Guide to Applying to U.S. Universities

Hello everyone! This comprehensive guide will walk you through the application process for universities across the U.S.

Your application is primarily evaluated on four aspects: academic grades, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, and personal essays. A strong performance in certain areas can compensate for weaker areas.

Application Platforms

Applications to most colleges are submitted through one of two main platforms: the Common Application and Scoir (previously known as the Coalition Application).

While most schools accept either the Common Application or Scoir, some schools like MIT, the UCs, and UIUC have their own application portals. Some schools, like UT Austin, have their own application portal but also accept the Common or Coalition App.

Admission Types -

Early Action (EA): Applications are due in early November and decisions are released in mid-December to mid-January. It’s non-binding and you can apply EA to multiple schools.

Early Decision (ED): Applications are usually due by the first week of November and decisions are released mid-December. It’s binding, meaning you must enroll if accepted. You can only apply ED to one school.

Restrictive Early Action (REA): Similar to ED in terms of deadlines and decision release dates, but if you apply REA to a school, you cannot apply EA to any other schools. You can only apply REA to one school.

Regular Decision (RD): Applications are due in January-February and decisions are released in late March-April. This is the most common admission type.

Rolling Admissions: Colleges release decisions 3-6 weeks after you apply, rather than on a specific date. Your decision date depends on when you submit your application.

Considerations for College Selection

When choosing colleges, consider the following factors:

• Availability of your desired major or program
• Academic quality of the program
• Location of the college and the opportunities it offers
• Financial assistance provided by the college
• Diversity of the student body
• Safety of the college and its surroundings
• Other personal preferences such as weather, city size, flexibility in study programs, research opportunities, athletics, and social life

Creating a College List

A common approach to creating a college list is to categorize colleges into three groups: safeties, targets, and reaches. Each category should have an equal number of colleges.

Reaches: These are schools with low acceptance rates where admission might be challenging but not impossible.

Targets: These are schools where your academic credentials align with the average admitted student’s profile.

Safeties: These are schools where your chances of admission are relatively high.

Applying to all highly ranked colleges, a strategy known as shotgunning, can be risky due to the unpredictable nature of college admissions.

The Common Application

The Common Application requires time and effort to complete. It includes sections like ‘profile’, ‘family’, ’education’, ’testing’, and ‘courses and grades’ where you provide personal and academic information. It’s recommended to complete this by the end of August to focus on other parts of your application.

Each college may have its own set of questions and supplemental essay prompts that need to be answered individually.

Key Components of the Application Process

Standardized Test Scores: Globally, students have the option to take either the SAT or the ACT. Some colleges may require international students to take language proficiency tests such as IELTS, TOEFL, or Duolingo.

Academic Grades: For highly selective colleges, it’s beneficial to have an overall score of 90% or higher in the 10th-grade board exam. Beyond a certain threshold, the exact percentage doesn’t significantly impact your chances of admission.

Extracurricular Activities: Extracurricular activities (ECs) are pursuits outside of required schoolwork. They can include sports, clubs, competitions, volunteer work, internships, research, jobs, and more. ECs demonstrate your interests, passions, and commitment to making a societal impact.

Personal Essays: Essays are a crucial part of your application. They provide admission officers with a glimpse into your life and personality. The key to a successful essay is authenticity.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Colleges offer two main types of aid: need-based and merit-based.

Need-Based Aid: This type of aid is calculated based on your and your family’s ability to pay for college.

Merit-Based Aid: This type of aid is awarded based on academic or extracurricular achievements. Most colleges require you to fill out the CSS Profile to be considered for merit aid.

There are five colleges that practice need-blind admissions: Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Yale, and Amherst. These institutions do not consider your financial need when making admission decisions.