top of page

Applying to Colleges and Universities

Each school counselor has adopted a section such as this to guide the college application process.  Please feel free to use any or all of this in communicating with your students.  Note that the calendar at the bottom of the page corresponds to the set of colleges that a student is applying to and should be considered an example. 

 

 Applying to a college uses a set of formal steps with some schools receiving over 50,000 applications if you can imagine.  Your application fees may be waived, and you can use a platform such as the Common App to apply simultaneously to several schools, but don't waste your effort and a college's time on applying to schools you have not researched.

​

Formal steps imply rigid deadlines.  You can spend months thinking about a major, researching colleges and making decisions if you begin early.  But you need to be careful about testing dates for the SAT and ACT, if these are required, application deadlines for special consideration for admissions such as early action, requirements for college essays and letters of recommendation to complete the Common App, and many more.  

​

You are welcome to use the links below for more details on applying in general to a community college or a major university.  These may provide you sufficient details to complete the process on your own.  Otherwise, email applying@dupontyouth.org and we will help you.

​

​

 

Heading 6
AT A GLANCE
What to expect when you apply:
1

Two-Year School

These are the general steps for the application process to a college or university.
Junior Year
​

  1. Research major field of study

  2. Take SAT or ACT

  3. Make tentative list of colleges

  4. Seek approval for letters of recommendation

Summer between Junior and Senior Yrs

  1. Make final list of colleges

  2. Record application requirements

  3. Prepare for college essays

  4. Take prep classes for SAT or ACT if spring scores are low

Fall of Senior Year

  1. Create accounts for the Common App or other platforms

  2. Make formal request for recommendation letters

  3. Complete college essays and upload them to platforms

  4. Retake SAT or ACT if necessary

  5. Apply for early decision or early action by October

Winter and Spring of  Senior Year

  1. Respond to decisions by colleges to early decision and early action applications.

  2. Apply for regular decisions by colleges by January 1.

  3. File FAFSA by December 31.

  4. Respond to regular decision applications.

  5. Confirm enrollment.

bottom of page