Applying to College 101

10/3/2022

Michaela Fitzpatrick, M.Ed.

Choosing the right college can be overwhelming, but there are tried and true tips that can help make the process work for you. Here’s a comprehensive (but approachable!) guide to the college application process from Michaela Fitzpatrick, a veteran college counselor and Director of Counseling at Xaverian Brothers High School. She’s a firm believer in finding the best-fit college for each student; there’s no one-size-fits-all college or university! Follow the tips in this blog to find yours.

START WITH THE BASICS:

First and foremost, start early…don’t wait until the fall of senior year. Your college search should begin during your junior year. And to kick it off, there are a few questions every junior in high school should be asking themselves as the very first step toward make their college plans:

How far away from home do I want to be? (and the followup here is, “Am I OK with only coming home at Christmas?” If the college is a significant distance, travel costs should certainly be considered.)
What interests do I want to pursue?
Do I want to be in an urban, suburban, or rural environment?
What kind of classroom setting is right for me? (ie large lecture halls with 200+ students or smaller, more intimate settings)
How much can my family afford (and how much debt can I personally handle post-graduation)? This is one that will require honest parent input and family discussion.

The answers to these questions will help you determine your initial lists of colleges. The next step is to take advantage of your school counseling office. Your counselor can look at your academic profile, the type of school you’d prefer, your budget, and make recommendations for places that might be the right fit for you. That said, you don’t want to go empty handed. You should have a large list of places that interest you (think 25!) that you can discuss with your counselor to understand whether or not you’re a good candidate for those schools. Once you talk through the lists, it’s time to get serious about visiting campuses.

TIP: In order to determine what type of campus and experience you want, visit nearby schools that exemplify the different types of colleges (urban, suburban, and rural, small liberal arts schools and large public universities, etc.), even if they’re not a school where you will apply. Once you know what type of campus and classroom you want, you can expand your search outside of your local area. That way you won’t waste time traveling to a school that in the end doesn’t provide the type of learning or social environment you want.

MAKE TIME FOR CAMPUS VISITS:

Visit as many schools as you can! Plan on two colleges per day if they are within an easy drive of each other, knowing that it takes a few hours at each location.
Visit while colleges are in session. Summer visits are worthwhile if it’s the only time you can go, but the real way to get a sense of a school is to go during the regular academic year.
If a school is too far away to visit and the travel is cost-prohibitive, be sure to take part in a virtual tour and schedule a Zoom with an admissions counselor. Visiting a school shows your interest, and colleges do care about your demonstrated interest. Once you get into a school and you're seriously considering enrolling, then definitely make the trip to visit campus to be sure it’s the right spot for you.

TIP: Some schools will waive the application fee if you visit! If the application fee represents an undue financial burden for your family, you can have the fee waived through the Common Application.

NAVIGATING THE APPLICATION PROCESS:

You’ve done all your research, narrowed down your list, and you’re ready to start submitting applications. But how many schools should you apply to, and how do you know if you should apply Early Action, Early Decision, or regular admission? Here’s a list of 11 DOs and Don’ts to help you through the process.

DO apply to at least 8-10 schools overall. That number could be higher if you know you will need significant financial assistance, or if you’re applying to the higher echelon schools. The landscape has become incredibly competitive in recent years. Within these 8-10 consider the following.
- Apply to 4-5 schools that are reasonable for you…schools that regularly accept students who match your academic profile.
- I encourage students to have 1-2 reach schools, because you never know the outcome!
- Do not apply to any school where you would not be happy to attend.
- Make sure you have one very safe school. It should be one where you and your counselor agree you should have no issue being accepted, and again, a school you’d be happy to attend!
- Applying ED (early decision) to your number one choice can be a strategic move to help you secure admission. You’re more likely to be accepted if you apply ED…but you don’t want to end up regretting your decision. Make sure it’s the school for you! If you’re not 100% certain, applying EA (early action) could also help your application to be accepted.

DO apply to at least one realistic school by November 1. It’ll be good for your mental health to have at least one acceptance locked in when you leave for December break.
Do not submit any written material without having someone else look at it! You don’t want errors on your application or essay.
Do not put a specific college’s name in your essay for the Common Application. You don’t want it sent to one school saying how much you want to attend another!
DO make use of the “Additional Information Section” on the Common App. This gives you 650 words to tell schools more about you and what makes you stand out from the crowd. Here you can highlight things they wouldn’t see on your application elsewhere, like if you’re a self-starter who founded a non-profit, or who loves fixing lawn mowers and other small engines for fun, or who takes on leadership positions in your church. This is your moment to shine and too often students leave it blank.
Do not be afraid to ask a teacher to write a recommendation for you if you struggled in their class. If they can talk about how hard you worked, how you were able to ask for help, and your grit and resilience, that speaks volumes over a teacher who doesn’t know you as well but in whose class you got straight As.
DO ask a teacher in a specific subject area to write your recommendation if you’re applying to a school with a general focus. For example, if applying to an engineering school, you should have recommendations from math and science teachers.
DO treat every college like it’s your first choice. Reach out to them. Visit! Take the opportunity and interview, if they offer that. You cannot assume you’ll get into a school simply because of your academic profile. Colleges look for “Demonstrated Interest,” and it does matter.
DO use the net price calculator on every college’s website. They’re very good indicators of what your family will be expected to contribute at each school.
DO apply for financial aid, regardless of family income. Why? Because with a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) on file, students become eligible to receive Stafford Loan. Every student should have some skin in the game in paying for their own college experience, and Stafford Loans make this possible at a low rate.
DO listen to your school counselor! They’re experts on the college application process and their job is to help guide and support you. Don’t miss out on a great resource.

TIP: You’re competing against your peers from your own school. Your counselor will have a good idea whether or not there will be a lot of applicants to a particular school in a given year. If you apply to a school where many members of your class will be applying, it will be harder for you to get in. Consider schools outside of your geographic area; ones that not many of your classmates will be pinning their hopes on, too. So if 55 members of your class will be applying to Providence College, let’s say, consider identifying a school similar to PC in another part of the country and apply there.

MAKING THE BIG DECISION:

Once the acceptances start rolling in, all that’s left to do is decide (as though that’s a simple thing!). Follow your gut and remember, you’re looking for the best school for you…not for your mom or dad, your brother or sister, your aunt or uncle, your teacher, or your coach. It doesn’t matter how it looks on a sweatshirt or if people have heard of it before. Find the school where you are most likely to thrive and enjoy your college experience. Once you’ve made that decision and sent in your deposit, it’s time to start thinking about dorm room decor and all the fun things that come with heading off to college. You’ll do great out there!

TIP: If finances are a consideration (and they are for almost all families facing college costs), remember that “bang for your buck” is most important. More than the prestige of the university, what you put into your college experience will dictate what you get out of it; and what you don’t want to get out of college is crippling debt. You’ll likely have a lot of new expenses as a recent college graduate, from a car to an apartment and all of the daily needs associated with becoming an independent adult. You won’t need the added burden of overwhelming school loans. Make sure you understand what your loan payments will look like post graduation, and be sure to pick the school that is affordable for you.

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Applying to College 101

Xaverian Brothers High School