The High School Seniors Guide on: How to Apply and Prep for College

Emma Carter
Aug 18, 2018
17 min read

Updated: May 8, 2019

Okay, applying for college is a big deal. What's even a bigger deal is deciding what to major in and where to go to school. This is a long process, trust me! I just remember going to a college fair during my senior year, and thinking I don't even know where to start! I hope that this post will be able to help you through it all. It's is all about what I did that worked well for me, and what I did that I wish I had done differently. It's a long post, but hopefully you can come back and read snippets of it throughout your senior year. Here we go!

I. Consider your Options

This first section is all about how to choose a school and major. I remember at the start of my senior year, feeling like there was so much to do when it comes to making these decisions. Where do you even start, and does it ever end? Well, don't worry! Here's your step-by-step guide to deciding where to go to school.

Attend a College Fair

While I was in high school they had a college fair day put together for our benefit. Now, this may sound like a good day to skip school, but trust me, it is very helpful and will save you some time in the long run. As you go around to the different school consider asking questions about the student life, different programs they offer, and other questions you may have so that you can get a better idea of what each school is like and if it'll suit you. I highly recommend going around to every school, and getting some information from them. If there are short lectures about the different schools, consider to listening in on a few of those too. One of my top schools of interest wasn't even on my list until I sat in on a lecture.Afterward, look through the pamphlets schools give you. It can provide you with a lot of good information that will help with your college decision and choice of major. Some of the most important things I found in the pamphlets was information on programs offered, cost of tuition, and scholarship opportunities. When choosing a school these are important things to factor in.

Consider Possible Majors

This can be one of the hardest and scariest choices you will have to make during the next few years of your life. For that reason, I will be referring to your major as your "major of interest." I was nervous about choosing a major because I know so many people that have chosen a major only to change it once or twice or many times later. The idea of spending lots of time in one field and then changing to a different field of interest has always sounded like a waste of time and money, and freaked me out! So if we just tentatively choose a "major of interest" (here out referred to MOI) then we can use that in choosing a school, but it sounds easier to change if need be. On that note, when deciding what your MOI(s) are, consider what classes you enjoy taking in school, what subjects you are good at, and what skills and talents you have. This will help you narrow down a few options of fields you may be interested in. From there, those fancy college pamphlets you got from the college fair can help out. Often times, the pamphlets will have information about the different fields (fields are the general area you want to study; i.e. music, medical, engineering) and programs (programs are the more specific areas of a field; i.e. music education; commercial music; music performance) they offer. This will help narrow down what schools have a good program in your MOI.

Applying for Schools

One of the things I wish I had done differently when I applied for colleges, is "weeded out" which schools I knew I didn't want to go to. I wasn't really sure where I wanted to go at first, so I just applied to about every school in the state of Utah. When you apply for schools, you would be surprised how many fees they hide. I spent anywhere from $20 to $50 per application, about $13 per school to transfer my ACT score, and $5 per school to transfer my college transcript (this applies to those who have accumulated concurrent enrollment credits during high school). During this time I also found that my original list of 7 schools was narrowed down in my mind to 4 by the time I got to finishing the last application. If you don't want to live too far from home, then don't even apply to schools that are hours away. If you know that your major of interest (MOI) isn't offered at a school, then don't apply to that school. You don't have any idea what your MOI might be, then I recommend applying and starting school at a smaller, cheaper school to save you some money on your generals before you transfer to a larger university for a degree in your major.

Filing out Applications

People always told me that filling out college applications takes a very long time! Well, I have to disagree. Not all schools applications have essays that have to be written. From the seven schools I applied to, I didn't have to write a single essay. Now, if you attend a private school or more prestigious school, you may have to write some. From what I can tell though, most schools just want a bigger student body and will accept you into their school, so go ahead and take 30 minutes to apply for some schools!Some information you will need for the applications includes:

ACT or SAT Score- I sent in my ACT score from their website after paying a $13 fee per school.
High School GPA- sent in a transcript form (ask your high school counseling office for a copy)
Drivers License Number
Social Security Number
The Levels of Education your parents completed

Here's another thing that might help you with filling out your application. I took some concurrent enrollment classes in high school and am very glad I did. It did confuse me a little when I went to apply for colleges though. Even if you have concurrent enrollment credits, fill out the application as an incoming freshman because you don't have any credits towards a specific major yet. Some schools will ask you for a college transcript with all your concurrent enrollment credits on it during the application process, but I believe I only had one or two schools ask for that.

Recommended date of completion: October 1st

Required date of completion: generally December 1st

II. Choosing a School

Now that your application is in you're done right? We all wish. This next set of steps can be just as long and tedious as the first section but hang in there. One thing that can have a big impact on your decision is the financial side of going to school. I had my heart set on attending the most expensive school in the state. Not because of the prestige it gets for costing so much, but for the great program it had. Well, sometimes we have to consider the financial side of our decisions too. I don't recommend getting into tens of thousands of dollars worth of debt because it will take you forever to pay off! That's why I am starting at a cheaper school so that I can get some of the general classes out of the way. The financial side of things in school will be considered a lot in this next section.

Scholarships

Scholarships are a great way to avoid some debt and save some money. Lots of schools have an academic scholarship matrix that shows how much money you could get in scholarships based off of your ACT(or SAT) and your high school GPA. Lots of times you can see this matrix's in college pamphlets, but after you're accepted to schools, they will often send you a letter in the mail or an email about the scholarships they are offering your way. Take some time to apply for other scholarships at your high school and colleges of interest. I haven't had the best of luck getting any scholarships because according to the general population of the United States, I am not on of the minority and that makes it harder to get scholarships. If you look for more local scholarships though, you are more likely to get them because fewer people apply for them. People always say there is a lot of money out there to be given away to students. Talk to your high school counselors for information about scholarships the high school may be giving out. Also look at your schools of interest scholarship pages online. They will often times have scholarships offered to people in certain fields and programs.

Financial Aid

This is probably one of the most complicated parts of applying for schools. The FASFA is the key to financial aid that you hear about each fall as the opening deadline begins. Getting financial aid is pretty complicated past the FASFA though. I had no idea what I was doing when it came to financial aid when I was getting ready for school last year. So I did my best to follow the instructions they had and went in with a blind eye. Here's a summary of how it works so you won't be frustrated with all the steps it takes and time it takes like I was. On October 1st, the FASFA for the next school year opens up for you to fill out. They will ask for information about:

Your income from last year (Important: Make sure to only include the money you paid taxes on. I made the mistake of claiming that I earned about $500 on odd jobs around my neighborhood and ended up paying a self-employment tax and had to go through a big mess with late fees and the IRS. Just write down what you paid taxes on.)
Your parent's income from last year
Your parents expected contribution to your education costs
How much money you have saved for school
How many people in your family are going to college at the time
If you are married or have kids
If you are a first-generation college student
And much, much, more!Your income from last year (Important: Make sure to only include money you paid taxes on. I made the mistake of claiming that I earned about $500 on odd jobs around my neighborhood and ended up paying a self-employment tax and had to go through a big mess with late fees and the IRS. Just write down what you paid taxes on.)
Your parents income from last year
Your parents expected contribution to your education costs
How much money you have saved for school
How many people in your family are going to college at the time
If you are married or have kids
If you are a first generation college student
And much, much, more!

Ultimately it's your decision whether you fill out the FASFA or not. I would recommend filling it out and waiting to hear back from FASFA about if you qualify for financial aid or not. If you do qualify, they send the information to the college you are thinking of attending, and the college financial aid office will need a bunch of documents from you (like a tax return transcript) before they send the application back to FASFA for their approval. Once FASFA approves your application a second time, they send it back to the college and they will let you know if there is any money available for you. I originally wanted to fill out all the financial aid requirements at all my schools of interest and factor in how much I would be offered to which school I attended. I don't recommend doing that though. It takes way too much time and work! Decide what school you are attending before you get the documents for your school's financial aid office.

Campus Tours

One thing I didn't do but wish I would've taken the time to do is go on campus tours. I thought that they would just be a waste of time and that I had better things to do on my weekends. While going to talk to a counselor at one of my schools of interest, I found myself walking around campus to find their office and loving what I saw there on campus. I wished I would've gone out and tried to see more of the different campuses so I could've seen what the environment is like at the school, and what the buildings were like where I could very possibly be taking classes at. People can write lots of good about their school in the pamphlets they give out at college fairs, but sometimes seeing it with your own eyes will make a big difference.

Program Auditions

I decided to major in the music field and that requires auditions to get into the program. If you are thinking of entering the music or arts programs, lots of times an audition or portfolio will be needed to showcase what you already know, and what you are capable of. Keep this in mind as you're preparing for school, and making a decision between what you should major in. These auditions take time, so make sure you factor that into your schedule as well. You can view my post about auditioning tips post here.

Housing Options

No, you don't have to decide exactly where you are going to live yet. Part of your college decision should include your housing costs though. Look into what the costs that living on campus, living in housing near campus, and living at home or with a relative would be. This can definitely have a big role in where you go to school and how much it costs.

Choosing what school to attend

A good decision is based on good information. Make a list of all the pros and cons of each school after you have done your "homework." I put all my information on a table so that I could more easily compare things to another, but a simple list would work well too. Look at things like:

Scholarships you have been given at each school
How much the cost of living would be (compare it to living at home if that is an option or something you would consider doing. It saves a ton of money!)
Whether or not you are going work (if you really do enjoy your current job that can play a factor in things)
Transportation (are you going to buy a car, take the train, or ride your bike/walk)
Schools with better programs in your MOI
The schools you just like better than others (this is a real thing, trust me)

For me, when the time to make a decision about what school to attend came around, I had my list narrowed down to three schools. My list sat at three schools for about three or four months as I researched additional scholarships, financial aid, housing, etc. I ultimately came to the decision that I did because things were just working out better at one school better than the other two. Things were fitting into place, and it felt right. I liked the school and the idea of living at home for my first year of school. Think about all the factors that could play into your decision and what feels right.

Recommended date of completion: March 1st

Required date of completion: generally May 1st

III. Preparing for College

Finish up Financial Aid

Like mentioned before, financial aid can take a big chunk of time. If you haven't already finished your financial aid and are going to do so, make sure you get it done soon! The financial aid offices get really busy at the end of July and through August. Beat the rush and get everything verified faster by completing it sooner.

Orientation

Schools often times have an orientation process you have to complete before you can register for classes. I had a hold on my account that prevented me from registering until I did an online orientation that showed me how the school's websites worked, how to register, parking information and other important things. Be on the watch for that information in your student email inbox. If you haven't already logged into that email, I highly recommend it. The school will be sending a lot of important information through your student email and it's important you check it frequently. I have my student email set up to automatically forward all my emails to my regular Gmail address. You can view some directions for help with automatically forwarding your emails that by clicking here.

Talk to a Counselor

When I was getting ready to register for classes and stuff, I knew what I wanted to major in, but not the specific classes I was supposed to take. If you are clueless like I was, or even have a general idea of what to take but you aren't 100% positive about things, talk to a counselor in your MOI. They have a list of classes that you should take and what years to take them all laid out for you so that you can get your degree completed in the least amount of time. You don't have to follow their plan, but it is a good idea to that way you get your prerequisites done in order and out of the way.

Register for Classes

Class registration is different for most schools, so I can't give you a deadline to do that by. Just make sure you look up the registration date and put a reminder for it in your phone that way you don't miss it. The day your registration begins is determined by how many college credits you already have. I had enough credits from my concurrent enrollment classes to register earlier than lots of the freshman. Looks into those details on your college's website and make sure you know what classes you want to sign up for so it's easier to fill your schedule up before all the spots are filled.Also, consider what time you want to take classes and how your work schedule will fit around your classes if you are planning on working during the school year. I am a morning person, so I am taking morning classes. If you hate waking up early though, don't take morning classes. I have found the classes that fill up the fastest are classes at times between 10 am and 1 pm. If you are taking some general ed classes at that time, make sure you sign up for the classes as soon as possible in order to ensure yourself a seat.

Buy a Car?

If you are going to be driving to school, you may need to look at buying a car. Remember that getting an auto loan may take some time, but the process was definitely a lot smoother for me than financial aid was. I was nervous about getting a loan when I bought a car, but I'm glad I did because it will help me build credit without getting a credit card. Consider these things when buying a car, but ultimately where you buy your car from, how much you spend, if you get a loan or not, etc, is your decision to make!

Buy a Computer?

Everything is electronic these days. I got my computer the summer before my senior year because I knew I would be using it for my concurrent enrollment classes that year. If you are still in need of buying one though, make sure you read my post "5 Things To Do Before you Buy a New Phone or Computer" to ensure you will buy the best computer for you and your purposes. Overall, I am happy with my Acer Chromebook and it's lightweight, but I do know of a few things I wish it had, and will probably get a different computer next go around.

List the Supplies you will Need

You would be surprised at how many new things you need to buy before going to school. As you are thinking about what you need to do to prepare for school, start a shopping list on your phone so that when you have an idea of something you need to do or buy, you can have quick access to write it down before you forget. Some things I had to buy include:

A new backpack
A few new shirts to give my closet a new taste
Notebooks, binders, a planner, pencils, etc. (Whether you buy a notebook and folder or a binder for each class is really up to your preference. I'm still exploring with what I like best.)
Portable charger for your backpack and charger for your car (You never know when you'll need to charge your phone.)

Now, if you are moving out, chances are that you will need a lot more than just the stuff I listed above, but these things are the main things I needed considering I am living at home.

Work over the Summer

We all tend to be lazier during the summer because we can afford to! Please, please, please make sure you have a job or two or three over the summer. Unfortunately watching Netflix isn't going to earn you any money, so be mature enough to go out and get some work done, earns some money and save it in your bank account! You will thank yourself later for all the money you saved. Doing this also makes you appreciate your vacations a lot more too.

Paying Tuition

One of the most important things to remember to do is pay your tuition on time! You will get email reminders of this, but also put a reminder on your phone so that you'll see the reminder more frequently. I had a hard time finding where you go to pay your tuition online, but just do some exploring of the student portal and you should find it. The school will put a charge on your account when you've registered for classes that will show your total for the classes and fees. Most tuition is due by August 1st but check with your school's website to be sure. Paying your tuition late will result in a fee that I'm sure you don't want to pay!Another thing that confused me about paying my tuition, was how the scholarships and financial aid were going to be subtracted from my balance. I contacted the financial aid office and they put a hold on my account so that my new tuition deadline was August 31st after they took a chunk of money off that my scholarship and financial aid covered. If I didn't do this, I would've paid the full amount due on August 1st, and then they would've refunded the money that my scholarship and financial aid covers during the first week of classes.

Buying/Renting Books

I have always thought that buying textbooks is a dumb idea. You're only going to use the book for one semester before your class is over and then you have to try to sell the book to someone else and make a little bit of money off of it. I always rent my books instead. I've found with all the general education classes I have taken so far, that we haven't even used the textbooks! So here are my tips on finding textbooks for cheap!I go to a website called "Textbook Rentals" and I search for the book I need on there. It will then pull up a list of websites you can rent the book from and the costs at each one. You can then go to the website of the cheapest book and have it shipped to your house. After your loan period is over, all you have to do it put the book back in the box it came in, print off a shipping label from the website you got it from and stick it back in the mail. I have been able to save hundreds of dollars this way and highly recommend it! I would also check the school's online bookstore before ordering books. I had a particular book this semester that I found was cheaper to buy from the school then rent it online. This isn't normal but does happen every once in a while.

Other Random College Things you Should Know

Well, I have gotten to the point in my post where the other random things you need to do aren't significant enough to make a section for them. So here's your list of other things you should know as you prepare for school:

I also had to do an in-person orientation at the school. They had a bunch of the freshman sign up to come to the school from about 9 am to 2 pm for a tour of the school and get information about clubs, student activities, student ID cards, parking information, etc. I had a hold on my account that prevented registration until I signed up to come for the orientation.
Parking is a big deal at college. They always encourage people to take public transportation to save space in the parking lots and stuff. Parking passes are expensive, but make sure you have one so you don't get ticketed. My school sells them online, so you can look for that on the school website, or you can buy one in person at the school.
Consider your food options. You could plan on eating out for lunch every day, but your wallet won't enjoy it very much either. Look into taking sack lunches with you to school to save on some costs. I have been doing a lot of research on freezer meals and quick meals I can make on Saturdays that I can easily pack them with me during the week and I don't have to spend as much time making my lunch before school.
Get a calendar app or planner to write all of your assignments and tests in. I use the Google Calendar app to keep track of my school schedule and events, and Tasks to keep track of all my homework and tests in. There are lots of school planner apps out there, so download a few and find the one that you like best. I prefer these apps because I'm always guaranteed to have my phone on me, they will send me reminders, and they both have widgets available on Android devices.
Put important dates on your calendar. Your school will have a list of important dates and a timeline of how the semesters will play out during your school year. Put the important dates in your calendar or planner so that you can always be on top of things.

I hope that this post has been helpful to you and that you'll look back on it time to time with more help you may need. If you have any other questions you need answered, feel free to drop me a comment below and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can. Good luck with your senior year and college search!