Now, you’ve got your final list of universities in front of you. These are 7-10 of the best universities for your courses and should fall into these three categories- Dream, Reach and Safety, equally.

The first step for you now is to look into your requirements-

What is most important for the course you are applying for?

Are they most focused on your grades? Does the course require extra-curricular activities, volunteer work or work experience that you may need to focus on?

Which part of the requirements can you fulfil easily and which ones need time?

Highlight which ones you might need to prepare or give time to. Realise the steps towards finishing the task and how much time it may take you. If you are on this stage in June and have to start applying in September/ October then plan which month you should start working on your application. It is better if you prepare things in advance so that any changes in schedule are easy for you to handle. And trust me, there will be a lot of changes!

Requirements that can cause trouble:

1. Portfolio:
   For Arts students as well as people applying to Arts schools, this will be in your requirements. Portfolios take quite a long time to create. You will already have things you have created in the past which can be used. Along with these, you will need to create a few other pieces of work, supporting it with text and a vision. Ensure you have sufficient time to get this done and you’re not forced to frantically create it before applying.
2. CV/ Resume
   A college asking specifically for a CV/ Resume cares about the work you have done other than your grades. This includes a list of academic work like academic papers you have presented at events or any competitions, fairs you have participated in. Of course, this also means sports, or any other hobby you have been actively pursuing as well as work experience of any kind. Your extra-curriculars matter more than you think.
3. Grades
   I know, I know, this seems obvious. Yet, it is necessary for me to include because most often than not, this is the reason you do not get admission into your dream school. Check on the grades you have so far, if you’re a college student, you will have to pay attention to your total average and ensure that the exams you are yet to give also fall in line with the requirements.
4. Work experience
   This is mostly for students applying for their post-graduation. For undergraduates, it is highly unlikely that you would need this but, you might need volunteer work or community service. Some colleges need certificates for 60 hours of community service with their application so keep this in mind. A lot of schools also try to ensure students have done this so check with other students, if you all participated in any relief work that you may be overlooking.
5. Statement of Purpose
   Universities extensively state what they want students to write in their SOP and what the candidate should focus on. Your SOP helps the university understand you as a candidate and whether you would be a good fit for their institution. This is an important part of your application and can often need several rounds of editing. As an estimate you should have up to 2-3 weeks to write a well- rounded SOP.
6. Academic References
   If you study in IGCSE, IB or an International school, this part of the process would not be a challenge for you. Even in most CBSE schools, teachers are accustomed to writing such references. However, as an UG student, getting a reference can be difficult. You might need to ask a company you worked with to write a reference (to show a range of your profile) and often they will tell you to write it for them. Even professors sometimes choose this path, making it slightly more difficult for you. This reference has to be written properly, edited and checked several times before sending it so that it is up to the quality that the university is expecting.

As you can see, there are several dimensions to your application and each part tries to understand you better as a student as an individual. The process may seem extensive and challenge you, especially when you’re working on it while being a student/ working constantly. For this reason, give yourself enough time to bring all this together and do not put excessive stress on yourself. A counsellor, teacher, parent also needs to be helping you through this and constantly editing your drafts because none of these can be written in one go and sent. Think very hard about the entire process and if you feel comfortable, getting a counsellor who can edit draft, research and inform you, can always be a big help in an already complicated process.