Apply for College

Applying to college means more than just filling out forms. You need to understand each school's requirements and gather information.

How Many Schools Do I Need to Apply?

There's no magic answer. One isn't enough, because that school might not admit you. More than ten might be too many, because applications take a lot of work and you need to do a great job on every one. Also, most schools require application fees, so costs can add up. (Note: many schools waive fees for low-income students.)

Applying to a few schools that really interest you is better than applying to as many as you can.

Here's some general application advice:

• Apply online. It's easier for you and the colleges you apply to.
• Keep it clean online. Don't have anything on your MySpace or Facebook page that you wouldn't want a college admissions officer to see.
• Submit one application for many schools. Some colleges and universities share common online applications. Once you complete the application for one school, you can submit copies of it to other schools. Saves a lot of time.
• Keep copies of everything. Things can get lost. Protect your hard work by keeping complete copies of everything you send to every school.