After deciding on the college/s of your choice, the next step would be to get prepared to submit the college application on time. You have to stay on your toes to do this as different colleges have different deadlines and procedures for how they accept applications. Some colleges accept it very early and some do not so early.
In this post:
Research
Research, research, and more research is the key to being able to submit your college application on time. Take the time to nail down some colleges that satisfy the criteria that you have put together for the colleges of your choice. Different colleges differ in their application requirements, so doing your research well in advance will give you ample time to be ready with all documents, essays, and funds that are needed.
Be Organized
Organization will be your best friend when it comes to applying to colleges. Consider having a folder for each of the colleges that you are planning to apply for. Make copies or jot down the requirements and track the progress that you are making with each college in the corresponding folder. This will make sure you are on track for submitting your application before the deadline.
Make a To-Do List
Having a checklist is a foolproof way to ensure that your applications and documents are ready and complete before the specified time. Make sure you have a master checklist for all the colleges, so you can have a snapshot of everything you need to do. You can cross off whatever is taken care off. Make a second checklist for each college and paste it on the inside cover of the folder you have made for each college. Checking off the two lists will be a surefire way to submit your application on time.
Have Documents Ready
Make enough copies of your transcripts as you will need to send them in with each application if you are applying to more than one college. It can save you last-minute jitters if you have the college transfer transcripts and credits all ready before you apply. If the college requires you to send in sealed transcripts with the college seal to verify authenticity, then do so well in advance.
If you are an international student, there is a good chance that you will need to have your degrees or certificates evaluated and translated into the US credit system. It is advisable to do this before you even download the college application as it will take quite some time for the evaluation to come through.
Start Early
“Early bird catches the worm” is especially true where getting admitted to the college of your choice is concerned. So start early. It is easy to get caught up with the cares of life and procrastinate to the last minute and then miss the deadline because it takes time to get all the documents in order.
Know the Deadlines
Knowing the deadline for submitting the college application and noting it down on the calendar is a good way to make sure you will not miss the deadline. Some colleges start accepting applications well over a year in advance which means you have to start preparing for the application even before that.
Essay
Most of the colleges require you to submit an essay about your goals and why you chose their college. So it is a good idea to keep an essay or essays on hand that you can reuse and modify as needed when you apply. With the stress of applying, if you wait till the last minute to write an essay you may not be in your best creative mode. Preparing ahead is the foolproof way to get over this hurdle.
Late Deadline Schools
All said and done if you do have trouble making it on time, you can take heart in the fact that there are some schools with late deadlines.
