Applying, explained.

Clear, practical guides to every part of a college or university application, from your first document to your final offer.

What a college or university application contains, the order to do it in, and how the process changes from one country to the next.

What belongs in a college portfolio, how to describe each item, and what changes when a university asks for a creative portfolio.

A complete checklist for applying to college or university: documents, tests, writing, references, and what to do after you submit.

A calm, realistic timeline for applying to college or university, from two years before you start to the summer you enrol.

What reach, match and safety mean, how to tell which is which for you, and how to build a list that leaves you with real choices.

What a personal statement is for, how it differs between the UK, the US and Europe, and a way of writing one that is clear, specific and your own.

Which activities count on a college application, what admissions readers look for in them, and how much they matter in each country.

The questions that matter when you choose where to apply: the course itself, your chances, the cost, the language and the life around it.

How to apply to a university in another country: choosing where, having your diploma recognised, language tests, costs, visas and timing.

Looking for one country? See the country guides

See where you could study.