5 Organization Tips for Managing the College Application Process

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There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing where to go to college. The cost, location, and degree program all come into play. College is an investment in your future, and it is important that you make the right decision for yourself. These tips can help you manage your college application process more efficiently.

Create a spreadsheet of potential colleges.

When looking for colleges, it is important to not only look at the institution’s website. You can also search for HBCU rankings on sites like US News or Forbes Magazine. The colleges you want to apply to will likely be on the list of schools you received in your acceptance letter.

Track all college application deadlines on a calendar.

College application deadlines are important to know because they dictate when you need to start preparing for your applications. It is important that you keep track of all of these deadlines, so that you do not miss any of them. This can be done by using a calendar or an online app like Google Calendar.

Organize your college application documents. 

When it comes time to apply for college, you need to have all of your documents in order. It is easy to get overwhelmed when trying to find important documents like transcripts, letters of recommendation, and test scores. Depending on how far away you are from graduating, the earliest these deadlines might be could be the fall or spring semester. Next, check out which colleges have early application deadlines.

Schedule and take the required college entrance tests.

The college entrance tests are a set of standardized tests that students take to get into college. These tests are the SAT and ACT, which are both required for admission to most colleges. There is also the AP (Advanced Placement) test, which is not required but can provide an advantage to students applying to certain colleges.

Talk to your parents about paying for college.

There are a lot of ways that your parents can help you pay for college. The first priority is to file the FAFSA form. Students will have to fill out this form in order to qualify for financial aid, like most scholarships and grants. It determines how much aid a student can qualify for based on their family’s income.