Gathering Documents

The first thing we’re going to talk about this week are the things that you need to gather; documents and different information that you’re going to need for the application.

Slide 1: Gathering Documents and Information for the Application

So the first thing we're going to talk about this week are the things that you need to gather; documents and different information that you're going to need for the application. 

Slide 2: Purchase a scanner

Now, before we get started, I have to say, first and foremost, your life is going to be tremendously easier if you have a scanner or a scanner app. Otherwise, you're going to be sending stuff back and forth with your parents to work, or you're going to have to go to the UPS store regularly. And it's also going to be necessary later on for documents that you have to submit around your student residence permit and stuff like that. 

Slide 3: What you may need

  • Copy of passport
  • Passport size photos
  • Transcripts
  • AP/SAT scores
  • Letter from school about graduation
  • Recommendation letters
  • Basic info

So now let's talk about the different documents you may need to gather and where you can find out what exactly it is that you need to gather. So you're going to find this in one of three places. You will find out what you need to gather potentially from the database. But the better place to look for it is on the specific program website that you're applying to. And it might be just on the general application information for that program. If it's not there, you might have to hit “Apply now.” Don't really apply now, but you might have to hit that in order to find out what different documents and logistics that you need here. So the easiest strategy is to gather all of this upfront, and then just push through the submission. But don't worry if you have to start and stop to get stuff together that they didn't initially list as you start the process. 

So let's talk about these things that you might need. Now, the list itself isn't that, you know, intimidating. It's like, oh yeah, I could easily grab a copy of my passport, no big deal. But many schools are super specific about just the silliest things. For instance, we organized this college fair, this virtual college fair a few years ago. And so, as we were  working things out with the different schools, one school wanted us to sign something and send it to them. So no problem, we signed it, scanned it, sent it back. Well, they kicked it back to us because we did not sign it in blue ink. So not only did we have to find a blue pen, which we didn't easily have, but we had to figure out a way to get it to them in a way that showed them that it was signed in blue ink, because we were using a scanner that was black and white. So it was just a hassle and it seemed to me like a silly thing, given it was just such a small little project we're working on. But whatever, you will often find these things. 

So let's go through this list and some specifics you might need to find out about them. Almost all schools will require a copy of your passport. What you want to find out is what exact pages they need to be submitted, because that'll definitely vary country to country. They sometimes ask for passport size photos. Ask if the background color matters. It might not. But if it does, it’s good to know that upfront. For instance, I was applying for a visa for myself, and it was required that I have a blue background. Now most UPS stores, which is where I go for my passport size photos, most don't have a blue background. So I had to call around and see who had one that they could use. And it was a hassle, but knowing that upfront before just kind of walking into the UPS store and being like, “Hey, can you do a blue background?” was really helpful in my process. 

So they're going to ask you for transcripts, and likely you are still studying. So you want to find out, if it says official transcripts, what do they need at this point while you're still in school? And what do they mean by official? Does that mean that somebody has to sign them? Does the envelope have to be sealed? Does the envelope have to be sealed and signed? Is your school going to push back about postage, about international postage? And how can you handle that if they do? Will it be just that you provide them with the postage or can they give you the — addressed and everything — envelope with your transcripts for you to mail? Again, handling this now is going to be a lot easier than later when they're like, “Oh no, we're not going to mail that to Poland” or whatever. 

So when you have to submit AP and SAT scores, you're going to need the number to use when you request them from the College Board. You also should find out if you have your College Board login at this point. Sometimes, just reestablishing that can be a little bit of a headache to deal with now, as opposed to later. 

You might need a letter from the school stating that you're on track to graduate. Get the details there too. Does it have to be from a specific person? Does it have to be signed in blue ink? You know, or whatever specifics they might have. And recommendation letters, before you start asking for recommendation letters if they're required, see if there's a specific form that needs to be used, or even specific questions or a format, because it really would be a bummer to have to like go back to a teacher who wrote your recommendation and be like, “Hey, can you include this, or can you use this form, or can you sign it in blue ink?” You know, whatever it might be. 

Now of course, when you start the application process, they're going to ask for things like name and date of birth and address, and all those sorts of things. Which, you know, sounds like it might be easy, but sometimes not all of it is in English. So Google Translate is definitely your friend here. 

So the action step I've included is a checklist of things you might need. So check that out. And then we will talk about different types of sort of application processes in the next video.