College Application Nuts and Bolts: Should I Apply Online?
Applying online is a popular and usually easier way to apply to colleges. According to the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC), colleges received approximately 70 percent of all applications online in 2007, and it is a growing trend. It is fairly easy to type in your information, especially the statistical information about you and your family. On some online applications, you may have trouble cutting and pasting your essay or uploading your essay if it is too long, so you may have to edit the essay and make it shorter.
Complete the application at least one to two weeks before the deadline to ensure you have no difficulty in completing and submitting your application. Also, make sure you actually hit the “submit” button. You may think you have applied online, but some students don’t submit the application properly. You should get some type of confirmation, either at the time you apply or in a separate e-mail. Print these confirmations and keep them in the folders you have for each college.
Applying online gives your application a nice, neat appearance. On some Web sites, you can upload your brag sheet as you develop it; on others you have to follow the format you are given. You may be able to include only your top seven activities. If you want to add more activities to your brag sheet, you may be able to send a separate résumé by paper along with your other documents (transcript, letters of recommendation), or you can upload your résumé in the “additional information” section of the application. Some high schools electronically send transcripts and letters, and others send these documents by paper.
It is extremely important to inform your guidance counselor that you have applied online. Some students forget to tell their counselors they have applied online, so their documents are not sent. Your guidance office may have a form for you to complete, listing all of the schools you’ve applied to online, so check with your counselor. If you apply online, you can pay by credit card when you submit your application or you can sometimes send a check separately. Either way, don’t forget to pay your application fee or request a fee waiver if needed from your counselor.
If you prefer, you can usually generate an application online and then print it and mail it so everything is typed. Do not also submit it online; colleges will not accept two versions of the same application, one on paper and one online, so choose which way you want to apply. Also, many colleges do not want you to mix and match online and paper applications, so you can’t generally do the Common App online and then do the supplement on paper. Read the instructions on the college’s Web site, the Common App Web site, or the UCA Web site. Paper applications are still being used, but always check with the college to which you are applying.
TIP: If you wait until the last minute to apply, some Web sties crash from heavy volume and you may be unable to complete your application close to the deadline.
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