Navigating the College Application Process

College Visits

College application deadlines approached and colleges visited PVS this fall both virtually and in-person to talk to PVS seniors and juniors about their college admissions process. Often colleges will conduct these visits to schools to answer questions and meet the students that are applying to universities, or gain interest for students who weren't thinking of applying before. For the juniors, these visits allow them to get an understanding of what colleges they want to go to and start on the college process early.

UChicago, the sixth best college in the country according to U.S News Ranking, came to talk to PVS juniors and seniors about their university in an open discussion, detailing their unique admissions process. After the UChicago visit, an admissions representative from the University of Tennessee Knoxville came to visit PVS students. Amidst in-person visits, colleges also visited Pleasant View students virtually. Schools like WashU, Rice University, and Emerson College came to speak about their colleges through presentations, discussions, and question and answer sessions. To have the opportunity to talk to some of the best colleges in America and have them want to talk to our students and recruit them is an exciting opportunity for the future of the school.

Deadlines

The college application process revolves around deadlines. Standardized tests, the Common App, and supplemental materials have to be submitted by varying deadlines. This period of time typically ranges from the fall to the spring. For example, the University of Memphis has a rolling admissions deadline. The University of Memphis makes its application available until July 1.

Before applying to a school, go to their website and research the school’s admissions policy and make a note of their deadlines. Make note that schools with rolling admission have a large range of time in which you can apply. Applying early action or early decision may place restrictions on your applications to other colleges. Agreeing to apply early decision is basically promising to enroll in the school if you get accepted. So make sure you think very carefully before applying early decision because it is legally binding.

Most regular decision deadlines are in the beginning of January, right after winter break. Regular decision is the most popular application type. This is because the deadlines are much later than early action/decision, giving students adequate time to prepare their application materials. Most schools give responses to applications in March or April. However, the exact time they release your admissions decisions may vary due to a number of factors (ie. increased number of applications). So don’t worry if your application decision has not come back the same time it came for others last year. The two most common dates for regular decision deadlines are Jan.1 and Jan.15 so watch out for those.