Journeying Through The Process

It’s Time to Apply

Your application is more than a chance for colleges to find out if you’d be a good fit — it’s an opportunity to share your story and celebrate the hard work you’ve done so far. The process to apply will be different for each college, so look for an application process page on the university’s website to find more specific information. Here’s what you should know before you begin.

You Have Advocates

You will have a personally assigned admissions counselor at each school you apply to. This person is dedicated to helping you. If you have questions, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, if you just don’t know what the next step is, your admissions counselor is the person to talk to.

Let’s Talk Tests

Some universities are “test-optional.” Applying test-optional means your SAT/ACT/CLT scores are not factored into your admission. But test scores can be integral to determining admission and financial aid. Three things to know: (1) not all tests are accepted at all schools, (2) generally, you can find test preparation materials online or at your local bookstore, and (3) you can take tests multiple times to increase your scores.

• The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) | collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat
• The American College Testing (ACT) | act.org
• The Classical Learning Test (CLT) | cltexam.com

Know Your GPA

Your grade point average (GPA) reflects your academic performance throughout high school. A “weighted GPA” takes into account classes that were designed to be more difficult — like AP (Advanced Placement) and IB (International Baccalaureate) courses — and is measured on a 5.0 point scale. An “unweighted GPA” is measured on a 4.0 scale, and all courses count the same amount.

Order Your Transcripts

Your application will almost certainly require you to send in transcripts, documents that contain your grades from each course you’ve taken in high school. Often, these will be requested through an online service such as Parchment (parchment.com). Make sure you have transcripts from all schools attended — including community colleges.

Application Essay(s)

Your personal essay(s) or short-response questions are pivotal, especially if you’re not pleased with your GPA or test scores. These essays are a chance for admissions teams to get to know you beyond the numbers. As you’re writing, answer the prompt and be yourself. Don’t be afraid to claim your accomplishments, draw attention to your success, and talk about obstacles you’ve had to overcome. Always start with an outline, make each word count, reread and spell-check at least twice, and if you have a gracious English teacher or parent, ask for input.

Extracurricular Activities

Who are you outside of school? Maybe you’re a member of the Thespian society, the Art Club historian or involved in robotics. Maybe you volunteer at an Alzheimer’s home, have a part-time job, or have played on the soccer team for the past four years. Create a single document that lists all your extracurricular involvement with two-sentence descriptions of each. It will come in handy on applications.

It’s easier to find a rhythm once you begin applying. If you feel overwhelmed, break it into smaller tasks and complete a few each day. Just make sure to start early — and take your time on your essays.

College is an investment, and finances are often one of the largest obstacles for students who desire to attend college. But in most cases, with scholarship and aid options, the cost may actually be much lower than the sticker price” cost. Pray earnestly. Consider the investment honestly. Seek out scholarship opportunities consistently. Let’s get started.

Let’s Talk FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is exactly what it sounds like: it’s an opportunity for you to receive money from the federal government to fund your education. It’s an extremely important document that the federal government uses to determine your eligibility for federal, state or other institutional types of aid. You’ll need financial information from your parents — but if your parents are unfamiliar with the FAFSA, remember you can also ask for help from teachers and mentors, and your admissions counselor.

Tips for filing your FAFSA

• Apply online through the Federal Student Aid website at studentaid.gov.
• Find out when the FAFSA is scheduled to open and apply as early as possible to make sure you have an accurate estimate of the aid you will receive.
• You’ll need to create an account with a unique username and password (called your FSA ID) to file your FAFSA. Each student and at least one parent will need to create an FSA ID when filing the FAFSA. Keep track of this information — you’ll use it to file the FAFSA in future years. Students and parents can create an FSA ID at studentaid.gov.
• Be sure to have your Social Security Number, federal income tax return and W-2s on hand.

Types of Financial Aid: Grants, Loans and Scholarships

Types of Loans

• Direct Unsubsidized Loans begin accruing interest as soon as they are taken out. Eligibility is not need based.
• Direct Subsidized Loans will only accrue interest after you graduate from college. Eligibility is based on financial need determined by the FAFSA.

If you have an option while choosing your loan, opt for the latter. For help envisioning what loans could look like for you, visit studentaid.gov/loan-simulator/.

Institutional Scholarships

Your institution will almost certainly offer scholarships on the basis of your academic achievement. While you will likely be unable to significantly alter your GPA by the time you apply, you may be able to increase the scholarship offered to you by earning higher SAT/ACT/CLT scores. Taking standardized tests isn’t enjoyable, but a higher score could save you thousands of dollars. Additionally, be sure to ask your admissions counselor about other scholarships that might be available.

Outside Scholarships

Here’s some good news: hundreds of local, state and national organizations want to help students like you go to college. Often, these scholarships will require information similar to that required by a college application. Remember, lesser-known scholarships will be less competitive, and your essays are usually critically important. Make sure you’re familiar with the organization sponsoring the scholarship and lean into parts of your story that align with its vision or values.

Here are a few scholarship databases worth checking out:

• Cappex | cappex.com
• Peterson’s | petersons.com/scholarship-search.aspx
• Unigo | unigo.com/scholarships
• FastWeb | fastweb.com
• Niche | niche.com/colleges/scholarships

Make sure to keep track of scholarship deadlines and always begin early — leaving plenty of time to take care of unexpected obstacles you might encounter.

Letters of Recommendation

Last thing, and it’s important. Often, scholarships will require letters of recommendation. Essentially, scholarship committees are looking for someone trustworthy — such as a teacher or school administrator, employer or clergy — to vouch for you. Write a short description of the scholarship (including the deadline) for your recommender, and be sure to highlight anything you’d like him or her to include. Try to consolidate your requests, asking for letters for upcoming scholarships all at once instead of asking for a new letter every two weeks. You can switch up your recommenders, too, tailoring them to the scholarships.

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