3 College Applications Resources to Get You Ready
by David H. N., PhD
College applications make the first semester of senior year THE busiest semester of high school. Thus, it will serve rising seniors well to be prepared ahead of time so they are not caught off guard by surprises.
Here are 3 online resources on college applications that provide crucial information that you should know at the beginning of the summer before applying. Being aware of these resources early on will increase the chances that you will be on track to submit applications on time.
1. The Common App’s Blog Page
Link: https://www.commonapp.org/blog
The Common App is an online portal through which you can apply to hundreds of colleges and universities across the USA (except for the University of California schools).
It contains the “big essay,” otherwise known as the Common App Essay – 650 words maximum – that you will have to write. It also contains the extra essays that every school receives, such as an essay about any disruptions or challenges that affected your academic achievement.
And then there is the essay for “additional information” that you would want the admissions office to know. Each year, around February, the Common App publishes blogs about any new changes to the Common App for the coming admissions cycle.
Checking this blog for updates will help you plan in case any advice you received from seniors who applied in the previous year no longer applies.
2. The College Board’s “Your Guide to College Planning” Page
Link: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/plan-for-college/get-started
The College Board, though it is the institution that writes so many of the standardized tests that drive high school students crazy, is a great resource for learning about the college application process. It has a page called “Your Guide to College Planning” that contains a lot of useful information that most students don’t consider when they think about college.
For example, it has a link to that explains the “Types of Colleges” (i.e. private universities, state universities, liberal arts colleges, etc.). There is also a page called “Your College Degree Options”, which explains the different between an A.A., B.A., and B.S. degree – highly confusing if you don’t know what they mean. For athletically-oriented students, check out “Your Options for Playing Sports in College”!
3. The College Essay Guy
Link: https://www.collegeessayguy.com/personal-statement
The College Essay Guy has a great page called the College Applications Hub, with additional pages and guides on personal essays.
This page contains lots of useful information about writing college essays. What should I talk about? What makes a good essay? How do I even start an essay?
They have guides to help you from the brainstorming process of figuring out what you can write about and why, all the way to guides that help you know what makes a strong essay.
College applications are a daunting process, because there is so many details to know. The secret to success is planning and seeking out wisdom. The 3 college applications resources discussed in this article will give you a great place to start.
