When is it best to start mailing your applications? I know some of my friends who have already done it and some who haven't even thought of it yet. What should I consider about the college I want to go to? I have pretty good GPA (above 3), SAT scores, and a ton of volunteering/clubs/sports/etc., but I cannot afford to pay for pretty much any college eve with the student loan. What would you advice me?

You should apply as early as you can, this way you get your response as early as possible and you can then decide how you are going to pay for it. I'm not sure how it is with the colleges near you, but the college here will automatically select scholarships for you if you send your tests scores to them; however, they don't check all the scholarships, mainly just ones they pay for, so make sure you look for other ways to pay as well.

Also, apply to any college you are even considering, it's ok to be accepted to a college and still not go, this way you can choose from all the colleges you were accepted at and decide which one to go to.

I hope this helps.

okay, thanks. But still, about how many colleges should I send applications to? Is there a limit?

Picking a college isn't always an easy task, and it sucks that you have to pay an application fee just to be rejected or accepted at a college that you don't really want to go to. Some people have known where they wanted to go for ages, but some people aren't really sure at all. I'm assuming you're a senior, so it might be a little late to do some of the prep work that I'm going to suggest, but it's still possible to do most of this stuff.

• First, think about whether you want to go away or somewhere close. You mentioned that you can't really afford college even with student loans, so if you go to a college nearby that you can commute to, you can save money on room and board.
• If you have a major, or an idea of what you'd like to do, then you can also narrow your list by looking into the schools that offer that major. However, I've found that most students go into college undecided or change their major after their first year. But if you have a specific career in mind and you're pretty sure of yourself, then this would be a good way to narrow the list.
• If you're staying nearby, then that should narrow down the list. Go visit the colleges and see what the atmosphere is like. Take a tour of the facilities and spend some time at the food court. Look around and see what's nearby and whether things are convenient, like parking, food, and gas. Apply to all of them if you can afford it just because you've already limited yourself to those within commuting distance.
• If you want to go away to college, then you'll have to do a little more work. Decide the type of atmosphere you want to live in. Do you want to live in a big city like L.A., a suburb like Pomona, or a small town like Chico. (Yeah, I live in California, so I'm using the state colleges as examples.) You might want to look at the schools that give lots of grants and scholarships or look into their work-study programs. Surprisingly, lots of private schools give full or nearly full scholarships and the majority of their students are on some sort of financial aid. You probably won't be able to visit the campus, but if you have the opportunity, take it.
• Then separate your list into dream schools, good chance, pretty sure, and fall backs. Dream schools are the ones you don't think you have a snowballs chance in hell of getting into, but you'd really like to go there. Remember, you have to shell out money for each application, so unless you've always dreamed of going to Harvard, I wouldn't put it on your dream list. Stick with ones you actually would like to go to. Good chance schools are ones that you have a good chance, but you'll probably need to get really good grades and stay on the straight and narrow the whole year. Pretty sure schools are the ones where you can mess up a little and still be sure that you'll get in. They've got a decent academic reputation. Fall back schools are the ones that you're certain they'll accept you and you go there when every other school has rejected you.
• Your list should be narrowed down enough, but if not, only apply to a few of those dream schools, but at least apply to one just for the off chance that they accept you. Apply to most of your good chance and pretty sure schools. Then apply to a few of your fall back schools. Don't apply to all of them because these are supposed to be the ones that you know you'll get into. Just pick the 2-3 that you wouldn't mind going to.
• Finally, don't rule out community college. They're usually much cheaper and you can get out all those general ed classes that you're supposed to take the first couple years. Around here, some of the community college teachers also teach at UCLA or CalPoly, so you're getting roughly the same instruction but paying less than 1/10 of the cost. And some schools have agreements with colleges where you're guaranteed a spot into the college or university.

Anyways, those are my suggestions. Hope this helps!

Awesome! Thanks a lot, that really helped. Guess, I'll start on Monday.

P. S. Yes, I do dream of going to harvard, and, if I can get in, I'll go there for free, which is also good:)

haha =)

TikiPrincess gave some good advice. Also, if you can't afford colleges, most will shell out some money to help you go there just based on need, so don't worry too much about money, I mean, you should, but don't not go to college just because of money or something crazy like that unless you have a really good fall back plan.

good luck!

Actually, my only fall back plan is pursuing a career in the military and then finishing education 3 yrs later using the money Army's going to pay for me.

Enlisting and being a career military man are two very different things. It sounds to me like you're planning on enlisting. However, based on the current climate of the war, I would suggest pursuing other avenues. Though I'm a staunch Democrat, I believe only a fool would pull out of Iraq at the moment. It will most likely be a gradual thing, which means you'll probably have to do a tour of duty there. If you're actually interested in a career in the military, I suggest completing your education first. I believe that makes you eligible for officership as a DCO. I'd also suggest the Air Force since two of my cousins are in that branch, and they seem pretty happy there. My older cousin gained some useful skills in telecommunication and got out when the cell phone boom started, so he's been making bank as a contractor for several companies. My other cousin is going the career route and working her way up the ranks. I think she's an E-5 right now, or maybe an E-6, I'm not sure. Plus, she's stationed in North Dakota and hasn't been sent anywhere except Vandenberg for training. Then again, it's North Dakota... well, at least she's not in Iraq!

I don't think I could go to the air force because of a. my eyesight (although, that's correctable) b. I just don't feel like it.

What have you heard of the ROTC program? As I know, It's like doing both college and Army Reserve in the same time, but they are giving you a partial scholarship for 2-4 yrs. Is that so?