College Application Tips: What to do After You Submit Your College Applications
On November 1st, the majority of early action and early decision college applications are due. Leading up to this deadline, I have been sharing college application tips to help the whole process run smoothly. (Read previous advice about logistics, the common application form, the honors and activities sections, supplements, AI, campus visits, interviews, financial aid, final application review, and the core essay.)
Happy November 1st! I hope that these tips have helped you submit your college applications. Wondering what to do next?
- Make Sure You Submitted Correctly.
Check the Common Application Form: If submitted correctly, the “dashboard” section of the common application will show that the application is submitted. (And you should see confetti when you physically hit submit!)
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- Note: A few schools make you submit in two steps, once for the core common application form and again for the writing section.
- Create Your Portal.
Set up a Portal ASAP: After you submit, you will receive an email directing you to set up a portal. You need it to (1) track your application, (2) make sure that everything is complete, (3) upload supporting documents, if required, like financial aid forms, and (4) view your decision.
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- Note: It can take a few days, but if you don’t get this email REACH OUT TO THE SCHOOL. You need the portal!
- Make Sure You Know What’s Required.
Students who are applying for financial aid, or who are international applicants, often need to send in additional forms.
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- Similarly, some schools use the portal (or email) to send requests to fill out forms like the SRAR, which is essentially a manual transcript. If they request this and you don’t complete the form within the designated window, WHICH CAN BE THE DEADLINE DATE, you can get bumped to the next round. (Or not reviewed at all, if you never complete it.)
- Get in the habit of checking your email and your texts every single day.
- Interviews:
Some schools will allow you to request an interview after you apply. The spots can go quickly, and there is often a limited window in which to request the interview. (Other schools invite you, and many don’t offer interviews at all. Information about the process is available on each school’s website.)
- Submit test scores, if you are including them in your candidacy.
You might be able to self-report scores, and every school has a different mechanism for doing this, so please read and follow the instructions! In some cases you will need to send your official scores directly from the ACT or College Board websites. If, for some reason, you are submitting scores to schools that require this and you haven’t sent them yet, do so ASAP.
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- International students who are submitting the IELTS or TOEFL will need to send those scores directly to their schools, and should do so as soon as they complete the test.
- Transcripts:
Be aware of each school’s requirements regarding first quarter/trimester grades. (Many ask you to have your high school send them, although not all schools require this for review.) Make sure that you understand your high school’s process – do they send quarter/trimester grades automatically, or do you need to request them?
Also, if you DON’T want your senior transcript sent to schools that don’t require it, you can ask the school not to send it.
Submitting college applications is a big deal, and the culmination of a great deal of work. Congratulations!
