Selecting a College: A Checklist Approach (continued)

- COMMERCIAL GUIDEBOOKS--see section, "Using Computer Programs and Guidebooks."

Applying for Admission

The procedures for applying for admission vary from one college to another, but usually the first step is to obtain an application form from the college. This should be done as early as possible in the senior year, or at the end of the junior year if seeking early admission. Students applying for financial aid may also be required to meet early deadlines.

Filling out the application completely and carefully is very important. In addition, many colleges require a recommendation from the secondary school counselor, administrator, or teacher. It is the individual student's responsibility to file the completed application on time, meet deadline dates for submitting test scores, and file financial aid applications. The school counselor is the key resource for information on test scores, financial aid forms, deadline dates, and other particulars.

- APPLICATION FEE--most charge an application fee, usually not refundable even if the application is rejected.

- ACADEMIC RECORDS--the counselor submits a secondary school transcript or college transfer record of student courses, final grades, and test scores.

- ADMISSION TEST SCORES--for many students, the college selection process begins with the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), which is taken in the fall of the junior year. High school counselors advise students which of the college entrance tests to take--Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), American College Testing Program Test (ACT), Achievement Test (ACH), and the Advanced Placement Tests (AP)--and when to take them.

- LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION--some colleges require one or more letters of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, clergy, alumnus, or adult member of the community.

- ESSAY--a personal essay or autobiographical statement is required by some institutions, particularly four-year, private colleges (THE COLLEGE HANDBOOK, 1984).

Responding to Admission Offers

Once students have heard from all the colleges to which they have applied, it is their responsibility to send a letter of acceptance or rejection of admission offers. According to a 1980 report on undergraduate admissions policies published by the College Board, 83 percent of all college applicants can expect to be accepted by their first-choice college (THE COLLEGE HANDBOOK, 1984).

In Summary

The steps described in this fact sheet can serve students as a useful checklist for finding, selecting, and applying to college. By following these steps, students can lay the basic groundwork for a rewarding college experience.

For More Information

AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES. Hawthorne, NY: Walter de Gruyter, Inc., 1983.

BARRON'S GUIDE TO THE BEST, MOST POPULAR, & MOST EXCITING COLLEGES. Woodbury, NY: Barron's Educational Series., 1982.

BARRON'S PROFILES OF AMERICAN COLLEGES: DESCRIPTIONS OF THE COLLEGES. Woodbury, NY: Barron's Educational Series, l982.

COLLEGE-BOUND DIGEST. Northbrook, IL: Who's Who among American High School Students, 1983. ED 235 710.

Kaye, K. R. (Ed.). GUIDE TO COLLEGES IN THE MIDWEST. Princeton, NJ: Peterson's Guide, 1984.

Kaye, K. R. (Ed.). GUIDE TO FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES 1985. Princeton, NJ: Peterson's Guides, 1984.

McClintock, J. ONE HUNDRED COLLEGES: HOW TO CHOOSE & GET IN. NY: John Wiley, Inc., 1982. ED 224 449.

Nicholson, J.M. "A Guide to the College Guides." CHANGE, 15(1) (l983): 16-21, 46-50.

Straughn, C.T., II and B.L. Straughn, eds. LOVEJOY'S COLLEGE GUIDE. NY: Monarch Press, 1985.

THE COLLEGE BLUE BOOK. NY: MacMillan, 1983.

THE COLLEGE HANDBOOK 1984-85. New York: College Entrance Examination Board, 1984.

THE INSIDER'S GUIDE TO THE COLLEGES. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1981.