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'{{Multiple issues|globalize=December 2010|more footnotes=September 2008|lead missing=July 2012}} <!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:Application page1.png|thumb|right|200px]] --> ==United States== {{Main|College admissions in the United States}} A '''college application''' is part of the competitive [[College admissions in the United States|college admissions]] system. Admissions departments usually require students to complete an application for admission that generally consists of [[Transcript (education)|academic records]], personal essays (as well as samples of high school work), [[Letter of recommendation|letters of recommendation]], and a list of extracurricular activities. Some schools require the [[standardized tests|SAT or ACT]], [[Liberal arts colleges in the United States#SAT optional movement|while others make it optional]]. Deadlines for admission applications are established and published by each college or university. Most college bound students receive application assistance and advice from their high school guidance counselor. Students who are transferring from a community college to a four-year college obtain guidance from their college counselor. Recently, aided by marketing firms, colleges have begun sending out "fast-track" applications. These applications typically waive the application fee, don't require essays, and assured an admittance decision within a shortened time-frame. Critics warn that these types of applications are misleading, because they give the impression that the student is pre-approved to be admitted and may not explore other colleges because this easy option is provided to them. Fast-track applications can be called “Advantage Application,” "Candidate’s Choice Application," and "Distinctive Candidate Application." <ref>Steinberg, Jacques. "Colleges Market Easy, No-Fee Sell to Applicants." ''The New York Times.''http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/education/26admit.html?em</ref> :{{Further|Transfer admissions in the United States}} ==United Kingdom== {{Main|Universities & Colleges Admissions Service}} Almost all [[British universities]] are members of UCAS, a [[Wiktionary:clearing house|clearing house]] for [[undergraduate]] admissions. Applicants submit a single application for up to 5 courses at different universities. There is a maximum limit of 4 choices for medicine, dentistry and veterinary science courses. The application also includes current and expected qualifications, employment, criminal history, a personal statement, and a reference (which generally includes predicted grades if the applicant is still in education). Additional forms are required for application to [[Oxbridge]]. One can only apply to a particular college at [[University of Oxford|Oxford]] or [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] in a single year. Many Oxbridge applicants are assessed through academic interviews and sometimes further testing. =="Gaming" the college application process<!--better title needed for this section-->== <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Acing large.jpg|thumb|left|175px|''Acing the College Application'', a book on how to maximize an applicant's chances of admission.]] --> In 2006, the ''[[Boston Globe]]'' reported that business schools were concerned about a growing problem with applications prepared with the help of [[consultant]]s. The consultants, for fees of $50 to $3000, promise to increase an applicant's chances of acceptance by coaching or assisting with the writing of applications. One consultant was quoted as saying "The schools refuse to admit [it] but the fact is, if you know the schools, there's a real formula..." The consultant went on to say that admissions officers at [[Harvard University|Harvard]] look for applicants' leadership experience and ability to work through others, [[Stanford University|Stanford]] is keen on personal revelations, family dynamics, and [[identity politics]], while [[Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania|Wharton]] rewards applicants who tell admissions committees in personal terms why Wharton&mdash;and not the other schools&mdash;is the perfect fit for them. The Globe characterized admissions officials as "rankled" by such statements, and director of [[MBA]] admissions at Wharton indicate that coaching can work against an applicant: "Sometimes you read an essay and you lose a sense of who the individual is because the essay is overpolished." Harvard has responded by requiring all applicants to sign a pledge attesting that their application is "my own, honest statement," and requiring applicants to give permission to Harvard to contact all persons named in the application for verification purposes. The article says that the three business schools recently began using private investigators to verify the work experience listed in all their candidates' applications. <!-- ==History== In the 1800s, college admissions requirements included subjects such as Greek and Latin, which were not taught by very few public schools; the pool of applicants was effectively limited to students who had graduate from "preparatory schools" whose role was specifically to meet college entrance requirements. Around the end of the 1800s, the College Entrance Examination board was formed and colleges, notably Harvard under Eliot, began to use entrance examinations that evaluated an applicant's academic potential. In the 1920s, interviews and essays were added in order to shape the pool of entrants to fit the social and ethnic preferences of the schools and their alumni. Photographs were required on applications from about 19xx to 19yy, to assist admissions officials in determining the race and ethnicity of applicants; this requirement was dropped when advances in the civil rights moment made open racial discrimination unacceptable.... Nope, I guess I'm wrong about that, "optional" photographs are apparently still solicited by colleges... ---> == References == {{Reflist}} == External links == *[http://www.commonapp.org The Common Application], a form accepted by over 200 colleges and universities in the United States. *[http://www.universalcollegeapp.com Universal College Application], a new application made by the same people as the Common App, and accepted by over 40 colleges and universities in the US. *[http://www.college.gov/ college.gov - U.S. Department of Education] *[http://www.getintocollegeblog.com College Essay Tips ], Unique tips to start on with your college application essay {{DEFAULTSORT:College Application}} [[Category:University and college admissions]]'