college search. Hop on the internet and start looking around at universities in your area.
You don’t have to commit to touring colleges while you’re still a freshman, but you’ll have this information ready to go when you become a junior.
Programs Available
The most important thing to consider when you’re looking at colleges is the programs. If the school doesn’t have the major that you’re interested in, there’s no point in applying.
Even if they do have your major, you’ll want to do some research to make sure that it’s a credible program. Check out reviews to see what other students are saying about it.
If you don’t know what you want to major in yet, that’s fine too. Our advice is to look at schools that offer a wide range of majors and minors. This way, you can figure out what you want to do while getting your core classes out of the way.
Affordability
High college loans can have negative consequences on your life after you get out of school. If you can’t pay back your loans, it will damage your credit.
At the same time, you shouldn’t back out of going to the school of your dreams just because of the expensive price tag. The school may have scholarships and grants available that can help you pay for everything.
Wait to get the details of your financial aid package in the mail before you make a final decision. You might be able to bring the cost down a little.
If you can’t afford the expensive school, it’s not the end of the world. Price doesn’t equal quality of education. Some schools offer some great programs for not a lot of money.
Location
Location is the make or break for many college students. For one, out-of-state costs can be pretty expensive. You may want to stay in your area to avoid the price tag.
For another, it’s not a bad idea to stay close to your family. If your university is near your home, you can stay with your parents instead of paying the extra money to live in a dorm. These are only a few things to keep in mind.
Amenities
If you don’t live with your parents, you’ll need to attend a school that has dorms on campus. Most colleges have ones that you can view during the tours.
While you’re on the tour, don’t forget to ask about price points, and find out if there are any student communities that take place in the dorms.
Hitting the books works up quite a hunger. Learn about what meal plans are available to you. Do they cater to special diets? Do they have vegan options?
Taking college classes can get stressful sometimes. Is there a counselor on campus that can you can talk to? You also need access to a doctor that can help you when you get sick.
Are you passionate about fitness? You’ll want to attend a college that has a gym right on campus. If they have access to a pool, that’s a plus.
Student Activities
Attending student activities and clubs gives you the chance to meet like-minded people like yourself. Find out if the school has an opportunity for you to pursue your interests, no matter if it’s theatre or billiards.
When you’re finding out what organizations a school has to offer, don’t forget to ask about special perks. Some schools offer students free tickets to attend theatre shows, for example.
Visit the Colleges
The last piece of advice for you when it comes to picking a school is to visit. You want to choose a university that makes you feel comfortable.
The only way you can judge the environment is to actually walk through the halls of the school. If something seems off, go with your gut and don’t apply.
While visiting, you’ll also get some crucial information about financial aid packages and deadlines you’ll have to meet in order to apply.
Familiarize Yourself With the Deadlines
The last thing you want is to fall in love with a university, only to get declined by the deadline. One of the most important university application tips we can give you is to ask the school about due dates.
Write these dates down in your calendar so you don’t miss them. Keep in mind that if you do miss the deadline, you can still apply. You may get in if the school hasn’t already filled all their seats.
Get the Documents Together
Before applying to university, you’re going to need to get a few documents in order. Colleges can’t make a decision if they don’t know the details of your high school career.
High School Transcripts
Your transcript is a document that contains details of your entire academic career. It lists your GPA, the classes you’ve taken, and the grades that you earned in said classes.
Go to your high school counselor to request for your transcripts to get transferred over to the colleges of your choice.
List of Honors and Achievements
Most college applications have a section where you can list your academic achievements and honors. If you consistently stay on the honor roll or win the national science fair, this is where you’ll put that.
As far as organizing this information, put it in a bulleted list to make it easy to read. You should also order them from the most important to the least important. All your national awards should come first, and your school-based ones should come second.
Summary of Extracurricular Activities
If your academic success section isn’t that long, don’t panic. Your book smarts aren’t the only thing that carries weight on your application. Administrators are equally as interested in what you do while you’re in high school.
Being involved in volunteer work and student activities shows colleges that you’re a leader who gets involved in their community. Who wouldn’t want someone like that to be a part of their school?
Letters of Recommendation
Not all four-year universities require potential students to submit letters of recommendation, but enough of them do that you should be prepared for it. You can get these letters from your high school teachers and guidance counselors.
These people know who you are and how you perform. If anyone can attest to your character, they can.
Never ask a family member to write a letter for you. Since they’re a little biased, their word won’t hold much weight with college administrators. It doesn’t look too professional either.
Test Scores
During the fall or spring of your junior year of high school, you’ll need to begin taking your SATs and ACTs. This will give you some time to retake the tests if you need to before college application deadlines.
Some colleges have stepped away from standardized tests, but adding your scores to your application can still help your chances.
All universities have different score requirements. If you need to take the tests to get into the college of your dreams, you’ll need to know what this required score is ahead of time. This will give you something to shoot toward.
Write a Killer College Entrance Essay
You’re almost ready to hit that submit button. The last step is to write a great college essay. You’ll only have about 500 words to tell university administrators why they should let you into their school.
How you craft the essay can mean the difference between an acceptance and a rejection. You’ll need to put a lot of thought into what you write if you want to get into the national society of collegiate scholars.
Read the Instructions
Instructions exist for a reason. If the page limit is two pages, it’s a hard limit. You don’t want to try and do more to make yourself seem like a better candidate.
It will have the opposite effect. It will leave the impression that you don’t know how to follow basic instructions. Administrators don’t want someone like that in their school.
So, before you delve into your essay, take a moment to read the submission guidelines. When you’re sure that you understand the rules, you can begin organizing your thoughts.
Get the Introduction Down
The hardest part of any essay is figuring out how you want to start it. You only have a few seconds to impress your reader. If you can’t keep them engaged, your application will get tossed to the side.
Universities get hundreds of applications each year. Administrators only have so much time that they can spend on each one. The opener needs to tell the reader what the essay is about.
One tactic that some students use is to start with an interesting story. It’s a great way to show off your personality and let the administrators know who you are.
Avoid the Clichés
Before you begin writing your own essay, you may want to get a little inspiration by looking at other examples online. There’s nothing wrong with this unless you copy it. You’ll end up falling into a lot of clichés this way.
Remember that you have tons of competition. You need to make yourself stand out from all the other applicants. You can’t do this if you don’t allow your own voice to shine through.
Ask Another Person to Proofread
You’re not done with your essay after you finish writing it. You’ll need to read over it, again and again, to make sure that you don’t have any typos. Having too many of them will get your paper thrown in the garbage.
It can be difficult to distance yourself from your essay to spot all these errors. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a family member or teacher look over it for you before you turn it in.
Send In That Application
You now have all the documents together that you need to complete your application. Some schools have an application fee in place that you’ll have to pay.
You also need to pay attention to formatting. Many colleges use the common application method and some have their own in place. Either way, there won’t be much difference in regards to the information that you have to turn in.
How to Apply to University and Get Accepted
It’s never too early to learn how to apply to university. If you begin doing your research at the beginning of high school and find the college of your dreams, you can shape your high school career around getting into it.
The more extra curriculars you do and academic awards you get, the better your application will look. If you’re still confused about getting started, your high school guidance counselor can give you a hand. For more resources that will help you make your way through college, visit our blog.