Getting Organized for College Applications

If you're a rising senior or the parent of one, now is a good time to give some thought to getting organized for your college applications, even if you don't yet have a final list. Once school starts, the pace of life will quickly pick up steam, and between school work, extracurriculars, and dealing with applications, so can stress. A few minutes spent now gathering what you need to stay on top of things will pay dividends in the fall.

Every student will have their own way of doing things, of course, but here are six suggestions to help you get started:

1. Designate a spot in your house as "College Central." This will be the place where you keep everything related to your college applications. It could be a drawer in a file cabinet, a bookshelf, an expandable file folder, or even just a cardboard box. What it should not be, however, is a corner of a desk crowded with other papers or the bottom of your backpack.

2. The following materials can be useful to have on hand in your "College Center:" A calendar, a box of letter size white envelopes, stamps, pens, postage-paid blank postcards (available from your local post office), and the catalogs and viewbooks of the schools where you plan to apply.

3. As you add colleges to your final list, start a separate folder for each school. Put the name of the school on the folder, as well as contact information for the admissions department: address, name of the admissions officer for your region, their email, and the admission office phone number. Also list all of the school's admissions and financial aid deadlines, and their application requirements (i.e., do they ask for one teacher recommendation or two?). Some families decide to also make spread sheets showing all deadlines and application requirements. If this is your choice, my advice is: keep it simple. There is enough to do with applications without worrying about keeping a complex spreadsheet up-to-date as well. Often, just noting deadlines on your College Center calendar can be enough to keep you on schedule.

4. If any of the colleges you plan to apply to use the Common Application or the Universal College Application, register an account at those websites. If the school uses its own application, register as well. Download a complete copy of all application materials -- the application, any supplemental materials required, and teacher and school recommendation forms. Place a copy in each file. Spend a few moments reading through the essay prompts for each school and adding to your information list. Tip: If you will be using the Common Application, once you have entered your name and some additional information, the system will allow you to print out teacher and school recommendation forms with all of your identifying information automatically included.

5. The following materials can be useful to have on hand in your "College Center:" A box of letter size white envelopes, stamps, pens, postage-paid blank postcards (available from your local post office), and the catalogs and viewbooks of the schools where you plan to apply.

6. Consider also purchasing an expandable file folder with individual sections for each teacher who will be writing recommendations and your guidance counselor. In the first section, put a copy of your transcript, a description of the schools you are applying to and why you have chosen them, a list of your activities, and any other information you feel will help your teachers and counselor write your recommendations. Label the other sections for each college, and include the following: a sheet with the application deadline and address of the school, the recommendation form, and a stamped envelope addressed to the college admissions office. This is where the postage-paid blank postcards also come in. Write your name and address on the postage side. On the other side, write something similar to the following message: "Dear College X Admissions Office, I want to make certain that all of my application materials have arrived. Please drop this card in the mail when you have received this (teacher/school) recommendation. Thank you." Place the card in each of the envelopes. (Note: Some high schools send all recommendations out along with the transcript in the same envelope - double check with your high school on their requirements).

7. At the beginning of each week, spend a few moments at your College Center reviewing your calendar and setting your priorities. While it may seem like there is plenty of time before deadlines loom, working just a bit on your applications each week will break the process into smaller, more manageable chunks and hopefully help avoid the stress of last minute rushing.

Another Test Optional College

Green Mountain College has announced that is also will become test optional this fall.

According to Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director of FairTest.org the latest colleges to go test optional bring the total number of accredited, bachelor-degree granting institutions with test optional policies to 742.

More Colleges Go Test Optional

Merrimack College in Massachusetts has announced that it will no longer require standardized exams for admissions. Goucher College in Maryland has also changed its test requirements and will be test optional beginning with this year's applicant pool. Goucher and Merrimack join over 700 test-optional colleges and universities. A complete list of schools can be viewed on the Fairtest website.

If you are applying to a test-optional college, should you still submit test scores? This is a common question for students. The general rule of thumb that I use in advising students is that if their test scores are above the median 50% of enrolled students at a particular school and/or their GPA is low for the school's medians, then they should consider submitting test scores as long as the college will consider them. However, some test-optional schools - such as Sarah Lawrence College - will not accept or consider scores at all. In that case, it makes no sense to pay the College Board to submit test scores.

U.S. Senate Approves Student Loan Ethics Rules

The U.S. Senate has approved a measure that will require colleges and student loan providers to follow ethical guidelines. The new student loan ethics rules come in the wake of revelations this year that some colleges and financial aid officers received payments nad perks from student loan companies.

Under the new rules, lenders would have to disclose any payments to colleges employees. College employees would also be barred from receiving gifts that are more than "nominal value." Companies would also have to first give students details of interest rates, payment plans and the lender's policies concerning defaulting on the loan before they can issue a loan to any student.

In a related Senate action, last week the Senate also voted to provide an additional $17 billion in student loans.

Congress will need to ratify both measures, and will consider both later this year.

Wikipedia As College Research Tool

What really happens during Renn Fayre at Reed College? What types of undergraduate merit scholarships does Duke offer? Which major scientific discoveries have occured at the University of Chicago?

If you're a college information junkie like I am, you can never have too much information about individual colleges, especially ones where you're planning to apply. Wikipedia, the open source information tool, is rapidly growing into a source of great information about individual colleges and universities. One of the things I particularly like about researching schools on Wikipedia is that it often pulls together information in one place that you often have to search to find in different sections of a college's website. Often, entries also bring in other sources of information that you may not even know exist. For example, Reed's Wikipedia entry discusses Reed's unique curriculum approach in detail, gives highlights of Reed's history, and even provides a link to a study conducted by the Reed psychology department that belies the stereotype that all Reedies are druggies. Many of the college profiles also contain useful information about the school's history, educational philosophy and mission, financial aid, student demographics, and successful alumni. There are also often great campus pictures. I think smart students should at least scan Wikipedia's profile for the colleges on their list to see what information is available.

One potential drawback to Wikipedia is that anyone can edit or add information to listings, so you should do follow up research on any information that doesn't seem to ring true or be collaborated by a link to other sources. Some colleges and universities also have longer and more detailed profiles than others. So, a Wikipedia entry should never be the sole criteria for adding a college to your list or the only research you do about individual colleges. But, it can be an excellent starting point.

Amherst Eliminates All Student Loans

Amherst College has announced that it is eliminating all student loans from its financial aid policies. The new policy will go into effect in the 2008-2009 academic year, so students applying this fall will be included. Unlike programs at schools like Harvard and Columbia that have eliminated loans only for students whose families fall below a certain income level, Amherst's policy will eliminate loans for all students receiving financial aid, regardless of family income. Princeton and Davidson are the only two other institutions at present that have such sweeping no loan policies.

University of California Essay Prompts Changed

After several years of using the same essay prompts on their application, the University of California has announced new essay prompts for the fall.

In the past, applicants were asked to respond to three essay prompts which asked about how the applicant had taken advantage of academic opportunities and faced challenges.

The new UC application will ask applicants to answer two essay prompts, using 1,000 words or less. The new prompts are:

1. Describe the world you come from - for example, your family, community or school - and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.

2. Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

Sources in UC admissions have told me that the new prompts are designed partially to help UC readers get a clearer sense of applicants in the context of their communities and backgrounds. The new prompts will also give applicants more space to express their unique talents and achievements to UC readers.

Parents: Advice For Summer College Visits

More families are hitting the road to visit colleges this summer than ever before. If you're a parent who will be accompanying your child on a college tour, an article in the Allentown (PA) Morning Call is packed with excellent tips to help your child get the most of the experience while maintaining your own sanity.

Although visiting during the summer may not be ideal, for many families it is the only time available, especially if you are considering colleges on the other side of the country. Try to keep things in perspective as you visit campuses - listen carefully to the information given during admissions presentations, but remember that the majority of colleges still accept more students than they reject. Don't be surprised if your child has an immediate negative reaction to a particular college. Sometimes they may not even be able to verbalize what they don't like about a school, or express concerns that don't seem to make sense from your parental perspective. To your child, the concerns matter.

The article suggests that parents and students scan the online virtual tour that many colleges have on their websites before heading out for the real tour. The majority of colleges also have a page in their admissions section with information about campus visits. In addition to schedules for tours, interviews and information sessions, the visit page can also include useful planning information, such as directions to campus, suggestions for local restaurants and hotels, and even ideas for other things to do in the area.

Don't try to do too much in a single day. Sure, six colleges may be within driving distance of each other but trying to tour more than two in one day likely will result in exhaustion and stress. Try to let your son or daughter do most of the talking on the tour. They're the ones who will be attending, not you, and it is important that they take control of the process. A good way for a parent to stay visit during the tour: Take photographs that your child can refer to later.

Finally, don't worry if you can't visit every single college your child is considering. While demonstrating interest is important to a growing number of colleges, there are other ways to show interest besides visiting such as emailing the regional officer with questions, signing up for the college's mailing list, and attending local presentations and college fairs. Visiting colleges is time consuming and expensive, and most colleges understand that students aren't always able to visit easily.

Engineering Gender Parity

In the past year, much has been made in the media about admissions preferences being given to male students. Nationwide, 57 percent of undergraduates are female, and some colleges, anxious about maintaining as even a gender ratio as possible, admit male applicants at higher rates than females. Yet, a recent article in the Albany Times Union highlights another side of the issue: Females are still rare commodities in the engineering and science fields, and may receive admissions preferences themselves if they're applying for more technical majors.

The article discusses how Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is attempting to entice more female applicants. RPI recruits at all-girl high schools, has an admissions officer dedicated to female outreach, and offers scholarships specifically for female students. As a result of these efforts, RPI has increased the percentage of women in its student body to 31%, a 54% increase in females over the last five years.

It would be easy, as the author of the article implies, to attribute the increase to women being admitted at a higher rate. However, what the article fails to include is the fact that RPI's actual admissions numbers show that there wasn't as huge a disparity as the article seems to imply. In 2006, RPI admitted 77% of males, and 78% of females. James Nondorf, RPI's vice president for enrollment, declined to give information about the differences in SATs and Grade Point Averages between male and female admits, so it is impossible to say with certainty that females with lesser qualifications were admitted before males with higher qualifications.

This article is a good example of the importance of looking beyond what the media tells us about college admissions. If you read an article that talks about preferences being given, or that makes it seems like its impossible to get into any college these days, do your own research before taking a media report at face value.
Use resources such as a college's Common Data Set (found on many websites), the College Board, and the government's College Opportunities Online site to investigate the actual admissions numbers. If you notice that a college receives significantly larger numbers of applications from one sex, and has a significantly higher admissions rate for the other sex, then it is probably a fair assumption that gender may be considered to some extent as a factor in admissions decisions.

However, keep in mind that colleges have a variety of objectives when making admissions decisions besides keeping gender ratios in balance. No college can afford to admit a class where a significant portion of the student body is unqualified, has low test scores, or requires institutional financial aid. Colleges also seek to build a freshman class with a diversity of talents, backgrounds, and experiences. Therefore, while it is a good idea to take note of gender disparity in admissions, don't assume that it will help or hurt you.

Inside AP Grading

Ever wonder how the DBQ's and essays on AP exams are graded? Wonder no more. A high school teacher who spent several weeks as an AP grader this year provides an inside view in this article.

Tufts Calls Its Admissions Experiment "A Success"

Last spring, Tufts University announced plans to experiment with its application essays in an effort to more holistically evaluate applicant characteristics. In addition to standard essay prompts, Tufts said it would give applicants the opportunity to respond to more unusual essay prompts in an effort to weigh non-quantifiable applicant characteristics such as creativity. An underlying reason for the experiment was to level the playing field for minority and low income applicants.

According to an article published last week, Tufts admissions is calling the experiment a success. About half of applicants to Tufts last year submitted the additional essays, and Tufts reports an increase in admitted students from underrepresented groups. If you're thinking about applying to Tufts this fall, the article is a must-read for insights into how the new approach is affecting admissions decisions. Even if you're not considering Tufts, however, the article is worth reading as other colleges and universities, including the University of Washington, are considering a similar approach.

Two Year Colleges Adding Housing

There was an interesting article in Inside Higher Ed last week about how more community colleges are adding on-campus housing options in response to requests from students. According to the article, currently about a quarter of two year colleges provide some form of residential housing to students. While some in response to the article posted negative comments about this trend, I think it is a positive one. Students decide to attend two year colleges for a variety of reasons. Some may be late bloomers academically who need time to get up to speed before committing to a four year college degree. Others may be interested in pursuing fields of study that don't require a four year degree. Still others may not have the financial ability to afford a four year college, but would still like the full experience of college life, including living on campus. So, adding community college housing makes some sense in terms of serving student needs. After all, its something that many private two year colleges already offer their students. Why shouldn't students attending public two year schools have the same opportunity to live on campus if they desire?

International Students: Helpful Website on U.S. College Admissions

If you're an international student considering coming to the United States for college, a good starting point for research is the EduPass website. The site provides a clear and thorough overview of the U.S. higher education system, admissions requirements, costs of studying in the U.S., and the availability of financial aid and scholarships for foreign students. I particularly like the section on choosing a college in the United States. Not only does it lay out strategies for building a solid college list if you are a foreign student, it also provides lists of colleges with high percentages of international students and colleges that provide financial aid to substantial numbers of international students. EduPass is a good place to start your U.S. college search because it dispells many of the myths about studying in the U.S., and does a good job of connecting students to additional resources for further research.

College Tour Guides

If you've ever been on a college admissions tour, you've met them: the college tour guides. They're the students that show high schoolers and their parents around campus buildings and through dorm rooms. If you visit when school is out of session, they'll also likely be the only students you get to talk with about the school. An article in the Washington Times today took a look at the role college tour guides play in helping prospective students evaluate colleges.

Checking College Financial Stability

Recent news stories about theclosing of Antioch College and accreditation sanctions against St. Andrews Presbyterian partially due to financial issues, should remind prospective students and their parents of the importance of investigating the financial stability of institutions they're considering. This is, however, seldom something that admissions will share with families without prompting. Antioch, for example, continued to accept deposits from new students for next fall this past spring without alerting them to the school's financial status.

So, what questions should you be asking? First, start by investigating the school's endowment size. The National Association of College and University Business Officers publishes an annual survey of college endowments that indicates both the size of each school's endowment and its growth in the proceeding year. When you look at endowment sizes, however, try to compare individual institutions to their peers -- in other words, liberal arts colleges to liberal arts colleges, and universities to universities. The size of an endowment, and its growth, can give you a baseline for understanding the resources an institution can pull from to finance items such as new buildings, financial aid, and increased faculty size. However, just as a family tries to live off of its income instead of drawing principle out of savings, most colleges try to avoid using the principle of endowments to directly finance such expenditures, preferring to use interest on endowment investments when possible.

Therefore, the other important piece of information you want to look at is how well the college is living within its means. In other words, what is the balance between the school's annual income/revenues and its operating expenses. One source: The Chronicle of Higher Education publishes an annual study of college president compensation that also breaks down the basic income and expenditures for the past year. The report is only available by subscription, but many public and most college libraries should have back copies.

However, an even better source of information is the college's own annual financial report. Some colleges publish their annual financial statements on their websites - do a search using the terms financial report, financial statement or annual report.
If you can't track down the financial report online, a quick call to the college's development or finance offices can sometimes do the trick.

Finally, there are usually many hints of a college's financial situation. If you notice on a visit that campus facilities seem particular run-down, or if you find mentions of budget cuts in alumni magazines, student newspapers, and even local newspapers, be sure to dig deeper and ask pointed questions about operating revenues, expenses, and endowments. While few colleges will get to the point of closing, knowing upfront that an institution is going through a financial squeeze can be an important insight as you make your final decision of where to attend.

Take State Aid Into Account

If you need financial aid, be sure to factor in the availability of aid from your state's government when you're drawing up your college list.

According to a just-released survey of state-sponsored financial aid from the National Association of STate Student Grant and Aid Programs (NASSGAP) state governments awarded $8.5 billion in aid last year, a 7% increase in nominal terms over the previous year. The study found that the majority of state aid is in grants. The states offering the highest amount of grant aid per capita were Washington, D.C., South Carolina, Georgia, New York and Indiana. The states offering the highest amounts of grant monies were South Carolina, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, and Kentucky.

In most states, need-based grants from the state government must be used in a college or university within the state. Therefore, as you draw up your college list, it's a good idea to thoroughly investigate your eligibility for state aid as well as the amount and type you are likely to receive. If you are eligible, it can often be a smart idea to include at least one in-state financial safety on your list.

A good tool for researching what is available in your state is the State Aid database. Enter the name of your state, and you'll receive a list of state grant and loan programs, with links to find out more information. Follow that search up by doing a google search for your State's Department of Education to find additional information.

Related Link: State Student Aid Spending Up 7%, Inside Higher Education

Beating "College Selection Hysteria"

Are you a potential victim of "College Selection Hysteria" or CHS? "While it's not yet an 'official' psychological diagnosis, CHS is an often-observed phenommenon that starts to grip many adolescents and their parents around the beginning of their junior year of high school," writes Scott E. Smith, a licensed clinical psychologist in an article this week in the Annapolis Capital.

Although he's speaking tongue-in-cheek in comparing the anxiety surrounding applying to colleges to a psychological disorder, Smith does have a serious message. He points out that the symptoms of CSH can include mental confustion, sleepless nights, worry, difficulty concentrating, irrability, and conflict between students and their parents.

What's the cure? Smith reminds students and parents that there is a great deal of misinformation and misunderstanding about the college admissions process. The first step to curing CHS, therefore, is "remember your grandfather's adage not to believe everything you read." He suggests that students look beyond the hype and the rankings and focus on finding the right colleges. He also dispells the thinking behind some other common fears surrounding college admissions.

Smith's message is an important one, and one that can't be repeated enough. Don't let the process control you, remember that YOU are in control of the process. How you think about and react to applying to college is in your hands.

Before You Start Writing Your College Essays

Thinking about working on your college application essays this summer? Before you put fingers to keyboard, spend some time on the planning and strategy phase. Doing so will help you write essays that add to your application, rather than just repeat information that can already be found elsewhere in your application.

First, download a copy of the application materials for the colleges you're considering. Include not just the application itself, but also the recommendation forms for teachers and guidance counselors. If you'll be applying to colleges that accept the Common Application also be sure to include any supplemental application materials for each college.

Read through all of the information asked for in these application materials. Even better, take a stab at filling out the information sections about your activities, your academic preparation, and your work experiences. Pay attention to what teachers and your guidance counselors will be asked about you, and try to predict how they might describe you in their recommendations.

After you've done the above, take some time to ask yourself: What about me should an admissions committee know that they won't learn just from reading the rest of my application? The answer to that question should be the starting point for your essays.

Many applicants make the mistake of regurgitating information in their essays that is already given elsewhere in their applications. Your essay is your chance to add depth and insight into who you are, how your experiences have shaped you, and what you will contribute to a college community. Admissions officers will already know that you were editor of your school newspaper just from reading the activity list on your application. What they won't know is how you learned how to listen to others, to use tact and gentle persuasion, and to build a team after the entire paper staff almost threatened to quit because you initially thought being an editor meant you had to act like a drill sergeant. That's the beginning of a great essay.

How do you figure out what you need and want to say about yourself to an admissions committee? Step back and think about who you are, not just what you do. If you asked your best friend, your parents, or your siblings to describe you, what would they say? How would your favorite teacher describe you? Your least favorite teacher? Do you see yourself in the same way others do? Why or why not? What motivates you, makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you angry? Why? Is there a moment when you felt or feel most true to yourself? When? If you had just a minute or two to tell a stranger a story about yourself so that they would know who you are, what would you say?

Next, make a list of the experiences, events, and stories of your life that might let an admissions committee learn who you are. Don't focus just on the "big" events and stories or what you think will impress an admissions committee. One of the best college essays I ever read was, on the surface, about weeding a vegetable garden. However, the writer of that essay used this every-day activity to also give readers a glimpse into his calm, determined and thoughtful nature.

One last bit of advice before you get started thinking about who you are, and how to convey it in your essays. There are numerous "college essay" books on the market that are chock-filled with sample essays written by other students. While it's fine to read through these books to get a sense of length, format, and pacing, don't let them guide you to your essay topic. Start with yourself. Then tell the story only you can tell.

Related Links:

Writing Successful College Essays - Advice From Admissions Officers

Essay Writing Tips From College Admissions Officers

Telling Your Story: College Essays

Telling Your Story: Part II

First In Your Family To Go To College? Here's a Great Resource

Students who will be the first in their family to attend college often face extra challenges. They don't have college-savvy parents to help them sort through the options and advise them about their applications. They often need extra help understanding and applying for financial aid, especially if they come from a low income family. First-in-the-family students have to be particularly motivated and assertive about seeking out the help and resources they need to succeed. Sometimes, college admissions can seem like a very long road indeed.

If you'll be the first in your family to attend college, check out the First In The Family website. You'll find hard facts here about the challenges you may face, but also inspiration and advice to help make your journey a little easier. Often, the best way to learn is from those who have gone before you, and the website includes videos where successful students who were the first in their families to attend college discuss the challenges and rewards of doing so. The site also provides tips on preparing for and applying to college, getting financial aid, and succeeding once you get to college. A useful list of websites is included in the resource section.

The information here won't replace the help and support of your guidance counselor, but it will provide plenty of inspiration as you navigate your own path to college.

Rankings Debate Podcast

In recent weeks, the debate over the U.S. News Rankings system has heated up among colleges, with a growing number of college presidents announcing they will decline to participate in the peer ratings used by U.S. News.

If you'd like more insight into what all of the fuss about, you can hear both sides of the debate by listening to a podcast of a talk show last week on American University's radio station. Kate Will, President of Gettysburg College and incoming Chair of the Annapolis Group, a consortium of private liberal arts colleges, explains why colleges are increasingly disatisfied with the way the data used in the rankings is collected. The Annapolis Group has joined forces with the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) to work on an alternative format for providing students and parents with the information necessary to make informed college decisions. That system, which will be online, is scheduled to debut in September.

Brian Kelly, U.S. News & World Report's Editor, presents the other side of the controversy, defending the rankings as a way to provide information to families and
explaining some of the methodology behind the rankings.

Explore The New Common Application Now

The 2007-2008 online Common Application debuted yesterday, with some new features and a new interface designed to make it easier for students to apply to one of the 300-plus colleges and universities that now accept the Common Application. Even if you haven't decided on your final college list, it's worth taking a few minutes over the summer to explore the Common Application -- getting familiar with its format and features will help you plan your application strategies and reduce the chances of last minute snafus as deadlines near in the fall. Parents of children who will be applying in the fall may also want to take a few moments to review the Common Application website.

Begin your exploration on the Common Application's homepage. Here, you'll find a list of colleges that currently accept the Common Application, a list that gets longer every month. If you click on the Member tab on the top of the page, you'll see a list of all Common Application members. Click on each college name and you'll be taken to an information sheet for that school that lists deadlines, application fees, application requirements, and information about whether or not the school requires a supplement to the Common Application. If you know some of the colleges you'll be applying to, printing out the information sheet for each school, and storing them in a binder or notebook can be a good first step towards getting organized for the fall.

The Common Application search engine can be a useful tool if you're still researching college options. The basic search function lets you sort Common Application member schools by various criteria, including distances from specified zip codes. The advanced search feature lets you dig deeper, allowing you to pull up a list of Common Application member colleges on more detailed criteria, including colleges the availability of financial aid for international students, SAT-optional policies, AP credit policies, and sports programs offered.

One the homepage, you can also download a copy of the print version of the Common Application and all of its related forms. It can be useful to review these forms early in the game to get an idea of the types of questions colleges will ask those writing your recommendations. However, if you plan to submit the Common Application online, don't print out the recommendation forms from the homepage. After you have registered and answered some questions within the online Common Application itself, the system will generate recommendation and other forms that will automatically enter some information for you.

Registering to explore the online Common Application is easy - a few basic questions about yourself, and you are able to enter the main Common Application site. Keep in mind that registering does not obligate you to use the online application, nor will specific colleges be alerted that you have registered with the Common Application.

One important thing to know now, and to keep in mind for later: Students cannot use the AOL internal browser to complete the Common Application. You must use either Internet Explorer (version 5 and above), Netscape (version 8 and above), Foxfire, or Safari (for Mac users). If you are an AOL user, make sure you know how to access these browsers.

The first thing every student (and parent!) should do after registering and gaining access is to read the instructions! It sounds like a no-brainer, but most of the questions and problems students encounter when trying to use the Common Application could be avoided by taking a few moments to review the overall instructions. The newly designed Common Application interface also makes it easy to get answers if you encounter problems while filling out any section of the Common Application. There is also a FAQ section, with a search engine. I found it a little harder to find answers to common questions on the the FAQ section of the newly designed Common Application than I did on the old version, but the search feature helps somewhat.

When you enter the Common Application, you will see fifteen different tabs along the left-hand side of the screen. Unlike the previous Common Application, these tabs point you toward different parts of the Common Application that need to be completed. This interface is simple to use and understand, and you can work on the sections in any order -- just be sure to save your work before you move on to a different section.

The first two tabs are titled My Colleges and My College Checklist. These are the links you will use to tell the Common Application System where you want your applications to be sent. The My College Section allows you to search for colleges using various criteria. Once you've identified a college that you plan to apply to, hit the "add" button. This will enter the college into your College Checklist. The College Checklist displays the basics of what you need to know about applying to each school you choose including application deadlines, and whether a supplement is required. If a supplement will be required, and can be submitted online, you can then access the supplement through the Checklist page. Returning to the My College Section, you will see that the system prompts you to indicate if you want to apply Early Decision to any of the colleges you have specified. It also has a "submit" button -- when you are ready to apply to any or all of your colleges using the Common Application, you will check the box next to the college name, then hit submit. But, don't worry -- you can't submit an application until you have completed it and signed it electronically.

I'm often asked whether students must apply to all colleges at once if they use the Common Application. The simple answer is: no. You can apply to as many or as few as you would like at one time, then go back and make changes or additions to your application and submit to other colleges. I usually recommend that student submit one application at a time, making sure to complete any supplemental requirements at the same time, because that tends to avoid errors. It also gives applicants a chance to send different essays to each college if they choose, or to customize their extracurricular activity section in order to emphasize different things to different colleges.

The first few tabs after the My Colleges and My College Checklist tabs will bring you to sections that ask for simple information about yourself and your family. You will also be asked to specify your intended major in the "Future Plans" section -- keep in mind that there is an "undecided" option in the pull down list and it is fine to say you're undecided if you have no idea of your intended major.

In the section titled "Academics", you will be prompted to provide information about your high school -- it's helpful to have your guidance counselor's name, phone number, and email address on hand to complete that section. The same section also asks for a complete list of the courses you plan to take next year, so be sure to have that information on hand when you work on this section. The academics section also has a space for listing your academic honors, including specific honors, making the honor roll (specify how many semesters), and being chosen for academic honors societies such as the National Honors Society.

The testing tab will bring you to a page where you will be asked to list the dates you took various standardized tests, and your scores. It is helpful to have a copy of your final score report in completing this section. You may also list dates you intend to take or retake tests in the future. However, the system will only allow you to list three test dates for both the ACT and SAT. If you have sat for these tests more than three times, list the attempts where you scored the highest. Remember - you will still need to send your official score report to each college, and, at least for the SAT, they will automatically see all of the tests and test scores then.

The next two sections - the Activity tab and the Writing section - are the fun parts. In the Activity section, you may list seven activities. Begin with the activities that have been most important to you and where you have devoted the most time and effort. The 2007-2008 online Common Application gives you a small space to briefly describe or explain each activity. But, don't count on writing a 500 word essay. It appears you may use about 10 or so words in this section.

If you have extracurriculars that need additional explanation, or feel you must include more than seven activities, an activity resume is your best bet. I will be writing more about putting together an activity resume in the future, but for now keep in mind that you can either choose to mail such a resume separately, or include it in the "additional information" space you are given at the end of the Common Application.

The Writing Samples tab opens the page where you will either post or upload your essays. As in previous years, the 2007-2008 Common Application has a short answer (about 150 words) essay asking you to elaborate on one activity that is particularly important to you, and a longer (about 500 words) essay using one of five essay prompts. The additional information section is also found under this tab.

The remaining tabs will take you to information regarding any supplemental information required by each college, as well as a section to electronically sign your final application.

It may sound a bit overwhelming, but it is actually very easy and straight-forward to use the online interface to complete and submit your college applications. The system alerts you to any missed information before it will allow you to submit the final version to any college. The system also asks you to print and review a hard copy before you submit your applications. I'll talk more about the Common Application in the next few months, but taking a few moments now to register, read through the instructions, and explore the various tabs and features will help you decide whether using the online Common Application is right for you, and also give you a head start on relieving stress in the fall.