I am looking at a stack of college applications almost four inches high.

I called 60 Christian colleges (most have toll-free numbers) and asked for their applications. Almost a month later, 54 of them have landed on my desk.

My applications came from all over North America. They came from colleges from A to Z—including one school with both letters in its name: Azusa Pacific.

I got apps from colleges with directional names (Northwestern, Eastern), emotional names (Hope, Moody), godly names (Trinity, Messiah) and royal names (King, Crown).

Some of the applications were short; one was a single page with just a few easy questions. Some were long; one was a 24-page booklet with six essay questions.

Most colleges charge a small fee to apply. Of my 54 applications, the fee ranged from free to $55.

As I looked through my pile, I learned a lot about what you might want to know when you fill out college applications.

A college application can be broken down into four categories: 1) no-brainer questions, 2) essay questions, 3) references, and 4) a code of conduct agreement.

All college applications ask a ton of questions about things you hardly have to think about.

They'll want to know: your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and so forth.

They'll ask about academic progress and achievements. And they'll want to know about extracurricular activities.

They'll also ask about any community service, leadership awards, etc.

They'll want to know what you'd like to study, what you want to major in, what extracurricular activities you plan to participate in, and so forth.

Other things they might ask about: your parents (including their occupations) and siblings; your country of citizenship (and immigration/visa status); your native language; marital status; military status; housing plans; and your expected college course load (full- or part-time?).

Many will ask how you heard about their school. They may want to know if any of your relatives attend or attended their school.

You'll probably be asked about your church denomination, your involvement in church, your pastor's name, and so forth.

Many will ask you if you've ever been kicked out of or suspended from school, and if so, why. They'll ask if you've ever been convicted of a crime, and if so, why. And they might want to know if you've ever used alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, and if so, why.

Yep, all no-brainer stuff, requiring very little thought.

Here's the part of the application where you have to use your brain. The bottom line: The essay questions are important. They could make or break a college's decision on whether or not to admit you.

Colleges want thinking people on their campuses, people who can express themselves—preferably in complete sentences. That's why the essay questions are critical to the application process.

Now, what can you expect to find? Well, there's at least one essay question on most applications, and often two or three.

Essentially, the essay questions fall into one of four categories: spiritual questions, academic/achievement questions, goal-oriented questions and open-ended questions:

Spiritual questions. Christian colleges want to know about your Christian experience, and they want to know how your faith has affected your lifestyle and the way you view the world. Here are a few examples:

• "What does having a relationship with God mean to you?"

• "Relate your salvation experience."

• "What in your life indicates that you are walking with the Lord?"

Here's a time-saving tip: Write a 300-word mini-thesis on what you think it means to be a Christian. Keep it stored in your computer, and you'll have the essentials of an answer to most any spiritual essay question they ask.

Academic/achievement questions. This is where they ask what you've done in your school and in the community, and how those things have made you more well-rounded. Examples:

• "Please write a well thought-out essay to discuss your ideas, your experiences, interests and achievements."

• "Summarize your school experiences in both academic and extracurricular activities. If your academic performance was not at an acceptable level, please explain why and what action you have taken to improve your academic ability."

Goal-oriented questions. Admissions officials want to know what you want to do with your life, and why you think their school will help you reach those goals.

So, does that mean it's important to know what you want to do with the rest of your life? Of course not. If your goals aren't clearly defined when you answer these types of questions, that's fine. Just don't invent lofty goals to impress the admissions people; don't tell them you want to be the CEO of IBM, or that you want to be the next Billy Graham, if it's not true. Be honest, and say that you hope the college experience will help you define your goals.

But your answers shouldn't be completely vague. Some of your goals will be obvious: You want to keep growing in your faith. You want to get a good education. You want to be prepared to enter the working world after you graduate. Some examples of goal-oriented questions include:

• "As you think of the future, explain your most important goal."

• "Please specify your personal ministry goals and how you perceive an education at [name of college] will assist you in meeting them."

• "In what ways do you expect a Christian liberal arts college to contribute to your future goals?"

Tip: Again, type up a 300-word mini-essay on your goals. Then adjust your answer to particular questions as you address them.

Open-ended questions. Basically, these are questions that don't really fit into any of the other three categories. A few examples:

• "Write about something that is important to you. Describe what it is, and tell why it's important."

• "Describe one of your most significant experiences and how it has affected your life."

• "Share any additional information about yourself that might be helpful to us in the selection process."

Keep in mind that you could be asked almost anything on a college application.

In making the important decision whether or not to admit you, most colleges will want to know what other people think of you. These people are your "references."

"No problem," you say. "I'll tell them to ask Mom. She'll tell them how great I am."

Sorry, but that won't work. Mom's opinion doesn't count. Colleges don't want to hear from any of your relatives. Too biased. Instead, most colleges want to hear from at least two people: your guidance counselor and your pastor (or youth pastor). Many colleges also want to hear from a couple of friends, preferably adult friends. If you know somebody who attended or is currently attending the college you're applying to, it's a good idea to ask that person to be a reference.

Many colleges will send you forms to pass along to your references. The forms include questions about you, and they essentially ask the person if they think you would be a good fit at that particular college.

Your references will fill out their forms and, in most cases, send them directly to the college—or return them to you in a sealed envelope. That's right, you probably won't get a chance to read what they wrote. So, be sure to give your reference forms to people who actually like you!

Many applications will include the college's code of conduct. The code spells out certain behavior expectations, and it sometimes includes specific doctrinal beliefs.

Colleges will ask you to read their code and to sign your name, agreeing to abide by that code if you're accepted.

If you read anything in the code of conduct or doctrinal statement that you disagree with or feel you can't abide by, then don't apply to that college.

Moreover, applications can tell you things about yourself and things about the college that you may not have known or considered. Think of the application as one more step in the process of narrowing down your list of potential colleges. An application might further confirm your decision to apply to a certain school. At the same time, you might see something in the application that will make you want to cross that school off your list. That's OK, too.

Most applications include a checklist for you to go through to make sure you've covered all the necessary steps before sending in your application. Take these checklists seriously (especially the part where it reminds you to include a check for the application fee!); if you skip a step, the process will bog down. And you don't want that to happen.

Finally, when you've marked off every item on the checklist, take one more step: Ask your English teacher to proofread your application. The last thing you want to do is submit an application with mistakes. Think of your application as a reflection of you as a person. Do it right, do it well, do it thoroughly. And the next thing you know, you'll be getting letters in the mail that read something like this: "Congratulations! You've been accepted!"

Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.
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