Understanding the College Applications

College applications can come in many forms, and college admission rules and procedures may vary from school to school. When you're applying to college, you must understand the application requirements for each school you are applying to, and you should plan to meet those requirements in a way that will set you apart from the other, competing competition.

Here is what to expect on the application itself. College applications come in a few different versions: colleges may accept the Common Application, the Universal Application, a state system application, or their own specific application that is unique to their own college. Most colleges allow students to submit their applications and supporting documentation electronically, but some may require paper submissions as well. The Common Application and the Universal Application are similar in that they are college admissions applications that meet the requirements of the colleges who have grouped themselves together and agreed to accept them. Currently, there are over 390 colleges and universities in the United States that accept the Common Application, and the list is growing. The Common Application is available online or on paper. This application is for schools that use subjective or “holistic” measures, in addition to objective measures, to determine eligibility for acceptance. As the Common Application Membership Association puts it: “A holistic process includes subjective as well as objective criteria, including at least one recommendation form, at least one untimed essay and broader campus diversity considerations.”

While many schools will accept the Common Application or the Universal Application, there are other colleges that have their own application processes. While each college or university may have similar application requirements and documents, each should be treated as unique. You don't want to find yourself in a position of submitting an incomplete application because one school has a requirement that most others do not. Check and re-check the requirements! Beyond the application itself, there are several admissions practices that you should be kept in mind. Each admission type may have slight variances in the necessary supporting documentation. In addition to schools that offer a Regular Decision deadline that typically falls between November 1 and March 31 of the senior year, some other common admission types are:

• Early Decision – You apply early, usually in October or November of your senior year, and can be considered for admission before the standard application deadline; you will receive a decision a few weeks later, and you commit to attending that school if accepted.
• Rolling Admission – Colleges continually accept and review applications.
• Early Action – You can apply early and are notified early, but you don't need to decide on attendance until a later date, usually May of the college start year.

There are other admissions programs that are sometimes used. Single Choice Early Action, which is similar to Early Action, but in this case you can only apply early to one college through this program. Often, the type of admission application you submit will depend on whether the school is your unparalleled “first choice” and how prepared you are. Have you taken the requisite tests? Do you have ample time to prepare your college essay? Will you be traveling in the summer or participating in sports programs, which could take away from your preparation time? Make sure that you are not rushed. Your application should not be just adequate, it should be excellent.

Take the time to completely understand your applications. Don't assume that any documents will or will not be not included in your application packets. Pay special attention to details and use tools that are available to help you. For example, WiseChoice offers the Activity Résumé Builder, the Essay Tamer, and the Application Organizer to help you organize your college résumé, essays, and applications. Our website also has a library of fun and informative videos to help you understand how to apply to college.