About the college application process
When applying to colleges, it's important to note important application deadlines. Generally this information is available at the school's web site. Transfer application dates are often different from regular freshman application dates.
For many schools, the following dates area good rule of thumb to keep in mind:
Fall admission: by April 15th (UMass priority date is March 1st)
Spring admission: by October 1st
Not sure how to find the web site of the school you're interested in? Use the College QuickFinder at www.collegeboard.com for links to most schools of
higher ed in the United States.
College applications: the personal statement or application essay
Not all schools require a written statement or essay as part of the application
process, but many do. In general, the more selective colleges and universities
are the ones that require application essays.
What are they looking for? College application essays are important. The importance
varies from school to school,
but they are read by the college admissions committee members. Your essay is
an indicator of your values, your basic skills, and your ability to handle the
academics of the institution. Most of the college application process consists
of objective measures of a your accomplishments--SAT or ACT scores, high school
GPAs, lists of extracurricular activities--so your written essay is your chance
to prove you are more than your scores.
Your essay is not the most important part of your application. However, it can
help you if the admissions committee sees you as a marginal applicant, or you
have a questionable academic record. A great essay can separate you from a student
with a similar or slightly better academic record.
View our tips for writing an application essay to get started on yours!