5 Ways Students Can Prepare for College Applications

Using this extra time you have at home to get ahead on your college applications is just smart. These five quick tips can help you prepare to apply to college!

Despite many schools across the United States closing their doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, students can (and should) still spend their time productively. But we understand it’s a little difficult to find the motivation to do much of anything right now. That’s why we wanted to provide you some quick tips for getting ready to apply to college! Here are five ways high school students can work on their future college applications right now.

1. Create a college list

It’s never too early to start building your college list—the list of schools that interest you and potentially align with your needs and goals. Organize your list with school names and the average stats of their applicants, like SAT/ACT scores, GPA, average acceptance rates, etc. Keep your list somewhere convenient like an Excel spreadsheet so you can easily compare a variety of school statistics to your grades and scores. Building a strategic college list will give yourself the best chance of getting into the right college or university for you. 

Related: College Search Spreadsheet Template

2. Begin the common application prompts

For juniors, you can get started on the Common Application now, as the prompts for the 2020–2021 cycle have already been announced. Writing your 650-word personal statement takes weeks (if not months) to get right because you need to brainstorm a topic that gives a unique insight into your life and experiences.

If you’re not sure how to start your essay, there are great online resources to help you do just that! For instance, you can try joining an online course like the ones offered by Moon Prep (you can enroll for free for a limited time). “How to Write a Winning Personal Statement” reveals multiple advanced strategies for crafting the perfect personal statement. The classes cover real-world examples of essays, brainstorming techniques, and common mistakes to avoid so you can feel more prepared to showcase your best self.

3. Prepare your résumé

When you fill out the Common Application, you only have 150 characters to describe each of your activities, which usually isn’t enough space to sufficiently describe all you’ve done. But you can supplement this section by submitting a résumé with your applications.

When describing your activities and accomplishments, use action words and quantify whenever possible. By doing so, it gives context to your dedication and successes and helps admission officers understand your activities a little better.

Related: How to Craft the Perfect High School Résumé

4. Apply for scholarships

High school students of all grades can start looking for scholarships at any time. By applying to three or four awards per week, you can start banking money now to pay for college later.

Start by looking for local scholarships. Check your school’s website, local nonprofits, or businesses to see what scholarships you might qualify for. And don’t skip the ones that require you to write essays! Other students may avoid these, which means it could be easier for you to win. Also, when searching for scholarships, be wary of websites that require you to pay a fee. These types of sites are likely scams—it should never cost money to apply to a scholarship.

5. Sign up for a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)

Even if your school is providing digital learning, you might want to consider signing up for an extra online class on a platform like Coursera or edX. Both sites have thousands of courses available, taught by professors from top universities and companies like Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, Google, and IBM. By taking a MOOC, you can learn more about a topic you’re passionate about or discover a new interest. 

Related: 6 Tips to Transition to Online Learning 

Students shouldn’t waste the additional time at home they’ve unexpectedly found themselves with. Take advantage of this opportunity to get ahead on your college applications and continue to build your academic profile.

Have you finished building your college list? Use our College Search tool to find more schools you might want to apply to!

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About Lindsey Conger

Lindsey Conger

Lindsey Conger is a college counselor and tutor at Moon Prep.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress
Maurice Whan

Maurice Whan

$2,000 Spring Scholarship Contest Winner, 2021

This year has been tough for my family and myself, so receiving this scholarship has been a blessing in disguise! CollegeXpress has been an excellent resource in helping me prepare financially for college. Thank you again for this amazing opportunity!

Aaliyah

Aaliyah

High School Class of 2022

My mother signed me up for a couple of scholarship contests through CollegeXpress. I was also able to do some research and compare the different schools on my list. I was able to see the graduation rates and different programs that helped me decide on Adelphi University. I will continue looking for some scholarships for my start in September.

Bri'Yana Brown-Dunn

Bri'Yana Brown-Dunn

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress helped me gain interest in many colleges/universities and many scholarships. I would say the most helpful thing CollegeXpress has done for me is sending me emails that tell me certain types of colleges are interested in me as well as emails about scholarships that I can look at and possibly apply for.

Heaven Johnson

Heaven Johnson

Back to School Scholarship Winner, High School Class of 2023

I’d like to thank everyone on the CollegeXpress team for their generosity. Not only have I been awarded this scholarship, but CollegeXpress makes it easier to apply and gives amazing tips for schools and scholarships. I am extremely grateful as this will help with my schooling and allow me to be able to enter into the field I’ve been dreaming of all my life. 

Priscilla Yeboah

Priscilla Yeboah

High School Student

I was afraid and timid throughout my search for colleges, but I finally found the college that was fit for me and luckily I got accepted. One of the most influential things that helped me was the articles and advice on CollegeXpress. They've helped me a lot and benefited me as a senior to make the right choices in life. Thank you!

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In

Lynn University

Boca Raton, FL

University of Vermont

Burlington, VT

University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, OH

University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, OH