In general, U.S. colleges and universities accept first-year applications in the fall and send out admission decisions in the spring. But exactly when is Decision Day for prospective students?

Traditionally, applicants must commit to a college by May 1. Once you receive an offer letter, you can respond at any point before that date to secure your spot.

College Application Process

4- Year Colleges

Understand how applications work. See:

Steps to Apply which which shows the three or four parallel processes. Test scores are optional.
College Deadline Types infographic regarding Early Action, Early Decision, Regular Decision, and Rolling.
College Application Components infographic to show how all application elements start with you.

Organize your applications

Customizable App Tracker (make a copy & edit) will help you keep all details in one place.

Realize that Naviance is Necessary

All students applying to college (4-year or 2-year) will use Naviance as their application manager. Naviance is how we know:

where you are applying;
when you are doing so;
what materials you need

AND, most importantly Naviance is HOW we actually send your materials, so if you do not set it up just how you want, we cannot send school materials for you.

Here’s how to access Naviance

Go to https://student.naviance.com/interlakehs
Select Student
Select Single Sign On

College Application Essay (aka Personal Statement)

Not all colleges require an essay. Check the application requirements on the college website to be sure.

Common App colleges require a main essay and often some shorter essays. See below for essay prompts.

University of Washington Seattle requires an essay. See below.

University of Washington Bothell requires an essay. See UW Bothell First Year Application.

Western Washington University requires an essay. See WWU Freshman Application Essay.

How to Tackle the Essay

Brainstorm. Write in response to Brainstorming Questions to get in the groove for personal writing. Check out the great advice & guidance on collegeessayguy.com.

Generate possible topics. Look at the prompts for your schools and create lists of ideas, or concept maps, or fragments of sentences. Try to come up with 20 possibilities. Don’t naysay any ideas.

Write six paragraphs. Choose six of your ideas and write paragraphs that contains the germ of each idea. They do not have to be opening paragraphs, or grammatical, or “good”. Simply write something that focuses in on each of your ideas.

Develop two or three of your most promising paragraphs into longer pieces. Don’t worry too much about word count. Shorter drafts can be extended and longer drafts can be condensed.

Seek feedback on your drafts.

Revise according to your own goals and feedback from others.

Edit carefully. Seek help on this; sometimes we don’t see usage errors in our own writing.

Only when you are absolutely ready, copy & paste the essay into the field in the Common App, the Coalition App, or the independent college application. Then, save & close and go back later to make sure that the essay is how you want it.

General Tips for your Personal Essay

The schools want to know two main things: 1) who you are and 2) how you write.

You own your essay. Since it is about you, you can take or leave any feedback from peers, teachers, or counselors.

TRY NOT to make the essay too personal. Really shocking or traumatic events are not good topics.

TRY NOT to choose a clichéd topic. College representatives read too many essays about: influential grandfathers; tough athletic contests barely won/ lost; mission-type trips to developing countries.

DO NOT make things up for your essay. Be honest.

For more do’s & don’ts, see below.

Note: fabrication and plagiarism are academically dishonest, and are grounds for

serious disciplinary consequences at Interlake;

rejection of you as an applicant from the school to which you are applying;

rescission of an acceptance if you do make it in to the school;

expulsion from a school if you enroll.

2020-2021 Common Application Essay Prompts 650 word limit

From: 2020-2021 Common App Essay Prompts

Over 900 schools use the Common App; look for member colleges at www.commonapp.org. Choose from these seven options:

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

University of Washington Seattle 2021 First Year Writing

From: UW Seattle First Year Application Writing Section

There are three parts of the UW Seattle Writing Section:

1. Essay [required]

UW Instructions: At the UW, we consider the college essay as our opportunity to see the person behind the transcripts and the numbers. Some of the best statements are written as personal stories. In general, concise, straightforward writing is best and good essays are often 300-400 words in length.

Essay Prompt: Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

Maximum length: 500 words

2. Short response [required]

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW.

Maximum length: 300 words

Tip: Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints.

3. Additional information about yourself or your circumstances [optional]

You are not required to write anything in this section, but you may include additional information if something has particular significance to you. For example, you may use this space if:

You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education

Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations

You have experienced unusual limitations or opportunities unique to the schools you attended

Maximum length: 200 words

Tip: They mark this as optional, but do not regard it as such!
UW Bothell Writing

From: UW Bothell First Year Application

The Personal Statement is our best means of getting to know you and your best means of creating a context for your academic performance. When you write your personal statement, tell us about those aspects of your life that are not apparent from your academic record:

a character-defining moment;

the cultural awareness you’ve developed;

a challenge faced;

a personal hardship overcome

Directions: Choose either 1 or 2 below (recommended length: 500-650 words).

Discuss how your family’s experience or cultural history enriched you or presented you with opportunities or challenges in pursuing your educational goals.

Tell us a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

Did you know?

You can utilize the UW Bothell Writing & Communication Center even before you are a UW Bothell student. They work with students of all writing abilities, and will help you craft a great personal statement. Schedule an appointment with the Writing & Communication Center here.to learn about

Western Washington University Essay
From: WWU Essay & Activities List
First-year Essay Prompts for 2020

Students are asked to respond to one of the prompts below as part of the application for admission.

Essay 1

Describe any activities you have been involved in related to diversity or multiculturalism in your community.

Essay 2

Share a meaningful experience and how this has helped shape you in your preparation for college. This could be related to your passions, commitments, leadership experience, family or cultural background.

Essay 3

Topic of your choice. If you have written another essay that captures what you want the Admissions Committee to know about you, feel free to share it here.

Optional Additional Essay

The “Tell us More” essay is an opportunity for you to describe any special circumstances that created challenges or opportunities for you while in high school, and what you learned from those experiences.

Please see the WWU Essay & Activities List Tips page for full tips & details on both elements of applications to Western.

More Tips for Writing

Brief version:

Focus on yourself.

Have a great hook.

Use active voice.

Be concise.

Show, don’t tell.

Make readers feel like they are at your shoulder.

Use some sensory details but don’t overdo them.

Reflect & let the reader know why the incident/ chapter/ object matters.

Refining Your Essay

Ask yourself two main questions:

Is this me, or is it how I want to be represented to colleges?

Is this a strong example of how I can write?

This is a short piece of writing. Make sure that every sentence, every paragraph counts and says something new. Do this even if you are well under the word count.

Essay Do’s and Don’ts

Some Do’s

DO be yourself (not your impression of the perfect college applicant) and reveal something about you that the numbers, checkboxes, and lists of activities do not convey.

DO focus in on a particular incident/ activity/ object. Be specific and show rather than tell.

DO be honest.

DO answer the question you have chosen, but don’t restate the question in your essay.

DO take time. After this summer, set the essay aside for a few weeks and then go back to make sure it rings true.

DO get some feedback on your essay, but make sure it still sounds like you.

DO have others proofread your final product to catch errors.

Recommended: DO have something like a thesis statement. This does not have to be as formal as an argumentative or research paper or even a single sentence you can point to. Simply make sure that, somewhere near the beginning, the reader knows where you are headed.

Some Do Not’s

DO NOT make things up. Do not fabricate a hardship to provide drama.

DO NOT plagiarize.

DO NOT be afraid to start anew, which is not the same as starting over. Sometime you have to write to see what will work best.

DO NOT try to include everything. The essay is not an autobiography.

DO NOT write a “what the admissions committee wants to hear” essay.

DO NOT write a standard five paragraph essay. Don’t worry too much about paragraphs or sections at first.

DO NOT sabotage your chances by portraying yourself as difficult, uncooperative, or closed-minded.

DO NOT use the essay as a bragfest/ puff piece.

Note: fabrication and plagiarism are academically dishonest, and are grounds for

serious disciplinary consequences at Interlake;

rejection of you as an applicant from the school to which you are applying;

rescission of an acceptance if you do make it in to the school;

expulsion from a school if you enroll.

College Applications Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs for Running Start Students

How to list Running Start Classes on the Common App?

Most Running Start students will have to list both courses from Interlake semesters and courses from BC quarters. Here’s how:

• List fall quarter classes with fall semester classes.

• List both winter quarter and spring quarter classes with your spring semester classes.

• Figure out a way to designate the term and location of courses clearly in the titles. Use a system with titles like “English 101 Winter Quarter at BC”.

How to list Running Start classes on the Coalition App?

Download this UW Seattle handout UW Seattle Coalition Running Start Instructions to find out how to answer the questions and fill out the section.

General FAQs for College Applications

Test Scores

How do my test scores get to the colleges?

You–the student–order score reports or you self-report the scores, whichever a college requires. If they need an official score report, order it from the College Board for SAT or from ACT, or through the Coalition Application for colleges that use it (like UW Seattle & UW Bothell). Allow a few weeks. You can also order up to four free score reports when you register for or when you take the test. If time is short, use the automatic score reports, yet realize that you will not be able to preview the scores before they are sent to colleges.

Will colleges take scores after the deadline?

It depends. Some colleges will not, and some will. The University of Washington will usually take scores from the December SAT exam even though the application deadline is November 15. If you take the December exam and are applying to UW, send automatic score reports. [Please note that it is unusual for college to take scores several weeks after the deadline.]

Is my SAT/ ACT score good enough?

It depends. Average score ranges vary greatly by college. There are several ways to look up score averages for the schools on your list and to compare your scores to those averages.
1. At the top of your Naviance Applying To list, select Compare Me. You will see a color-coded comparison of your test scores (loaded into Naviance by the district) and the accepted averages of Interlake students to those schools on your list. For some schools, there will not be enough data.
2. In Naviance, go to the Colleges tab and to College Lookup and then to the Admissions section. Scroll down to see the graph/ scattergram. Your scores/ GPA are plotted with the blue circle, and the other marks on the graph represent Interlake students. Use the graph as a ballpark to see if you are in the general test score range of the school. Again, for some schools there will not be enough data.
3. Go to CollegeData.com and search for your college. Once you have the correct school, select the Admissions tab. Scroll down to see the average ranges (nationwide data).
4. Do a Google search for “_____ college freshman profile” and see what you come up with. Most colleges have a page where they list data about the latest incoming class. See how you compare to admitted students.
Counselor Letters & Reports

Common App Schools require recommendations from counselors as well as letters from teachers.

How do I make counselor letters happen?
1. Stop by your counselor’s office in person and ask your counselor several weeks ahead of time to please write you a recommendation for your college applications.
2. Email your counselor a list of the Common App and Coalition App schools and deadlines.
3. Be sure that your Naviance “Schools I’m Applying To” list is completely up to date with the correct schools and the correct deadlines. The “thinking about” list is not the same as the “applying to” list.
4. Use the Counselor Brag Sheet on the Letters of Recommendation page to write out some things about you that will help your counselor write a letter. Type up your answers and email it to your counselor. Do not print out the page and then hand-write the answers.
5. If there is something in particular you would like your counselor to address–your health issue from 9th grade, the blip in Pre-Calc–be sure that you communicate that clearly.
6. Your counselor will complete the letter and upload it. Then, Ms. Lin will send it off to the college with your transcript and the school profile.
GPAs

Some schools have weighted GPAs where AP classes count for more than regular classes. Can I choose to have a weighted GPA on my transcript?

No. Unweighted GPAs are a Washington State thing. Applications (Common App, Coalition App, colleges’ own applications) ask if the GPA is weighted or unweighted b/c they want to know how your district/ state does it, not because they are asking you to choose how you want to be represented. It isn’t a choice. It’s more of a selection of what it already the case.

Won’t Interlake students be at a disadvantage against students with weighted GPAs?

No. Colleges know that Washington State has unweighted GPAs. Colleges convert all incoming GPAs to a common scale.

For example, say an Interlake student who has taken three APs has a 3.6 and student from Texas with the same AP courses and same letter grades in all courses has a 4.1. [These figures are made up.] The colleges know–from how the student has answered the questions on the application and their knowledge of the states–that the scale is different. The college will convert either all of the Texans’ scores to a 4.0 scale unweighted scale and the student will have the same GPA as the 3.5 Interlake student or the college will convert all of the Washington applicants’ GPAs to a weighted scale and the Interlake student will have a 4.1.

Class Rank

How do I find out my class rank?

You don’t. Bellevue School District does not rank. On the Common App/ Coalition App, select “school does not rank.”

Two Year Colleges

Fill Out the FAFSA or WASFA Financial Aid Application

Students heading for two-year college should fill out the FAFSA or WASFA during the fall (after October 1) or winter of their senior year.

The FAFSA or WASFA make you eligible for federal and state financial aid to help pay for college.

More Info

Go to FAFSA.ed.gov to set up an account and fill out the FAFSA
Go to wsac.wa.gov/wasfa to set up a WASFA account and fill it out

Apply to the College

If you are already doing Running Start, you will fill out a form in the spring that will flip you from a RS to a regular student.

Have your Social Security number handy if you have one

All Washington Community and Technical colleges use the same application, so the presentation will work for all in-state 2-year colleges

Link to Application Instructions: 2-Year College Application Instructions.pptx

Application Wedsite: https://www.public.ctc.edu/applicantwebclient/applicant/

Get Started at Bellevue College

Do Naviance Steps for 2-Year Colleges

Log into Naviance

Go to student.naviance.com/interlakehs
Select Student
Select Single Sign On

Do the following steps

Go to Colleges I’m Applying To (NOT Colleges I’m Thinking About)
Add your college using the big pink plus at the top right and searching for the least common word in the college’s name
Go to edit in the line of the college name and:
1. select that you applied
2. that you are accepted
At the bottom of your list, select the College I’m Attending
Using the +Request Transcripts button at the top right, request your final transcript (this will be activated in early spring)

screenshot showing Add and Request Transcript buttons at the top of your Applying To list

add request transcripts

screenshot showing how to indicate you have applied and are accepted

use the edit button in the same line as the college name to access

apply accepted

screenshot showing how to indicate which College you will attend

this is at the bottom of your Applying To list

college attending

Follow Through with Your College

Look up and follow your college’s procedures:

Bellevue College First Time in College steps

or, look for your college’s new student checklist

You will get a new email address when you apply. Be sure you start checking it!

Apply to Your Colleges

Determine Application Type

To figure out the type of application your schools use, do both of the following:

Add schools to your Colleges I’m Applying To list in Naviance and look at the icons using the key below. If there is a “?” you have a choice and need to decide which choice you will make and indicate that in Naviance.
Check each college’s website. The sequence is usually Admissions > Apply > First Year Application.

The application section of a college website will tell you not only if the college has its own application or uses the Common or Coalition Applications. It will also tell you all of the fine print about application elements. Since college applications vary so much, it is imperative that you read and follow instructions on each college’s website.

Complete Common App if Needed

If you have Common App Schools, create a Common App account

Go to CommonApp.org and start an account. You can start an account the summer before your senior year. If you start it in June or July, you will have to save it and then roll it over when the Common App officially opens on August 1. Start entering information. You will have to do some tasks in the Common App before you can match your Common App account with your Naviance account. If you have Common App schools, the accounts must be matched in order for us to send documents in on your behalf.

Complete the match before you request any letters of recommendation in Naviance.

Under the Common App tab, fill in at least Profile, Family, and Education to start your applications in Naviance. Under Education, fill in Interlake High School and your counselor. After you do this much, you can come back later.
Add your schools (those that use the Common App) under the College Search tab. You can add more schools later. To do the match, add at least one.
Under the My Colleges tab, go to Recommenders and FERPA.
Complete the FERPA waiver. Clicking yes and ‘signing’ the waiver electronically allow the Common App and Naviance to communicate with each other and to send your letters of recommendation to your colleges. By completing FERPA, you waive your right to see the letters of recommendation written on your behalf. Doing so is standard and shows integrity on your part.
DO NOT use the Recommenders function in the Common App. Doing so will disable the letters of recommendation function in Naviance for your account and for any other student requesting the same teacher.
Go into Naviance to complete the match. On the Colleges I’m Applying To page click the bright pink stripe and when prompted, then follow the steps. You will have to enter the email address you used for the Common App and your birthdate.

If none of the schools you are applying to use the Common App, then you do not need a Common App account. Check the list on CommonApp.org or look at the icons in your Naviance application list. If none of the icons has a CA in the computer, you do not have any Common App schools.

Fill out the FERPA

Notify Your Counselor

If you have Common App schools, email your counselor to notify them of your deadline(s). All Common App schools require a Counselor Letter of Recommendation and a Counselor Academic Evaluation. You do not have to request these through the Letters of Recommendation tool. You do need to fill out a Counselor Brag Sheet (type your answers) and give it to your counselor at least three weeks in advance of your deadline.

Complete Coalition App if Needed

If you have Coalition Schools, create a Coalition account

UW Seattle uses the Coalition Application exclusively, and 100+ other schools do as well.

Go go to https://www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/ and create an account.

The Coalition application does not match with Naviance. This means that you will have to do more legwork:

Request any items needed (transcripts, letters) in Naviance if there is a way to do so.

File Application for Financial Aid

FAFSA

Most families will fill out the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Only use the site fafsa.ed.gov.
The application opens October 1 of every year, and must be filed every year for a student to be eligible for aid.
Fill out the FAFSA that corresponds with the college start date. The Interlake Class of 2022 will fill out the 2022-2023 FAFSA.
You will use the prior prior year tax information. For the 2022-2023 FAFSA, families will use 2020 tax information.

WASFA

Some students will fill out the WASFA instead of the FAFSA.

The WASFA is for public and private, not-for-profit colleges in Washington State only, not colleges in other states.

Refer to the image below to determine which form you should file:

If you are not certain, go to https://wsac.wa.gov/wasfa and click Start a New WASFA. The form begins with several questions and when completed, you will be told to either to proceed with the WASFA or to file the FAFSA instead.

The WASFA also opens on October 1 of every year.

CSS Profile

CSS Profile

Some schools use the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA.

The profile is completed through the College Board. Families will use cssprofile.collegeboard.org to find out more and to file the form.

To figure out if your school requires the CSS Profile, check both the site linked above for the most updated list and each college’s website. Look under the Financial Aid section to find out the required applications (FAFSA / WASFA only or FAFSA and CSS Profile) and the deadlines.

College Application Resources

College Application Sites

Application Walkthrough Videos

Financial Aid Videos

Letters of Recommendation

Building a College List: How to get started!

College Application Process

4- Year Colleges

Understand how applications work. See:

Organize your applications

Realize that Naviance is Necessary

College Application Essay (aka Personal Statement)

Not all colleges require an essay. Check the application requirements on the college website to be sure.

How to Tackle the Essay

General Tips for your Personal Essay

Note: fabrication and plagiarism are academically dishonest, and are grounds for

2020-2021 Common Application Essay Prompts 650 word limit

University of Washington Seattle 2021 First Year Writing

1. Essay [required]

2. Short response [required]

3. Additional information about yourself or your circumstances [optional]

UW Bothell Writing

Western Washington University Essay

First-year Essay Prompts for 2020

Essay 1

Essay 2

Essay 3

Optional Additional Essay

More Tips for Writing

Refining Your Essay

Essay Do’s and Don’ts

Some Do’s

Some Do Not’s