how to apply to college from start to finish

Summary

This comprehensive video guide demystifies the college admissions process, outlining six key stages: creating a college list, initiating applications, crafting essays, obtaining recommendations, applying for financial aid, and submitting applications. It offers strategic advice on selecting schools, understanding application platforms, and writing compelling essays, while addressing financial considerations and the importance of recommendation letters. Aimed at high school seniors, the script provides actionable tips and resources to navigate the complex application journey successfully.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Understanding the college admissions process requires thorough research, including online forums, videos, and books.
• 📋 The six main stages of applying to college are creating a college list, starting your application, writing essays, getting letters of recommendation, applying for financial aid, and submitting your application.
• 🏫 Build your college list by categorizing schools into safety, match, and reach categories based on your academic credentials.
• 🔍 Consider various factors when selecting colleges, such as location, extracurricular opportunities, majors offered, cost, and climate.
• 🏢 Decide on the size and type of college (large, medium, small) and the class sizes (lecture vs. seminar style) that fit your preferences.
• 🌐 Use tools like College Board's College Search, attend college fairs, and consult with guidance counselors to find suitable colleges.
• 📧 Create a separate email address for college admissions to manage the influx of important messages effectively.
• 📝 Write compelling college essays that showcase your personality and experiences, avoiding rehashing your resume.
• 📝 Get recommendation letters from teachers who know you well, preferably from your junior year, and provide them with a brag sheet to highlight your accomplishments.
• 💸 Apply for financial aid using the FAFSA and CSS Profile if required, and use net price calculators to estimate the cost of attending different colleges.

Q & A

What are the six main stages of the college application process mentioned in the script?

The six main stages of the college application process are creating your college list, starting your actual application, writing college essays, getting letters of recommendation, applying for financial aid, and submitting your application.

Why is it recommended to start building your college list during the summer before senior year or spring of junior year?

It is recommended to start building your college list during this time because it allows you to research and identify the colleges that best fit your needs and preferences, ensuring you have enough time to explore your options before the application process begins.

What is the suggested number of colleges to apply to, and why?

The suggested number of colleges to apply to is between 6 to 12. This range ensures a balanced application process, providing a variety of options including safety, match, and reach schools, which helps in managing expectations and increasing the chances of acceptance.

What are 'safety schools', 'match schools', and 'reach schools' in the context of college applications?

Safety schools are colleges where your academic credentials are well above the 75th percentile, match schools are where your credentials fall within the 50th percentile, and reach schools are where your credentials fall below the 25th percentile. These categories help in managing the risk of not getting accepted and ensuring a balanced college list.

Why is it important to consider the size of the college when building your college list?

The size of the college is important because it can impact the academic and extracurricular opportunities available, as well as the overall college experience. Larger colleges may offer more opportunities but can feel impersonal, while smaller colleges provide a more intimate experience but may have fewer resources.

What factors should be considered when deciding on the location of a college?

Factors to consider when deciding on the location of a college include whether it's urban or rural, the distance from home, the climate, and the opportunities for jobs or internships. These factors can significantly affect your college experience and career prospects.

Why is it recommended to create a separate email address for college application-related communications?

Creating a separate email address for college application-related communications helps to keep important messages organized and prevents them from getting lost or mixed up in your personal inbox, ensuring you receive and respond to all necessary communications promptly.

What is the purpose of the 'additional information' section in the Common App, and how should it be used?

The 'additional information' section in the Common App is a place to provide context or details about extenuating circumstances, special classes, or other relevant information that doesn't fit elsewhere in the application. It should be used concisely to highlight important aspects that could influence the admissions decision.

What is the difference between 'early action', 'early decision', and 'restrictive early action' when applying to colleges?

Early action is non-binding, meaning you can still choose whether to attend the school if accepted. Early decision is binding, requiring you to attend the school if accepted. Restrictive early action is a type of early action that prevents you from applying early to multiple schools at once.

Why is it important to submit a 'brag sheet' when asking teachers for recommendation letters?

A 'brag sheet' provides teachers with a list of your accomplishments, activities, and classroom anecdotes, which can help them write a more detailed and compelling recommendation letter. It ensures they include the most relevant and impressive aspects of your academic and extracurricular profile.

What is the significance of May 1st in the context of the college application process?

May 1st is known as National College Decision Day. It is the deadline by which students must commit to a college, typically by submitting a deposit or signing up for orientation. This date helps colleges manage their enrollment and allows students to finalize their college choice.

Outlines

00:00

📚 College Application Process Overview

The speaker introduces the video's purpose, which is to guide viewers through the college application process. They outline six main stages: creating a college list, starting the application, writing college essays, obtaining letters of recommendation, applying for financial aid, and submitting the application. The first part focuses on building a college list, ideally during the summer before senior year, and emphasizes the importance of applying to a mix of safety, match, and reach schools. The speaker also advises on the number of colleges to apply to and the factors to consider when choosing them, such as size, location, class size, and student to faculty ratio.

05:01

🏛 Factors in Selecting Colleges

This paragraph delves into the various factors a student should consider when selecting colleges, including location, distance from home, climate, available programs, curriculum flexibility, campus culture, extracurricular opportunities, and cost. The speaker discusses the advantages of urban versus rural campuses, the importance of aligning with campus culture and traditions, and the significance of considering merit-based scholarships and need-based aid. They also mention the use of tools like the College Board's College Search and the importance of attending college fairs and consulting with guidance counselors.

10:02

📝 Navigating Application Platforms and Writing Essays

The speaker discusses the process of starting the actual college application, recommending the creation of a separate email for college-related communications. They introduce the Common Application, Coalition Application, and QuestBridge as popular platforms for applying to colleges. The Common App is highlighted, with a walkthrough of its dashboard and the importance of writing supplemental essays and activity descriptions in a separate document before transferring them to the application. The speaker also touches on the use of the 'Additional Information' section for sharing extenuating circumstances and the option of applying for a fee waiver.

15:03

📖 Crafting the Perfect College Essay

The focus shifts to the importance of college essays in showcasing the applicant's personality and character. The speaker advises on writing techniques, such as showing rather than telling, using a conversational tone, avoiding resume rehashing, and providing a compelling narrative. They also emphasize the significance of feedback on essays and introduce the concept of the college essay boot camp, which aims to guide students through the essay writing process from start to finish.

20:03

💌 Letters of Recommendation and Financial Aid

The paragraph covers the process of obtaining letters of recommendation, suggesting that students ask their teachers in October and provide them with a brag sheet to assist in writing strong letters. The speaker also discusses the financial aid aspect of college applications, including the FAFSA and CSS Profile, and mentions the availability of scholarship searches through the College Board. They stress the importance of submitting all required materials and following up with counselors to ensure everything is submitted correctly.

25:05

🏆 College Decisions and Commitment

The final paragraph addresses the process after submitting applications, including the potential for interviews, receiving decisions, and the subsequent steps of comparing offers, potentially appealing financial aid decisions, and committing to a college by National College Decision Day on May 1st. The speaker encourages students to visit colleges, ask questions, and make informed decisions based on the best fit, and offers support through calls or essay reviews with their team at Next Admit.

Keywords

💡College Admissions Process

The college admissions process refers to the steps prospective students must take to be considered for enrollment in a college or university. In the video, this term is central as the script outlines the various stages of applying to college, including creating a college list, submitting applications, and writing essays, which are all part of this process.

💡College List

A college list is a curated selection of colleges that a student is considering for application. The script emphasizes the importance of building a balanced list with safety, match, and reach schools, which reflects the student's academic credentials and aspirations.

💡Safety Schools

Safety schools are colleges where a student's academic credentials are well above the average accepted student's, indicating a high chance of admission. The script uses this term to suggest that students should apply to such schools to ensure they have options for acceptance.

💡Match Schools

Match schools are institutions where a student's academic credentials align with the middle 50th percentile of admitted students. The script explains that these schools are a good fit for students who are looking for a balance between reach and safety in their college list.

💡Reach Schools

Reach schools are colleges where a student's academic credentials fall below the 25th percentile of the admitted student body, indicating a lower chance of admission. The video script mentions that even with high grades, top schools like Ivy League institutions are considered reach schools for everyone due to their competitive nature.

💡College Essays

College essays are personal statements written by applicants to showcase their personality, experiences, and writing skills. The script highlights the importance of essays in the college application process, as they allow students to express themselves beyond their academic records.

💡Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation are written by teachers or counselors to vouch for a student's character and achievements. The video script explains that these letters provide an external perspective on the student's abilities and are a crucial part of the college application.

💡Financial Aid

Financial aid includes scholarships, grants, and loans that help students cover the cost of college. The script discusses the importance of applying for financial aid through FAFSA and CSS Profile, and mentions the need to consider the return on investment when choosing a college.

💡Early Action

Early Action is a type of college application plan where students can apply to their preferred colleges by an early deadline, usually in November. The script explains that applying early can demonstrate a student's interest in a college and potentially offer an admissions advantage.

💡Early Decision

Early Decision is a binding application plan where students commit to attending a college if accepted. The script contrasts Early Decision with Early Action, noting that the former requires a commitment while the latter does not.

💡National College Decision Day

National College Decision Day, typically on May 1st, is the deadline for students to commit to a college after receiving all admission offers. The script mentions this date as the final step in the college application process, where students make their final college choice.

Highlights

The college admissions process involves six main stages: creating a college list, starting the application, writing essays, getting recommendations, applying for financial aid, and submitting the application.

Building a college list should ideally begin in the summer before senior year, aiming to find the best fit among over 4,000 US colleges.

A balanced college list includes safety, match, and reach schools, with a suggested range of 6 to 12 schools in total.

Academic credentials are categorized into three tiers for college applications: above the 75th percentile for safety schools, within the 50th percentile for match schools, and below the 25th percentile for reach schools.

Ivy League and top 20 schools are considered reach schools for all applicants, with extracurriculars and essays being key differentiators.

The phenomenon of 'shotgunning' sees top students applying to numerous prestigious schools, prioritizing prestige over fit.

Factors to consider when choosing colleges include location, extracurricular opportunities, majors offered, cost, climate, and campus culture.

College size can impact academic opportunities and the personal feel of the campus, with larger colleges offering more but potentially feeling less intimate.

Class sizes and student-to-faculty ratios are important for access to professors and learning styles.

Location factors such as urban vs. rural, distance from home, and climate can greatly affect the college experience.

Program availability and curriculum flexibility are crucial, with some colleges offering more personalized academic paths.

Campus culture, including diversity, social scene, and traditions, should align with student values and interests.

Extracurricular opportunities, including sports, clubs, and internships, are vital for a well-rounded college life.

Cost is a significant factor, with net price calculators and financial aid options available to estimate out-of-pocket expenses.

The college application process can be streamlined using tools like the College Board's College Search and creating a tracking sheet in Google Drive.

Early application options like Early Action, Early Decision, and Restrictive Early Action come with different binding terms and potential advantages.

The Common App fee waiver program can help reduce the financial burden of application fees for eligible students.

College essays are a critical part of the application, allowing students to showcase their personality and experiences beyond numbers.

Letters of recommendation provide an outside perspective on the student's character and achievements.

Financial aid, including FAFSA and CSS Profile, plays a significant role in making college education accessible.

Submitting a complete application involves a checklist of requirements, including essays, recommendations, test scores, and fees.

Post-application steps include interviews, mid-year reports, and final transcripts, which colleges use to assess ongoing academic performance.

Decision outcomes can vary from acceptance to waitlisting or rejection, with options to appeal financial aid or compare offers.

National College Decision Day on May 1st is the deadline for students to commit to a college, concluding the application process.

Transcripts

back in high school I spent months

trying to understand the college

admissions process I would scour online

forums I would watch videos I would

email my guidance counselor I would even

read books and the truth is a lot of the

best information about college

applications is scattered all across the

internet it was very hard to find one

source that broke down the process in

enough detail well lucky for you that's

why I'm making this video today we're

gonna cover how to actually apply to

college we're gonna break down six main

stages creating your college list

starting your actual application writing

college essays getting letters of wreck

applying for financial aid and then

finally submitting your application so

let's Dive Right In the first part of

the college application process is

building your college list and you

generally want to do this the summer

before your senior year or even the

spring of your junior year so the US has

over 4 000 colleges and the purpose of

this stage is to find the few colleges

that are the best fit for you so now you

might be wondering gohar how many

colleges should I actually we apply to

you're going to get a variety of answers

but I think the safe ballpark is

anywhere between 6 to 12 schools and you

want to split up your college list into

three buckets you want safety schools

match schools and reach schools now the

reason you want these three buckets is

because you want to make sure that

you're applying to some schools that you

know you have a good chance of getting

into you don't want to be the one kid

that applies to every single School in

the top 20 and nothing else and gets

rejected from everywhere trust me I have

seen this happen a few times so safety

schools are colleges where your academic

credentials namely your GPA sat or ACT

score fall well above the 75th

percentile match schools are colleges

where your academic credentials fall

within the middle 50th percentile and

reach schools or schools where your

academic credentials fall below the 25th

percentile now before you go ahead and

call Harvard to safety because you have

a 1600 on your sat I do want to add one

caveat every single Ivy League school is

a reach school no matter what grade

grades you have for the ivy league and

honestly every school in the top 20 your

grades and academic credentials are just

the threshold to being considered it's

your extracurriculars letters of wreck

essays and awards that'll actually get

you into these schools the top 20

schools are reaches for everyone no

matter your grade or accomplishments

okay so now let's break down the numbers

ideally you want around three safeties

four to five matches and around two to

three reaches now I'll be honest this is

the standard breakdown that most

Consultants or even your guidance

counselor will give you but I'm gonna

let you in on a little unfortunate

secret many students especially those

with top grades apply to way more than

just two to three reaches in recent

years there's been a phenomenon called

shotgunning where many top students will

apply to almost every single Ivy League

school or a bunch of schools in the top

20. these students care much more about

Prestige than about whether or not a

certain school is the right fit for them

and so that's why they'll just apply to

every prestigious school they can think

of now should you do this well it's up

to you I'm not gonna sit here and tell

you to not do it because I would be a

hypocrite back in high school I was that

kid who applied to a bunch of Ivy League

schools and I'll be honest I wasn't just

chasing the prestige top schools and

especially Ivy League schools have great

financial aid programs and I knew that I

really wanted to benefit from one of

them all right so now that we've broken

down with the composition of your

college list should look like let's go

ahead and talk about the different

factors that you should consider when

deciding which colleges to apply to so

there are a bunch of variables that come

into play here and I'll go ahead and

break each of them down briefly you have

things like location extracurricular

opportunities majors and minors offered

cost climate and so much more I highly

recommend that you pull out a sheet of

paper and write down the criteria that

you're looking for in the colleges that

you're applying to and if you're too

lazy to do that don't worry I have a

worksheet in the description of this

video so first and foremost you want to

consider the size of the college large

colleges will have more academic and

extracurricular opportunities but these

colleges might feel a bit impersonal and

a bit too overwhelming for some students

smaller colleges on the other hand might

be limited in the amount of clubs or

programs or Majors that they offer but

you will get more of that tight-knit and

cozy college experience what you want is

totally up to you personally I didn't

want to go to too small of a college so

I was opting for something more

medium-sized or larger now besides the

physical size of the college and the

number of students at the school you

also want to consider class sides you

want to see whether the college offers

more lecture style classes with hundreds

of students or more seminar style

classes with just a few dozen with

lecture style classes you'll have way

less access to your professors and your

learning will be a lot more

self-directed on the other hand seminar

style classes are a lot more intimate

and Hands-On and they'll give you a lot

more access to your professors now the

reality is a lot of colleges have a mix

of both of these but it does help to

look into whether or not a certain

School leans one way or the other a

statistic I highly recommend you look up

is these two student to faculty ratio

okay so the second thing that you want

to consider is location now there are a

couple variables when it comes to

location you want to consider Urban

versus rural distance from home and

climate Urban college campuses will give

you more opportunities particularly when

it comes to jobs or internships for

example if you're interviewing for

internships during the school year you

might be able to do in-person interviews

or even stop by the various offices a

more Suburban or rural college campus

will not give you this privilege but to

be honest that's not too big of a deal

because you could simply work a remote

internship or do remote interviews so I

think the main factor that you want to

consider is that Urban college campuses

tend to be more lively and fun in my

opinion if you want lots of people

around you if you want some sightseeing

opportunities if you want nice

restaurants or food options then an

urban college campus will definitely

give you that whereas a rural one might

not however I do think rural college

campuses are great for certain types of

students for example if you enjoy nature

or if you want something more peaceful

and quiet then by all means opt for

these more peaceful environments and

when it comes to location you also want

to consider distance from home if you

live on the east coast but you go to

college on the west coast chances are

you will only see your family on the

holidays whereas if you go to college

within the same state you might see your

family once a month or even once a week

trust me there are quite a few freshmen

that visit home pretty often and of

course the most important variable that

you want to consider when it comes to

location is climate just a fair warning

all the IVs are located in the Northeast

so be ready for some frigid Winters back

when I was in college I will never

forget this one time I went out to get

dinner with my friends and I honestly

thought my face was gonna freeze and

fall off December in Boston is not a

good time now the next variable that you

want to consider is the available

programs you want to look deep into the

different majors and minors certain

colleges offer for example if you're

really into cyber security or

biotechnology not every school offers

programs in those fields so dig deep do

your research and make sure you're apply

applying to schools that actually will

teach you the things you want to learn

and then another variable you want to

consider is the flexibility of the

curriculum some colleges have a required

set of core classes that you will have

to take no matter what whereas other

colleges will give you the opportunity

to sort of craft your own curriculum one

example that comes to mind is Brown's

open curriculum which is very flexible

and lets students craft their own

academic Journeys and then of course you

also want to consider the reputation of

the programs at the school if you want

to go into Fields like Finance or

Consulting the reputation of not only

the program but also the school matters

a lot whereas if you want to go into a

field like Tech the reputation of your

school doesn't matter as much tech

companies will pay more attention to

your actual skills and the projects

you've completed alright the next

variable you want to consider is campus

culture now the culture of a college

campus is heavily influenced by the

diversity of the student body not only

in terms of ethnicity or race but also

in terms of academic interest in terms

of political ideology and a handful of

other variables so make sure you're

going to a school whose culture aligns

with your values now you also want to

consider things like the social scene or

Traditions one thing that I would do a

lot in high school is I would just watch

Vlogs about certain colleges just to get

a sense of what the students were like

and let me tell you right now if you are

considering MIT we have a fantastic

hacker culture essentially it's pretty

much Tradition at MIT for students to

pull off different hacks throughout the

school year in years past students have

put Captain America's shield on the Dome

they've put an ambulance on the Dome

they've put R2D2 on the Dome as you can

tell MIT students love to put things on

top of the Dome so yeah I recommend that

you look into these sorts of cultures

and traditions at different schools and

see which ones Vibe with you and one

last but very important element of

Campus culture is residential life be

sure to look into the dorms that are

offered at the schools you're interested

in and look into the sort of housing

residential system they have Harvard for

example has all students living pretty

close to each other freshman year they

all live in dorms that are adjacent to

the Harvard Yard but in later years they

go off into their own housing units

alright we're almost done here I know

we're going through a bunch of different

variables right now but the next thing

that you want to consider are the

extracurricular opportunities offered at

the school look into the sports that are

offered looking to be different clubs

and organizations look into any

internship or Co-op or study abroad

programs your college experience is not

just going to be defined by the classes

you take and the things you learn but

also by the people that you meet and the

circumstances that you meet them in if

you're super into competitive

programming maybe you want to see if the

school has a competitive programming

Club if you're really into Recreational

Sports well that's an important thing to

look into on the bright side I find that

most colleges offer dozens if not

hundreds of different clubs and

extracurricular opportunities and if you

don't find the exact opportunity that

you want a lot of these schools will let

you start it yourself okay and finally

one of the most important variables that

you should consider when applying to

college is cost for every school that

you're considering I recommend searching

up its name followed by net price

calculator on Google look I redirected

to a link where you'll be able to input

your family's Financial info nation and

get an estimate for the amount of

financial aid that you might receive

these numbers are not going to be a

hundred percent accurate but they'll

give you a pretty good idea of what your

family might have to pay out of pocket

and as you're considering cost I also

want you to consider if the school

offers any merit-based scholarships or

has need based Aid a merit-based

scholarship is essentially money that a

school will throw at you for having a

certain GPA SAT score or ACT score

need-based Aid is a financial aid that a

school will give you based on the income

level of your family and just a heads up

the ivy league offers fantastic

need-based Aid even for international

students and as you're crunching the

numbers for these different schools I

also recommend that you calculate the

ROI or the return on investment of the

different schools you're considering

look at your expected costs look at the

expected salary of the degree that you

want to major in and see if you think

going to that college and pursuing that

certain degree is a worthwhile

investment on your money I'll provide a

worksheet that you can use to calculate

Roi in the description of this video

alright so now that you've written down

and understand the different things that

you're looking for in colleges it's time

to actually start finding different

colleges that meet these criteria now

you can use a bunch of different tools

to search for colleges but before I dive

into any of them I highly recommend that

you go to Google Drive and create a

sheet to keep track of all the schools

you're interested in now if you're too

lazy to go ahead and make this table

yourself once again I have a template in

the description of this video okay so

one of my favorite tools for finding

colleges is college boards College

search so if you go ahead and Google

College Board college search you'll see

a page like this and you can search for

colleges based on many different

variables for example occasion Majors

type campus life and so on but of course

this isn't the only tool that you have

to use you can also attend college fairs

talk to your guidance counselor you can

talk to friends and family members about

schools they would recommend for you and

you can even talk to my team over at

next admit you can book a consultation

called one of our consultants and they

would be happy to help you find

different colleges okay so as you're

building out this table of different

colleges and keeping track of variables

like cost location majors

extracurriculars and so on you should

also identify the requirements for each

of these schools look into whether or

not the school requires you to take the

SAT or the ACT figure out whether the

school recommends you take a specific

High School curriculum for example if

you search up a school's name followed

by a recommended High School courses

you'll usually find a web page that

lists the classes the college expects

you to take during your four years in

high school for example on this webpage

on Harvard's website they recommend that

you take four years of math courses in

high school and then on top of course

requirements you also want to see if the

school has any supplemental essays

allows you to submit a portfolio or

requires you to submit something special

for example Princeton requires students

to submit a graded English paper

Dartmouth highly recommends that

students submit a peer recommendation

different schools have different

requirements so just make sure you're

keeping track of them in your table oh

and by the way if you want to learn

about these supplemental essays for the

IVs and want to understand how to answer

them check out the Articles I've Linked

In the description of this video okay so

now you should have a table with a bunch

of different colleges and a lot of

information it's time to narrow your

college list now you can do this in a

variety of ways but I highly recommend

that you consider visiting the schools

or attending virtual info sessions or

tours and as you're doing all this make

sure that you're taking as many notes as

you possibly can so you can narrow down

your college list finally once you have

your narrowed list you want to figure

out if you want to apply it early

anywhere so most colleges have two

deadlines they have an early deadline

and a regular deadline the early

deadline is usually November 1st and the

regular deadline is usually around

January 1st now applying early comes

with a handful of advantages the biggest

one being that you can end the college

admissions process pretty early if you

get into your dream School mid-December

congrats you don't really have to worry

about your regular decision applications

but on top of that applying early also

shows the college that you're

particularly interested in attending

which might give you a slight admissions

boost the extent of this boost even if

there is one at all is usually highly

debated but for most schools I think it

saves to assume that it helps just a

little bit okay so when it comes to

applying early you have three different

kinds of early applications you have

early action early decision and

restrictive early action so the main

difference between early action and

early decision is that early action is

non-binding whereas early decision is

binding in other words if you get in

through an early decision program you

are required to go to that school on the

other hand if you get in through an

early action program you can still

choose whether or not you want to go to

that school and restrictive early action

is just a weirder version of early

action essentially restrictive early

action prevents you from applying early

to multiple schools at once for example

if you apply early to Harvard you can't

also apply early to Princeton and Yale

but the vast majority of schools don't

have restrictive early actions so you

probably don't have to worry about it

too much and just a quick side note if

you're planning to apply early to a

school and want to submit your test

scores I recommend wrapping up your SATs

and your acts the summer before senior

year and with all of that we have

wrapped up the first part of this video

which is building your college list the

next part of the college application

process is starting your actual

application now generally you'll do this

in August when all the college

applications open up and before you go

ahead and start working on your actual

applications I highly recommend that you

create a separate email address for

everything College admissions related

during the college application process

you're going to get a ton of messages

from the Common App from different

colleges and other sources and

ultimately you don't want these

important messages getting lost or mixed

up in your current inbox so when you're

applying to college you can apply

through several different platforms if

you have the common application the

Coalition application and you have Quest

Bridge there are some other options as

well but these are the three most

popular ones plus bridge is mainly

targeted towards low-income students but

it is a fantastic program that I highly

recommend students look into and when it

comes to the Common App versus the

Coalition app the Common App is a lot

more popular and chances are that 99 of

you watching are going to apply through

the Common App so let's take a quick

tour of the Common App and see how you

actually fill out your college

application so if you go to

commonapp.org you'll see a page that

looks like this I recommend that you

click on create an account and start

your account as early as possible

chances are most of you want to click on

first year student and then just go

through the normal registration process

so since I already have a dummy account

let me go ahead and log in and show you

what this looks like so when you log

into the Common App this is what you'll

see you'll see a dashboard that lists

all the colleges that you're applying to

you'll see a Mycologist tab a common app

tab a college search Tab and then a

financial aid tab so pretty much all the

work is going to happen between these

two tabs my colleges and the Common App

So within the Mycologist tab is where

you're going to write all of your

supplemental essays and answer any

college specific questions for example

this right here is a supplemental essay

for brown 200 to 250 words and you can

write it right here in this box but I

highly recommend you don't do this right

away I recommend that you create a

separate Google doc that has all of your

supplemental essays and activity

descriptions once you have finished your

essays in the separate document and once

you're happy with them copy them over to

the common application station so you

can submit yes the Common App does save

your answers but I think you're much

safer just writing everything in a

separate dock okay and then under the

Common App tab is where you'll have all

of your general questions about you your

family education testing and so on and

it's in this tab that you will write

your activity descriptions and your

common app essay once again save

everything in a separate Google doc

first now there is a special part of the

common application that I want to

highlight so if you go to the Common App

Tab and go to the writing section and

scroll all the way down you will see a

box titled additional information now

many people recommend that you don't

write too much in the additional

information section and I agree but I

think this is a fantastic spot to tell

admissions officers about any

extenuating circumstances course

conflicts special classes you've taken

and so on back when I was applying to

college I even used this to list some

additional Awards and activities I

wasn't able to list on my main

application but above all else I kept

this section very short and concise okay

so now here's one of the harsh realities

of the college application process

submitting applications costs money

nowadays the average college application

costs anywhere between 50 to 80 dollars

to submit and if you're applying to 10

plus schools the cost can rack up pretty

quickly well fortunately the Common App

offers something called the Common App

fee waiver which might let you apply to

college for free I highly recommend that

you search up Common App fee waiver

click on the first result and then

you'll see the eligibility requirements

for getting a common at fee waiver and

this page also has more information

about how to get your fee waiver whether

International students are eligible and

what you should do if you don't meet the

fee waiver criteria okay so now let's

move on to part three of today's video

college essays college essays are one of

the most important parts of your college

application because they are where your

voice shine through every other part of

your college application is more numbers

based or is pretty objective for example

your test scores your transcript your

GPA these don't really give a sense of

your personality and character and

ultimately as admissions officers are

building their classes they want to

understand the kinds of students they're

accepting thing so imagine your college

essay as the one opportunity you have to

sit in front of your admissions Officer

and tell your story so the reality is

there are different kinds of college

essays you will have to write during the

process you have the personal statement

and then you have supplemental essays

the personal statement is a college

essay that will go to all the schools

that you're applying to you may also

hear me and others refer to it as the

Common App essay supplemental essays on

the other hand are school specific

essays that you will have to submit for

each individual College the reality is

the college essay process is very

nuanced and I can make over a dozen

videos just about college essays and

that's exactly what I'm doing I'm soon

launching something called the college

essay boot camp that'll take you from

start to finish on your college essay

but I will go ahead and give you my high

level pieces of advice for the college

essay tip number one which you have

probably heard thousands of times

already is show don't tell the college

essay is ultimately a story where you

are the main character you don't just

want to tell admissions officers I'm

hard working or I like computer your

science you want to tell an evocative

and immersive story that engages the

admissions officer for example instead

of just saying that you love computer

science maybe you can write about the

experience of building an app from

scratch and as you're telling the story

you want to make sure that you keep your

writing conversational the college essay

is not a research paper it's not some

formal piece of writing you can use

contractions and you should feel free to

adapt a relaxed tone next make sure you

don't rehash your resume the college

essay is not a place to tell the

admissions officer about all your

accomplishments that's what your

activities list and your honors list is

for the point of the college essay is to

convey your character world view and

values to the admissions officer so

Focus just on one of your interests or

one of your experiences that can convey

something like leadership or

intellectual curiosity it also helps to

ask yourself so what as you're writing

your essay for example if you tell a

story about building an app so what why

should an admissions officer accept you

does the admissions officer believe

you're going to come to their campus and

make strides in their computer science

department do they believe you might go

on to find a very successful startup one

day it helps to think about how the

reader of your essay perceives you and

your potential and so that's why it's

also very important to get feedback on

your college essay ask your English

teacher ask your guidance counselor and

maybe even ask a friend or a family

member but chances are they might not

give you super detailed line-by-line

advice they might just say oh yeah this

is a good essay you should submit it or

maybe they'll say oh this doesn't sound

like you and you should try something

else so if you want very detailed line

by line feedback edits and an overall

review of your college essay check out

next admits essay review serve it we

have a team of Ivy League Consultants

who would be happy to give you in-depth

feedback okay next let's talk about

letters of recommendation so when you

apply to college you will have to submit

three recommendation letters one from

your guidance counselor and two from

your teachers these recommendation

letters are essentially speaking to your

character accomplishments academic

ability and the help admissions officers

get an outside perspective on the kind

of student you are it's one thing to

write an essay and say that your

intellectual really curious it's another

to have your teacher tell an admissions

officer that you're intellectually

curious I think it's best to ask

teachers for letters of wreck sometime

in October and make sure you're asking

teachers ideally from junior year and

those who have seen you interact in a

classroom context make sure the teachers

you ask are those that you know very

well and those who can attest to your

redeeming qualities I highly recommend

you ask your teachers in person so you

can gauge their enthusiasm obviously the

best letters are going to come from the

teachers who are very excited to write

one for you also very important to know

try to ask only junior year teachers you

could ask a sophomore year teacher if

you really can't think of anyone else

but you do not want to ask any freshman

year teachers for a letter of Rec

chances are they probably can't speak

much to who you are today and finally

after you ask your teachers for letters

of Wreck it helps to give them something

called a brag sheet a brag sheet is a

list of your accomplishments activities

anecdotes from the classroom that can

help your teacher write an outstanding

letter I have a Brack sheet template

that you can use and fill out and in the

description of this video okay next

let's briefly talk about financial aid

which is a very important part of the

application process most of you will

want to fill out something called the

FAFSA which opens up October 1st this is

an application for federal financial aid

some schools might also require you to

fill out something called the CSS

profile which provides a more nuanced

look into your family's Financial

circumstances to see whether or not a

school requires the CSS profile you can

just search up a school's name followed

by financial aid requirements I might

make a video or a guide about the FAFSA

and CSS sometime in the future so let me

know if that would be helpful a tool

that I like to use to find scholarships

is the College Board scholarship search

here it is you can use this tool to find

matches from over 6 000 programs and the

great part is this tool will help you

find scholarships based on your

interests situations affiliations and so

on okay so now let's move on to one of

the final parts of this video submitting

your application so now you want to make

sure that you have submitted everything

that is required of you and let me go

ahead and read off my checklist that

might be helpful all parts of your

common app teacher recommendations

counselor recommendation and secondary

school report transcript view waiver or

application fee and test scores and

obviously for some schools test scores

are optional make sure to submit

whatever you can and then follow up with

your guidance counselor to see if

they've submitted everything else so a

few days after you've applied to all

these colleges it will send you

individual links for the application

portals and you can access these portals

to track all of your application

requirements and see what has been

submitted and on these portals you might

see something called the mid-year report

now here's the thing after you apply to

college these schools will still see

your senior year grades they'll ask for

your mid-year report which will reveal

your performance halfway through senior

year and then the school that you choose

to attend will also want to see your

final transcript to see if you

maintained your grades so by all means

try to fight off senioritis now

something else that I want to flag are

interviews a few weeks after you apply

to a college an alumnus might reach out

to you asking to schedule an interview

now not every school does interview use

but many of them in the top 20 do now

College interviews are surprisingly

casual they're just conversations

between you and someone who has gone to

the school and you should see them as an

opportunity to learn more about the

school and to ask any questions you have

now once these are over and a few months

have gone by it is finally time for

decisions so now if you applied early to

a school you probably already got your

decisions mid-December but for the

schools you applied regular to you're

going to get your decisions back in

March or April now if you applied early

you'll either be accepted deferred or

rejected if you applied regular you'll

either be accepted waitlisted or

rejected a deferral is simply a

College's way of saying we haven't made

a decision on you and your application

will be re-evaluated during the regular

decision route getting waitlisted

essentially means that a college is

going to wait to see who accepts their

offers and then based on how much room

is left they might take some students

off the wait list now once you get your

offers it's very important that you

compare them with one another and find

the best fit for you you will probably

want to visit the colleges if you

haven't done so already ready and if you

find that a school is too expensive or

isn't giving you enough financial aid

just know that you can submit a

financial aid appeal letter this is

essentially a request for more money

from a college and I'll link a template

in the description of this video and

after you've played this comparison game

and figured out which college is the

best fit for you it's time to lock in

and commit to a college on May 1st which

is National College decision day after

that you might have to submit a deposit

or sign up for orientation but largely

that should wrap up the college

application process now I hope this

video helped and if it did it would mean

the world if you could share it with

other seniors who are going through the

admissions process and if you want to

hop on a call or get an essay review

from me or my team once again you can

find us over at nextadmin best of luck

getting through the college application

season and just know that I'm here

rooting for you