when should you apply for university?

[joethemole]

Hi

I'm going into grade 12 (senior year, here in Canada), after this summer. I'll be taking the SAT I's this Oct, and probably SAT II's this nov and/or dec and, perhaps, even january if desparately needed.

i heard that there are separate deadlines for applying for college, and sending SAT scores. true? if so, when should i apply? since i'm in a semester school system, i only get final grades for my courses in mid-late january... Also, when i apply, do i need to write those dang essays to each school? or do i only write those when they are interested in me or something

thx

[babypurin]

i heard that there are separate deadlines for applying for college, and sending SAT scores. true?

It depends; some colleges will wait to recieve your SAT/ACT scores before they look at your application, while some will want them as soon as you submit your application.

if so, when should i apply?

Most people apply for Regular Decison in December - Early January

Most people apply for Early Decision in early October

Again, it really depends on the college, some have rolling admissions while some won't start looking at applications until the deadline has passed.

since i'm in a semester school system, i only get final grades for my courses in mid-late january.

If your college wants your senior year grades then they will likely mail you or your highschool saying that as soon as your grades become avaliable to send them immediately to that respective college.

do i need to write those dang essays to each school? or do i only write those when they are interested in me or something

Yes, you will need to write an essay for every college you apply to. If you use Common Application you will only need to do it once for all the colleges you want to apply to. However, if you apply to a college which isn't on the Common Application, most students write a 'generic' essay so it can be easily altered to fit most colleges' requirements.

Hope this helps!

Common Application: www.commonapp.org

[hippityhop]

In addition, you should visit collegeboard.com or the individual school's website to find information about their application deadlines and to receive the application itself. Many universities now also have the option of applying over the internet as opposed to paper applications. If I remember correctly, most colleges will release their application in late August to September. You can view them online or request that a paper copy be sent to your home. As applications usually require essays, recommendations, etc., it would be nice to start them sooner than later. Good luck! :-)