Four-year colleges or universities provide learning in an array of subjects while preparing students for careers. They grant bachelor's degrees, which enable students to pursue opportunities in a wide spectrum of jobs. Students who earn a bachelor's degree may also continue their education and pursue a graduate degree.

24-25 GUIDE TO COLLEGE ADMISISON PROCESS (ENGLISH)

24-25 GUIDE TO COLLEGE ADMISISON PROCESS (SPANISH)

24-25 COMMON APP CHEAT SHEET

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FUND (EOF) INFO

SCOIR (our college and career search platform)

Admissions Frequently Asked Questions

Many colleges and universities will ask for similar information, but many schools do have their own specific requirements. Visiting or talking with the school in person can help clarify any confusion.

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Ways to Apply:  Early Action (EA), Early Decision (ED1 & ED2), Restrictive Early Action (REA),  Regular Decision (RD), and Rolling Admissions processes

Early Decision 1  plans are binding — a student who is accepted as an ED applicant must attend the college, and typically have to pay their deposit before the standard reply deadline. Students can only apply to one college/university ED1.  For Early Decision 1, the deadline is usually November 1, and students will typically receive an admissions decision by December 15, before the regular application deadline.  If they are admitted through ED1, students must withdraw their applications to all other institutions they applied to.

Early Decision 2 is also binding and is an option for students if they weren’t admitted to their first choice ED1 or if after researching all other options, they are sold on attending that one college and apply ED2. For Early Decision 2, however, the deadline is usually January 1 or January 15. This means your students typically will apply Regular Decision (or Rolling) to the rest of the schools on their list. If they are admitted through ED2 (usually around February 15 of senior year), they will need to withdraw their remaining applications.

Early Action plans are non-binding - students receive an early response to their application but do not have to commit to the college until the college’s reply deadline (typically May 1). Applying early can help students reduce stress about the process, gain more time when making a final decision, and signal to their schools that the student is committed and excited about that institution.

Restrictive Early Action is another non-binding option - students aren’t obligated to attend if accepted. However, if a student applies Restrictive Early Action, they may not apply to any other schools in the early rounds. Applicants are expected to sign a statement that they agree to file only one early application. Applying REA clearly indicates to the school that they are your number one choice, and it can significantly increase your chances of acceptance. Like EA applicants, REA applicants typically have until May 1 to make their decision.

Regular Decision deadlines are generally between January 1 and February 1, depending on the school. Applicants are notified of the admissions team’s decision by April 1, and they do not have to commit to the college until the college’s reply deadline - just like EA and REA.
Regular Decision is not an early round application, and students are compared to a larger pool of applicants. It is not binding, and students can apply Regular Decision to as many schools as the student would like.

Rolling Admissions - This is a policy in which applicants are invited to submit their applications to the university within a large window of time. The school reviews and continues to admit students until they have met their class enrollment goals.

TESTING/TRANSCRIPTS

• What standardized tests are required for admission? 

Students take the SAT and/or the ACT for college admissions. The SAT is scored on a 1600 point scale, while the ACT is a composite score (highest is 36)

• Do schools prefer which one a student takes? 

That is a question to ask the college directly, however in most cases there is no preference. 

• Are test scores still required for admissions and if not, what does it mean to be test-optional?

Over 80% of colleges and universities have moved test-optional.  Some schools still require (or have returned to requiring) applicants to submit the SAT or ACT. However, many schools have become permanently “test‐optional” while others have become temporarily test-optional (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), which means they look at the rest of the application (GPA/grades, essays, recommendations, activities, etc.) to come to a decision on admission.

Most schools will indicate if there is a preference, but often there is not. Schools also want a student to do their best in whichever one they prefer. Trying practice tests in both can help a student to see which one is best for them.

Some colleges may require test scores for certain academic majors and scholarships, while others who are fully test-optional would not require them for scholarships or majors. 

• A student scored better in Math when they took the SAT Exam in June than when they just took it in the fall. Does a school take the best score from each section regardless of test date?

This is called “superscoring” or “cherry picking”. The schools will take a student's best score from a section of a test and disregard the others. Some schools will automatically superscore your exams, some will only consider the highest composite score. They often will note this on their website.

• Does a student need to request an official Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) Score Report to apply? Does School XYZ accept AP or IB credit?

Few US schools require AP or IB scores for admission, but many will require official scores in order to give credit for the equivalent college coursework. Students will want to check if AP/IB scores are accepted for credit, which is easily accessible from the College Board Website.

ACADEMIC COURSEWORK

• Do colleges like to see more AP & Honors classes or higher grades in lower level classes?

Ideally, schools want to see a student succeeding in whatever coursework you are taking. However, schools will consider grade trends (how grades progress from year to year), look for increasing level of difficulty in classes into senior year, and overall GPA when reviewing transcripts. We want to see students succeeding and well prepared!

ESSAYS/RECOMMENDATIONS

• What should a student write about, and what do schools look for in an essay?

The essay should tell the school about the student as a person beyond their transcripts or activities. They should think about what qualities or talents they have and what the story is they are trying to tell about themselves to the admissions committee. Make sure the grammar, spelling and punctuation are correct. Students should note that institutions may have to report any form of self-harm, abuse, or other safety concerns and should consider that as part of their essay.

• How strict are the word limits on the essays?

The CommonApp, Coalition Application, and other third-party services will likely have a cap and will not allow additional words beyond that. Most schools will not be too strict about the essay length of supplemental essays, but will expect you to abide by guidelines as closely as possible.

• Who should a student ask for a letter of recommendation? Can they send additional recommendations?

A student should review the school's requirements and preferences for academic, personal, and/or professional recommendations. A student should consider asking the teacher who knows them best - they're likely the one that can give insight into who that student is as a student. Schools look more at key words in the letters about the student's academic & personal skills as well as how well they know the student and less at the recommenders’ titles. If a student would like to submit an additional recommendation, it can certainly add dimension to their application -- but there is a limit. Some schools will explicitly note a maximum number of recommendations, or a restriction on the type of recommendations that they will accept.

ACTIVITIES

• What are some of the types of activities that most students include in their applications?

Some of the most popular activities include school clubs, sports, music, summer programs, youth groups, community service, and hobbies or passions. Students can include anything they deem relevant on the activities list if they think it will let the school get to know them better. A student should keep in mind one key thing: What makes you stand out?

• A participated in WXYZ in seventh through ninth grades. How should they put this on my Extracurricular Activities list?

Students should be sure to let schools know what any acronyms mean! A student can arrange their activities chronologically, by activity type or any way that makes sense to you. A student should limit the activities they list to those in which they participated in high school.

• A student wasn’t able to participate in a lot of activities because they spend most of their time working after school. Does that go on their Extracurricular Activities list?

Absolutely, yes! Part‐time or full‐time work and volunteering should be included, as well as working in a family business and/or taking care of siblings/family members. Admissions staff want to hear the details about their jobs, including when (the months and years) they worked.

• What kinds of awards should they put in my application?

Please include any regional, state or national awards or commendations they have received. Published or acclaimed works are also important to mention.

Common Acronyms and Abbreviations

AA/AFA/AS/AAS/AGE: Degrees often granted by a community or two‐year college. Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Fine Arts (AFA), Associate of Science (AS), Associate of Applied Science (AAS), & Associate in General Education (AGE) differ in requirements 

ACT: The ACT is a college entrance exam covering English, math, reading and science reasoning, and is often taken during a student’s junior or senior year. One of the few college exams not provided by the College Board.

AP: Advanced Placement courses are challenging high school courses that focus on a particular subject. Students may receive credit or receive a higher placement within college courses. The College Board provides this curriculum and testing.

BA/BS/BFA: A bachelor’s degree, also called a baccalaureate or undergraduate degree. The Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Science (BS) & Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) differ in requirements.

CEEB Code: A standardized ID number that is assigned to a high school, college, or university. CEEB codes are issued by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and used by the College Board.

CLEP: College Level Examination Program offers college credit for independent study or life experience. The College Board provides this curriculum and testing.

COA: The Total Cost of Attendance to attend an institution, including tuition, fees, room, board, books, & other expenses.

CSS Profile: A secondary financial aid application that colleges use to allow students to apply for non-federal financial aid (see FAFSA). Often used at private schools, this is an additional application that international students are able to use, but it does have a fee associated with it.

EA: Early Action Deadline – A non‐ binding agreement, provides students flexibility to attend if admitted, and to find out sooner.

ED: Early Decision Deadline – A binding agreement that a student will attend that school if admitted.

FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid – students should go to studentaid.gov/fafsa-app to apply. This application is used by accredited schools to provide a financial package of grants and loans - including both university funds and state/federal funds.

GPA: Grade Point Average ‐ grades students earn in high school and college are assigned points (ex. A=4, B=3, etc.), and additional points may be given for advanced courses (weighted average). A student’s GPA is the sum of all earned points divided by the number of courses taken.

HBCU Meaning “any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary of Education.”

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Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) was established in 1986 with a founding membership of eighteen institutions intended to support education of Hispanic students.

NCAA: National Collegiate Athletic Association – partially funds most athletic scholarships and schools participate in athletic conferences and divisions (or levels) between schools

PSAT/NMSQT: Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test – measures verbal reasoning, critical reading, writing and math skills. Familiarizes students to questions asked on the SAT – often taken in sophomore or junior year (junior year is when the exam can result in the National Merit Scholarship qualification)..

SAI: Student Aid Index – Data provided on the FAFSA (see below) used to calculate a family’s ability to pay for college expenses

SAT: The ACT is a college entrance exam that measures literacy, numeracy, and writing skills, and is often taken during a student’s junior or senior year. The College Board provides this exam.

EBRW: The Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score is compiled of two sections of the test - the Reading section and the Writing and Language section

Math: The Math score is compiled of one section of the test - the Math section

Superscore: The process by which a school will combine multiple tests together to increase a composite score. For example, if a student received a 700 Math and 510 EBRW in June and a 680 Math and 590 EBRW, a school that superscores will take the 700 Math and 590 EBRW to provide them a new composite score of 1290

Test Blind: Not only do students not need to submit a standardized test, but if a student does submit one, it will be ignored and not used in the evaluation process.

Test Optional: This is an option that allows for a student to not submit a test score if they’re not happy with it or were unable to take one, but if a student submits a score, a college may use it in the evaluation process.

Some Resources

Colleges That Change Lives, Inc. (CTCL) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and support of a student-centered college search process. We support the goal of every student finding a college that develops a lifelong love of learning and provides the foundation for a successful and fulfilling life beyond college.

College Admissions Collaborative Highlighting Engineering and Technology (CACHET)  is a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to promoting opportunities for students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). CACHET provides a forum for college enrollment professionals and guidance counselors to share strategies and best practices in pursuing STEM careers.