College Admissions

• Decide on the major (what) and location (which coast and city) you want to study and when you want to start the course. 

• Finalize the list of colleges you want to apply 

• Create a detailed plan along with deadlines for application to be submitted for each college along with the supplemental essay prompts and other requirements each college might have. Note each department may have separate requirements. Also early decision  (ED) and early application  (EA) will have different deadlines. 

• Complete the Common App essay first and then the supplemental essays identified for each college. Make sure they all are world class. Might have to go through multiple iterations before finalization. 

• Submit all applications through Common App website for all colleges other than those from California (CA) and Texas. (TX). Most public and private schools use Common App website to submit for all schools. CA and TX  have their own websites to complete application for their state schools. 

Fees may vary from state to state to another, from one college to another, and coast to coast. West coast and East Coast schools are not only expensive in terms of fees but also cost of living is more expense there as well.  Generally mid-west schools and Texas schools are inexpensive compared to others. Cost of attending may vary from $90k to $50K per annum. Higher the reputation of the college generally more the fees.  

Generally private schools are more expensive than the public schools. Private school fees is same for US Citizens and non US Citizens. However, fees for in-state residents for state schools of US citizens is third or fourth of non-US Citizens. 

After the College Application is submitted you wait for the colleges to get back to you depending upon on what schedule you applied for EA, EA or Regular application process. For ED and EA you generally hear by Jan 1st for the year you are applying say Aug. admissions. For Regular admission process you generally hear from colleges from March to April.  

Not writing a good essay, not completing the application properly with incomplete information and not entering anything in the activities section and not having your recommenders submitting your application. 

To write a great college application, start early so you have enough time to think and revise. Be honest and clear about who you are, your experiences, and what you want to achieve. Make sure you follow each college’s instructions and prompts carefully. Proofread everything to fix any mistakes and ensure it’s easy to understand. It’s also a good idea to have someone else look it over to catch anything you might have missed and to give you feedback.