The Ultimate Guide to College Applications

Summary:

Applying to college is a life-changing milestone. Students who achieve it tend to follow a pattern: they do well on standard tests, write moving essays, often receive financial aid, and take pre-college online courses to help find their best fit.

Key Points:

• Use this article to create your application checklist.
• Take pre-college online courses to help find your best future major.
• Develop a strong relationship with your guidance counselor.
• Ask for letters of recommendation.
• Write a memorable essay that includes extracurriculars.
• Learn how to apply for financial aid.

Making the move from high school to college is a life-changing milestone. Students who achieve it tend to follow a pattern: they do well on standard tests, write moving essays, often receive financial aid, and up their chances of getting accepted into the college of their choice with a resume of extracurricular accomplishments. How do they do this? They prepare. And that preparation begins as early as freshman year of high school.

In this article, we’ll provide a comprehensive college application guide to show you how to apply to college step by step and help you achieve your ultimate goal—finding the best college for you.

Overall, a college application typically includes an application form, application fees, letters of recommendation, a high school transcript, standardized test scores (such as the SAT or ACT), and a personal essay or statement of purpose. Extracurricular activities, honors, and any disciplinary actions are also essential to include. Some colleges may also require portfolios, interviews, or auditions. 

Here’s an at-a-glance college admissions checklist with some of the key steps you’ll need to take:

• Develop a strong relationship with your high school counselor.
• Complete FAFSA to acquire federal financial aid (available each year of college).
• Fill out the Common App.
• Write a memorable college essay.
• Ask for recommendation letters.
• Learn the details and types of student loans.
• Take the ACT and/or the SAT standardized test.
• Analyze college tuition costs.
• Review colleges and universities that might be a good fit for you.
• Discover scholarships to help cover the costs of college.
• Take college prep courses online starting your freshman year of high school.

Now, we’ll break down the list above designed to help you succeed.

Begin planning in freshman year of high school: Admissions officers look at grades, and consistency is important. That is not to say you can’t struggle for a year and then improve. But know this: most admission officers report that in addition to your GPA, the rigor of your high school curriculum counts greatly. So,

• Choose high school classes with an eye to the future.
• Try honors, AP, and IB classes when available.
• Get help (tutoring) when needed to stay on track.
• Take pre-college online courses with Prelum, Powered by Kaplan. (More on this later).

Take practice ACT and SATs: These will help you to prepare yourself for the real thing.

• You can take the optional PSAT in your sophomore year. If you take it during junior year, you can qualify for scholarship programs such as the National Merit Scholarship, which can help lower tuition costs and open the door to great colleges.
• Schools accept both the ACT and the SAT equally, so you decide. The only way to know which fits you best is to take practice tests, which you can find on Kaplan’s test prep site.
• Test-optional schools do not require standardized tests as part of their admission qualifications. If you do apply to test-optional schools, you’ll need to ensure the other elements in your application are elevated.

Investigate early decision and early action. These plans are designed for students who have investigated their options and narrowed their choices. 

• Early decision is a binding commitment to attend a school. If you choose to apply early decision, you can only apply to that one school, and you are bound to attend that school if accepted. Experts recommend applying for early decision only if you have a clear top-choice school. 
• Early action is similar to early decision in that the deadlines typically fall in the earlier part of the school year. However, unlike the binding nature of early decision, early action applications are non-binding, meaning you can apply early action to multiple schools.

Start the application process. 

• Most schools accept applications online, using platforms such as the Common App, Coalition Application, or their websites.
• Your essay is a critical part of your application, and most schools require it. Typically, admissions counselors are looking to really know you: what were your passions in high school, how did you execute those passions through clubs, sports, internships, or volunteering? In other words, what sets you apart from other applicants?
• Letters of recommendation are essential: Ask favorite teachers, counselors, or employers to share their thoughts about your accomplishments, personality, and ability to meet your goals.
• Transcripts: Colleges and universities need official transcripts of your academic performance. Schools don’t automatically send your transcript to colleges, so you’ll need to request the service through your school’s guidance office or an online provider.
• Extracurricular Activities: Many schools prefer your application to include extracurricular activities, work experience, and volunteer work. Make sure to include these in your portfolio.

Find the right college for you:

• Share what’s important to you with your school counselor: academics, location, campus culture, and financial aid. All will narrow down your college search.
• Do your research: attend college fairs, visit campuses, explore majors, dorms, clubs, and career services, and review college websites. Keep in mind that many schools track your interest in their school. Did you chat with their representative at a fair? Did you follow up with an email to express your interest?
• Come up with a list of dream, match, and safety schools—any of which should be a fit for your personality and interests.

Once you’ve narrowed down potential schools that you feel could be a fit, the next step is to evaluate tuition and costs. Remember, whatever you pay out of pocket will impact your future financial situation, so thoroughly review all potential sources of aid. You’ll be surprised how many opportunities there are.

Apply for financial aid:

• Make sure to review each prospective school’s financial aid website as you comprise your college list.
• Begin with the free FAFSA application, which becomes available on October 1st each year. The form requires information about your income and the size of your household to calculate the amount your family can contribute.
• A financial aid package typically consists of:
• Grants and scholarships
• Federal work-study
• Student loans
• Numerous outside organizations offer scholarships tailored to academic interests, talents, extracurricular activities, career goals, and other factors.

Even if you complete all of the above, you’ll need to make sure that you choose the right major. When you partner with Prelum, Powered by Kaplan, you can take online courses from top colleges and universities in a wide range of subjects. This is a great way to ensure you’re picking the right major and start your journey to a future career.

Finding your future begins in high school

College prep courses online are a popular way to hone in on subjects that could one day be your major. Prelum, Powered by Kaplan, partners with top universities such as Harvard Medical School, Georgetown University, the University of Notre Dame, Northwestern University, Rice University, Dartmouth College, and William & Mary, to name a few. Each offers an array of college courses in a format designed for high school students—some even offer college credit. 

A few examples of the courses you can take:

For those interested in medicine, the Harvard Medical School Pre-College HMX Program is a great fit. Led by Harvard Medical School faculty, this program brings medical concepts to life through real-world applications and interactive tools. Choose from a wide range of subjects, from biochemistry and genetics to immunology, pharmacology, and physiology. 

The Georgetown University Pre-College Online Program has one of the broadest selections of courses. You’ll find courses in business, communications, law and government, medicine, and STEM. Plus, some courses even offer college credit.

The Notre Dame Pre-College Online Program is where you’ll find courses in business, law, and STEM.

The Northwestern Pre-College Online Program offers courses in various topics, including business, law, medicine, and STEM.

The Rice University Precollege Program offers a rich array of courses, ranging from business and aerospace to law and government, as well as a wealth of topics in STEM fields.

The Dartmouth College Precollege Online Program offers finance and a range of STEM subjects. 

The William & Mary Pre-College Online Program provides courses in entrepreneurship, constitutional law, and STEM, among others. 

This is just part of what Prelum, Powered by Kaplan, has to offer. We are keenly aware of the work required to achieve your goals. Make sure to check out Prelum’s Glossary of Terms; it’s got everything you need to know when applying to college.

This was last reviewed by Ashley Simmons on 08/7/2025.