Selecting your university

During the spring, you’ll start receiving responses back from the schools to which you applied. Smile and take pride in all of those acceptance letters! Fours years of hard work and dedication have really paid off!

But come May, you’ll have to let the school you want to go to know you will be attending their school in the fall. You’ll also have to let those schools to which you don’t want to go to know that you’ll be attending somewhere else.

Upon deciding to go to a certain college, you will most likely be sent a welcome package containing many forms, brochures and information on the campus. If you need information on housing, loans or other concerns, contact the admissions office to request the appropriate materials.

Be sure to keep housing and financial aid deadlines in order. Being accepted at your dream college is great, but finding you will be unable to live on campus can put a damper on your plans if you live in an entirely different state.

Besides requesting appropriate forms, it is necessary to also keep track of all deadlines related to your college experience. When do you need to have your housing request in by? When do you need to make your housing payment? What about financial aid forms, loan forms and other must-have materials?

In order to stay on top of it all, buy some of those cheap manila folders and label each one “Housing,” “FAFSA,” etc. Keep everything related to each topic inside these folders. Even better yet, you can attach a note, or write on the folder itself the deadlines for submitting all materials. This way, you’ll keep on top of deadlines and have an enjoyable college experience rather than one that is preceded by chaos!