Written by Yessica Banda, Staff Writer
College decision deadlines can be very difficult for many of us, especially seniors. We have a lot of pressure to submit paperwork on time and to get everything ready for college, but why can’t colleges do the same for us?
When you submit your college application, it usually depends on the college when you will get your acceptance or rejection letter. Some colleges usually send a response six to eight weeks after you have submitted all the materials for your application. Other colleges wait until April or May to send in a response if you chose “Regular Decision” while doing the application process. Prestigious colleges that are highly ranked, usually send in their decision around April.
Speci c colleges also don’t accept certain materials even if they apply to your major. Some top-notch, traditional colleges do not accept portfolios or any other high tech material. The schools will base their acceptance decision on the ACT or SAT scores, GPA, and extracurriculum in school. ACTs are very important for some colleges, but to other universities, portfolios are worth more.
Portfolios are a very big thing, especially for art universities. Portfolios can contain many elements, but overall they are images or videos that show off your unique abilities. Some colleges prefer these unique materials over an essay since they show your true self.
Overall, some colleges take a couple of weeks to submit their responses, while others make students wait until April or May. Colleges shouldn’t be allowed to do that due to the stress and pressure that creates for students going through the process. Colleges also shouldn’t be able to decline any portfolios sent as long as they are within the major they are trying to apply.
Many colleges use different types of websites to submit a college application, but students should still be able to submit any extracurricular material they have made during their four years of high school. Colleges should be able to understand that there is more to a student than just their test scores, taking into account the work students have done to support their dreams and majors.