I submitted my 4-year college application. Now what?

Learning Target: Review the steps you must take AFTER submitting your 4-year college applications.

After submitting your 4-year college application

Submitting your 4-year college applications took a lot of time and effort! Congratulations! Contrary to popular belief, applying to college continues UNTIL you say YES to one campus. You are now in the MANAGING and MONITORING stage of the application process. Be sure to complete all the steps below.

Things to keep in mind for all college systems

  • Your application is a contractColleges will offer admissions based on what is included in the application. Colleges will accept you with the EXPECTATION that you will pass (C grade of higher) all the courses reported for your senior year.  Changing your coursework or earning less than a C in a senior year course (high school or college) should be reported to each campus you applied to. Explain what happened, what you tried to prevent the poor grade, and what you learned from the process.

  • Colleges expect you to monitor your email daily: After submitting your application, you will receive emails from each of the campuses you applied to. Some of these emails contain time sensitive requests. Failing to open and respond to a request can lead to a denial.

  • Activate and monitor your college PORTALS:  After submitting your application, you will receive an email and/or snail mail with instructions on how to activate your campus PORTAL. The portal is a website the campus uses to communicate and request information. You must check the messages and To Do section of each portal regularly.

  • Financial Aid:

    • After submitting your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) be sure to review the report generated after the application is fully processed.

    • If you are selected for verification, promptly request a TAX TRANSCRIPT and gather any additional required information and send it to FAFSA OR CADAA. When ordering, the following information is required (and must match EXACTLY how it is on the recent Tax Return). Be sure to refer to the most recent taxes (use 2021 taxes for the senior class of 2023) when completing you must enter exact information:

    • If you applied to more than 10 schools, once the first submission of the application is processed, return to the application and add the additional schools (beyond the ten). Remember that every time you make changes to the application, you need to re-submit your application. Parents without a social security number will need to sign an additional signature form and mail it.

  • Undocumented Students: For thorough information, undocumented students should review the following section of the website: “I AM UNDOCUMENTED AND QUALIFY FOR AB540, HOW CAN I PAY FOR COLLEGE?”. 

  • Admission status: Portals have a section typically titled "status" where students will eventually see updated from pending to accepted or denied. During the process, the default status can be "incomplete" - don’t panic! If you see an "incomplete" status, do the following:

    • Check your "To-Do List" and messages section to see if there is anything that the college wants you to submit.

    • If there are no pending items on your "To-Do List" or messages section, then the incomplete status can mean any of the following:

      • The college requested a transcript and is waiting for you to submit it

      • The status will STAY as incomplete until it changes to ACCEPTED or DENIED.

    • If there is nothing on your "To-Do List" or messages section of your portal and you haven't received an email asking for additional items - DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!

  • Admission Interviews: Optional admission interviews are common for highly selective private schools or for competitive institutional scholarship programs. Interviews can be on campus with faculty or at a cafe with alum. You should prepare for the interviews by practicing your response to the following questions: 

    • Tell me about yourself? 

    • Make a list of 5 things you want the interviewer to know by the end of the interview and practice weaving those into your conversation.

    • Prepare 2-3 questions for the interview regarding their experience. Don’t ask questions you can find answers to on the school website.

  • Sending high school transcripts(including community college transcripts for concurrent/dual enrollment):

    • Private Schools: Require mid-year (semester 1) grades. Counselors should use whichever systems are available to electronically upload transcripts (such as Naviance, Common App, or other electronic submission tools used by private schools).

    • CSUs: Some CSUs request mid-year transcripts for evaluation purposes. Counselors typically mail in the transcript.

    • UCs: DO NOT request transcripts to evaluate applications. The only time counselors will send transcripts to a UC is AFTER graduation (for students attending a UC in the Fall). 

    • EOP: Sometimes EOP programs will request a student transcript.

    • International Transcripts: If you completed part of your high school in another country, the campus may contact your counselor to request international transcripts.

  • Waitlisted!?

    • A waitlist option is NOT a DENIAL

    • Being placed on the waitlist means you need to WAIT (WAITLISTED)

    • Colleges live in fear of over-enrolling and utilize the waitlist process to help them control their enrollment numbers

    • EVERY YEAR students get off the waitlist and are admitted

    • Sometimes up to 30% of each incoming college class was originally on the WAITLIST!

    • You have worked so hard, don’t throw in the towel! Be sure to OPT-IN to the waitlist! Sometimes this requires writing a short essay. Show your counselor or college advisor your response before submitting it.

  • Scholarships: Now is the time to submit as many scholarship applications as possible! Scholarships can be granted by the college, company, non-profit organization, individual, etc. Merit-based scholarships are dependent on academic performance, talents, or other criteria. Need-based scholarships are dependent on financial need.

    • Institutional / College Scholarships

      • Amounts can vary from small amounts to full scholarships.

      • Sometimes eligible students are automatically considered for these scholarships.

      • Oftentimes, students must apply for each individual scholarship.

      • Oftentimes, students do not need to have been accepted when applying. 

      • Requirements vary by school and scholarship.

      • Most require that the student submits a FAFSA or CADAA.

      • Best way to learn about these scholarships is to visit each school's financial aid/scholarship page.

      • Most private schools require students to submit their admission application by the scholarship priority deadline (typically December 1st).

      • Most HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) encourage students to submit their admission application by the scholarship priority deadline (typically October 1st).

      • CSU Scholarships

      • Some UC Scholarships are determined based on information on your application for admission. If you are selected to apply, you will be informed. Some require you to apply. 

    • External Scholarships can come from individuals, organizations, foundations or companies. Consider using any of the following to research scholarship opportunities:

  • CSS Profile: The CSS Profile is an online application that collects information used by some private colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal aid (such as institutional scholarships and grants).

    • Students can complete the CSS Profile as early as October 1st and should submit it no later than two weeks before the EARLIEST priority filing date specified by their colleges. Most private colleges require that both the CSS Profile and the Financial Aid Application are submitted by February 1st.

    • Students should check the list of participating colleges to see if the CSS Profile is required.

    • CSS Profile is free for families who make up to $100,000 a year and students who qualify for a college board fee waiver. 

After applying to the California State University (CSU)

  • Changes to the application: Once you submit the CSU application, most sections are locked to prevent edits. The following sections however remain open throughout the process and students should remember to make updates as necessary.  

    • Editing contact information

    • Editing profile information (username, password, security question, etc.)

    • Adding programs with deadlines that have not yet passed (applying to additional campuses)

    • Editing or deleting EOP recommendations that remain incomplete

    • Adding new test scores, experiences, achievements, and/or certifications, if applicable (unable to edit or delete existing entries)

    • Editing program materials for campuses they have yet to apply to 

  • Changes to previous or current academic record (change of schools, add or drop a course, or fail to earn a C or better in a course), must be communicated directly to every CSU a student applied to. It is best to email each admissions office directly (include your full name, date of birth, and application number).

  • Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)

    • Submit your application ASAP (11/30 priority) or before the deadline. 

    • Log on to the CSU application to confirm that your recommenders have sent their recommendations. 

    • MONITOR your email and portal for requests of additional information (some campuses will request TAX transcripts and school transcripts).

  • CSU Residency Questionnaire: Some students (definitely all undocumented students) are required to complete the CSU Residency Questionnaire. The questionnaire confirms the information required to determine the student's residency status for tuition purposes. Failure to submit or to answer all questions may cause a student to be classified as a non-resident (and charged out-of-state fees).Steps for submission:

  • Complete the PDF form online

  • Print a copy for each CSU campus

  • If undocumented, also complete the California Nonresident Tuition Exemption Request (AB540 Affidavit) - be sure to include each unique CSU campus student ID number on the affidavit.

  • Print a copy of the questionnaire and affidavit and mail it to EVERY CSU campus you applied to. 

After applying to the University of California (UC)

  • Changes to the application: You can log in to your application to review and, if necessary, change your telephone number, email, mailing address, or exam scores. You can also apply to additional campuses if they're still open.

  • Changes to your academic record: If you add or drop a course, fail to earn a C or better in a course, or enroll in a new college after you submit your application, log back in and update your information online.  If you receive an offer of admission, be sure to confirm with the campus admission office that they are aware of the deficient grade or schedule changes. Minor changes to your activities, awards, volunteer work, or employment are unlikely to have an impact on your admission decision. Click here for detailed campus instructions and websites for reporting changes.

  • UC Berkeley Letters of Recommendation: Some students are invited (not required) to submit two letters of recommendation. Submission is voluntary. If you are invited, it is recommended that you use this opportunity to provide additional information/context to your application. Consider asking core academic teachers who already wrote you a letter for another school or scholarship program.

  • Supplemental Applications: Some UC majors require an audition, submission of a portfolio or supplemental applications, or specific prerequisite coursework, test scores, GPA, and/or class level. Be sure to follow instructions and meet deadlines.

After Applying via Common App

The Common App portal is a vehicle that facilitates the application process.  

  • Application questions: Specific questions regarding admissions should be directed to admissions representatives at each campus you applied to.

  • Letters of recommendation: These are due on the same day as the student application for admission deadline. It is ultimately the student's responsibility to make sure that recommenders have everything they need to submit the recommendation on time. This requires giving the recommender ample time to complete and submit. Students should visit their dashboards to confirm that the recommendations were submitted.

  • Changes to your academic record: Changes to previous or current academic record (change of schools, add or drop a course, or fail to earn a C or better in a course), must be communicated to each campus you applied to. It is best to email each admissions office directly (include your full name, date of birth, and application number).

  • Senior year grades: 

    • The vast majority of schools utilizing the Common Application will request a Mid-Year Report from the school counselor. The Mid-Year Report requires 1st-semester grades.

    • Information provided on the Mid-Year Report is considered when making admissions decisions.

    • Even if a student is at a school with a year-long grading system, a failing "progress" grade at the mid-year point can hurt the student's chances of being admitted.

Next Step For Students

  • If you are done applying and have not completed any of the steps listed in this section, do them now.

  • Check your email and respond to requests daily.

  • Check ALL your college portals 1-2 a week.

  • Consider using a google doc to keep track of your campus portal account information - CEP College App Account Info Sheet

Next Steps for Families

  • Speak with your student about the importance of completing their “next steps” listed above.

Próximos pasos para las Familias

  • Hable con su hijo/hija sobre la importancia de completar los "próximos pasos" enumerados anteriormente.

Next: I was accepted to a 4-year college. Now what?