College Admissions for Fall 2015
If you think that your chances of enrolling in fall semester for college has long gone, well think again, college admissions are still open. There is still a long list of colleges and universities waiting for you to submit your application.
I always give my example while talking about how late some colleges are willing to take applications. The first time I realized that I wanted to pursue higher education was on 1st of June. My friends and family members told me that Applying for fall semester has long gone. So, I found ten universities which were still accepting applications. I drafted applications for all those universities mailed them by 10th of June. To my surprise, ten days later, I had been offered to join two prestigious universities in United States.
So, if you are still thinking about pursuing higher education, then start applying now. This blog will guide you through the process of finding college with are still accepting application, applying for admissions and availing subsequent financial aid opportunities.
Finding Potential Colleges
The first thing that you have to decide is your geographical range of educational institutes. This range can commence from city wise search going up to worldwide options. If you are looking for colleges in US, then your best bet of finding universities and colleges is “National Association of College Admission Counseling” (NACAC). Every year in May, NACAC publishes a list of universities which are still accepting students for higher education. In addition to American HE institutes, this list also includes few European universities eager to consider your application. I would recommend a different source for European universities; however, this list is quite comprehensive for US Universities and Colleges. Alternatively, two other useful sources for this purpose are Common Application and universal Applications.
How to Apply
Once you have Shortlisted institutes, the next step is shortlisting of the program you want to pursue. Universities and colleges offer a whole bunch of degree programs for your assortment. You need to give serious consideration for determining the suitability of program against the profile and aim of personal development. If you are still not sure, there is always an option of consulting admission officers of specific HE institutes. Email addresses of admission officers can easily be found on faculty websites. These personals are more than happy to help you through this process.
Once you have shortlisted five odd programs, It is time for you to start making your applications. You can start by filling out application forms provided by universities. These forms normally cost you some amount, which is the reason why, you should select not more than six universities which offer programs highly relevant to your desired field. Apart from application form, you must also submit your letter of motivation. This letter can be very influential for persuading universities in accepting you application. In order to write a perfect LOM, you need to carryout research on the kind of students that university aspires to enroll. This will help you to transmit your capabilities and personality in tandem actual requirements of that particular HE institute.
Financial Aid
I am sure that this will come to you as surprises that you still have a chance to secure financial aid. Even though most of the financial aid offers have been taken by this point, there is always some entity willing to provide that extra bit of aid. The main concept that you need to understand is that college application and financial aid applications are two entirely different things. Once you have applied to a university, you need to submit a different application for financial aid request. So, the first thing you need to do is add the college to your Free Application for Federal student Aid (FAFSA). Further, you need to submit a CSS profile form. You can also check for separate scholarships and financial aid offered by individual universities and colleges.
Finding Accommodations
Once accepted in a university, the next challenge that students face is accommodation. Finding accommodation for late applicants is a relative difficult task. Even if you get on campus accommodation, it might not be in your financial range. In this scenario, your best bet would be to register university online platforms. These platforms are full of people looking for students to share apartments and rooms with. This option will solve accommodation problem well within your budget range.
As the tweaked version of the saying goes “It is better to have tried and lost than to have never tried at all”, when you are thinking about getting into HE institutes, do not take other people’s word for admission processes. Instead, it is always better to carry out your own research. This blog is adamant to the fact that, there is always an opportunity if you are willing to try. So, go out there and break a leg.