The Insider: College Admissions Advice from the Experts

Update: Read the latest tips for the 2015-16 Common App.

Update: Read the latest tips for the 2015-16 Common App.

Universal College Application Tips: Alternate Versions and How to Request Letters of Recommendation

You’re in the home stretch! Now that you’ve filled out the Universal College Application, just a few steps remain. Read on to learn about creating alternate versions of your application, as well as how to request letters of recommendation from your guidance counselor and teachers. And stay tuned for our insider’s view to using the Common Application. Expert tips on completing the Common App will be posted in August.

On Saturday, we shared our first set of tips for students who want to get a jump start on their applications by registering for the Universal College Application (UCA). If you’re unfamiliar with the UCA, look no further than our blog. Today we share three more steps to help you make the most of your UCA, which can save you time and stress as you begin filling out your applications this summer. Be sure to check back here next week when we round out our top 10 steps for users of the UCA!

Rising seniors: anxious to get a jump start on applying to college? Can’t wait until the Common App goes live on August 1? If you plan on applying to Brandeis, Colgate, Cornell, Duke, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Princeton, Rice, Tulane, the University of Chicago, Vanderbilt, or any of the other 33 other U.S. colleges and universities that use the Universal College Application, you’re in luck. The Universal College Application launched July 1.

Students are stressed. Parents are stressed. As if the college application process weren’t nerve-wracking enough, the new Common App has made it nearly impossible for thousands of students to upload, preview, and submit their college applications.

Update: Read the latest tips for the 2015-16 Common App.

Update: Read the latest tips for the 2015-16 Common App.

Update: Read the latest tips for the 2015-16 Common App.

Update: Read the latest tips for the 2015-16 Common App.