Here are some of the most commonly asked questions during the college application season.
• Should I go for an “easier” major to get into a college and transfer to the major I really want, after I get admitted?
There are a number of majors that are harder to get into and are even harder to transfer into for most colleges: business, computer science, engineering, nursing and portfolio majors (architecture, art, film, performing arts). For these majors, there are specific entry requirements that universities are looking for such as coursework and related extracurricular activities. Many of the schools have gone to a “pre” major admission and intentionally overenroll to ensure that all seats in that major are filled, making transferring into the program virtually impossible. So playing the transfer game could be very risky business.
Additionally, business, computer science and engineering jobs are being significantly impacted by the advancement of AI, especially impacting entry-level jobs. Apply to these programs with caution, select double majors or minors which will enhance employability and potential shift to a different career after graduation.
• When is the best time to submit an application? Is earlier better?
With a few rare exceptions for rolling admissions schools, there is no advantage to submitting an application months in advance. For rolling admissions schools (Arizona State, University of Oregon, for example), if an application is received prior to Nov. 1, applicants will often receive a decision within seven days. This is a great way to test the completeness of the application.
There is however, one possible wrong time to submit an application, especially in the pacific time zone. Anytime after 9:01 p.m. on the due date can potentially be problematic, as the Common Application servers are located in eastern time zone, and have the potential to be time stamped as a day late.
It is, however, usually recommended to submit between one to two weeks before the deadline to avoid possible system outages (as has happened the last nine out of 10 years), and to allow time to match supporting materials to the application before the actual deadline.
• When are the earliest deadlines for early action?
While the most common early action deadlines are Nov. 1 and Nov. 15, there are about a dozen schools with an Oct. 15 early action deadline, including Clemson, Georgia Tech, US Coast Guard Academy, University of Georgia, UNC Chapel Hill and, new this year, University of Texas, Austin.
• When do my supporting materials (transcripts, letters of recommendation, test scores, portfolios, resumes, etc.) need to be received by the college?
There is no universal answer for this question. Most colleges have a grace period of approximately one week after the official deadline to continue to receive documents. Some universities offer more time, but there are some institutions that require all documents to be received by the deadline (especially in the early rounds) in order to be considered complete for admission reviews. These include, but are not limited to University of Michigan, University of Central Florida, Purdue, Amherst College and University of Connecticut.
• Do I have to wait to match all my supporting documents before submitting my application itself?
No, in fact, you should submit as soon as you have completed the application and reviewed it in detail. Supporting documents will then be matched to the application for each school. This can take a week or more depending on how each college updates its systems.
• What should I be doing after I’ve submitted my applications?
After pushing the submission button, first breathe a sigh of relief. Then check your emails, including spam. Each college will send you a confirmation email, which includes access to their portal. Colleges check whether you have read the email, clicked on any links, and whether you have created a portal account. Lack of doing so could cause the college to cancel your application (as has happened with students whose application is incomplete and they have not registered into each portal to find out why). Because of privacy laws, colleges will not be able to tell you directly if anything is incomplete, missing or incorrect without going through their portals. It is important that you check each school regularly until the application is marked complete.
Hollis Bischoff is a college admissions adviser for College Unlocked. For more information, email [email protected] or visit collegeunlocked.com.
