College Admissions PROCESS

By Irasema Del Castillo

Many students are less than a year away from their freshman year of college, yet most seniors still have no idea where that school will be. College admissions can be a tricky process.

We all know how difficult it is; senior Natalie Knight says, "Applying for college seems like so much work; I hope it's worth it!" 

After we have prepared for college the last three years of our lives, how do we get out there so that colleges can accept us? 

Timpanogos High scholarship coordinator Debbie Miller says, "start your ninth grade year, get online and look to see what they ask for: leadership, AP classes, a good ACT score, and service, so you can start preparing."

It begins with actually getting the applications to all the possible schools you would like to attend. When applying to different colleges, keep in mind some “safety schools,” places where you would most likely be accepted, some “target schools,” places where the chances are about 50 percent to get in, and some “reach schools,” places where you would like to go but may not quite be qualified yet. 

It is always better to apply to more than the school you would love to attend, just in case.

The application process begins in early December and ends in early February, depending on the college. Watch for deadlines to the colleges you are applying for. There are usually two deadlines: the priority and the regular deadline. You also need to know when they will make a decision, and once you are accepted, you need to know when the deadline is to notify them that you are going there in the Fall. If you really want to go to that school, do your research. One of Timpanogos' school counsellors Carrie Whitney says, "think outside the box. Go to the school you want to go to, go to Harvard."

After you are accepted, three things to help you decide on the college are the physical, social/cultural, and academic environments. There are many colleges to choose from that will make you the happiest.

In the physical aspect, make sure that you feel comfortable going there; after all, most of us will be there for at least four years.

Also look at the social part. Would you be comfortable with the people that go there? Would it be a fun social environment for you?

And finally, the academic part: Do they have the program that you want for your degree? What are the academic expectations, and are you willing to live up to them?

All these questions are good to consider when you are trying to decide which, out of all the many colleges that accepted you, you should attend. 

When choosing a school, don’t let the financial part stop you from trying to get in. There are grants, scholarships, financial aid, and all sorts of ways to get money for college. College is expensive, but it can always work out.