College applications are still being accepted across the U.S.

The end of November brought a collective sigh of relief from California high school seniors, as the CSU and UC closed application windows for Fall 2013. Hundreds of thousands of applications were sent to California public universities and now the wait begins for applicants to see who will be admitted to which schools. But just because the CSU and UC deadlines have passed, doesn’t mean seniors are out of options for college. CSU Bakersfield and Cal Maritime have extended their deadlines and UC Merced is offering an appeal to apply late.

The CSU and UC are not the only place to get a good education. Most of the private colleges and hundreds of public out-of-state colleges are still accepting applications for Fall 2013. These include, but are not limited to: University of Nevada Reno, Arizona State, University of Arizona, Oregon State and University of Oregon, University of Hawaii and many others across the U.S.  

The fastest way to find a college admission website is to use Google or a similar search engine. However, be sure you’re on the official college website that ends in “.edu” to confirm you are applying at the official website. It’s also important to confirm that you are applying for the undergraduate level of admission. Complete the on-line application before the deadline. Follow that up by submitting official transcripts and test scores. Then open the portal account on the college website for further directions or requirements.

If you elect to apply to a school who is offering an extension after the normal deadline, be advised that extended deadlines can end without notice. So do not delay if you are choosing an extended deadline option. Follow those applications up with an official transcript and be sure to request the testing agency to send your official SAT and/or ACT scores.

Students who submitted applications to colleges should expect to receive confirmation from the college that the application has been received. This is usually in the form of email. The email will contain important information such as the student’s identification number for the college. Most colleges are now providing all communication after the initial confirmation through a portal account the student must set up on the college website.

This portal account will contain critical information regarding the application status. There is usually a “to do” list for students that is updated regularly with information the college might want to verify or have the student attend do. Students who fail to follow through with the “to do” list, can have their applications cancelled, so it’s very important that students check their portal accounts – at each of the colleges where they have applied – frequently, and follow up with anything on the “to do” list. Common mistakes for follow up are failure to have official test scores sent to the college by the testing agency, submitting payment for the application or failure to submit a transcript if requested.

College admission continues to be highly competitive and all students are encouraged to have a “backup plan,” just in case they are not accepted into their first choice schools. If your backup plan includes a community college, it is important to follow all the steps for admission to your community college of choice, including assessment, counseling and orientation.