The College Process

While not a comprehensive list, the following general guidelines outline the overall process each student must complete for successful admission to institutes of higher learning. The process will start in the freshman year, and culminates in the senior year.

Our counseling department hosts meetings for each class each year to outline their goals for that academic year. However, ultimate responsibility lies with the student for his or her attention to this important process.

Basic timeline for college selection process:

  • Create Scoir account and complete personal profile. Take the YouScience assessment in Scoir. Utilize matched careers to research what universities throughout the United States have the majors for those specific careers.
  • Discern list of colleges and universities for consideration. Explore admissions data and SAT and/or ACT requirements.
  • Achieve target score on SAT and/or ACT.
  • Create Common App account and complete personal profile.
  • Finalize target list of colleges and universities. Explore the admissions process and requirements of each, including deadlines and acceptance policy of the Common App.
  • Complete applications, including Common App, according to deadline dates.
  • Complete Financial Aid application (FAFSA), if applicable. Check deadline.
  • Apply for identified scholarships. Check deadlines.
 
CLASS RESOURCES

 

THE COMMON APPLICATION, or “Common App”, is a service that collects information about applicants that is required by colleges and universities. This information is then distributed to those institutions of the applicant’s choosing.

THE COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY
An increasingly important element of the college application process is the writing of the essay. It personalizes the applicant, making the student more than numbers on a high school transcript and a SAT or ACT score. A writing sample, the essay allows for creativity and expression, for demonstrating ability to design and uphold a thesis statement relative to broadly-based questions. With more qualified students than there are places at top colleges, the essay can be a major acceptance factor.