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College Essay

I know that at some point in your school "career" someone has said to you, "There's no such thing as a stupid question." This applies to college admissions as well. You will have questions throughout the entire process. Questions you sometimes won't be able to answer on your own. No one ever said applying to colleges was going to be easy. You are going to need help. Don’t attempt to go through the application process by yourself. Start by reading through our admissions how to's. Our online guidance counselors should be able to answer many of your questions.

Guidance Counselors
Also make an appointment with your guidance counselor. It’s their job to help you, make them earn their pay! Bring any information you’ve gathered with you to the meeting and come prepared with any specific questions you may have written down.

If you plan to ask your counselor for a letter of recommendation, please approach them early, about two months prior to the actual due date. They will be inundated with recommendation requests as various deadlines come up and they will really appreciate your foresight. You can also ask them who else you should ask to write recommendations for you. They will probably know which teachers write good, well-written recommendations and which do not.

Friends and Family
Enlisting a family member or friend to help you with the admissions process is a great decision. They will be able to help you remember deadlines, run copies for you, obtain transcripts, answer questions, etc. Parents, especially those who've been there and done that, will be ready with all the free advice you may need and will usually be eager to help out their college-bound children.

Advice - Here's a piece of free advice to add to your stack. Make photo copies of everything - your applications, your recommendations, your transcripts, your essay, everything. You never know what you might need to send or resend to a college. It is better to be safe than sorry. Believe me you don't want to learn this lesson the hard way.

While you are at it, request a college catalog, financial aid information, and a financial aid application!