SIMPLIFY THE
APPLICATION
TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE APPLYING
FOR COLLEGE LESS STRESSFUL
Applying to colleges is exciting for many high school
students. But that excitement is sometimes tempered
by anxiety.
The college application process can affect students’ lives
for years to come, so it’s understandable why some teenagers
might feel stressed as they apply to college.
The National Center for Educational Statistics says 69
percent of high school graduates in the United States enroll
in college the fall after graduating from high school. Many
students begin applying to college before entering their senior
year of high school.
Students can employ various strategies to make applying to
college less stressful.
Create an inventory of student
experiences and awards
When completing their college applications, students submit
a variety of materials. In addition to students’ track records in
the classroom, schools will be interested in kids’ extracurricular
activities, hobbies, volunteer work and even things they do
during their free time.
Parents and students can work together to develop a master
list that includes information about what students have
accomplished during high school.
These might include involvement in certain clubs, participation
in sports teams, advanced ranking in scouting programs or
even a list of books read.
Having this document handy will make it that much simpler
to fill out college applications.
Investigate the common application
The Common Application began as a niche program for
select private liberal arts colleges, but now has grown into an
organization that services more than 750 schools.
The organization enables students to create an account and
complete one basic form that will be accepted by all institutions
who are members.
The CA helps students streamline the college application
process and reduce redundancy.
An alert system also helps applicants manage application
deadlines.
Avoid applying everywhere
Some students think that applying to dozens of schools will
improve their chances of being admitted.
However, applicants could be wasting their time applying to
schools they have no intention of attending, and that only adds
to the stress of meeting deadlines.
Narrow the possibilities to a handful of favorite schools and
go from there.
Use the resources at your disposal
Students who have access to guidance counselors, mentors,
college centers or even teachers who are willing to help with
the application process should use these resources wisely.
In addition, iPhone and Android apps can help streamline the
college application process.
Consider scholarships concurrently
Some schools automatically consider applicants for scholarships,
grants and work-study programs. But that’s not so with
every school, so students might have to apply on their own
or rely on third parties for scholarships. Fastweb is a leading
online resource to find scholarships to pay for school.
Advance preparation can make the college application
process a lot less stressful for students and their parents.
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PROCESS