Application station.

It is the season for those of you in high school looking to attend college to start getting your applications together. Here are some tips for things to do over the holidays.

Make a list of teachers, coaches, activity advisors, and others, in school and out, who know you well enough to provide you with a recommendation. Don’t choose only coaches or only people associated with one activity. Do try to make sure that you have at least one teacher AND one non-teacher in the mix.

Make a list of 10 schools, with at least two being virtually guaranteed entry. This means looking up their actual acceptance rate not just assuming that “it’s a state school and I’m an above average student” so you will get in. Look for schools with very high acceptance rates. The rest should be a mix of schools that you are hopeful about and are realistic. Don’t think that a school you have a low opinion of is, therefore, "realistic". That is very unrealistic, because you don’t want to pay for the privilege of being miserable for the next few years. Next to each, put how much it costs to apply to their program. Note that high costs usually mean one of two things, they are trying to dissuade students (especially poor or working class students) from applying or they are trying to make a mint off of applications. Look at the whole school, and see if that high cost is worth it to you.

Find out how much you can spend on applications. Ask your parents what they can contribute and determine what you can afford. Now look at your list and the associated costs, and determine which schools you will apply to.

When the time comes to ask for recommendations, be clear to the people from whom you are asking for a favor the first time. If you need four copies of a recommendation from each person, ask for six! It’s better if you have a few extra copies. But also, look into any specifics each school may have. You may want to include links to their specifications on the Web site or include a printed copy in your formal request to those who are writing your recommendations. Remember they are doing you a favor, and probably a lot of others, so be fair, well organized, and clear, so that you have the best chance of getting what you need.

And don’t be afraid to ask for help.