programs Minnie Stevens Piper Compendium

Applying for Admission

Regular Admission

Congratulations on deciding to go to college! There are specific guidelines to be aware of after you have chosen a college or university. For instance, each institution will require a completed application.

Request your application for admission early. Complete it and return it early together with all of the required documents.

Each institution has certain specific admission requirements which will indicate which high school units are required and which college entrance tests you must take. Most schools require either the Scholastic Assess- ment Test (SAT®) or the ACT Assessment Test (ACT). Registration forms for these tests may be obtained from your counselor. You should check the college catalog to see which test and which high school courses are required.

Know the course and entrance test requirements for your college. Check with your high school counselor or the college catalog to be sure you have done all that is required of you for admission before the deadline date for application has passed!!! Some schools will accept applications as early as September of your senior year!

A fee is required for most college applications. This fee is non- refundable. Therefore, the smart student will narrow his/her selections to his/her top two or three choices before sending off applications for admission.

Good sources to check for college admission information are:

1. The College Board's College Handbook
2. Barron's Profiles of American Colleges
3. The Piper Foundation's Compendium of Texas Colleges
4. The college catalogs and Internet websites

Steps To Follow:

1. Select your colleges - about 8-10 months prior to entrance.
2. Contact these colleges and request catalogs and applications for admission about 8-10 months prior to entrance date.
3. Check entrance requirements: ACT or SAT®, SAT® Subject Tests, and high school courses required. Also check on Advanced Placement (AP® Tests.
4. After selecting TWO OR THREE colleges, return the completed applications and fees to them. At this time, you might also consider sending a Dormitory Room deposit (usually refundable up to a certain date) to insure that you will have a room.
5. If you have not taken the ACT or SAT® by this time, if required, take the test early so the college will get the scores early; it takes about a month for scores to be processed.
6. If you have not heard from the Office of Admissions a month after having sent the completed application for admission to the college, contact them to verify that the application has been received and is complete.

The above suggested procedures hold true for most two- or four-year colleges, both publicly supported and private. The same is also true for most post-secondary vocational or technical schools or institutes. Vocational and technical schools may not require the ACT or SAT®, but rather a vocational or technical aptitude test. Find out which test and other requirements are needed besides a high school diploma.

Early Admission

Early Admission, or as some colleges call it, the Early Admission Plan, is designed for the student who has determined that a particular college is his/her first choice and is willing to await the outcome of his/her application before applying elsewhere. You will have to check the college catalog to determine if Early Admission is available. You must also check the deadline date for applying for Early Admission.

If you are thinking about the Early Admission Plan, you should plan to take the required college entrance test the summer before your senior year. The ideal time to check into Early Admission procedures is during your junior year in high school.

Most colleges require that Early Admission applications and applications for Financial Aid, be received by specific dates (usually admission applications may be submitted in summer with an October 1st deadline). The school's own Financial Aid application, designed for Early Admission applicants, should be filed and submitted early in the fall.