How to apply for college: navigating the admissions process

Whether you’re a high schooler, their parent or an adult who’s thinking of going back to school, knowing how to apply for college is a big deal. Each school’s application process can be a little different, and it can take a significant amount of time and energy to procure an ace application for every school you may wish to apply to. Making matters even more complicated is the fact that applying to college can look different depending on what kind of degree you want to get and the type of schools you are considering. 

By taking the time to understand the general college admissions process, the types of applications that are out there and how to make your application stand out from the crowd, you can position yourself for success and increase your chances of getting into the programs you want to attend. 

Types of college applications 

Most college applications today are entirely online. Each college or university can have its own unique application process, so your first step must be checking with each school directly to get any relevant information about how to apply to their school.  

Many schools have their own online portal that allows prospective students to fill out their application. Other schools may participate in a college application program that allows students to apply to multiple schools at once, such as:  

• The Common Application which is by far the most popular and is used by over 1,000 postsecondary institutions in the United States 
• The Coalition Application, which is used by over 150 schools 
• The Common Black College Application can be used to apply to nearly 70 different historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs)

In all of these examples, prospective students input their information—including personal info, prior education and transcripts, extracurricular activities and the like—one time, and then they select which schools they want their application sent to. It should be noted, however, that some schools may have additional requirements. With the Common App, for example, schools often include additional questions or essay prompts that pertain to their school only. When filling out any of these applications, be sure to check whether there are any extra steps for each school you want to apply to.  

Emily Gallagher has been counseling high schoolers in the Seattle area and beyond through the college application process for nearly 15 years. In that time, she’s become intimately familiar with college applications and has helped hundreds of students as they begin their higher education journeys.

“In the broad scope of the sequence for the Common Application, you’d have the data entry, the submission of an activity list that you enter in on the Common App, a personal statement, any additional comments you want to make about your academic and personal experience that’s relevant, and then lastly the supplemental and member-specific questions. And then for that next tier of schools, the private schools allow for a different number of teacher letters of recommendation,” Gallagher said. “So basically all of this is happening in the fall of a student’s senior year.”    

What’s on college applications?

The table below shows what components are typical for two-year undergraduate, four-year undergraduate and graduate degree program applications. Remember to check with every school to find out what is required to apply to their programs, as they can differ.  

	2-year undergraduate programs	4-year undergraduate programs	Graduate programs
Prior education and transcripts	Yes	Yes	Yes
Grade requirements (e.g. minimum GPA)	No	Yes	Yes
Standardized test scores (SAT, ACT, GRE etc.)	Not common	Yes, but more schools have been making standardized test scores optional in recent years	Some programs require GRE scores, but many do not
Personal essays or other writing prompts	Not common	Yes	Yes
Letters of recommendation	No	Sometimes—more common for private schools	Yes
Admissions interview(s)	No	Not common	Sometimes (even more common for doctoral candidates)
Updated resume or CV	No	No	Yes

Undergraduate application components

Although every school may have its own application quirks, there are a few features that you can generally expect to find on most four-year undergraduate program applications. 

If you’re applying to a two-year institution such as a community or technical college, the application is usually even more simple. For example, you don’t need to submit any personal essays, letters of recommendation or standardized test scores for most two-year college program applications. They also usually don’t require you to have a minimum GPA to be admitted. 

Graduate degree applications

In addition to everything you could expect from an undergraduate application, you might also have to include a few more materials for a graduate degree application:  

• Your resume or CV to showcase your professional experience. This allows admissions panels to better understand what you do beyond the academic arena.  
• Submit standardized test scores from the GRE, an admissions test used by some graduate and professional programs.  
• Participate in an admissions interview. This is usually conducted after an admissions panel has determined that they like your application. These interviews allow them to ask you questions and get to know you more beyond what your paper application alone can convey.

Choosing where to apply

Although there isn’t any magic number of colleges you should apply to, the College Board says that applying to five to eight colleges is usually enough to ensure that you’re accepted into a suitable school. While that may be a good ballpark for high schoolers applying to college for the first time, people who are going back to school as adults and/or seeking a graduate degree may not need to apply to that many. It all really comes down to each individual and their goals.  

So how do you start generating a list of schools you may want to apply to? 

“Accomplishing local visits with different school types is just the best way for families to understand different educational environments, otherwise it’s just too imaginative,” Gallagher said. Visiting a local school can also give students a sense of what similar schools might be like. For example, touring a large research institution with Division 1 athletics and hundreds of degree programs can help give students a sense of whether they might enjoy that same kind of environment elsewhere. Realistically it’s a good idea to visit multiple types and sizes of schools (e.g. large versus mid-size versus small, urban versus suburban, etc.) to understand the unique flavors that each can offer.  

“That’s a good litmus test to see if a student would prefer a smaller learning environment with smaller classrooms and perhaps closer personal connections the first couple of years with professors or even program-specific opportunities,” Gallagher said.  

Even if you plan to attend school online, visiting a school and speaking with an admissions officer can still answer a lot of questions about what to expect from that experience.  

“I would say a second step is doing an earnest review of the student’s transcript. What kinds of classes are they taking? Are they taking a rigorous college prep curriculum and earning super high marks?” Gallagher said. By examining your academic performance, you can start to get a sense of what schools are most academically feasible for you. 

Early decision and early action

Most four-year undergraduate schools open for applications in late summer and remain open through the fall.  

“There are some schools that accept applications up and through winter or spring of a student’s graduating year, so it’s an elongated process,” Gallagher said.  

Some schools offer early admission plans for prospective students called early decision and early action.  

An early decision application means the student is absolutely sure they want to attend that school and, if accepted, must attend. That makes early decision applications a binding agreement, and it also means you can only apply early decision to only one school.  

Early action is similar but it’s not binding. Early action is simply an earlier admission deadline that allows you to hear back from schools sooner. You can still apply to multiple schools and then decide where you want to attend at any point, provided of course that you decide on the school’s acceptance deadline. 

Information about financial aid

Knowing you have a plan to pay for your education is an essential part of applying to college. There are many financial aid resources for college students, but you must know where to look if you want to use them.  

Fill out the FAFSA

Your first stop should always be the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). When you apply for federal aid through the FAFSA application, you’ll be given a federal aid package based on the information you provide which could include grants, federal work-study funds and/or student loans. The type(s) and amount of aid you’re eligible for depends on you and your family’s financial situation.  

Another reason filling out the FAFSA is so important is that you can select up to 20 schools you plan on applying to. These schools use the information you provided on the form to determine how much need-based financial aid they can award you. Schools generally let you know how much need-based aid you qualify for in their acceptance letters. Schools may also award you a certain amount of merit-based aid that’s determined by your academic achievements.  

“What people don’t know is that most aid comes from the institution itself. It really has to do with your income level and how a school calculates your wealth,” Gallagher said. “I think what surprises people a lot of times is for private schools, and even out-of-state public schools, the list price is oftentimes not what you’re going to pay, but again it depends on [the student’s] academic level of achievement and the institutional needs of the school.” 

To learn more about how to pay for college, Gallagher recommends the book “The Price You Pay for College” by Ron Lieber.  

Other ways to acquire aid

On top of any federal or school-based aid you may qualify for, there are a few other options you might consider tapping into if you want to find more money to pay for school.  

Many organizations—government agencies, nonprofits, private companies, local businesses and more—have scholarships or grants available for students. High school counselors, career counselors and even your local librarian can all be great resources to help you find scholarships. The U.S. Department of Labor also has a free scholarship search tool online. Many websites allow you to search for scholarships across the web, but beware of scams. The Department of Education has some valuable information on how to avoid scams while searching for financial aid.  

If you are working, you should also see if your company offers any tuition reimbursement for employees. This is much more common at large companies like Starbucks, Amazon and Target, to name a few. These opportunities may come with certain stipulations, however. For example, you may have to earn your degree in an area relevant to your job or agree to continue working at that company for a certain amount of time after you graduate.  

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)