IN 2025, 90% OF OUR STUDENTS
GOT INTO THE TOP 20 US UNIVERSITIES.

ADMISSIONS PROCESS GUIDANCE

We guide you, every step of the way

Your college application should be a meticulous representation of your very best self. Therefore, we ensure that every detail is in place.

Stepwise college application process

1

GATHER MATERIALS

2

CREATE AN ACCOUNT

3

ADD
COLLEGES

4

REQUEST RECOMMENDERS

5

WRITE
ESSAYS

6

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

Stepwise
application process

Here is an easy-to-follow breakdown of how to apply to US colleges. The most convenient way is to sign up on the Common Application, a platform through which nearly all major universities will receive your application.
Create an account

To create a Common App account, you simply have to add your basic details, create login credentials, complete your registration process, and select “create account.”

Once you’ve created your account, you can go to the dashboard and start building your college list. You can add up to 20 universities using various filters like location, cost, and deadlines.
This section asks for some basic information about you and your family, including your name, home address, phone number, family income level, educational background. They will also ask about your demographics and background, such as ethnicity, race, and religion. For the “language section,” we recommend that you select English as your primary language and add any additional languages that you speak.

In this section, you will provide information about your academics, including schools and colleges attended, grades, special courses, reporting GPA, cumulative GPA, summer programs, degrees if applicable, and academic honors from across your four years of high school.

If your school does not provide a GPA, you can simply leave that section blank. While filling in the “future plans” section, if you’re unsure about your career path, we recommend you choose a more unconventional option to help you stand out.

Subsequently, you will complete the standardized testing section, indicating the number of test attempts you’ve taken and your highest scores in each.

The activity list is a concise summary of your top ten extracurricular activities, which can include anything from your clubs, leadership positions, social impact accomplishments, internships, summer programs, artistic or athletic activities, and much more. You will need to succinctly summarize the activity in no more than 100 characters and ensure they all flow together to form a coherent story of your four years of high school.

The “written responses” or essays are an opportunity to share your personal journey with admissions officers and really win them over through thoughtful reflection and poignant insights.

In the “Additional Information” section, you may include any additional activities worth mentioning that could not fit into the “Activity” section. You can also add any important context you’d like colleges to know about your application.

When you invite your recommender, they will receive a link through which to provide your recommendation. When selecting your recommenders, you should prioritize quality, diversity, and recency. Your teachers will be able to testify to your character, your contribution to your peer community, and your ability to thrive in college.

You will subsequently complete the FERPA Release Authorization, which grants your high school permission to send your records on your behalf.

UNSURE WHERE TO BEGIN?

Submit our 2-minute form for a complimentary consultation with Athena’s experts — we’ll walk you through the process.

The Ivy League Playbook

A step by step guide to
writing winning Admission Essays