A Practical Guide on How to Get Into The University

To get into a university in the U.S., start by finding colleges that match your academic profile, interests and budget. You will typically need a strong high school record, the required coursework, an application, your transcript and any essays or recommendations the college requests. SAT or ACT requirements vary: some colleges require scores, while others are test-optional or use other testing policies.

The exact process differs by school, so the most important rule is to check the current admission requirements for every college on your list.

How Do You Get Into University in the U.S.?

A typical U.S. college application process looks like this:

1. Decide what you want to study and what you want from a college.
2. Build a realistic college list.
3. Check each school’s admission requirements.
4. Focus on grades and challenging high school courses.
5. Take the SAT or ACT if required or useful for your applications.
6. Build meaningful activities and experiences.
7. Complete the Common App or another application.
8. Write required essays.
9. Request transcripts and recommendations.
10. Apply by the correct deadline.
11. Review admission and financial aid offers.
12. Choose a college and complete enrollment requirements.

There is no single GPA, test score or activity list that guarantees admission everywhere. Colleges set their own policies and evaluate applicants differently.

1. Choose Colleges That Fit Your Goals

Do not begin by looking only at rankings.

Start by deciding what matters to you:

• major or academic program;
• course options;
• college size;
• location;
• campus environment;
• graduation outcomes;
• internship and research opportunities;
• cost and financial aid;
• public vs. private university;
• distance from home.

If you already know your intended major, compare the actual academic department rather than only the university’s overall reputation.

You may also want a college list with different levels of admission selectivity rather than applying only to highly competitive schools.

The goal is not simply to find universities you can get into. It is to identify schools you would genuinely be willing to attend.

2. Check the Admission Requirements for Every College

U.S. universities do not all require the same application materials.

A college may ask for some combination of:

• high school transcript;
• GPA and course history;
• required high school subjects;
• SAT or ACT scores;
• personal essay;
• supplemental essays;
• activities list;
• teacher recommendations;
• counselor recommendation;
• school report;
• portfolio or audition;
• additional requirements for specific majors.

Common App emphasizes that individual colleges set their own requirements for testing, writing, recommendations and deadlines.

Common App — First-Year Application Guide

Create a checklist for each school instead of assuming that completing one application automatically satisfies every college’s requirements.

3. Build a Strong Academic Record

For many universities, your high school academic record is one of the most important parts of the application.

Colleges may consider:

• GPA;
• grades in core subjects;
• course difficulty;
• grade trends;
• senior-year classes;
• the opportunities available at your school.

College Board notes that colleges look not only at grades but also at the curriculum and courses a student takes.

BigFuture — College Admission Requirements

Taking challenging courses can help show academic preparation, but that does not mean every student must take every AP, IB, honors or advanced class available.

A demanding schedule is most useful when you can handle it successfully.

There is also no universal GPA required to “get into university.” A GPA that is competitive at one institution may be well below or above the typical range at another.

4. Decide Whether You Need the SAT or ACT

Standardized-testing policies now vary considerably across U.S. colleges.

Schools may be:

• test required;
• test optional;
• test flexible;
• test free or test blind.

Some institutions have also reinstated SAT or ACT requirements after previously operating test-optional policies.

College Board specifically recommends checking each university’s current admissions website because testing policies change.

If a school requires scores, the SAT and ACT are the two major college admission tests.

If a school is test optional, you generally decide whether submitting a score strengthens your application. Test optional does not mean test scores are never considered.

Do not create a college list based on an old article about testing policies. Check every school again during the application cycle.

5. Build Meaningful Activities Outside the Classroom

U.S. applications often ask about activities, work and responsibilities outside academics.

Examples can include:

• clubs;
• sports;
• part-time employment;
• volunteering;
• family responsibilities;
• academic competitions;
• research;
• music or art;
• community activities;
• personal projects;
• entrepreneurship.

You do not need twenty extracurricular activities.

Depth can be more informative than quantity. Several years spent developing a skill, taking responsibility or contributing meaningfully to one activity may tell a college more than joining numerous organizations shortly before applying.

Employment and significant family responsibilities also count as meaningful ways you spend your time.

Choose activities because they matter to you, not because you think every applicant needs a particular type of extracurricular.

6. Complete the College Application

Many U.S. universities accept the Common App, although some colleges use their own application systems.

A first-year Common App application can involve information about:

• your education;
• high school courses and grades;
• activities;
• work and responsibilities;
• colleges you are applying to;
• personal essay;
• college-specific questions;
• recommendations and school forms where required.

Before submitting, check the requirements page for each individual college.

Some universities require the Common App personal essay. Others make it optional. Colleges may also add their own supplemental questions or writing sections.

Do not assume that submitting the general Common App section means the application is finished.

7. Write Strong College Essays

The purpose of a college essay is not to repeat your résumé or list your achievements.

A useful essay gives the admissions reader information about how you think, what matters to you or how an experience influenced you.

The Common App currently provides several personal essay prompts, including options about:

• background or identity;
• challenges;
• personal growth;
• intellectual interests;
• gratitude;
• questioning an idea;
• a topic of your choice.

Individual colleges may also require supplemental essays.

A strong essay is usually:

• specific;
• personal;
• focused on a clear idea;
• written in your own voice;
• reflective rather than purely descriptive.

Instead of claiming that an activity “taught me leadership,” show what happened, what you did and how your thinking changed.

Avoid writing what you imagine an admissions officer wants to hear if it produces an essay that could belong to almost any applicant.

8. Ask for Recommendations Early

Recommendation requirements vary.

Many colleges request letters from teachers, counselors or both, while others require fewer recommendations or none at all.

Common App notes that colleges establish their own recommendation requirements.

If recommendations are required, choose teachers who know your academic work well rather than automatically asking the teacher with the most impressive title.

Give recommenders enough time.

Provide any information they request, such as:

• your college list;
• deadlines;
• activities;
• academic interests;
• intended major;
• résumé or student information sheet.

Your counselor may also be responsible for submitting your school report and transcript.

9. Understand Early Action, Early Decision and Regular Decision

U.S. colleges can offer several application plans.

Early Action

Early Action generally lets you apply earlier and receive a decision earlier.

It is normally nonbinding, meaning you do not have to attend if accepted.

Some colleges have restrictive or single-choice early-action policies, so check the individual rules.

Early Decision

Early Decision is generally binding.

You usually apply ED to one college and agree to attend if accepted under the conditions of the agreement.

Because of that commitment, understand the school’s financial aid process before choosing Early Decision.

Regular Decision

Regular Decision uses the standard application deadline and does not involve a binding early commitment.

Deadlines vary by school. Many regular applications are due during the winter, while early deadlines are commonly in the fall.

Do not rely on a generic November or January date. Check each college’s exact deadline.

10. Submit All Required Materials on Time

An application may involve more than clicking “Submit.”

Depending on the university, you may also need:

• transcript;
• school report;
• recommendations;
• test scores;
• supplemental essays;
• portfolio;
• application fee or fee waiver;
• additional program-specific forms.

After submitting, monitor the applicant portal.

A college may show your Common App as received while still waiting for another required document.

Check for missing materials well before the deadline whenever possible.

11. Understand Admission Decisions

A university may:

• accept you;
• deny admission;
• waitlist you;
• defer an early application to the regular applicant pool.

A deferral is not the same as a rejection. It generally means the college wants to consider the application again with the regular decision group.

A waitlist means you have not been admitted initially, but the college may offer places later if space becomes available.

If accepted by several colleges, compare more than the name or ranking.

Look at:

• total cost;
• grants and scholarships;
• academic program;
• housing;
• graduation outcomes;
• location;
• campus environment.

For most Regular Decision and Early Action applicants, colleges commonly provide until around May 1 to make an enrollment decision, but you should confirm the deadline shown in your actual offer.

12. Apply for Financial Aid

Admission and financial aid are related but separate processes.

Students seeking federal, state or institutional financial aid may need to complete the FAFSA, and some colleges also request other financial aid forms.

Federal Student Aid recommends completing the FAFSA even if you are unsure whether you will qualify, because schools and states can use FAFSA information for different forms of aid.

Federal Student Aid — FAFSA

Financial aid deadlines can be earlier than the final federal deadline.

Check:

• federal requirements;
• your state’s deadline;
• each college’s priority deadline;
• whether the school requires any additional financial aid form.

Do not wait until you are admitted to begin checking financial aid requirements.

What If Your Grades Are Lower Than a College’s Typical Range?

A lower GPA does not mean university is impossible.

You can:

Apply to Schools With Different Admission Profiles

Build a college list that includes institutions where your academic record is more typical.

Consider Community College

Starting at a community college and transferring later can provide another route to a bachelor’s degree.

Strengthen Other Parts of the Application

When a college uses holistic admissions, essays, activities, recommendations and personal context may also contribute to the evaluation.

They do not erase grades, but the application may contain more than one type of evidence.

Consider Test Scores Where Helpful

At a test-optional institution, a strong SAT or ACT score may be worth submitting if it provides useful additional evidence of academic readiness.

Check the college’s current policy before deciding.

How Hard Is It to Get Into University?

There is no useful single answer because U.S. colleges range from broadly accessible institutions to universities that admit only a small fraction of applicants.

Admission difficulty depends on factors including:

• the particular college;
• major or program;
• academic record;
• applicant pool;
• testing policy;
• activities and experience;
• institutional priorities.

Meeting a college’s minimum requirements does not necessarily guarantee admission at a selective institution.

At the same time, getting into college does not require a perfect GPA, perfect SAT score or extraordinary national award. Thousands of U.S. institutions have very different admissions profiles.

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting Into University

Focus on the parts of the process you can control:

1. Keep your grades as strong as possible.
2. Take appropriate challenging courses.
3. Build a balanced college list.
4. Check each school’s exact requirements.
5. Prepare for the SAT or ACT when the test is required or useful.
6. Develop activities you genuinely care about.
7. Write specific, personal essays.
8. Request recommendations early.
9. Meet every application deadline.
10. Check your applicant portals for missing materials.

You do not need to create a fictional “perfect applicant.” A stronger strategy is to present an accurate application that shows your academic preparation, interests, experiences and fit for the colleges you chose.

Getting into university in the U.S. begins with building a college list that fits your academic profile and then carefully checking the requirements of every school. Grades and course rigor matter, but applications may also include essays, activities, recommendations and SAT or ACT scores depending on the institution. Start early enough to complete each requirement carefully, and always rely on the current admissions page of the college rather than assuming every U.S. university follows the same rules.