Applying to College 101

Course Workbook
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
How to Make the Most of this Workbook 4

Reflect: What are Your Motivations for Going to College?5

Plan: Your College Application Timeline6

Checklist: Your College Application Materials10

Reflect: How Do You Spend Your Time Outside the Classroom?  11

Plan: List Out Your Support System13

Write: A Note of Gratitude14

Reflect: “I-Statements” Chart15

Reflect: Explore Your Interests and Tell Your Story16

Reflect: Create Your List of College Priorities17

Reflect: Create Your List of Potential Colleges18

Checklist: Write Your Essays, Activities List, and More!21

Thank You 23

Notes24

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 How to Make the Most of this Workbook

How to Use this Workbook

Welcome to the Appling to College 101 course workbook. This workbook compliments the
online Applying to College 101 course on Coursera. Your workbook is a private space to write
your reflections, engage with activities, and build skills to be successful throughout your
college application process. The activities in your workbook connect to lessons and offer
another opportunity to deepen your learning. As you’re taking the course, there will be
moments that point you to activities in your workbook. When this happens, complete the
activity in your workbook, and then return to the course for next steps.

Engaging with your workbook will look different depending on where you are in your college
search journey. This workbook is designed for students who are planning to apply to college
soon (11th graders and 12th graders), but the activities and videos can still be useful for students
who are earlier in their college search journey as they plan for the future.

If you’re using this workbook online..

○ We recommend saving a copy of this pdf in a safe place to refer to throughout the course—
this might mean saving it on your computer or an online cloud.

○ You will need to manually save this document so that you can refer to it as needed. We
don’t want your hard work to be lost!

○ Text boxes will expand to scroll if you need more space to write.

○ You shouldn’t need any software to access the pdf, but if this workbook is inaccessible to
you in its current format, please contact us at [email protected].

If you’re using a printed version of this workbook..

○ It can easily be printed in black and white and filled in with your favorite pen or pencil.

○ Feel free to use the extra pages in the back to take notes.

○ We encourage you to keep it in a safe place—like a folder!

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Reflect: What are Your Motivations for Going to College?
The college application process is about reflection. People decide to go to college for a variety of
reasons. You might be serving as a role model for your sibling or community. You might have a
passion for a certain subject area. You might want to join a new community. Or maybe you are
looking for a pathway to a specific career.

Use the questions below to reflect on your motivations for going to college.
○ What are you most excited about?

○ How do you want to impact your future campus?

○ What kind of communities are you hoping to join?

○ How do you think college will shape your future?

We hope these questions can serve as a starting point to spark reflection. There’s no need to engage
with ALL the questions above, but feel free to answer the ones that speak to you.

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 Plan: Your College Application Timeline
Regardless of where you are in your college search journey, it’s important to keep in mind your
timeline for preparing your application and the deadlines for when to submit your materials—
because they are often not flexible. Staying organized is really important as you apply to
college, especially after being admitted. Take the time to practice these skills now and your
future self will thank you for planning ahead!

You can use the spaces below as a calendar to help you manage your time and prepare for key
deadlines. Keep track of these dates in your personal calendar and set yourself reminders too!

MONTH: YEAR:

MONTH: YEAR:

MONTH: YEAR:

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MONTH: YEAR:

MONTH: YEAR:

MONTH: YEAR:

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 MONTH: YEAR:

MONTH: YEAR:

MONTH: YEAR:

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MONTH: YEAR:

MONTH: YEAR:

MONTH: YEAR:

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 Checklist: Your College Application Materials
This checklist can help you understand all the application materials you will need to prepare
yourself and other materials you may need to source from counselors, family members, or
others within your support team.

Use this checklist to keep track of all the materials you will need to prepare for your
college applications.
‰ College Application Forms ‰ High School Transcript ‰ Recommendation Letters
Schools house their You can request an Make sure to ask teachers
applications on different unofficial copy of your who know you well and can
forms like the Common App transcript to see how your speak to your academic
or the Coalition for College grades and courses are interests. Give them
App. Make sure you are listed. enough time to write a
using the appropriate one good letter by asking early.
‰ School Profile (Optional)
for the schools on your list.
Your high school has ‰ List of Activities
‰ Financial Aid Applications a profile that gives All of your commitments
FAFSA, CSS Profile, and/or an overview of what’s outside of the classroom
school-specific forms. available in your school. like athletics, clubs,
You might want a copy of responsibilities, and more.
‰ Application Deadlines
this to understand what
For both your college ‰ Essays
Admissions Officers see
applications and financial Personal statement, and
when evaluating your
aid applications. some schools may ask you
transcript.
for supplemental essays,
‰ Application Fees and
‰ Standardized Testing or short answers.
Fee Waivers
(Optional)
Most schools will ask you ‰ Interviews
You might be required to
to pay a fee to submit your If schools on your list
submit standardized test
application. Connect with offer an opportunity
scores to some of the
your school counselor first to interview, you should
colleges on your list, and
to apply for a fee waiver strongly consider it. Not
other colleges might be
for colleges on your list or all schools will offer this
test optional. Talk to your
ask a college admissions option to applicants.
school counselor about how
officer if you can waive the
to submit your test scores
application fee.
with your applications.

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Reflect: How Do You Spend Your Time Outside the Classroom
Schools want to learn more about you: how you spend your time outside the classroom, what’s
important to you, and how you’re involved in your community. Different college applications
will ask you to list out your activities and may give you categories to help define them (see
examples below).

○ Academic ○ Dance ○ Global Exchange ○ Robotics

Programs
○ Art ○ Speech and ○ School Spirit
Debate ○ Journalism/
○ Athletics ○ Science/Math
Publication
○ Environmental
○ Community ○ Student
○ Junior R.O.T.C.
Service ○ Faith-Based Government/
Communities ○ LGBTQIA+ Clubs Politics
○ Computer/
Technology ○ Family ○ Music ○ Theater/Drama
Responsibilities
○ Cultural ○ Research ○ Work

Using the list above for inspiration, reflect on the following questions:

What activities are you involved in at your school?

What do you do for fun? Do you have any hobbies or activities that bring you joy?

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 Do you have responsibilities within your home, family, or community? This may include babysitting
a sibling, taking care of members of your family, or being part of a faith-based community.

Do you have experience working—like family businesses, part or full-time jobs, internships,
or other career-related activities?

Are there any other activities you pursue outside of school that you didn’t list above?

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 Plan: List Out Your Support System
Your support system can play a big part in many areas of your college search. Your supporters
may be members of your family, your community, your school, or part of your broader network
of people that you know through various aspects of your life—coaches, neighbors, supervisors
at work, friends, and so on.

We encourage you to think carefully and thoughtfully about who these people are, and to lean
into the idea of involving them throughout your application process.

Using the diagram below, fill out names of people you know who may be able to help support
you though the college application process. There may be some people who fulfill multiple
roles for you.

You

Who can speak about Who can help you Who can you talk to if
your achievements in fill out information you’re feeling stressed
and/or outside of school? for financial aid? or overwhelmed?

Who can Who can keep you

review your accountable for
writing? deadlines?

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 Reflect: Writing A Note of Gratitude
Applying to college can be stressful, and during those moments practicing gratitude for the
folks who are supporting you through this journey can be helpful. There are so many people
who have helped you get here, and they would love to know how they have encouraged you
along the way. This is a great skill to practice now, as there will be opportunities to thank
people who have helped you on your college journey.

Choose a member of your support team from the Identifying Your Support System activity
and practice writing a thank you note below.
Here are some suggestions to consider as you write your thank you note:
○ Be specific in how this person has supported you and name what you are thanking them for.

○ Be authentic and don’t overthink it.

○ This can be as long or as short as you want it to be, and you can write as many as you like.

You are welcome to share this note with the person you wrote it to — but no pressure! If you
need more inspiration, see our “Thank You” note at the end of this workbook.

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Reflect: “I - Statements” Chart
While you’re applying to college, you’re also learning more about yourself. This is an opportunity
to reflect on what brings you joy, what you can imagine yourself doing in the future, and how you
want to impact the world around you. Centering yourself in this process will help you prioritize
what you want to get out of your college experience.

Reflect on the I-Statements in the boxes below and fill in the blanks with your own responses.
Use as many rows as you like. It can be helpful to recall your responses from the How You
Spend Your Time Outside the Classroom reflection.

I’m I love to I believe the I think I could

good spend my world needs sustain myself
at... time doing... more... doing...

Do you see any threads between the boxes you filled out?
What stories can you tell about who you are?

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 Reflect: Explore Your Interests and Tell Your Story
The I-Statement chart may help you reflect on who you are, identify connections across your
interests, and communicate your goals for college. You have the power to tell your own story
in your college applications—through your personal statements, supplemental essays, lists of
your activities, and maybe even interviews. Colleges want to learn about who you are and what
kind of future community member you will be. Taking some time to explore your interests and
reflect on what you care about can help you prepare for your college search.

Reflect on what you wrote in each box in the I-Statements Chart.

○ Were there any responses that felt easy to write?

○ Were there any responses that felt difficult to write?

○ Do you see any connections across the boxes?

○ What stories can you start to tell about who you are?

We hope these questions can serve as a starting point to spark reflection. There’s no need to engage
with ALL the questions above, but feel free to answer the ones that speak to you.

Refer back to this exercise as you practice connecting your story to the opportunities available
Page 16 at the schools you’re applying to.
Reflect: Create your List of College Priorities
As you continue to explore different colleges, The list of college search categories below
the list of schools that align with your goals is not a complete list, but you can use
may continue to change and become more these categories as a starting point when
specific. Finding the best college fit is all researching which schools might be a good fit
about understanding alignment. Alignment for you. You can also consider these categories
refers to how well a school’s attributes while using different college search engines.
matches what you are looking for—and that
requires you to know yourself really well.

Use this activity to help you determine your priorities during your college search process. The
first column lists some common college search categories students often think about. The
second column offers questions to help you consider what’s important for you in your college
experience. Use the last column to write what your priorities are, and why they matter to you.

What are your priorities

College Search
Questions to Consider for college? Why is this
Categories
important for you?

Will this school be able to support you

Cost and fees financially? Is the estimated cost affordable
for you?

Available academic Does the school have academic programs

offerings that align with your ever-evolving interests?

How easy or difficult is it to get home from

Distance from home
campus? Do you want to live on or off-campus?

How big or small do you want your campus

Size of campus to feel? Are you looking for a larger research
university or a smaller liberal-arts environment?

Location and Do you want your campus to feel more urban

surrounding within a city, in the suburbs, or more rural with
environment access to nature?

Academic support and How does the school support your academic
career services goals, learning, and career interests?

Do you feel a sense of belonging? Are there

Community and
clubs, activities, or volunteer opportunities
campus life
that you’re interested in?

What does safety mean to you? How safe do

Safety
you feel on the campus?

Feel free to add your own categories, priorities, and reflections with the free spaces above! Page 17
 Reflect: Create Your List of Potential Colleges
It’s time to start compiling a list of colleges to apply to! You likely have some questions you’d
like answered to better determine if the colleges you are considering are a good fit for you.
There may be some questions you can find answers for through your own research—like on
admissions websites or social media channels.

Use the spaces below to start filling in more information about why you’re interested in each
school on your list.
Make sure to refer to this activity as you compare and contrast what you learn about each school
throughout your college search process.

SCHOOL:
• How does this school align with your priorities for your college experience?
• What questions do you have for current students, admissions officers, or financial aid staff
from this school?

SCHOOL:
• How does this school align with your priorities for your college experience?
• What questions do you have for current students, admissions officers, or financial aid staff
from this school?

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SCHOOL:
• How does this school align with your priorities for your college experience?
• What questions do you have for current students, admissions officers, or financial aid staff
from this school?

SCHOOL:
• How does this school align with your priorities for your college experience?
• What questions do you have for current students, admissions officers, or financial aid staff
from this school?

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 SCHOOL:
• How does this school align with your priorities for your college experience?
• What questions do you have for current students, admissions officers, or financial aid staff
from this school?

SCHOOL:
• How does this school align with your priorities for your college experience?
• What questions do you have for current students, admissions officers, or financial aid staff
from this school?

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Checklist: Write Your Essays, Activities List, and More!
The application is an opportunity to share more about yourself through your writing. You will be
responsible for writing essays, preparing your list of activities, and giving any additional context
about yourself in your application. This is your way to tell an admissions committee about you
in your own words. We recommend reviewing this checklist before you write your first drafts
(if possible), and definitely after you’ve completed drafts of your essays to make sure you didn’t
forget anything important.

College Essays
You’ve probably written an essay for a class, but the essays you write for your college application
may feel different because they’re for a new audience. The admissions officers who are reviewing
your applications are not focused on grading your essays, rather, they are reading your writing to
better understand who you are and what makes you a great fit for that school.

For each school you apply to, you will need to submit a personal statement, but some schools’
applications may also ask for specific supplemental essays that typically ask a question like “why
are you interested in applying to our school?”

Below is a checklist to keep in mind as you prepare your essays for your applications. Use this
checklist to ensure that your writing is effective and represents you authentically.
‰ Does your writing answer the prompt or ‰ Did you proofread your writing? Read
question asked? everything aloud to try to catch any mistakes
that spellcheck may miss.
‰ Are you answering the question authentically?
It’s important to write from your own perspective, ‰ Does your writing have structure? Are your essays
and be sure to create original writing that is not easy to follow, or would it confuse your reader?
plagiarized from another source.
‰ Have you written within the word count? Keep
‰ Are you considering your audience? Have you in mind how much space you will have to share
chosen an appropriate topic? Will someone with your essay and make the most of it.
little context about you be able to understand
and learn about you? ‰ Have you asked someone else to review your
writing? Ask who you identified from the “List
‰ What do you want your reader to learn about Out Your Support Team” activity what they
you? Consider what you want your reader to learned about you through your essay, and
learn about you from your writing. whether your writing sounds like your voice.

Supplemental Essays
Here’s some specific tips if your application requires supplemental essays or short answer prompts:
‰ Is your writing focusing on alignment? This is an opportunity to show how well a school’s offerings
may match with what you are looking for and why. Focus less on what makes the school so great, and
more on why it’s great for YOU!

‰ Does the detail in your writing show that you have you done your research? While there might be
similarities between schools on your list, try to draft responses that are unique for how you connect
to each school’s academic and social offerings. Make use of the resources to demonstrate your
knowledge of a campus community.

‰ Did you read and fully answer the question? Schools signal what’s important to them by the
questions that they ask, so make sure you are offering the information they are looking for.

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 Your Activities
“Activities” refers to everything you do outside of the classroom. These activities give
additional insight into who you are as a whole person, not just as a student. Some items on
your list might be things you choose to do, and others might be responsibilities.

Sharing your activities in your college applications reveals aspects of your personality, your
skills, and gives insight into how you might contribute to a college’s community.

Take the time to polish your activities section of your application using the checklist below:
‰ Did you spell out all acronyms? Sometimes an admissions officer won’t know what a club’s
acronym stands for, so be sure to spell out the whole thing.

‰ Did you list the amount of time you spend engaging with each activity? Writing out the number of
hours spent on each activity helps colleges understand the depth of your involvement and impact.

‰ Did you clearly list your role/responsibility within the activity? It can be helpful to name your role
within the activity i.e., “Vice President”, or “member”.

‰ Did you give details about your participation, and list numbers where possible?

‰ Have you fully captured how you spend your time outside the classroom? Is there anything
missing from your list of activities? Do you need to use an Additional Information section to give
more context?

Sharing Additional Information

There are other opportunities where you can share information with schools. Schools only
know as much as you tell them. To be your own best advocate, you can give admissions officers
more context for reviewing your application by sharing additional information in your college
application, in a letter, in an email, or during an interview. These documents are not required,
but your self-advocacy can help give admissions officers a fuller picture of who you are.

○ Is there additional context you can ○ Has there been a big change in your
provide about how your time is spent life that has impacted your grades or
outside of the classroom? participation in activities?

○ Do you have a long commute to school, ○ Is there context about your school that
or responsibilities within your home or you want to provide?
community that may prevent you from
engaging in certain activities?

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