Beginning in mid-summer, most college applications opened up for the 2020-2021 school year. There are multiple steps students must go through to complete the application process.

1. Talk to counselors. These adults can help inform you of the options available after high school and can inform you of application deadlines.

2. Research schools of interest. Look into the majors they offer, location, cost and the environment around the college.

3. Gather the necessary paperwork. This includes your birth certificate, social security card, residency papers, diploma information, a log of high school activities/awards and a high school transcript.

4. Go to applytexas.org. Make an account with an email you can access and a strong password.

5. Search the college you want to apply for and begin the process. Enter all the required personal information.

6. Write the mandatory essays. Different colleges will ask for a different number of essays with different topics.

7. Edit your essay(s). This can be done by an English teacher, counselor or parent. Upload once edited.

8. Fill out optional scholarships. Most schools have a scholarship section on Apply Texas that you can fill out.  It is highly suggested to do these but not required.

9. Answer specific questions for the university. Each school may require additional questions about desired majors, school involvement and finances. Fill out all of the additional information asked for.

10. Review your application. Double-check that all the information entered is correct and that all essays are uploaded. Once this is done, pay the $75 fee and submit the application.

11. Register for the school’s application status page. Most schools have a website that tracks the status of you essay. Register for this as soon as it’s available.

12. Upload/send additional documents the school requires. Each school asks for other documents like recommendation letters, Self-Recorded Academic Records and SAT/ACT scores that should be uploaded electronically or sent directly to the school. Transcripts should also be sent at this time.

13. Check you email. Constantly refresh your email to see if you got accepted or denied.