HOW MUCH WORK IS INVOLVED IN THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS?
There is quite a bit of choice when it comes to the college application process—what schools to apply to, how much writing you want to tackle, and how much time and bandwidth you have to devote to it all. Here’s my breakdown of how you can approach the workload:
1) THE EASY APPLICATIONS
What I call “The Easy Applications” are the schools that do not require any essay writing, recommendations, portfolios (for visual artists) or auditions (for performers). Applications to schools like the California State University (CSU) system fall into this category, as well as schools like Northern Arizona University, Iowa State University, and other state schools. These applications are the most basic, requiring data entry of personal information, possibly major selection, and self-reporting grades. They can usually be completed in less than two hours each. The state systems also allow you to click multiple campuses, so you are applying to all of them simultaneously. Some schools with excellent reputations and programs that are considered very competitive might still not require essays, recs, or portfolios.
2) THE BASIC COMMON APPLICATION
Some schools on the Common Application only require the Common Application essay, which has a maximum of 650 words. This essay is the main event of your application, and usually requires at least 5-6 drafts. The most basic of these schools will not require any additional supplementary essays, but some will require counselor and teacher recommendation letters. Any time you request a letter of rec (LOR) from someone, there is extra work involved in supplying them with information about yourself (either in the form of a “Senior Packet/Questionnaire” or possibly resumé. Writing and requesting LOR take time, so this level of application is markedly more time-consuming than the “Easy Apps.”
3) HIGHLY COMPETITIVE APPLICATIONS
Most private schools require at least one, if not two, and sometimes as many as five or six supplementary essays in addition to the Common App essay. All highly competitive schools require a counselor and a teacher LOR, if not more. The best way to approach the many supplementary essays is to see where they overlap and to strategically write for multiple schools via overlapping prompts. Furthermore, many highly competitive applications ask the “Why Our School?” question, which requires deep research into each school’s programs, opportunities, courses, professors, and other unique details (no, you cannot write “because I want to snowboard every weekend,” or “because NYC is so cosmopolitan”). The University of California system requires four essays of medium length, but no LOR. We do our best to overlap those prompts and topics with other essays.
4) HIGHLY COMPETITIVE APPLICATIONS PLUS PORTFOLIOS/AUDITIONS (ie: REQUIRED SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS)
The most complex process with the most number of steps is when you are applying to highly competitive schools that also require you to submit “supplementary materials” in the form of a portfolio or audition. On top of all the writing, requesting of LOR, and data entry, you must prepare media via an additional platform (such as Slideroom) to showcase your work. This is usually essential for visual artists applying to BFA programs in painting, illustration, animation, design, film, etc. Some portfolio work is pulled from the body of work you’ve been creating in the past year or two. Some schools require you to create new work in response to a prompt or multiple prompts. Either way, portfolios cannot be created last minute, as they should be representations of your best, most experimental, or most accomplished work. Performing artists will need to submit videos for music, dance, and theater, and again sometime the pieces can be from the past, but often they will have specific prompts. Some schools make these portfolios optional, which can make your application more robust, dynamic, and provide schools with visual evidence of your special talents and skills. In some rare cases, portfolios might be required for other types of programs, such a business. It’s important to keep in mind that every college requests a somewhat different portfolio, so attention to detail is essential.
5) HONORS COLLEGE & SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS
Those of you who want to apply to Honors Colleges and for scholarships, often extra essays or portfolios are required. This definitely requires more time, bandwidth, and organization to tackle.
Ultimately, your process will depend on your goals. Deeply researching your schools will help you figure out which of them is the best for supporting your vision, and therefore which schools you want to include on your final list.
Ask Alice more about Deep Research, Custom College Search, or the right type of support for your student.
