County
College Admissions Process
A Director’s Perspective
Are you a senior feeling the stress of friends or family members asking you, “where have you applied to college?” or “have you been accepted?” or even “what college will you attend?” Does the application process seem overwhelming? Applying to college doesn’t have to be a daunting process.
This should be one of the best times in your life. You have reached that pinnacle senior year. You are graduating from high school. Yes, you! Congratulations, you made it. You are leaving the comfort of high school and embarking on your next journey: college. The steps outlined below will allow you to breeze through the admissions process.
Simple Steps to Success
Begin your college search by answering the following questions:
- Do you wish to attend a college in-state or out-of-state?
- Do you wish to attend a public or private college?
- Do you wish to live on or off campus?
- What field would you like to study?
- Do you wish to attend a college close to home or hours away?
By asking yourself these questions, you have just taken your first steps to enrolling in college. Now that you have determined location, type of university, living preferences and major; begin researching colleges that meet your criteria.
Research
In the beginning, the worldwide web is your best research tool. Use university system Web sites to see overviews for each college and check out their location. Similarly, you can search the web for private and out-of-state colleges, depending on your criteria.
Select eight to ten colleges that match the answers to the questions you answered above and browse their Web sites. As you review their sites answer the following questions to narrow your search:
- Do they offer the major that interests you?
- What is the cost of attendance?
- Are their academic programs accredited?
- What is the professor to student ratio?
- Is on-campus housing available or is living off-campus allowed?
- What opportunities do they offer to get involved on campus?
- Is this a safe campus and location?
- What meal plan options are available?
At this point in the process, select five colleges that continue to interest you and let’s get down to business.
Application and Visitation
Since you have narrowed your search to your top five colleges, you should review their application requirements and schedule visitation days. Scheduling a campus visit is extremely important. You may feel that you want more than anything to attend this one specific university and visit campus only to find out, it is not where you belong. Most students find that when visiting college campuses, they are able to quickly determine where they feel most comfortable.
When preparing to apply for college admission, it is important to review all application requirements to pre-screen yourself for admission. Find out the GPA and SAT or ACT
requirements. Ask how your admission file will be reviewed. Some colleges only evaluate your academic qualifications while others take into consideration your leadership skills and community involvement in high school. This is important for you to know and may even narrow your top five college list to a top three or four list. Review the admission deadlines and submit all required materials on time. You do not want to miss an opportunity to attend your first choice only because you missed a deadline.
The Decision
Now that you have visited the colleges of your choice and applied for admission, continue to communicate with the admissions office as you await your decision. Once accepted, follow up with the college regarding confirmation and housing deposit deadlines, sign up for orientation and prepare to begin an amazing journey. The college you choose to attend and major you study will change your life. Study hard, get involved on campus and in the community and make every moment count. This is your time to shine, rise to the occasion and be successful.
Editorial is provided by Jennifer Chadwick, Director of Undergraduate Admissions at North Georgia College & State University.
