How to Meet College Application Requirements

The college application process can be overwhelming if you're a junior or senior just trying to secure a diploma while maintaining a social life. Remember, though, that college admissions officers are keeping an eye on your high school achievements, so plan ahead to meet your application requirements in the midst of pre-college chaos.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Copy of each school's application requirements
• Simplified chart and checklist of these requirements

1. Call the admissions departments at the universities you are interested in to request a copy of their application requirements. They may also direct you to the university website, which typically has an updated list of requirements for potential students.
2. Mark down the application deadline for each college on your calendar or day planner. Since some colleges have a rolling admissions process, it helps to get your materials in as early as possible. In addition, it puts your mind at ease and allows time for other things--like finding a prom date.
3. Divide your application requirements for each college into sections, breaking them down under categories such as "Forms/Fees," "Course Requirements/Grades," "Standardized Test Scores," "Letters of Recommendation," "Essays" and "Interviews."
4. Make a chart listing each of the schools you're applying to, along with a checklist of the categorized application requirements for each. Keeping all of this information on one chart helps you organize and streamline your admission efforts.
5. Go over your course schedule with your guidance counselor to make sure your prerequisites meet prospective college requirements and that your grades and GPA are sufficient for each program.
6. Schedule SATs and ACTs early so you'll have the scores back in time to meet application deadlines. Giving yourself extra time is advisable, in case your initial scores are insufficient and you need to retake standardized tests.
7. Start working on your college essays as soon as you have the topics for each school. Avoid writing a "cookie-cutter" essay for all of your applications. Instead, try to personalize essays and gear them toward the specifics of each program and university.
8. Make follow-up calls to college admissions offices after submitting your application to make sure they have everything they need. If something slips through the cracks, you may forfeit your chance at enrollment.

Tips & Warnings

• Strive to do more than the minimum. While you may only need a 2.7 GPA to get into a school, a 3.5 could get your application off of the wait list and into the accepted pile.
• Don't let "senioritis" get the best of you. Prospective colleges want to see you finish the year strong, maintaining (or improving upon) your first semester grades.

Who Can Help:

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