The safest way for college applicants to make sure you don’t miss anything application-related is to visit the websites of each school you’re applying to and find the answers to these five questions.
1. What are the elements of a complete application?
Everything you need to submit—test scores, transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.—will be spelled out on the admissions office’s website.
2. When is the application deadline?
Obvious, but it’s surprising how many students miss this one.
3. What does the net-price calculator say?
The financial aid section of each school’s website should have a calculation tool to estimate how much it will cost for you to attend
that school next year. These calculators are not perfect and they don’t promise that the results will be the same when
you actually submit your financial aid forms, but for many families, the net-price calculator is a helpful indicator of how much need-based financial aid you can reasonably expect to receive.
4. What is required to apply for financial aid?
Every college in the country will require a FAFSA. But many schools also require the CSS Profile and/or their own forms. Get this infromation from the source.
5. What is the deadline to apply for financial aid?
Financial aid deadlines are often very different from those for admissions (in fact, the FAFSA cannot be submitted until after January 1.
Two last points here:
First, always get this information from each school’s website. Don’t rely on a college guidebook, the Common App, or your best
friend who’s also applying.
Finally, please follow each college’s instructions to the letter. Don’t assume you have a better way. Don’t send three letters of rec when they only ask for one. Don’t include a resume or a portfolio unless the college specifically asks. Colleges spend months fine-tuning their applications, and the surest way to annoy an admissions officer is to ignore their instructions.