The college application process can be overwhelming and stressful for many students, especially if they lack guidance and support. As an educator, you can play a vital role in helping them prepare, plan, and pursue their higher education goals. Here are some steps you can take to help students navigate the college application process.
One of the first steps you can take is to familiarize yourself with the deadlines and requirements of different colleges and programs. You can use online tools, such as the Common App or the Coalition App, to access and track the application information for hundreds of institutions. You can also check the websites of individual colleges for specific details and updates. You can help your students create a calendar or a checklist of the deadlines and tasks they need to complete, such as submitting transcripts, test scores, essays, and recommendation letters.
The college application demands advance planning. Freshman year, explore interests and career paths. Sophomore and junior years, focus on testing, campus visits, clubs, and volunteering in areas of interest. The summer before senior year is vital for resume building through substantive programs, jobs and internships related to goals; also start essays. Senior fall, complete apps - finalize essays, request transcripts and letters, send scores; emphasize fit.
Step 2: (See my Step 1 under item 2 of this article) Types: ? Early Decision (or ED 1) - only 1; binding agreement ? Single Choice (or Restrictive) Early Action - only 1; non binding ? Early Action (or EA 1) - non binding ? Priority - usually to qualify for some type of merit aid ? Regular - exists to make you wonder why not all regular? ? ED 2 - only 1; binding ? EA 2 - only 1; non binding ? Rolling - no specific date (or well into the spring of senior yr, or summer) Keep track of: ? Deadlines ? How likely? (use admit rate or “Reach”, etc.) ? Application ? Fee ? # of Essays ? Audition, Portfolio? (for certain majors) ? Test scores (if applicable) ? Letters of rec (How many? Who?) ? Transcript (counselor) ? School report (counselor)
Make sure the student understands the process and timeline for getting application support from their school. Do they need to make a request weeks in advance or earlier? Do they need to fill out a brag sheet? How do they get support for applications they want to complete before school starts (like rolling admission programs)?
Maintaining awareness of document submission deadlines holds significant importance. Students can employ Excel to monitor these deadlines, marking them as completed when finished. Additionally, they can record specific details about the necessary documents, facilitating early preparation and ensuring they have everything they need.
Start by making a list of 10-12 target schools, including at least one safety school. You absolutely want to have a range of schools you're targeting and not just the Ivy League, for example. I always tell students to look up US News & World Report's College Ranking List for the best information on where a school falls in terms of difficulty, and which schools are considered "Top Twenty" or "Top 50" depending on your own grades, test scores, and goals.
Another step you can take is to help your students explore the various options and opportunities available for them. You can encourage them to research different colleges and majors, and to consider factors such as location, cost, size, diversity, and reputation. You can also help them identify and apply for scholarships, grants, and financial aid programs that can ease their financial burden. You can use online resources, such as College Board or Fastweb, to search and compare different colleges and scholarships.
Helping students navigate college applications starts with exploration: research majors and careers; compare colleges on location, costs, size, diversity. Use online tools. In 9th-10th grades, take career tests, challenge courses, prep for standardized tests. Join clubs, volunteer, purse summer academic programs related to interests. 11th grade, tour target campuses, strategize testing. Summer before 12th, gain experience through internships and jobs exhibiting talents. Draft essays. Senior year, complete applications meeting deadlines; in essays/interviews, emphasize fit. Apply early action when possible. Seek faculty feedback. Thoughtful planning, testing, credentials and essays support strong applications.
Self-exploration is the first-step in the College Application Process. Once a student is fully aware of their interests, aptitudes, talents, and goals, they can research the best colleges which offer the strongest program for their major. Tools like Rugg's Recommendations on the Colleges and US News & World Report's rankings are a great starting point. Students can also speak with parents, relatives, guidance counselors and experts in their chosen field to obtain additional school recommendations. Then, students can take a deeper dive into each school's admissions requirements, size, location, costs, and so on. After acceptances are received, students (and parents) need to assess many "best-fit" criteria to select "the one"!
Step 1 for students: ? Do interests, values, & skills assessments. ? Explore careers that connect w/the above. ? Work backwards from careers to majors (& it's OK to be undeclared). ? What's your ideal learning environment? (academic fit) ? What activities? What groups? (social fit) ? What can your family afford? (financial fit) ? Visit local colleges (big state university vs. small liberal arts college) if you can. ? Initial college list (~20) - use Big Future, College Scorecard, or Scholar Matcher. ? Research on each college's website; best academic, social, financial fit. * PRO TIP: Take notes! You’ll thank yourself when it’s time to write supplemental essays.* ? Narrow list to ~10-12 best fit colleges with a range of selectivity.
Put the individual student in the center of the process. Are they focused on a specific major or do they want to explore options in college? What type of environment are they looking for? How does cost affect what is right for them? Determine what's important for them and their family, not generalized rankings.
A third step you can take is to provide feedback and guidance to your students on their application materials, such as their essays, resumes, and portfolios. You can help them brainstorm, draft, revise, and polish their personal statements and supplemental essays, and to highlight their strengths, achievements, and goals. You can also help them review their resumes and portfolios, and to showcase their skills, experiences, and interests. You can offer constructive criticism, suggestions, and encouragement to help them improve their writing and presentation.
There is an art to providing essay feedback. First, help the student explore what they want the college to understand about them that may not be evident when reading the rest of their application. Then brainstorm story ideas that will bring that point to life. The story should be something meaningful. Some of the best topics are about everyday moments. When reviewing draft one, instead of marking it up pose questions to get at what is missing. Perhaps there is too much reflection and not enough story. Instead of asking, “Please elaborate,” ask “You say in paragraph two that you felt connected to nature. Using all your senses, describe what you saw, heard, etc. Bring your reader into the moment by using description.” Be positive!
We can support students by inviting alumni from the university they intend to apply to. These graduates can provide motivation, as well as offer tips and insights on the application process. This interaction allows students to be inspired and witness real-life examples of individuals who successfully gained admission to the university.
The college essay is pivotal - through multiple drafts, guide students to shape an authentic story conveying passions, accomplishments and goals. Give feedback highlighting compelling phrases while suggesting areas to add detail or clarity. Supplemental essays showcase other dimensions; tailor guidance to each prompt. Resume and portfolio reviews warrant similar attention - help students powerfully communicate activities, achievements and growth over time. Thoughtful questions spur students to evaluate experiences and skills to highlight. Carefully edit descriptions to emphasize talents. With constructive feedback, students can refine essays, resumes and portfolios to convey their voice, abilities and fit.
On essays: ? Encourage students to start writing by writing about any experiences that are/were meaningful to them. ? Help students explore values that are important to them. What activities or daily routines involve those values? ? Make a mind map of all of the student’s writing, their values, their activities. What jumps out to them as something they feel is essential to someone who’s getting to know them? ? Brainstorm 4-5 topics from the mind map. ? Most colleges review holistically. Do the topics add to what’s already conveyed in the rest of the application? ? Have the student outline, then write. ? Be the application reader. Does the essay convey a sense of the individual student (vs. something many other students might write)?
A fourth step you can take is to write strong and meaningful recommendation letters for your students. You can ask your students to provide you with relevant information, such as their academic performance, extracurricular activities, awards, and aspirations. You can also ask them to share specific examples or anecdotes that demonstrate their qualities, such as their leadership, creativity, initiative, or resilience. You can use these details to craft a personalized and positive letter that showcases your students' potential and suitability for the college or program they are applying to.
- Provide Guidance on Selection: Offer insights on selecting recommenders wisely. Guide students to choose individuals who can speak to their academic achievements, character, and extracurricular contributions, ensuring a well-rounded recommendation. - Assist in Preparation: Aid students in preparing a comprehensive package for recommenders. This includes sharing a resume, academic achievements, and personal statements, enabling recommenders to tailor their letters to highlight specific qualities and accomplishments. - Conduct Workshops or Training Sessions: Equip educators with the knowledge and tools to construct compelling and authentic recommendations, ensuring students receive endorsements that resonate with admissions teams.
Impactful recommendation letters from teachers/counselors showcase students’ talents with real examples. Have students share background - grades, activities, awards, goals. Gather 2-3 anecdotes that specifically convey leadership, creativity, problem-solving; relate how a student spearheaded a tutoring program. Use vivid details, avoiding general platitudes. Demonstrate how students stand out. Contextualize achievements; illustrate how someone overcame adversity with grit to advance skills. Convey potential - connect emotional intelligence, communication abilities, and analytic talent displayed to likely college and career application. Personalize with authentic details on each student’s individual worthiness.
A fifth step you can take is to support your students emotionally and mentally throughout the college application process. You can acknowledge and validate their feelings of anxiety, excitement, frustration, or disappointment. You can also help them cope with stress, manage their time, and balance their workload. You can provide them with resources, such as counseling, mentoring, or peer support, that can help them deal with the challenges and pressures they face. You can also celebrate their successes and achievements, and motivate them to keep pursuing their dreams.
Consider how practices like publicly listing acceptances for each student, decision day reaction videos, and sweatshirt day affect students who aren't admitted to or enrolling in prestigious, name brand colleges. How are you supporting students who are not offered admission to highly selective colleges? Is the celebration encouraging college-going or discouraging students from applying to less known but good fit colleges? What message is sent to students choosing trades, community college, or the military?
The college application process triggers a rollercoaster of emotions - anxiety, disappointment, frustration. Validate what students are feeling; stress and mental health barriers need addressing. Provide resources like mentors, counselors or peer groups so students don't feel alone. Share tactics to reduce anxiety - structured schedules to combat procrastination and mindfulness to regain focus. Celebrate small wins like test milestones met, not just admissions. Your belief in students’ potential uplifts after setbacks. Remind students their worth isn’t defined by this process. With emotional validation, coping strategies and support, students can better manage stress to persist pursuing dreams.
In my experience at Illuminos Academic Coaching & Tutoring and as a mother of 5 teens and young adults, I think it is important to remember that the whole family is going through the admissions process. Each family member needs to be supportive of the others. It helps to have a schedule that outlines college admissions deadlines and dates to review your child's essay drafts. This will set a clear process for the whole family and lessen last-minute stressors for the parents and the teens.
Parents can support their children by encouraging independence and respecting their choices. This may mean supporting them behind the scenes by making college visit plans, but not interfering with the student's choice of essay topics or pressuring them to apply to colleges based on prestige rather than fit for their interests, skills, and personality. Parents can also educate themselves through books such as "Who Gets in and Why" by Jeffrey Selingo. As a family, avoid constant chatter about college. Set a weekly time to discuss your child's future to ease unintended pressure. Encourage free time and joy and don't make everything they do be about their quest for college admission. Enjoy them during their final year at home.
At our school we have any senior who is accepted into a college (and would like to share) the option to announce it over the loudspeaker during morning announcements. This creates a culture of normalizing college applications and acceptances and provides a point of pride for the students as well. We are a very small school (Senior class of 28) which allows us to give personalized attention to each student in their journey and celebrate these accomplishments.
A final step you can take is to follow up with your students after they submit their applications and receive their decisions. You can help them track and confirm the status of their applications, and to respond to any requests or queries from the colleges. You can also help them evaluate and compare their offers and options, and to weigh the pros and cons of each. You can advise them on how to accept or decline an offer, and how to prepare for the transition to college. You can also congratulate them on their accomplishments and wish them well for their future.
The journey isn’t over when all applications are submitted. It’s just beginning! ? Make sure students check frequently that all application components for all applications have been received; if not, help them follow up. ? Once admitted, make sure they check communications from all colleges they’ve been admitted to frequently (some housing deadlines are earlier than you think!) ? Help students (& their families) decipher financial aid offers. ? Once students commit to a school, remind them to check their new college email accounts every day! ? Consider offering college transition resources that will help students get oriented before the hectic move-in days.
As students apply to college they or their parents may discover that they are not ready for college. I worked with a very bright student who had ADHD. She was very involved with an arts group at school during the fall of her senior year and struggled with the steps of the process. Once everything was submitted, we had a conversation about how she thought everything went. She acknowledged that she needed to work on her time management and organization. Together with her parents, we crafted a plan where she deferred from the excellent university to which she was admitted to attend a gap program where she could develop her skills while working in her field of intended study. There are many pathways to college; go when you can be successful.
In my experience, it really helps to have students take part in activities where they have to write about themselves in a positive way. The key is, these activities have to happen before Application season, they can then reflect back on those answers and use them when it comes to identifying their skills and writing personal statements. When we get hired into schools to deliver our speeches and programmes, one of the very first activities is about identifying their unique talents, skills & hobbies. I've then seen students use that same booklet to write out their appications and personal statements! The stakes are too high in application season to expect (most) students to really effectively communicate those character traits!
Not enough people pay attention to affordability before making a college list. Encourage families to have an open & honest conversation about what financial resources are available to pay for college. Ask them to list: ? Savings that have been set aside specifically to pay for college; ? How much the student and/or parent(s) might be able to contribute from annual income(s); and ? Any scholarships or grants already awarded. ? Adjust each number to get an annual amount, then add them up. Suggest that families make this their goal. Show them how to use the net price calculator for any college the student is considering for their list so they can estimate financial aid and the likely cost of attendance.