Applying to College

Disclaimers

This page’s content is designed to be read as a general guide and not as authoritative or universally-applicable information.
This information has been reviewed by high school and college enrollment experts; however you should consult your individual state’s high school requirements or processes, or homeschool laws, to ensure that your education is satisfactory.

This page will help you understand what is normally involved in a college application process, what the Common App is, and what application fees and Enrollment Deposits are.

What’s in an Application?

A college application normally involves the submission of your biographical information (name, date of birth, etc.) and the degree you intend to pursue. In order for you to get an admissions decision, most schools will need the following:

College application
This is your application to the college or university. There are differences between institutions which use the Common App and institutions which uses their own college applications.

Official transcripts
Transcripts generally must be “official”. This means that the transcript goes directly from one school to another. (If you receive a sealed envelope with an official transcript in it, do not open it. If you open a sealed official transcript, it becomes unofficial. Simply send it on to the school that needs it.)
If you are currently in high school, then the college will often want a “preliminary high school transcript” which means that the transcript must contain all grades from 9th, 10th, and 11th grades. You’ll still need to submit a final high school transcript after you graduate.
If you have college credits from dual enrollment or from college enrollment after high school, the college will need those too. Generally, you will need to send in transcripts from every college or university you have previously attended.
Review the High School Diplomas page for more information about high school requirements.

Personal essay
Many schools require large five-paragraph personal essays, while some require short essays of just a few hundred words. Pay attention to what your school is specifically requesting.

Standardized test scores
Though standardized test scores are now less common requirements for admissions decisions, it is still generally recommended to take standardized tests since they can help with providing more data for the admissions committee when they review your admissions application – and they could help with getting scholarships.
Common standardized tests include the SAT, the ACT, and the CLT.

Letters of recommendation
Letters of recommendation are sometimes required for admission, but are more often required at elite institutions such as Ivy League schools. If a school does not require letters of recommendation, you can still submit them in the hopes that the admissions committee reviews them.

Some colleges require everything to be submitted at the same time, so you would need to have your personal essay and transcripts on hand when you submit the application; others separate out the process so that you will submit your application first and your other documents later, receiving an admissions decision after all documents are received.

The Common App

The Common App is an application system used by over 1,000 colleges worldwide. The advantage of the Common App is that it allows students to fill out one application on their system, and then that one application can be sent to multiple schools in the Common App network – this way, you don’t need to do a brand new application for each school you apply to. The disadvantage of the Common App is that it is very lengthy, with many aspects which may not be relevant for each school or each student, and usually has a long essay requirement. The Common App is widely used by public institutions (state colleges and universities) and many private institutions use the Common App too.

It is important to know that while many schools use the Common App, not all schools do – and in many cases, that is a good thing! Some colleges don’t need such lengthy essays as the Common App, or don’t need all the information that the Common App asks for, and so they have their own simpler college applications that you’ll complete instead.

Application Fees

The vast majority of colleges and universities will application fees which students will pay for the privilege of applying to the school and having their application reviewed. The average cost of an application fee across institutions is $56, so be prepared to pay anywhere between $45 to $100 depending on where you are applying.

Your school may have a promotion which will reduce or waive the application fee if you meet certain requirements, and some schools even waive application fees for students who take the SAT or the ACT.

You can expect to pay application fee when submitting your application. However, some schools have deferred application fees – this normally means that you will not pay the application fee when you apply, and instead the fee will be factored into your first semester’s payment if you decide to attend there.

Application fees are typically non-refundable.

Enrollment Deposits

Most colleges and universities require an Enrollment Deposit. An Enrollment Deposit is a deposit of money which is submitted to the school, and typically works to secure your enrollment at the school.

Many schools, such as those on the Common App, tell you not to place Enrollment Deposits at multiple schools – at many institutions, placing an Enrollment Deposit is a “binding” action, which means that you are committing to attend there. However at other schools, an Enrollment Deposit is simply a non-binding down-payment toward your first semester.

Enrollment Deposits vary in cost, usually from $100-$300, though some can be as high as $1,000 at elite schools.

Enrollment Deposits are typically non-refundable, so if put a deposit down at a school and then you decide not to attend there then you forfeit the deposit. However, at some schools the Enrollment Deposit is refundable – if it is refundable, make sure you know all of the details of how it works at that school, since there may be a deadline after which it is no longer refundable.