A college application documents the fact that you want to be considered for enrollment at a college or university. Request applications from colleges you are interested in as early as possible. It may be necessary to complete a common application, which can be submitted to many different institutions, so make sure you do your research.

Read the requirements of the application very carefully; find out if you will need to include SAT or ACT scores, an essay, teacher recommendations, or even arrange a personal interview. Some colleges allow early admission for students who are especially interested in the school, so find out all of the deadlines and requirements before you start working.

It is important to spend a lot of time on each application and give it the attention required to fill it out completely and in detail. For many students, the information on the application is the only tool the school may use to review them. The information you present must be accurate and make you look like a mature, hard-working student who is ready to continue his or her education. 

Your application will likely require that you include official grades and SAT or ACT scores, as well as a recommendation or two from a teacher. Make sure you give your teacher and guidance counselor enough time to work on these details and return the information to you well before the application deadline. Late applications will not be accepted, so be sure to give everyone enough time to do their part of the application.

The application itself will require basic personal information about you, such as your address, date of birth, e-mail address, citizenship status, and basic family information. More detailed information on the application will help to distinguish you from other applicants. These details include:

• Academic Accomplishments Are you part of the honor roll, or an honor society? List any academic honors or achievements you may have received throughout your entire high school career.
• Extracurricular Activities List all of the things you do that are not part of the regular school requirements. That includes sports, clubs, plays, and any leadership positions you held as part of these activities. Listing these activities gives schools an idea about your interests and shows them that you can handle more than just the regular school workload. 
• Unique Information About Yourself This might include jobs you have held, clubs you belonged to outside of the school environment, such as community service, leadership, or volunteer positions you may have held. Even if it is working at a local recycling center or soup kitchen, the details will help to give a better sense of who you are.

In addition, you may be asked to complete an essay and to take part in an interview. These parts of the application process will be explained in greater detail in other lessons, but here is some basic information about them:

• A Thoughtful and Well-written Essay Many colleges require prospective students to write about a specific topic, so you may have to write a different essay for each college you apply to. The topics are often about something that has been important to you in your life, or a person who has influenced you. It helps to be thoughtful and think about the essay thoroughly before you begin to write. Make sure the essay is grammatically correct, well-written, and follows all of the requirements in terms of length and subject matter.
• An Interview  Some colleges require a personal interview as part of the application process. This gives you an opportunity to explain the things you wrote on your application in more detail. You might be able to speak about your favorite extracurricular activity or your future goals as a student. Be friendly and honest at your interview and ask any questions about the school that you may have.

Treat each application seriously and dedicate time to getting it right. Have a parent, guidance counselor, or other adult check it carefully before you send it out through the mail. Be sure to write down the date that the college expects to send its decision letters. The review process can take several months, so be patient once you send in your application. Call the admissions or enrollment office if you do not hear back from the college by the end of the review period.