{"id":1114,"date":"2025-08-22T09:36:33","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T13:36:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solomonadmissions.com\/?p=1114"},"modified":"2026-01-22T08:31:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T13:31:18","slug":"critical-components-of-the-college-application","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solomonadmissions.com\/in\/post\/critical-components-of-the-college-application\/","title":{"rendered":"Critical Components of the College Application"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-ducrg\">According to NCES (IPEDS), <strong>about 16.2 million undergraduates<\/strong> were enrolled at Title IV degree-granting U.S. institutions in <strong>fall 2023<\/strong> (provisional), <strong>19.4 million students total<\/strong>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/nces.ed.gov\/ipeds\/search\/viewtable?returnUrl=%2Fsearch&amp;tableId=36437\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-ducrg\">For rising seniors who aspire to become college students, the journey\u2013the process of applying to colleges\u2013 is about to begin. So, whether you\u2019re a first or fourth generation college-bound student, the process is pretty daunting. Moreover, the degree of difficulty and complexity increases as you aim for top colleges and universities. So, what are the basics you really need to know?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1640\" height=\"924\" src=\"https:\/\/solomonadmissions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Critical-Components-of-the-College-Application.jpg\" alt=\"Critical Components of the College Application\" class=\"wp-image-8844\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solomonadmissions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Critical-Components-of-the-College-Application.jpg 1640w, https:\/\/www.solomonadmissions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Critical-Components-of-the-College-Application-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.solomonadmissions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Critical-Components-of-the-College-Application-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.solomonadmissions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Critical-Components-of-the-College-Application-1536x865.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You need to know that there are multiple ways to apply to colleges\/universities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Common Application \u2013 where you can apply to over 1,000 colleges and universities <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commonapp.org\">https:\/\/www.commonapp.org<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Coalition Application \u2013 with more than 150 colleges committed to \u2018Access, Affordability and Success\u2019&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org\/\">https:\/\/www.coalitionforcollegeaccess.org\/<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Various state institutions will have their own application. Below are a few popular ones.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>University of California System \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/admission.universityofcalifornia.edu\/apply-now.html\">https:\/\/admission.universityofcalifornia.edu\/apply-now.html<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>California State University System &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.calstate.edu\/apply\/\">https:\/\/www.calstate.edu\/apply\/<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wisconsin \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apply.wisconsin.edu\/\">https:\/\/apply.wisconsin.edu<\/a> (The University of Wisconsin \u2013 Madison offers both the Common Application and University of Wisconsin Application \u2013 there is no preference between applications)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Texas \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.applytexas.org\/\">https:\/\/www.applytexas.org\/<\/a> (<strong>Note:<\/strong> UT Austin <strong>encourages<\/strong> summer\/fall applicants to use the <strong>Common App<\/strong>; <strong>spring<\/strong> applicants apply via <strong>ApplyTexas<\/strong>.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-b33na\">When applying to top 4-year colleges and universities, the components of the application include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>High School Transcript<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test scores (SAT\/ACT as required by each college); AP\/IB scores are optional for most apps and typically sent after you enroll.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Extracurricular Involvement\/Activities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Teacher Recommendations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Counselor Recommendations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>College Essay<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/solomonadmissions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Parts-of-a-college-application.jpg\" alt=\"Parts of a college application\" class=\"wp-image-8849\" style=\"width:420px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.solomonadmissions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Parts-of-a-college-application.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.solomonadmissions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Parts-of-a-college-application-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.solomonadmissions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Parts-of-a-college-application-768x960.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-bih78\">Your achievement in high school, as reflected on your transcript, will be the most revealing of your academic potential, as most colleges and universities are looking to admit academically capable students. In the transcript, admission officers are looking for demonstrated achievement in all subject matters from 9th grade through 12th grade. Seeing consistent performance of A\u2019s is as insightful as seeing grade improvement that trends upward. Additionally, they\u2019re looking to see the level of rigor you\u2019re able to handle within the context of your school. Meaning if your school offers 15+ APs and you\u2019ve only taken 3, a reviewer might conclude that you\u2019re not taking the most rigorous course load available. On the flipside, if you\u2019ve exhausted the offerings of your school and you\u2019ve challenged yourself by taking classes at a nearby college\/university, it will say a lot about your academic and intellectual motivation. Strong scores can <strong>contextualize or help offset weaker grades<\/strong> at some schools, but GPA and course rigor usually carry more weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-bih78\">Take Away: Stay strong all year. Some colleges see <strong>first-quarter<\/strong> grades in early rounds, and <strong>mid-year\/final<\/strong> grades are reviewed for regular and admitted students. Large drops can lead to <strong>admission being reconsidered or rescinded<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"viewer-bih78\"><em>Originally published in September 2017. Reviewed and updated by one of our Admissions consultants before being republished in August 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to NCES (IPEDS), about 16.2 million undergraduates were enrolled at Title IV degree-granting U.S. institutions in fall 2023 (provisional), 19.4 million students total. (Source) For rising seniors who aspire to become college students, the journey\u2013the process of applying to colleges\u2013 is about to begin. So, whether you\u2019re a first or fourth generation college-bound student,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":8844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[85,29,71,51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-application-strategy","category-college-application","category-common-application","category-introductory-guides"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Critical College Application Components | Parts of a College App<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"See the core parts of a college application\u2014transcript, rigor, testing, activities, essays, and recommendations\u2014plus tips for ED\/EA and senior-year grades.\" \/>\n<meta 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Lebeck","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-IN","@id":"https:\/\/solomonadmissions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/cropped-Shayla-Lebeck-Standard-Undergraduate-Admissions-Consultant-96x96.webp","url":"https:\/\/solomonadmissions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/cropped-Shayla-Lebeck-Standard-Undergraduate-Admissions-Consultant-96x96.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/solomonadmissions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/cropped-Shayla-Lebeck-Standard-Undergraduate-Admissions-Consultant-96x96.webp","caption":"Shayla Lebeck"},"description":"Former Admissions Reader at The University of Michigan 3 years in University of Michigan Admissions 3,500+ Applications Read and Evaluated Ever since graduating with her bachelor\u2019s degree, Shayla Lebeck knew her passion lied within supporting students. Years later, Shayla has a graduate degree in Higher Education\/Student Affairs with a concentration in academic advising. Shayla is an experienced higher education professional with multiple years of experience serving at colleges throughout the state of Michigan. Shayla\u2019s experiences in higher education include admissions, academic advising, orientation, and new student programming. Shayla uses these experiences to provide a unique lens while talking students through what happens after students get admitted to college. Shayla joined the Admissions team at the University of Michigan in 2018, where she spent three admissions cycles working within undergraduate admissions reading and evaluating applications for the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts and the College of Engineering. To date, Shayla has read and evaluated over 3,500 applications from around the world, specializing in California schools. 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