Gone are the days when applying to college meant “filling out a few forms” and perhaps “writing a college essay.” Today, most students must simultaneously write numerous essays, manage multiple online application platforms, and meet varied deadlines. Colleges expect students to follow specific procedures for submitting test scores, transcripts, and recommendation letters and often have different policies regarding standardized testing. Colleges also differ in terms of whether they admit students by major, school, or the university as a whole. They also offer various admissions plans that can potentially maximize admissions chances. Over the past few decades, the number of spots in freshman classes at most colleges has remained relatively consistent while the numbers of applicants for those same spots have exponentially increased.
