College+Admissions

I want to go college. How do I know where? I want to go to college. How do I know what to major in? Is a college visit really important? What about an interview? What is the difference between degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Master, Certificate, etc? What is the Common Application? Where and when can it be used? What is the CEEB code? How do I find it? Should I apply to a college online? How do colleges decide who to accept? What is the difference between Early Decision and Early Action? What is “open admission”? “rolling admission”? When and how do I find out if I have been accepted to a college? I want to transfer to another college. What is the process? What is Advanced Placement (AP)?

I want to go to college. How do I know where? (back to top) Because going to college involves the investment of a lot of time and money, it makes sense to examine college characteristics carefully. In choosing a college, you may very likely consider first the type of academic program and the availability of the major or majors in which you are most interested. How you rank other factors will depend largely on your personal preferences and needs. Factors to consider are: if you prefer a large urban university or a small college in a suburban or rural setting; what you can afford; if you want to live on campus or commute from home; campus activities, etc. Find out as much as you can about different possibilities and visit different types of schools to see what you like. Go to college search sites.

I want to go college. How do I know what to major in? (back to top) This question is best answered with another question. What type of work would you like to do after you graduate from college? If you do not know, then the first thing you might want to do is investigate various careers. There are several web sites that can help you with this search.

Most colleges, however, do not require that you declare a major until your Junior (third) year. Therefore, you can enter college as an undecided major. After one to two years of completing courses in a variety of disciplines you will probably find yourself drawn to a particular subject area. Several colleges also offer majors in broad disciplines such as Liberal Arts and Humanities.

The decisions you will be/are making during college are life shaping – but DON’T STRESS OUT COMPLETELY! Learn more about job fields and how to make the most out of your years in college. Take the time to look in front of you and make your dreams and aspirations a reality.

Is a college visit really important? What about an interview? (back to top) A college visit and an interview are very important. Even if not required by the college, a college visit is one of the most valuable ways for you to determine if the college is right for you. Most colleges and universities have an online form on their website to complete for scheduling a campus visit. Spend some time thinking about what you’d like to learn from your campus visit before you head out the door. Touring campus is a good way to find out if you would be comfortable attending that particular school.

An interview is mutually beneficial for you and the college. It gives you an opportunity to get answers to questions that might not be addressed in the college brochures and it gives the school an opportunity to learn things about you that you may not have included in your application.

What is the difference between degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Master, Certificate, etc? (back to top) A certificate program and an associate’s degree can both open up doors to new opportunities for you and your career. But, each of these programs is quite different. Therefore, it is important to understand the differences between a certificate program and an associate’s degree in order to determine which is right for you. With certificate programs, many colleges and universities require you to already be working in the field before you can participate. Or, you may be able to participate in a certificate program as you pursue an academic degree. For an associate’s degree, however, you don’t need to have any experience in the field at all. This is because a certificate program is meant to compliment the things that you have already learned. A certificate program generally takes less time to complete than an associate’s degree. Although an associate’s degree usually takes only two years to finish, a certificate program often takes less than one year to complete. While a certificate program takes less time to finish and is valuable when it comes to advancing your career and enhancing your knowledge, it is not a stepping stone toward achieving an higher level academic degree such as a bachelor’s degree. Therefore, if you wish to work toward achieving a bachelor’s degree or other higher level degree, you should work toward your associate’s degree rather than participate in a certificate program. If this is not of concern to you, and you wish to complete the program more quickly, a certificate program is a better option. A certificate can usually be earned in one to two years. Certificates are granted by two-year colleges and some four-year colleges.

A bachelor’s degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for four years, but can range from two to six years depending on the region of the world. A master’s degree is generally the degree that can be earn following a bachelor’s degree, which can then be followed by a doctorate degree.

What is the Common Application? Where and when can it be used? (back to top) The Common Application is the recommended application for 488 institutions now representing the full range of highly selective and modestly selective colleges and universities for admission to their undergraduate programs. Once completed online, copies of your Application for Undergraduate Admission can be sent to any number of participating colleges. The same is true of the School Report, Midyear Report, Final Transcript and Teachers Evaluation forms. This allows you to spend less time on the busy work of applying for admission, and more time on what’s really important: college research, visits, essay writing, and senior year coursework.

The Common Application is widely used, last year 2.4 million applications were submitted via the Common Application online. Their colleges and university members have worked together over the past 36 years to develop the Common Application. All members fully support its use, and all give equal consideration to the Common Application and the college’s own form. Many of their members use the Common Application as their only undergraduate admission application.

What is the CEEB code? How do I find it? (back to top) The CEEB code is a six-digit number that is used when requesting your ACT, SAT or AP scores be sent to colleges and some scholarships programs. This code is usually provided in the college or scholarship recruitment literature. You can find the codes for all of the colleges or scholarships in the ACT and SAT Registration information.
 * Wooster High School CEEB code is 365630.**

Should I apply to a college online? (back to top) Definitely, almost 90% of all college applications are completely online. Admission application instructions can be found on the college’s web page. Generally the online application is just the beginning of the application process – the data on your application will be entered into the college data system, but you will still have to submit other information (high school transcript, test scores, recommendations, application fee, etc). You can start by checking our College Application link.

How do colleges decide who to accept? (back to top) There are several answers to this question, it depends on what type of college(s) you are applying to. Most community colleges and some private colleges are “non-competitive” or have “open” admission. This means that any applicant supplying proof of high school graduation or its equivalency (such as a GED, EDP, or ABE) may become a student. Depending on how “competitive” or “selective” they are, other colleges use a variety of criteria for determining acceptance for admission. Most schools will look closely at your high school grades, ACT or SAT scores and will require you to submit 1 to 3 essays. If English is not your first language, most colleges will require you to take the Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Students applying for a major in the arts are often required to have an audition or submit a portfolio. Many colleges require that you come to campus for an interview. Minimum standards will vary from college to college, but most colleges take all facets of the students’ applications (grades, test scores, essays, interview performance) into consideration when making a decision.

What is the difference between Early Decision and Early Action? (back to top) Early Decision – The application process in which students make a commitment to a first-choice institution where, if admitted, they definitely will enroll. The deadline for early decision is generally early (November 1) and students are obligated to enroll if they are accepted. Do not apply “early decision” unless you’re confident that the college is your first choice.

Early Action – The application process in which students apply to an institution of preference and receive a decision well in advance of the institution’s regular response date. Students who are admitted under Early Action are not obligated to accept the institution’s offer of admission or to submit a deposit until the regular reply date (not prior to May 1).

What is “open admission”? “rolling admission”? (back to top) Open Admission – The policy of some colleges of admitting virtually all high school graduates, regardless of academic qualifications such as high school grades and admission test scores.

Rolling Admission – The application process in which a college reviews applications as they are completed and renders admission decisions to students throughout the admission cycle. However, you cannot count on a slot still being available if you wait until spring or summer to apply. If the class (or major) is filled before your application is received, you will not be admitted for that semester regardless of your qualifications. If a college has a rolling admission policy, it is best to apply as soon as possible.

When and how do I find out if I have been accepted to a college? (back to top) The school’s admission office will send you a letter notifying you of whether or not you are accepted for admission. If you are applying to a school that has a “rolling” admission policy you could get a letter within just a few weeks of submitting your application. Many schools have a single notification date, usually April 1.

I want to transfer to another college. What is the process? (back to top) If you are currently enrolled in a two-year college, you should notify your academic advisor as early as possible that you would like to transfer to another school. Several two-year colleges have what are called “articulation agreement” or “transfer compacts” with four-year colleges. This means that if you take the approved courses (agreed upon by the two- and four-year schools involved in the agreement/compact) and meet the previously-agreed-upon minimum grade point average, you can transfer the maximum amount of credits to the four-year school.

Often students transferring from a two-year school to a four-year school will discover that the admission and financial aid application process is more complex for the four-year school. Luckily, your academic advisor can help you through that process. If, however, you are transferring from one four-year college to another one, you should contact the admissions office of the college to which you wish to transfer as soon as possible.

What is Advanced Placement (AP)? (back to top) Advanced Placement (AP) courses are taught by highly qualified high school teachers who use the //AP Course Descriptions// to guide them. The Course Description for each discipline outlines the course content, describes the curricular goals of the subject, and provides sample examination questions.

The AP Examinations are administered each year in May and represent the culmination of college-level work in a given discipline in a secondary school setting. Rigorously developed by committees of college and AP high school faculty, the AP Exams test students' ability to perform at a college level. These tests are scored on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score. Students who perform well can receive course credit and/or advanced standing at thousands of universities worldwide.

Advanced Placement Practice Tests can be found at the Learning Express Library. (Use the InfoOhio login information. The student may obtain this information at the WHS library.)