Applying to college can seem like a huge burden. Many do not know how to apply, what steps to take, eventually ending up lost or confused. My goal is to give students a guideline on how they should navigate the confusing world of higher education.

Definitions

Let's start off with some definitions that, although basic, are words that many people do not know:

• Undergraduate: Any schooling that can be pursued directly after high school, such as an Associate's or Bachelor's degree.
• Associates Degree: A 2 year college degree
• Bachelor's Degree: A 4 year college degree
• Master's Degree: A 2 year college degree that is pursued after obtaining a Bachelor's degree.

My Personal Tips

1. Choose your colleges

When it comes to choosing what colleges to apply to, it is always easier to apply to too many than not enough. My personal recommendations is to research what colleges fit what you think is important, such as small classes, cheap cost or a good student life. Some sources for looking at colleges strengths are US News and Niche.

There is no golden number to applying for colleges, and some can have high application fees, meaning it is important to narrow down just a few. I recommend applying for: one college that might not be attainable, two colleges that you have a shot at, and a backup college in case things go... south.

2. Apply for the FAFSA

The FAFSA, also known as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is used by colleges in order to determine how much money they will provide to help pay for your schooling. The FAFSA is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, and must be filled out in order to be considered for aid. The due date for the FAFSA varies depending on what college you go to, so it is easiest to fill it out as soon as it is released, which will be October 1st.

The amount of aid depends on a multitude of factors, but the most notable are your parents' income and assets. The more your parents make, the less aid you will get. Student income is also taken into consideration. Other details about the FAFSA can be found at U.S. News.

3. Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation are used in almost all college applications, and are a letter from a teacher or Admin that is used by colleges to see how teachers would describe a student. The teachers you choose should be ones that you are close to or in classes that highlight your academic ability. These should be asked for far in advance to your application deadline, as this gives the teacher enough time to write the best letter possible. When asking for a letter of recommendation, be professional and reherase what you will say. Give them sources such as a resume to give them more information to talk about.

4. Fill out the Common App

The Common App is an application that is used by over 1,000 colleges around the country. It is a simple tool used as one application to all coellges that allow it. For example, if a student wanted to apply to Rice, Trinity and Texas Tech, they could fill out the common app and used that as their application to all three colleges. It is an amazing tool and I would recommend it as your first choice for application.

5. Write your essays

Writing your essays is one of the most important parts of the admission process. There are many componenets to writing an essay that stands out, but I think the key idea is wirting something that encompasses who you are as a person. CollegeApp101 has some amazing podcast episodes that go over how a college essay can be written. These can be found on Spotify or on his Wesbite.

Other Information

Scholarships

College can be very, very expensive. Scholarships are fincial awards given to students of either high merit level, or students with lots of need. They can be a very valuable tool in paying for college, with the two most common types being Merit-Based and Need-Based. Some key areas that scholarships look at are grades, community involvment, extracurriculars, area of study, and financial need. My personal recommendation for a scholarship search engine is Going Merry; however, some can also be found on the Scholarships page.

College Guidence

The OC Counseling Page has some more advice on steps to applying for college, and you will hear about many of these steps your senior year. They also have their own Wesbite, which contains many more resources for applying. They also give guides on how to request a recommendation letter, write an essay, and many other tasks.