College Resources
How do I find the right school?
Areas of study
As an incoming college student, it helps to know what area of study you want to pursue, such as major(s) or minor(s), or potential fields that will lead you to the graduate program of your choice. From there, it is highly recommended by most college advising sites that you apply to multiple schools that suit your area of study.
If you're not sure what major you would like to pursue, you can brainstorm by researching what majors are related to your passions or your career path, and you can think about the high school classes or extracurriculars you perform best in, and most enjoy.
If you are not ready to commit to a major yet, you should know 2 things: (1) It is possible to apply to most schools as "undeclared," and (2) It is typically very manageable to switch your major within the first two years of college.
How many schools and what kind of schools
Typically, college applicants go for at least a couple schools that would be considered a "reach" (prestigious schools where you, as an applicant fall below the average GPA and test scores accepted), then a couple schools that would be considered a "meet" (schools where your GPA and test scores fall around the average), and a couple of safety schools (schools that are almost guaranteed to accept you). You can find out the GPA and Test scores accepted by most schools by just going to the "Application" section of the institution's website and scrolling to find the statistics of their last accepted class.
If you want to know the rank of the schools you are interested in, there are many websites you can use to look them up. The most reliable or commonly used are:
- U.S. News - provides general ranking, ranking based on most majors, size, environment, estimated cost, acceptance rate, and much more)
- The US Department of Education College Scorecard - provides directions to take after undergraduate education, financial aid forms, places to search schools and fields of study, as well as information on: class sizes, graduation rate, acceptance rate, test scores, diversity, median earnings, and much more)
- Niche - provides general rankings, ratings for aspects of the institution (Academics, Diversity, Athletics, Professor, Dorms, Student Life, Value, Campus, Safety, Location, Food, Party Scene, etc.), links to the institution's website, acceptance rate, deadlines, GPA and test score statistics, estimated cost, and much much more. It is recommended that you use U.S. News for the actual rankings, but this website for a more comprehensive understanding of what it means to apply to and attend this school.
- Another cool free feature about Niche, is that you can create an account, plug in your own GPA and test scores, then search any school and see your personal likelihood of getting in. You can use these stats to determine your reach, meet, and safety.
Should I attend Private or Public
The choice is yours entirely! Although private universities are notoriously more expensive, they are sometimes very generous with financial aid. They also typically have smaller class sizes, and more niche areas of study. Meanwhile, public universities are cheaper because they are funded by the government. Because of this government funding, public universities tend to have many unique research opportunities. Based on these differences in environment, class size, financial decisions, and area of study, you'll want to pick an institution that best serves your needs.
Bulk Applications - apply to multiple schools at once
The Common and Coalition App
Once you have selected the institutions you would like to pursue, you can see whether these systems include them. The Common Application and the Coalition Application are two different websites that provide easy portals to a variety of schools. In fact, most of the nationally recognized schools in the country are covered by these two portals. Applicants are able to plug in their own transcripts, test scores, identification, etc., and select the schools they are pursuing. Naturally, different schools might require slightly different information or personal statements, but these application systems still cover the bulk of the work it would take to apply separately.
What is the difference between the two?
The Common App is simply accepted by more schools, but the Coalition App is more personalized. There are over 1,000 colleges in the common app, whereas there are about 132 for the Coalition. You can use both platforms at the same time, but if you only want to use one, it is good to keep in mind the widespread acceptability of the Common App.
The CUNY Application
Incoming freshmen are permitted to apply to up to six colleges with one application fee. The CUNY undergraduate admissions department provides all the information you need here.
The applySUNY Application
The applySUNY application allows you to apply to multiple SUNY campuses at once, as well as keeping an additional required documents in the same place. This is a list of the SUNY campuses that accept the bulk application.
The UC application
The UC application is another recommended bulk application, where one can apply to all the public schools in the University of California system. Most of them are considered to be among the top public universities in the country.
The Public Universities of New York
The top public university in the State of New York is often considered to be Stony Brook University - a SUNY located on the North Shore of Long Island. The Public universities of New York are comprised of Federal Marine and Military Academies, the SUNY (State University of New York) system, and the CUNY (City University of New York) system.
The SUNY system
Everything you need to know about the system can be found here. There are 64 colleges and universities with the SUNY name. They have a wide variety of campuses that provide suitable environments for different types of students. Whether you are most comfortable in the city or country, or in large or small classes, you are likely to find a school that suits you in the SUNY system.
Another benefit of attending a public university in your state of residence is the in-state tuition. The annual fees for in-state students vary based on the SUNY school, but as of 2023 they typically range between $7,000 and $11,000.
The CUNY system
This is the official website for the CUNY system. There are 25 campuses across the city's five boroughs. The top rated CUNY school is Baruch, which is located near Madison Square Park. At most, a CUNY senior college (not a community college) charges $3,465 per semester for a full time in-state student.
Typical Components of a College Application
A typical college application is comprised of your transcript, your standardized test scores, letters of recommendation, written response(s), and possibly a place for you to fill in your extracurriculars and other information that can affect the admissions decisions.
Transcript
For more information on receiving your transcript, refer to this page. Your transcript is incredibly important for college admissions, as it not only notifies the reader of your Grade Point Average, but it also presents a comprehensive breakdown of all the classes you've taken, the grades you received for them, and the year in which you took them. If you are not applying to college this cycle, there is absolutely time to put together an impressive transcript. If you are interested in attending a prestigious university, it is worth the effort! If you are worried about your transcript, you should talk to an advisor, and you should keep in mind that there are other things your university will consider.
Standardized Tests
While your GPA and transcript reflect your academic performance over the course of your four years in high school, Standardized Tests like the SAT and ACT provide an up-to-date picture of your academic performance, that is more objective and shorter-term. The SAT is administered by College Board, the same organization that administers the AP test. On their website, you can find more in-depth information about the exams, such as the dates, the components of the exam, registration, and what to expect on test day. If you take the SAT, it is very important that you pay attention to the instructions from College Board about ensuring your test is registered and scored properly. College Board's counterpart for the ACT is the ACT website itself. If you are confused as to which exam to take, you should pay attention to which areas you can excel in, possibly by taking practice exams in both formats. Almost every school accepts both exams, so that should not affect your decision.
It is important to note that since the pandemic, fewer and fewer schools have made these exams mandatory. It is now more common for them to be an optional aspect of the application, with less weight than they used to carry. If you receive a high score on one of these exams, however, it can balance out some rough parts of your transcript. You should know in advance which schools you are applying to, in order to give yourself time to decide whether you take the test, and the means by which you do it.
Plenty of people struggle on standardized tests and need to take some sort of course, or practice for many months, in order to perform well on them. Your SAT or ACT should be done by the beginning of your senior year, if you want to apply to attend college straight out of high school. Some people even take the exam earlier on to give themselves time to retake it in the event that they do not like their score.
Letters of Recommendation
College admissions typically give preference to people who submit a blind letter of recommendation, where the applicant agrees to not view the recommendation written about them by the person of their choice. This displays integrity and trust to the college admissions. In order to do this, applicants are often asked to formally request the recommendation from their teacher/counselor/staff through the applicant portal, to maintain confidentiality. Before you send this official request, common courtesy is to request your desired recommender to write your letter about one month in advance. Sometimes recommenders have a lot of students, and so they may ask you to list your qualities or accomplishments that, you believe, brought you to earn your place at the institution in question.
Written Response(s)
Different institutions will require different written responses. The point of these requirements is simply to enhance your application by displaying the depth of your character outside of the academics on paper. So you should take this full opportunity to communicate what makes you a good fit for their particular program. You'll be given a variety of short answer questions and personal statement essays.
The short answer questions typically ask you to provide a straightforward description of your experience in approximately 100-400 words. They might ask you about your passions, your dreams for your future, your extracurriculars, the obstacles you've faced, or perhaps a time an idea of yours was challenged.
Longer essays really range in specificity and length depending on the application. They typically can be up to around 600 words. This is your opportunity to flesh out a descriptive story, that effectively conveys aspects of your personality, passions, or background that would bring a unique presence to the institution. Typical long essay prompts are similar to short answers, but might be a little more open-ended. They might ask you to share about a specific challenge you've faced, an accomplishment you're proud of, or how you'll contribute to the diversity of their environment.
Early Action/Early Decision
Early applications vary based on the school you are applying to. Some schools only offer early action, others only offer early decision. Applying early is a way to indicate to the institution that you are particularly interested in studying with them, and it reflects the timeliness and organization of the applicant.
If you are accepted "early decision," that typically means you are committed to attending that school, so you should think carefully about which school you would definitely attend over all others if you were accepted, and you should only apply to one school using early decision.
If you are accepted "early action," there is less commitment, only an indication that you were especially interested in that school. You don't have to attend if you are accepted. But because you are not exactly choosing the school in question over all others, that also means an early action application carries less weight than an early decision one.
LESP resources
Your college counselors, Lola, Evelyn, and Ciarra, are available from 8am to 4pm every school day, with the exception of their lunches. If you are worried about a language barrier, you can also check with your bilingual guidance counselor or social worker.
You can also sign into overgrad with your LESP email, and there are a ton of resources there at your disposal!
Community Colleges and Non-Traditional Routes
If you don't see yourself going straight into a 4-year degree fresh out of high school, just know that the rigidity of this tradition does not suit everyone. There are alternate routes to success! Some people prefer to go straight into the workplace, which is possible but more difficult. Credentials will, in fact, open more doors for you. It is possible to take one or several gap years before continuing your education. It is also possible to attend a more affordable 2-year community college, earn an associate's degree, and then either join the workforce or transfer to a 4-year program. Another affordable and flexible option is online school.
CUNY also offers online programs!
Plenty of people do a 2-year program, then transfer to a 4-year. NYU has a program specific to community college transfers, where it partners with community colleges in the city/state. About 20% of their transfer applicants are accepted. More information can be found here. The Universities of California have a similar program for California-based community colleges that is highly effective, where a third of each entering class is made up of community college transfers, and about 66% of transfer applicants are accepted. More information can be found here.
An increasingly rare route that people take is in career-focused credentials. This can look like vocational training, trade school, apprenticeship programs, or some sort of certification for a specific job. When looking at these opportunities, it is important to research whether they are legitimate, and worth your time and money.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Over 85% of college students rely on financial aid. It is a highly common approch to the ever-increasing tuition prices. This US News article should be useful in getting started on the process. FAFSA is incredibly common, it stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and it stays true to its name! Regardless of your family's income, you should take the free opportunity to see what you are eligible for.
If you find out after applying that you are ineligible for FAFSA, you can still fill out the DREAM Act for financial aid. This act was originally created to give students, especially but not solely undocumented students, New York State-based financial aid for higher education. You can learn more here.
There are also plenty of scholarship opportunities, which are often awarded based on need or merit. When searching, you should be very wary of scams, because unfortunately there are plenty of people who have successfully preyed on incoming college students in the past. This is a list of the most popular scholarships from 2024. You can also reference the Department of Labor's scholarship finder. CUNY also has a page of scholarships specific to the State of New York.
The wonderful college counselors of LESP put together this spreadsheet that covers a wide range of reliable merit- or identity-based scholarships, including the upcoming deadlines.
Joining the Service
Another alternative route that some take after high school is joining the U.S. military. The Post-9/11 GI bill requires that you serve at least 36 months (3 years) to receive full benefits, such as free college. However, you can still receive partial benefits if you serve at least 90 days in active duty.
Some choose to go to one of the many prestigious military academies our country has to offer. The best of which is here in New York, at West Point. These academies tend to provide a typical undergraduate education, including the extracurricular experience, but they also provide military training, and they often require several years of active service once you complete your education and training. As opposed to these service academies, there are six senior military colleges that offer ROTC training in addition to a bachelor's degree.
Going International
International schools are a great way to experience cultures outside your own, perhaps explore the possibility of life outside the U.S., attend global top schools for your preferred subject, and possibly save money on tuition. Some international institutions are available through the common app. The amount of research and extra work you'll have to do depends on how far you want to go, and how different that country's methods of higher education are from our own. Canada, for example, is quite similar to us, and generally cheaper! The UK and Australia have degree programs that are likely to be well-recognized and highly ranked internationally. There are also Asian universities, particularly in Hong Kong and Singapore, with top world rankings and an incredibly high quality of education for English-speaking students. Some countries expect you to score a certain way on your AP and SAT subject tests in addition to the SAT/ACT. There are also many countries where things that we study at the postgraduate level are available at the undergraduate level, such as medicine and law.