06 Nov Students should be aware of college application deadlines
Students should be aware of college application deadlines!
If you are a Senior this year, do you know the deadline of admissions to the college of your choice? In some cases, it may be only three months away! Are you prepared for the admissions process?
I began thinking of writing an article about this topic after I was asked this very question during a recent workshop. I would like to provide some information and direction for all those juniors out there that will begin struggling with this process in the next 3 to 6 months.
For informational purposes, here is a chart showing you some of the applications deadlines for a few colleges. Please remember that these dates may change, so please go online to the colleges that you’re interested in and confirm the deadlines.
| College | Early Action Deadline Closes | Regular Decision Deadline | Honors Programs Specialty Majors Deadline |
| U. T. | 1-Oct | 1-Dec | 15-Oct |
| A & M | 1-Oct | 1-Dec | Engineering 15-Oct |
| U. of Houston | 15-Nov | 30-Jun | NA |
| Texas State | 1-Mar | 1-May | NA |
| Rice | 1-Nov | 1-Jan | NA |
| Harvard | 1-Nov | 1-Jan | NA |
| Stanford | 1-Nov | 3-Jan | NA |
The student’s college admission applications should do an effective job of accurately portraying their high school accomplishments; in fact, it should serve as a detailed account of all four years, including all achievements and associated activities. It is important that the application be as organized, complete and accurate as possible. The real key to completing and submitting college admission application forms is to actually know the items the Admissions Officer is looking for and arranging each into an effective application packet.
Some admission applications may be complex, with many sections; some areas of the application may weigh much heavier than others. Although most colleges choose not to talk about it, every college uses a scoring system to rank its applicants. Guidelines to follow:
Follow each school’s requirements carefully, do not write in longhand, do not use whiteout, do not leave any required questions blank, do not make the Admissions Officer search for the answer(s).
When to Apply? – Although most admission application deadlines are usually in October through January, the student who applies early most-often has an advantage. You usually can find the date that they began accepting applications on their websites.
Methods of Applying – A great number of colleges and universities now accept online applications. The student may check each schools’ website for online admission application availability. However Some schools require a paper application.
Common Application – Many schools now also use the Common Application, which was specifically designed to make the college admission application process more convenient for the student, and for the institutions. The Common Application may be completed once and used for several institutions.
Core Application Packet – Items to include:
unofficial high school transcript, SAT and/or ACT scores, letters of recommendation (most overlooked portion of the application), essay (generally around 500 words), list of references who can comment on the student’s, list of work experiences, list of volunteer and/or community activities, list of positions held in high school, copies of documents to every accomplishment, audition tape or sample if applying for music, design, or art
It’s a good idea to use recommendation letters to round out the admission application. If possible, each recommendation letter should include information about the student that will not be found anywhere else on the application.
The Admission Essay – The most common challenge the student has in writing their college essay is to get the attention of the Admissions Officer who is reading it; at the same time, however, this challenge gives the student an excellent opportunity to express themselves as an individual. The essay is the student’s chance to tell who they are, their likes, their goals, what they have learned and experienced as a person, and why they are ready for college. The admissions essay also gives the student a chance to fill in the blanks on their application. The essay should convey an honest, dynamic, and self-motivated image of the student.
I hope those juniors and the parents of juniors will find this information helpful as they prepare to go/ send their kids off to the college of their choice. This month’s article deals only with the application part of the process, of getting your student into the college of their choice.
Hopefully if you have a senior that you are finishing the admissions process for your senior!
As always, feel free to give me a call or email me with any questions you might have.
You can also find this article on the Houston Chronicle Website.
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